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Old June 18, 2013, 08:25 PM   #1
kayakfisher
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Brass Mold

I have cast quite a few bullets for centerfire ammo,but do you smoke a brass mold before useing
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Old June 18, 2013, 10:03 PM   #2
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Never used a brass mold nor have I ever smoked a steel or aluminum one.
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Old June 18, 2013, 11:50 PM   #3
Bill Akins
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I don't "smoke" brass molds because they are too hard to roll in the papers and don't burn evenly plus they burn my lips.

But seriously, I think the OP meant do you "HEAT" the mold before using projectiles cast from it. Although I don't use brass molds, I do use steel ones.
I have found that I get deformities in the projectiles if my mold is not sufficiently heated BEFORE I pour molten lead into it. My molds just seem to work better after I have heated them up by pouring several castings of molten lead into them. Then I simply re-melt the first few discarded castings and use them again after my mold has heated up.


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Old June 19, 2013, 12:06 AM   #4
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No he meant smoke. Many people do smoke molds by holding a flame over the open cavity. It's supposed to help with the release. I have used molds smoked by other people but I don't see any difference. You still have to tap the handles to get them to drop.
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Old June 19, 2013, 03:31 AM   #5
Old Stony
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I have smoked molds many times. I just use a wooden match and run the flame under the cavity and let the smoke flow up into it. It seems to me that it helps a lot to get them to easily drop from the cavity...granted you still have to tap the hinge pin, just not so hard. If you once smoke a Lee mold, you willl see the smoke on the mold. Just a simple procedure that only takes a minute and makes it all work a little easier.
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Old June 19, 2013, 04:49 AM   #6
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I have used...

The smoke from a carborizing flame from a candle. Hold the mold close to the flame to starve the flame from the air.

I have also used talc as a release agent in a mold. Gotta use pure talc which at least once was sold by pharmacists. Baby powder doesn't work since it is mostly cornmeal which burns.

I don't find that it makes much difference.

I have also used brass molds but in my case the mold and handle were all cast as one piece. Not practical since the handles quickly came up to 400 degrees. Sort of hard on an ungloved hand.

I keep my holds clean and in good shape and find I don't need a release agent.
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Old June 19, 2013, 07:59 AM   #7
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I've used aluminum (Lee), steel (Lyman, etc.) and even antique steel "bag molds" but never a brass one. I never have "smoked" one . . . until yesterday. I just got a new Lee double cavity in .311 and for once I read the directions. It states the cavities should be "smoked" and to use a lubricant on the locating pins an sprue plate pivot screw prior to casting such as beeswax or an anti seize lubricant - primarily to assist the locating pins and prevent galling of the mold blok by the sprue cutter.

I preheat the mold as my lead was melting (I uses a LP cast iron single burner hot plate). I ran a total of 260 balls - 130 individual casts. Smoked, I still had balls that hung up. I finally got a system down where I cut the sprue and then gently tapped a few times against the steel fork that attaches to the aluminum blocks. Then, upon opening, the balls dropped right out - usually. I used a regular kitchen match to smoke the cavities - repeated it halfway through the casting session. Did the smoking help? I don't know. I've never done it on my other molds but it's a simple process to smoke 'em so I'll probably continue to do it on this particular mold.

Personally, I think it is a combination of a number of things in regards to a ball just dropping out when the mold is open - temperature of the mold, temperature of the lead and the cooling period after pouring and striking the sprue - which for me is usually a very short time - maybe 15 - 20 seconds? (guessing). At the end, it seemed like the mold was getting "broken in" as it worked easier and I had fewer that had to be tapped. Still, I wonder if the "smoking" really helped.

As Doc points out, the way the brass molds are made, you don't have much to grasp that isn't going to be very hot. I have seen some of these where the owner has fitted wood handles to them - sometimes the handles have been bent to accommodate though. I'd love to try one sometime just to see how the brass works. Whether it's necessary? Don't know but it couldn't hurt anything. Let us know please.
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Old June 19, 2013, 09:00 AM   #8
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I smoke but never inhale !!!

Quote:
do you smoke a brass mold before useing
Good question and by habit, I just smoke everything. I have a set of brass Colt repro Mold/handle and they are smoked as well. I use a small lamp-oil lamp and catch the carbon at the top. ....

Be Safe !!!
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Old June 19, 2013, 10:05 AM   #9
Noz
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I bought a brass mold from Mountain Molds a few years back.
I smoked it as I do with aluminum molds.
It is heavy but when brought up to temperature is the best mold I own.
I have steel, aluminum and the single brass mold and the brass is the cream of the crop.
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Old June 19, 2013, 12:18 PM   #10
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I use to use a candles smoke on the lower side of its cutter plate on my Lymans & RCBS. (cutting sprues off low. The wax in the smoke keeps the cutter plate from building up lead or lead streaking.) When their bores won't release properly I buff them out with a Dremel tool and some red waxy buffing compound Dremal sells for their tools usage. Doing so seems to get rid of that factory bluing and dull the sharp edges a tad on the molds cavities. Then I soak them in Kroil till their next use. Let them heat again with that Kroil on them along with that buffing job done to them and those bullet just fall away like nothing. When done casting. Let them again sit in that Kroil while in storage. Others may indeed have another technique. Which probably work just as well as this one above. But since you asked OP about smoking a mold. I guess your supposed to do it often on aluminum molds until their broke in as I was told. As their cutter plate will indeed gall the aluminum below if it indeed is cutting spruces off closely also. As far as Brass. I don't know how they are to be treated > I would do it just as a preventative measure. Can't hurt too smoke them ..

S/S
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Old June 19, 2013, 05:12 PM   #11
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What I read, and I think it was from a Lee publication, but I cannot swear to that, was that the purpose of smoking is not to make bullets drop out of the mold easier. It's not mold release. You can see this because the smoke residue is mostly gone after 30 or so drops.

What I read was that the smoke acts as a barrier to thermal transfer of heat from the molten lead to the mold. This prevents your bullets from cooling down too quickly with a cold(er) mold and getting wrinkly. By the time the smoke is worn off your mold is probably up to temperature and it's no longer needed.

I don't smoke my molds. I just make sure they are good and hot before I start casting. I use a propane torch to heat it up in a hurry.

Steve
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Old June 19, 2013, 08:07 PM   #12
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The OP doesn't say what kind of brass mold he has but I'm going to assume maybe it's one of the copies of the molds you usually see in cased sets (Colt)? Brass body with a steel sprue cutter? Any mold is only as good as the craftsmanship that went in to the making of it but since I've never used one of these types - are the cast balls and conicals resulting from them half way decent and usable - i.e. does the .36 mold cast .375 and the .44 mold cast .454 - or close enough so you shave a little lead on loading? As far as any of the conicals out of them - anybody shot them and your opinion of the results?

Doc - have you used them and what was your experience with them - good or bad?
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Old June 19, 2013, 08:48 PM   #13
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BBB

I don't shoot anything but round balls in my C and B revolvers.

As regards brass molds my only experience is with the cheap brass molds in which the mold half and handle are cast in one part.

They work so poorly, that I am convinced they were never intended for any purpose apart from looks. You can't cast ten balls before they get so hot you can't hang on to them

As molds they make good wedge mallets.
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Old June 20, 2013, 12:02 AM   #14
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I will coat the mold cavity with graphite either from a dry lube aerosol(sp?) graphite spray or a very soft graphite artist pencil (4B or 6B) as a release agent. The graphite spray needs to be applied when the mold is cold or else the solvent spatters away from rapid boiling off. The spray is like a dry black paint that gets on everything in its path. I use it outside. The pencil works hot or cold and doesn't get all over everything.
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Old June 20, 2013, 08:00 AM   #15
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Thanks Doc . . . that answers my question on 'em. Never thought about making a wedge mallet out of one . . . interesting idea!

I've used a "bag mold" (steel) and molded over a wood fire on several occasions to demonstrate "the old way" - nice to try once or twice but they get just as hot as the brass would as thee isn't much to hang on to. I still love my wood handles and being able to run a larger quantity of balls at one time.
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Old June 20, 2013, 12:42 PM   #16
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robhof

I have a brass mold for my Colt Wells Fargo clone and use it quite a bit, but I did cut 2, 4" pieces from my broom handle and drill holes large enough to fit the handles in and secured them with small pipe clamps and no burns. Ball and conical seem to fall out with light tap, never smoked it.
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