Not to sure.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · April 18, 2015, 08:22 AM

Have a Lyman 2/ cavity mold with a pain in the butt sticking cavity. I'm thinking of buffing that troublesome cavity with a dremel and some Fine grit waxy jewelers rouge. Funny thing. Right from the get go. (nib) Its always been like that. (having one sticking cavity.)

Is doing so the appropriate action?

Do I need to replace that cavity's bluing?

Thanks for the enlightenment fellow caster/s.

Goatwhiskers · April 18, 2015, 08:52 AM

I cringe whenever someone uses the word dremel in conjunction with anything concerning firearms. Here's how to cure the sticky mold. Swing the sprue plate out of the way, set a nut over the sticky cavity, and pour lead thru the nut till the cavity and nut are full. Allow to cool, then coat the slug you made with fine valve grinding compoud--I use 400 grit polishing compound--then put the slug back in the cavity. Watch tv while you turn the nut with a wrench, won't take very long till the cavity is polished and your sticking problem will be solved. GW

Beagle333 · April 18, 2015, 10:38 AM

^^^^ What he said! Keep the dremel for hobbies that need everything rounded off.

Spinning the bullet slowly with a little Clover compound (I like to go slow with 800 grit) should clean it right up.

It ain't cheap, so you might have to call around if you have any machine shops close by that will spare you a spoonful for 5 bucks or so.

Looking around.... I do see that fleabay has folks selling it in small quantities for less.

mikld · April 18, 2015, 12:03 PM

I use a similar method to what Goat posted. But, I use a Comet/oil mixture as a "compound" first, then give the mold a try. If that doesn't work I get out the Clover's...

Sure Shot Mc Gee · April 18, 2015, 10:14 PM

Thanks for the Tip. I do have some Brownells Aluminum lapping compound in 600 & 800 grit. I'm hoping that should work with that cast & nut technique.

gwpercle · April 23, 2015, 04:31 PM

Somewhere is a small , tiny burr keeping the bullet from dropping free.
A cotton Q-tip might snag it and show you where it's at. Go easy!
Taking metal off is simple...putting it back, not so.
After you get the mould smoothed out, I have discovered that Liquid Wrench Dry Lube can be applied (spray or Q-tip application) to the sprue plate top and underside , block top and even inside the cavities, before starting to cast, give it two coats , let it dry . The stuff doesn't contaminate or cause wrinkled bullets like oil or grease. In fact the bullets want to jump out of the mould when it's opened...like magic..really!
I usually have to rap the hinge pin to get them out...but not with L.W. Dry Lube!
Works better than smoking and that nasty black spray on mould release...try it!
Gary

Smoke & Recoil · April 23, 2015, 05:28 PM

Hey there Sure Shot Mc Gee, before you go through all the trouble of
polishing the cavities...try smoke blacking them with a candle very
heavily. Smoke blacking the mold is real easy, light the candle and
hold the mold cavities just above the flame, the soot will fill imperfection
and act like a drop-out lube at the same time and also a drop of wax
works great for lubing the spur plate pivot.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · April 23, 2015, 08:25 PM

Honestly Gary & Smoke & Recoil. I don't know if L/W dry spray or candle smoke would fill the bill. I think it's problem is the cavity's bluing job itself. (Although I'm not really sure.)_ I do have a bit of clean Lino here that will surely fill out the mold nicely. And as told Lino & with a poured nut kinda appeals to my way of resolving also. If it doesn't. I recently purchased a NOE 311169 that will easily substitute the troubled 291 Lyman if need be. If I truly get to hate'n this mold I'll send it down to Beagle to accommodate his target practice. lol

I thank you all for your Tips & Remedies.

Beagle333 · April 23, 2015, 08:42 PM

Wha'd you do to it?

It weren't stickin' any when I had it!

LOL

I bet you're just wantin' to get a hold of this spiffy plain based one I got from NOE!

Sure Shot Mc Gee · April 24, 2015, 11:27 AM

Quote:

It weren't stickin' any when I had it!

I don't know what I did. If I did know I'd fix it. Maybe its that nasty trouble make'in casting ghost up to his old tricks. Yep he cast a >"voodoo spell on it."_

Honestly Chuck I haven't taken a good look see at it yet. What ever its problem is no doubt its a minor one. Besides Charles!! I just hate blued cavity molds period._

I've over the years buffed all my iron molds cavitys out. They just seem to work better for some reason. But?

mehavey · April 24, 2015, 11:44 AM

I've got moulds from waaay back whose bluing has long since disappeared to a light gold/brown gray... no problems dropping so "blue" ain't the issue.

I assume you tap the hinge w/ a rawhide hammer to drop things, so if it's sticking beyond that, I'd go with gwpercle's Q-tip trick first.

Beagle333 · April 24, 2015, 05:44 PM

I like bluing in one. 'Matter of fact.... I will sometimes cold blue an old one that I have bought, just so it'll drop better than plain bare iron. Your mileage may vary. There are about as many tricks to getting molds to release as there are for making good BBQ sauce.

Mike / Tx · April 26, 2015, 04:39 AM

I had an issue with a couple of mine here while back. The Q-Tip trick and a big eye, (lighted magnafying glass) did the trick. There werre a couple of burrs that had raised up right along the split line on one side. I used my dull edged pocket knife to ever so slightly chamfer the lip of the offending cavity and not an issue since.

Quote:

There are about as many tricks to getting molds to release as there are for making good BBQ sauce.

You mean there is "GOOD" BBQ sauce ??

I taught the wife, if you needed to put sauce on it, it wasn't cooked it right in the first place, all sauces are for is to cover that part up......

Beagle333 · April 26, 2015, 08:53 AM

Quote:

if you needed to put sauce on it, it wasn't cooked it right in the first place, all sauces are for is to cover that part up

Sometimes if you don't know how long it was in the road before you got to it.....you need to cover that part up!

'You get that mold smoothed up yet, SSM? We wanna see some pics of some nice shiny rifle bullets!

gwpercle · May 5, 2015, 06:31 PM

What's happening with your sticking cavity Sure Shot, got the problem solved?
Gary

Sure Shot Mc Gee · May 7, 2015, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Per gwpercle: What's happening with your sticking cavity Sure Shot, got the problem solved?

Haven't got the chance to cast with the troubled mold since I used a poured lino plug cast w/a fastened 1/2" nut and slightly wet 800 grit polishing grit in the cavity causing the mold to stick upon its opening. Sorry Gary: other family issues have taken precedent for the time being.

April 18, 2015, 08:22 AM	#1
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	Not to sure. Have a Lyman 2/ cavity mold with a pain in the butt sticking cavity. I'm thinking of buffing that troublesome cavity with a dremel and some Fine grit waxy jewelers rouge. Funny thing. Right from the get go. (nib) Its always been like that. (having one sticking cavity.) Is doing so the appropriate action? Do I need to replace that cavity's bluing? Thanks for the enlightenment fellow caster/s.

April 18, 2015, 10:38 AM	#3
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	^^^^ What he said! Keep the dremel for hobbies that need everything rounded off. Spinning the bullet slowly with a little Clover compound (I like to go slow with 800 grit) should clean it right up. It ain't cheap, so you might have to call around if you have any machine shops close by that will spare you a spoonful for 5 bucks or so. Looking around.... I do see that fleabay has folks selling it in small quantities for less. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile. Last edited by Beagle333; April 18, 2015 at 10:50 AM.

April 18, 2015, 12:03 PM	#4
mikld Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: Southern Oregon! Posts: 2,891	I use a similar method to what Goat posted. But, I use a Comet/oil mixture as a "compound" first, then give the mold a try. If that doesn't work I get out the Clover's... __________________ My Anchor is holding fast! I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...

April 23, 2015, 05:28 PM	#7
Smoke & Recoil Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: East shore of Lake Michigan. Posts: 714	Hey there Sure Shot Mc Gee, before you go through all the trouble of polishing the cavities...try smoke blacking them with a candle very heavily. Smoke blacking the mold is real easy, light the candle and hold the mold cavities just above the flame, the soot will fill imperfection and act like a drop-out lube at the same time and also a drop of wax works great for lubing the spur plate pivot. __________________ Sent from my Tandy 1000

April 23, 2015, 08:42 PM	#9
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	Wha'd you do to it? It weren't stickin' any when I had it! LOL I bet you're just wantin' to get a hold of this spiffy plain based one I got from NOE! __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

April 18, 2015, 08:52 AM	#2
Goatwhiskers Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2009 Location: Batchelor, La. Posts: 579	I cringe whenever someone uses the word dremel in conjunction with anything concerning firearms. Here's how to cure the sticky mold. Swing the sprue plate out of the way, set a nut over the sticky cavity, and pour lead thru the nut till the cavity and nut are full. Allow to cool, then coat the slug you made with fine valve grinding compoud--I use 400 grit polishing compound--then put the slug back in the cavity. Watch tv while you turn the nut with a wrench, won't take very long till the cavity is polished and your sticking problem will be solved. GW

April 18, 2015, 10:14 PM	#5
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	Thanks for the Tip. I do have some Brownells Aluminum lapping compound in 600 & 800 grit. I'm hoping that should work with that cast & nut technique.

April 23, 2015, 04:31 PM	#6
gwpercle Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 1,752	Somewhere is a small , tiny burr keeping the bullet from dropping free. A cotton Q-tip might snag it and show you where it's at. Go easy! Taking metal off is simple...putting it back, not so. After you get the mould smoothed out, I have discovered that Liquid Wrench Dry Lube can be applied (spray or Q-tip application) to the sprue plate top and underside , block top and even inside the cavities, before starting to cast, give it two coats , let it dry . The stuff doesn't contaminate or cause wrinkled bullets like oil or grease. In fact the bullets want to jump out of the mould when it's opened...like magic..really! I usually have to rap the hinge pin to get them out...but not with L.W. Dry Lube! Works better than smoking and that nasty black spray on mould release...try it! Gary

April 23, 2015, 08:25 PM	#8
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	Honestly Gary & Smoke & Recoil. I don't know if L/W dry spray or candle smoke would fill the bill. I think it's problem is the cavity's bluing job itself. (Although I'm not really sure.)_ I do have a bit of clean Lino here that will surely fill out the mold nicely. And as told Lino & with a poured nut kinda appeals to my way of resolving also. If it doesn't. I recently purchased a NOE 311169 that will easily substitute the troubled 291 Lyman if need be. If I truly get to hate'n this mold I'll send it down to Beagle to accommodate his target practice. lol I thank you all for your Tips & Remedies.

April 24, 2015, 11:44 AM	#11
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	I've got moulds from waaay back whose bluing has long since disappeared to a light gold/brown gray... no problems dropping so "blue" ain't the issue. I assume you tap the hinge w/ a rawhide hammer to drop things, so if it's sticking beyond that, I'd go with gwpercle's Q-tip trick first.

April 24, 2015, 05:44 PM	#12
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	I like bluing in one. 'Matter of fact.... I will sometimes cold blue an old one that I have bought, just so it'll drop better than plain bare iron. Your mileage may vary. There are about as many tricks to getting molds to release as there are for making good BBQ sauce. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

May 5, 2015, 06:31 PM	#15
gwpercle Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 1,752	What's happening with your sticking cavity Sure Shot, got the problem solved? Gary