Spray graphite on mold?

[Zippidydoodah]

Anyone have any luck spraying graphite on the mold rather than smoking them?
Comments?

[Ranch Dog]

I learned to be very leary of any product sprayed on a mold. While in the business, every mold that had been returned under warranty had been sprayed by some type of compound. I would clean them up with Chem-Tool, test them, and sell them on eBay.

[Zippidydoodah]

Thanks RD. I'll try to cast some. I have used lead pencil to coat some molds. Didn't hurt or help.

[Ranch Dog]

Thanks RD. I'll try to cast some. I have used lead pencil to coat some molds. Didn't hurt or help.

I just coat the cavities with carbon from the flame of a butane lighter. I ensure they get a light golden hue, even across all the cavity halves. If this doesn't ad in bullet release a good technique is to take the rubber eraser on a pencil and drag it across the edge on each half to include the radius of the base. This would be before the mold is cleaned. Smoking is the final step.

I'm real careful what I get on the aluminum as it is porous and those pores do expand with heat.

Another old school tip is to use carbon if your mold is dropping fat bullets and you don't want fat bullets. Just, as before uniform the color. I tried this with a mold my .432" and got a full .001"+ reduction in size with a black coat of carbon on each cavity. The good thing is that it washed right off with dish detergent so it is a technique that could be used with a single mold for different size applications without physically changing the mold. I think this is where I would start with the 7.62x39 mold you want to see sized down.

As far as making a mold larger, I use a trick that I read from a Lee source. I take a couple of small pieces of wax paper and stick it to the mold halves between the cavities. I use a touch of NRA lube to stick them. This will increase diameter about .0015" easily and it will wash off as well. Believe it are not the bullets are quite round. Beats "beagling" a mold.

I just did the above unintentionally with my first TLC452-330-RF cast. I had rested the mold on the top of the pot, I know better, and then went to casting. Unknown to me several small splatters had landed on the halves in strategic locations and boom, I'm dropping .4545" bullets instead of .452" bullets. Round with no fins. Sizing was tough as I poured 50/50 linotype/wheel weights. They were curing through 21 BHN four hours later during sizing and I'm surprised I did not break the linkage on my press. At 48 hours, the bullets have settled at 31 BHN.

[62chevy]

RD how did you clean the lead splatter from your mold?

[Ranch Dog]

RD how did you clean the lead splatter from your mold?

Peel it off with a fingernail. If the mold is hot, you must be very careful of what you touch it with as you will dent or mark the aluminum. Once it is cold, like when I'm cleaning it up after the session, I just wash it lightly with 0000 steel wool. It will pull it right off.

[Zippidydoodah]

I'll try the wax paper trick. I like simple!
I have been using a #2 pencil to coat all my lee molds. I never have measured a before and after (before resizing) but they have always been large enough to need resizing. I'll try the butane lighter to "smoke" them. I could never get a good coating with the small matches. I also use the pencil lead to rub over the aluminum parts-alignment wedges and pin pockets. The lead bullets always seem to drop out nice and don't stick.

[Ranch Dog]

I have been using a #2 pencil to coat all my lee molds.

Isn't the pencil just adding a layer of lead to the cavity, am I missing something here? The carbon from the flame adds a layer that keeps the lead from adhering to the aluminum.

[daboone]

I've been using an old flat lead carpenters pencil to remove lead splatter. I use my finger nails for nose picking.

For far as mold cavity prep goes I find just cleaning with dish detergent is all that is needed. That is if the mold is burr free. I've had molds that did need to be very gently lapped to get them to drop bullets freely. (none of your designs required that, RD! )

[Zippidydoodah]

Pencil lead is mostly graphite and clay and a binder I think. Anyway it has worked ok for me. The bullets drop out and they are still large enough to require resizing. May not be as effective as carbon smoke and that would be thinner as well. I got a couple of new molds I'll smoke and compare.