Brass Mold

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.

__________________
If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

View the original article here