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Do steel molds survive a fire? (Read 5197 times)

jy3855 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 368 Location: California Joined: Jul 13^th, 2015	Do steel molds survive a fire? Oct 23^rd, 2017 at 8:18pm	Print Post
	My house burned down on Oct. 9 in the California wildfires. Among my losses is a large ammo can containing numerous bullet molds. My house burned to the ground, heat must have been pretty intense. I'm wondering if it's worth going out and retrieving that ammo can and looking for other molds that were on my bench. Thanks in advance for your experiences and information.


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 18057 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #1 - Oct 23^rd, 2017 at 8:30pm	Print Post
	Have no personal experience John, but I would certainly go back and try to find those molds in the ammo can. If you can find them, then you can surmise if the molds are good, and not warped. If the halves fit together well, I'd have no issue at all with trying to cast with them again. Of course I'd also hope the inside of the cavity is also in good shape.

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UtahDave Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 396 Location: Heber City, Utah Joined: Aug 14^th, 2010	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #2 - Oct 23^rd, 2017 at 8:35pm	Print Post
	Sorry to hear about your disaster! I hope you were able to save some treasures. I don't think there is any way to know if the molds could survive or not other than inspect them. They may be seriously oxidized with scale so that would ruin them. If the ammo can survived, assuming it was metal, then they might be fine. Best of luck, Dave


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jy3855 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 368 Location: California Joined: Jul 13^th, 2015	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #3 - Oct 23^rd, 2017 at 9:07pm	Print Post
	Yeah, the ammo can was a big military can for 7.62. I'll dig it out and see how they look. Thanks


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John Boy Ex Member	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #4 - Oct 23^rd, 2017 at 10:24pm	Print Post
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beltfed Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1826 Location: Central Wi Joined: Dec 20^th, 2007	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #5 - Oct 23^rd, 2017 at 11:13pm	Print Post
	And at what temp the house burned... JY, Hope you are going to be OK. Saved the guns? That R#1 38-55, etc? beltfed/arnie


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jy3855 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 368 Location: California Joined: Jul 13^th, 2015	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #6 - Oct 23^rd, 2017 at 11:45pm	Print Post
	Arnie, I am sorry to report, all of my long arms were lost, including that beautiful No. 1. I am saddest about a beautiful Hepburn that I got just a couple of months ago. At least I can say that I shot each and every one of them before I lost them. I did save some handguns, but lost many nice handguns as well. I'll always mourn my 6 1/2" S&W model 24-3 44 Special. At least I got my 4" and 6 1/2" 624s out, and my 1911. There's no understanding my thought process, as when I went outside, embers were falling from the sky. There was only about 15 minutes between waking up to leaving. The handguns that got saved were predominantly in holsters - which I put in a duffle. I didn't take the bare ones because "I didn't want to scratch them". Doesn't make much sense to me now!


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Schuetzenmiester Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 6707 Location: Cool Wet Side of WA Joined: Apr 27^th, 2008	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #7 - Oct 23^rd, 2017 at 11:52pm	Print Post
	Sorry to hear about your loss.

	"some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence
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jfeldman ASSRA Board Member Offline Posts: 1120 Location: Imperial Beach, Ca Joined: Nov 5^th, 2005	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #8 - Oct 24^th, 2017 at 12:55am	Print Post
	JY, you have my sympathy. I can't imagine what you are going through, but do hope for the best for you and yours. Regards, Joe


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uscra112 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4079 Location: Switzerland of Ohio Joined: May 7^th, 2007	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #9 - Oct 24^th, 2017 at 2:52am	Print Post
	Go get 'em. Most moulds are cast iron, anyway, not steel. Cast Iron stands high heat very well. Even past the point where it's visibly glowing. You'll have those at least, to soften the blow.

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beltfed Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1826 Location: Central Wi Joined: Dec 20^th, 2007	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #10 - Oct 24^th, 2017 at 10:03am	Print Post
	A real bummer losing all that. Of course including the house ,etc. arnie


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coljimmy Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 283 Joined: Nov 10^th, 2012	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #11 - Nov 20^th, 2017 at 9:17pm	Print Post
	I just saw this thread. A good friend had a house burn down, he had one of my molds borrowed, 311291 for 30 wcf. He dumped everything into a barrel full of crude oil and let it sit for a year before he could recover the other mess. My mold looks good except a film of thin black rust/patina. My plan is to mold a few ugly? bullets, then drill a small hole in the base of the bullet holding it in the mold, screw a small wood screw into the mold, cut the head off of the screw with a Dremel tool, then chuck it in a variable speed battery powered drill, add a little fine valve grinding compound, and clamp it LOOSELY in the mold and drill SLOWLY. This method works well for old round bag molds and poor condition stuff from ebay. The trick is in drilling the base of the lead bullet, go slow with little pressure or you will snap off the drill bit. Also, if done too long, it will enlarge the diameter of the mold., handy if you need a little bigger round ball. James


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uscra112 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4079 Location: Switzerland of Ohio Joined: May 7^th, 2007	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #12 - Nov 20^th, 2017 at 9:44pm	Print Post
	Don't use a wood screw. I've ruined one mould that way. Now I use an appropriately sized Torx bit. Works much better, and can't worm its' way through the lap so that the point scores the mould.

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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 18057 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Do steel molds survive a fire? Reply #13 - Nov 21^st, 2017 at 10:52am	Print Post
	I've lapped out molds using valve lapping compound also, but I drill and tap for a 10-24 machine screw and cut the head off after screwing it into thee cast bullet. It works well, and if you don't want to take any metal off, just use Flitz metal polish instead of lapping compound.

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