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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Mold won't clear up (Read 2318 times)
gnoahhh
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Re: Mold won't clear up
Reply #15 - May 14th, 2024 at 12:34pm
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To keep the thread on track, when in VN how did you pre-heat your mold and melt lead to make bullets for the M1 Carbines you swapped for? In a canteen cup over a fire of old ration containers?
  
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frnkeore
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Re: Mold won't clear up
Reply #16 - May 14th, 2024 at 2:21pm
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bpjack wrote on May 14th, 2024 at 11:14am:
We could actually buy cartons of cigarettes the PX or the small commissary my second year most of the time.  The only time we had to smoke the ones from C Rations is when they did a money swap.  Those rations were so old the crackers were totally stale.  Cartons were $1.70 (compared to over $9 stateside) and you could trade a carton of menthols for an M1 carbine. 

Jack, they were over charging you!!

When I was there a carton was $1.10

Maybe inflation? I was there in '66/'67.
  

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bpjack
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Re: Mold won't clear up
Reply #17 - May 14th, 2024 at 2:28pm
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C4 makes a great heat source.  Just cut a claymore mine apart and you will have plenty.  Fall 69-to fall 71, Frank.  I guess inflation was rampant.
  

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jfeldman
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Re: Mold won't clear up
Reply #18 - May 14th, 2024 at 8:28pm
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What I think I know about my Aluminum NOE mold:  The sprue plate, being steel basically regulates the mold temp.  My alloy needs to be at about 850 and as one of our oldtimers on here recommends, it should take 4 to 5 seconds for the sprue to harden when you leave a good sized puddle on the sprue plate.
Anyway, it seems to work for me.

Regards,
Joe
  
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westerner
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Re: Mold won't clear up
Reply #19 - May 14th, 2024 at 10:33pm
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Just about every new mold I buy I have to vent. Modern machinery is so good and the tolerances are so tight air will not escape as the lead is poured into the mold. I cast at 775-800

Vent your mold.
« Last Edit: May 14th, 2024 at 10:43pm by westerner »  

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uscra112
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Re: Mold won't clear up
Reply #20 - May 15th, 2024 at 12:48am
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marlinguy wrote on May 12th, 2024 at 7:51pm:
I just use acetone to clean inside molds.
  

Brakleen, in the big spray can.  Close the sprue plate, crack the mold open 1/16" inch or so.  Stick the straw in the hole and blast!  Wear safety glasses.  

I've never needed to vent any NOE or Accurate molds.  But with aluminum you have to keep your rhythm going and the sprue plate hot.  Charlie Dell once wrote about spilling some hot lead over the plate as you detach the spout, and I've been doing it ever since.
  

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westerner
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Re: Mold won't clear up
Reply #21 - May 15th, 2024 at 4:31am
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Here is the best way to vent a mold. Use a fine mill file.
I vent all NOE and Accurate molds this way as they have needed it the most. I vented a Barnett mold a couple months ago and what a huge difference it made.

Ron Long taught me this in the 1980s.
  

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nuclearcricket
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Re: Mold won't clear up
Reply #22 - May 18th, 2024 at 8:14am
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When coating the inside of an aluminum or any mold for that matter you DO NOT want to use a candle, that will leave an oily/waxy film in your mold and you don't want that. The best thing I have found to coat the inside of a mold with smoke is a grill lighter, it keeps the heat away from your fingers and you can more easily manipulate the flame around the inside of the cavity. What that carbon coating does is slightly slow down the cooling process. Thus it helps to get rid of the wrinkles and such. If you are casting good looking bullets other than the wrinkles, up your heat a bit till you get things looking the way you want them to. 
Sam
  
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gnoahhh
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Re: Mold won't clear up
Reply #23 - May 18th, 2024 at 10:13am
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nuclearcricket wrote on May 18th, 2024 at 8:14am:
When coating the inside of an aluminum or any mold for that matter you DO NOT want to use a candle, that will leave an oily/waxy film in your mold and you don't want that. The best thing I have found to coat the inside of a mold with smoke is a grill lighter, it keeps the heat away from your fingers and you can more easily manipulate the flame around the inside of the cavity. What that carbon coating does is slightly slow down the cooling process. Thus it helps to get rid of the wrinkles and such. If you are casting good looking bullets other than the wrinkles, up your heat a bit till you get things looking the way you want them to. 
Sam


That's been my gut feeling, and is why I utilize a Bic lighter.
  
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