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Another potential bullet casting hazard (Read 784 times)

texasmac Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2065 Location: Central Texas Joined: Aug 16^th, 2004	Another potential bullet casting hazard Jul 26^th, 2025 at 2:36pm	Print Post
	Bullet casting is a potentially hazardous process due to working with melted lead at around 750 degrees, but there’s one hazard I was not aware of. How may of you use break parts cleaner when cleaning the mould prior to casting. Since it much cheaper than the commercial gun cleaner, I’ve been using it for many years. Knowing that breathing it can lead to carcinogenic, allergic & central nervous system effects, I always stepped outside of my workshop casting area when spraying the mould. Most break cleaners contain tetrachloroethylene. What I was not aware of, when it’s exposed to high temperatures, the vapors can decompose into toxic gases such as hydrogen chloride & phosgene, a highly deadly gas. So, if you use it, be sure the cleaner fully evaporates prior to heating the mould, and if you arc weld, never use it to clean the metal while welding. Wayne


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bpjack Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3288 Location: East Olympia, WA Joined: May 18^th, 2008	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #1 - Jul 26^th, 2025 at 3:26pm	Print Post
	I use lighter fluid. Getting harder to find though.

	ASSRA # 11318 I have finally come to realize that I will never be old enough to know better.
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GunBum Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 258 Location: SW Missouri Joined: Oct 30^th, 2021	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #2 - Jul 26^th, 2025 at 3:36pm	Print Post
	Use the non chlorinated brake parts cleaner. Problem solved. In most brands, the chlorinated brake parts cleaner comes in a green can, and the non chlorinated comes in a red can.


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17117 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #3 - Jul 26^th, 2025 at 6:04pm	Print Post
	Just allowing brake clean to fully dry is enough to avoid the problems. Never spray it into a hot mold as that can be extremely dangerous when brake clean hits anything hot!

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frnkeore Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 7484 Location: Central Point, OR 97502 Joined: Jun 16^th, 2010	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #4 - Jul 26^th, 2025 at 6:13pm	Print Post
	Clean a mold? I never clean mine, after I get them sessoned in, unless I'm having trouble and can clear it up by adjusting temp. Lighter fluid? I think that's what is or was called "White Gas", same as used in camp stoves. I smoked when I was in my 20's and used a Zippo but, I filled it with gas from the gas pump, when there wasn't lighter fluid available. I guess my system has always like lead

	ASSRA Member #696, ISSA Member #339
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Babydriver Full Member Offline Posts: 134 Joined: Mar 22^nd, 2024	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #5 - Jul 26^th, 2025 at 6:41pm	Print Post
	Like one of the replies, I never clean my moulds. If I ever do anything I hold a wooden match to both sides and give it some carbon. Word like a charm.


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texasmac Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2065 Location: Central Texas Joined: Aug 16^th, 2004	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #6 - Jul 27^th, 2025 at 12:12pm	Print Post
	I must be doing something different than some of you guys that never clean their mould. After casting several hundred bullets, regardless of brand of mould, it gets a good bit of crud (carbon ?) on some of the outside surfaces, and the spru plate hole accumulates lead, requiring the use of 000 steel wool to remove it. So I clean it all off & spray the mould with Rem Oil for storage. BTW, I never clean the insides. When using it again, I spray clean the cold mould with the break cleaner to remove the Rem Oil. Works for me. The chlorinated break cleaner is alway evaporated prior to heating up the mould so it's never been a problem although I only recently became aware of the hazard of spraying a chlorinated cleaner on a hot surface. Wayne


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oneatatime Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4128 Location: Rocky Mountains Joined: Oct 30^th, 2011	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #7 - Jul 27^th, 2025 at 12:24pm	Print Post
	Wayne, I'm stumped on how you accumulate lead in the sprue plate hole. Are you opening the mold before the lead has totally hardened? Everything in the sprue plate hole should pop out in one piece. Casting with 2 molds in sequence should guarantee it.


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bpjack Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3288 Location: East Olympia, WA Joined: May 18^th, 2008	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #8 - Jul 27^th, 2025 at 12:41pm	Print Post
	Frank, In Vietnam I would tie a string around my zippo Inman and lower it into the gas tank of my Jeep. The opening was quite large and there was a scare when it was reported that the bad guys would put a rubber band around a grenade handle, pull the pin and drop it into a gas tank. When the gas eventually dissolved the rubber band. BOOM!

	ASSRA # 11318 I have finally come to realize that I will never be old enough to know better.
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texasmac Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2065 Location: Central Texas Joined: Aug 16^th, 2004	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #9 - Jul 27^th, 2025 at 7:18pm	Print Post
	oneatatime wrote on Jul 27^th, 2025 at 12:24pm: Wayne, I'm stumped on how you accumulate lead in the sprue plate hole. Are you opening the mold before the lead has totally hardened? Everything in the sprue plate hole should pop out in one piece. Casting with 2 molds in sequence should guarantee it. After pouring .40cal bullets, the lead is fully hardened in about 4 or 5 seconds & the sprue drops out when cut with no problems, but after a couple hundred bullets the inside rim of the sprue plate collects some lead. Are you implying that after you cast a bunch of bullets the hole does not collect a film of lead? Possibly you don't have you ladle spout in contact with the mould when your pouring lead into the mould. I make firm contact with the mould prior to rotating the mould & ladle & pouring the lead in the mould. Wayne


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17117 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #10 - Jul 27^th, 2025 at 7:32pm	Print Post
	I never allow any oil around my molds! Oil for me has always caused contamination, and a real booger to get cleaned out of the metal. Wonder if it's the oil that's causing the issue for the sprue plate to lead up?

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gnoahhh Oldtimer Offline Posts: 954 Location: Gaithersburg, MD Joined: Mar 31^st, 2010	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #11 - Jul 27^th, 2025 at 8:07pm	Print Post
	marlinguy wrote on Jul 27^th, 2025 at 7:32pm: I never allow any oil around my molds! Oil for me has always caused contamination, and a real booger to get cleaned out of the metal. Wonder if it's the oil that's causing the issue for the sprue plate to lead up? Ditto. I would no sooner introduce a petroleum product in or on a mold or clean it than I would so such to a seasoned cast iron skillet. Have I had iron mold blocks rust, or bought used ones that had surface rust? Yep, as has anybody who's been deep in the game. The thing is, carefully cleaning light rust with 0000 (oil free) steel wool won't hurt it and I swear I've had recalcitrant molds become sweethearts after having steel wooled rust out of cavities. Heck, long ago I had a treasured Lyman .30 mold (311284) get horribly rusty after I haphazardly forgot to bring it indoors after an outdoor casting session. Heartbreak city. I figured I had nothing to lose so I bead blasted it inside and out and it remains today, 40 years later, one of my favorite molds and casts beautiful bullets. New molds get washed in acetone, then I'm off to the races. I store my molds in the same environment I store powder and primers - cool & dry - and rust is very rare. Everybody will get some lead smear at some point if they cast enough. It's especially likely if opening the mold too soon, and much more prevalent when using high antimony content alloys. When it happens, a quick lick with a single edged razor blade makes it go away. Having switched to binary alloys (tin/lead) for a large percentage of my bullets saw incidence of smearing recede greatly.


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rgchristensen Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1157 Joined: Jan 2^nd, 2014	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #12 - Jul 27^th, 2025 at 9:02pm	Print Post
	gnoahhh wrote on Jul 27^th, 2025 at 8:07pm: [quote author=202C3F2124232A38344D0 link=1753554979/10#10 date=1753659178] Everybody will get some lead smear at some point if they cast enough. It's especially likely if opening the mold too soon, and much more prevalent when using high antimony content alloys. When it happens, a quick lick with a single edged razor blade makes it go away. Having switched to binary alloys (tin/lead) for a large percentage of my bullets saw incidence of smearing recede greatly. Agree. Antimony Is a real nuisance, and really has no utility in bullets for target purposes. High temperatures ( above 740-750 ) can also be a problem. CHRIS


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Chuckster Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2264 Location: Colorado Joined: May 15^th, 2008	Re: Another potential bullet casting hazard Reply #13 - Jul 28^th, 2025 at 11:21am	Print Post
	Found just a tiny touch of bee's wax will stop sticking on the sprue plate. May have to cast and dump two or three until it burns off. Chuck


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