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westerner
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Soot
Today at 8:56am
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Got a new aluminium mold fom Accurate Molds. After about a hundred bullets with cold laps on the side of the bullets soaked the mold in acetone. That didn't work. Vented the top edges. That didn't work. Warshed it in hot water and dish soap using a scrub brush and gave it a  thorough warshing. That didn't work. Opened up the sprue plate hole. That didn't work. Smoked the cavity with Acetylene soot. That worked. Casts perfect bullets now. 

Why?   Huh
  
A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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nuclearcricket
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Re: Soot
Reply #1 - Today at 9:42am
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I normaly smoke my aluminum molds with a butane lighter. Usually a grill liter as its much easier to use without burning your fingers.  What the coating of carbon does is to actualy slow the cooling process. That allows the bullet to fully fill out the mold before it sets up. I know it sounds odd that such a thin coat would do that but that is what has been explained to me over the years.  All I know is that it works. Makes your molds look a bit nasty but the results is you get good bullets. 
Sam
  
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gnoahhh
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Re: Soot
Reply #2 - Today at 10:14am
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nuclearcricket wrote Today at 9:42am:
I normaly smoke my aluminum molds with a butane lighter. Usually a grill liter as its much easier to use without burning your fingers.  What the coating of carbon does is to actualy slow the cooling process. That allows the bullet to fully fill out the mold before it sets up. I know it sounds odd that such a thin coat would do that but that is what has been explained to me over the years.  All I know is that it works. Makes your molds look a bit nasty but the results is you get good bullets. 
Sam


Ditto. It got to the point where I scooted past all the mold prep, scrubbing, etc. and went straight to the soot in a new aluminum mold, and all is now right in my world.
  
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bpjack
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Re: Soot
Reply #3 - Today at 10:30am
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I have a lifetime supply of cheap birthday candles that I use. I might try some acetone soot though. Can you send me a jar of soot to try?
  
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
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gnoahhh
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Re: Soot
Reply #4 - Today at 11:40am
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Soot in a jar or from a lighter or a candle - soot yourself.
  
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Schuetzendave
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Re: Soot
Reply #5 - Today at 12:00pm
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Never had a problem requiring soot for my steel molds to drop well formed bullets after I preheated them.

I do vent the mold faces to ensure the base edge fully fills and prevents rounded bases from trapped air.

Since then I tried a brass mold and they throw bullets better than the steel molds.

Both the steel and brass molds do not wear like aluminum molds.
  
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nuclearcricket
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Re: Soot
Reply #6 - Today at 2:33pm
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I have read, and don't know how much truth there is to it but I have seen it said that soot from candles can leave a bit of an oily film on your molds and that can prevent it from making good bullets. Better to use a butane lighter to smoke them with. 
YMMV
Sam
  
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westerner
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Re: Soot
Reply #7 - Today at 4:22pm
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nuclearcricket wrote Today at 9:42am:
I normaly smoke my aluminum molds with a butane lighter. Usually a grill liter as its much easier to use without burning your fingers.  What the coating of carbon does is to actualy slow the cooling process. That allows the bullet to fully fill out the mold before it sets up. I know it sounds odd that such a thin coat would do that but that is what has been explained to me over the years.  All I know is that it works. Makes your molds look a bit nasty but the results is you get good bullets. 
Sam


Same conclusion I came to. The soot becomes an insulator that does not allow heat to leave the cavity/suface of the aluminium.
  
A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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jhm
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Re: Soot
Reply #8 - Today at 7:20pm
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I bought a 150gr 30 cal double Accurate mold and it still won't cast a bullet without wrinkles. I tried all the aforementioned methods to clean it to no avail. I used candle soot and oxy soot but neither helped. My alloy was 20 to one and my temp was good so I just stopped trying to use it.



JMH
  
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