Got a few bullet molds yesterday...

[cwlongshot]

Hello guys,
 I got a bunch of wads, some bullets, some primers and a large quantity of brass. I also got two 50Call cans of blk powder stuff... Well the ''blk powder stuff'' was about 10 boxes of various sized balls, some maxi and some conical musket mini balls and in the bottom was some old Lyman boxes... As I opened them there was about a dozen Ideal, Lyman and one Green Mountain bullet molds!

About five or so are various sized round ball molds, one of those is a Green Mountain. There is a New Haven Winchester mold and handles in one for the 32-40 its a .321/165g it had some bad pitting spure plate and on the outside of the mold, but the faces and cast itself are perfect.

The two that excite me most are the single alum, 50cal 370g Maxi mold (that I was thinking of ordering as well as another I was gonna order from RCBS.) A .358 210 Ideal mold!

Then there is a .311 148 Ideal mold and a .459 425 mold and a .452 270 mold. There one other 45/70 mold  .459 525 I think Then two mini ball molds, a 575 and a 557 I think.

Needless to say, I am pretty excited with this find! All the molds are tarnished and none where stored properly, but all are perfect between the halfs and in the actual bullet molds, so all the rest is cosmetic.

Any ideas on cleaning these up?

CW

[Swampman]

Clean them with white gas and use them.

[Lloyd Smale]

if its just tarnish and not rust. Clean them and degrease them with brake cleaner and used some good cold blue on them and they will look like new.

[Ranch13]

Soak them in a can of diesel fuel for a day or so, then clean them off with brake/clutch cleaner, and if there's no rust scale or pits in the cavities you're set to go.

[cwlongshot]

Light rust scale and tarnish no where close to pitting. (I hope)

I have diesel
In garage for parts cleaning I should have thought is that first!

Lloyd I did hitem with brake clean and a oil rag upon first inspection. A lot did clean off but there is more. I have a brass tooth brush to try tonight.

Thanks guys!

CW

[geezerbiker]

I was going to suggest a brass tooth brush but you beat me too it.  I've found that Midway mold release spray used on the outside of a mold and then buffed with a rag, will give an acceptable finish that will protect the mold.  What ever you do, don't used it on the inside of a mold.

A friend loaned me a .224 RN Lyman mold and it was rusty on the outside but perfect on the inside. I cleaned the outside up with a brass toothbrush and lighter fluid then did the outside as I described.  I used it for a year and when I gave it back it had a dark silver/gray finish on the outside.  I store my molds with silica gel so I can't comment about it for rust prevention.

I scored a bunch of used molds awhile back but I wasn't lucky enough to get anything in .458"...

Tony

[Hairy Chest]

Make some bullets with them.  Use LBT's nice smelling lube and let's see fine bullets!    Then put the molds away warm in the safe and you are good for the next time!  They will dirty and ugly, but it is the product, the bullets that you make, that tell you what you have.  How they shoot too can determine if they will be in the front line-up or go to sleep in the safe.  Put the winners in the front line-up and do some shooting.  Show what you did.  Post targets. Tell us bullet design, weight, lube, powder charge and primer.  And please, show us some photos!   

[cwlongshot]

Well the Keroseen and brass brush did a rite fine job!!

Here is one Ideal mold:





Here is another;





Nice molds, I have no use of these. I put them on eBay last night, along with a couple of te ball molds I don't need.

CW