Newbie Molding question

[verzilli]

Guys,
Just molded up 150 lead pistol bullets.  I have attached two pics of my mold.  How do I remove the lead streaks on the sprue cutter and top of mold?  What can I do to stop the from happening?  Thanks.  

[Castaway]

Try letting mould cool a bit more before cutting the sprue.

[Nobade]

That, and use bullplate lube. That is absolutely the best thing going to keep your molds in good shape and running well. (No connection to the bullshop, just a happy customer.)

[verzilli]

Thanks.  I think my lead gets to hot in the pot, too.

[rescue_171]

If you lead in the pot is too hot your bullets will come out with a frosted look... Don't hurt the way they shoot they just look different

[mdi]

Get a copy of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook. Everything you'll need to know about casting/shooting lead bullets. BTW, heat the mold to melt the streaks and wipe them off with a cotton rag.

[hornady]

A+ to the Lyman cast bullet book and the Bull plate lube. The bull plate lube is sold by a guy In Alaska, and he is in a very rural area, and an order can take some time, I have used 2 cycle oil on the molds, with either a little goes a long way, use a Q-tip and apply lightly. And don’t get any in the mold cavity.

[Dezynco]

A little steel wool should remove the lead streaks from the top of the mold, maybe with a little bore cleaner to loosen it up.  You're probably cutting the sprue while it is too hot, let it cool a bit more.  Also, your sprue plate may be a little loose, make sure it is fairly snug, but not enough to hinder it's movement.

[pourboy]

Don't use steel wool on an aluminum mould. The steel wool is actually harder than the aluminum in the mould and you could damage it. As mentioned before, heat the mould to normal casting temps and clean off the smears with a cloth. I've used burlap to do this & it seems to work okay. Do not use any sort of synthetic cloth, it might melt & make the situation even worse.

[Dezynco]

Good point pourboy, I wasn't thinking about aluminum molds since the one in the picture looks like a steel mold.  Probably best to remove the lead streaks using your method.  I've used steel wool on my steel molds before with good results, but wouldn't want to do that on my aluminum molds....a cotton cloth would work best.