Anyone use Midway's "Drop Out", or other mold releases?

I've got iron molds and a few aluminum lee molds.

I've only used a Lee once so far, and it seamed harder to regulate the temperature.

I had a much easier time with cast iron. I was thinking the mold drop would help on either type.

All feedback welcome...



http://www.westcoastminisplitter.com/

I have a little bottle of Rapine Mold-Prep, that I've had for years. A little goes a long way. I will sometimes use it to thoroughly coat a mold, before beginning to preheat. It seems to help at the beginning of a run. It's of no use with a hot mold. The carrier (alcohol?) is too voilatile, and nothing goes on the hot surface. When things are hot, I use a plain #2 lead pencil.
I have thought about getting a couple of those soft charcoal sticks, used by artists to sketch with, but can't seem to remember them when I'm in Hobby Lobby. Anyone ever tried them?............Bug.

Just smoke them good with a candle or a carbide lamp. Smoke as often as needed. Simply hold the mold over and close to the flame. Aluminum molds heat up very quickly and cool off the same way. They are very difficult to regulate. Takes some getting use to. I prefer a good iron or steel mold.

marlinlover,
Yea, I`ve used it. I don`t remember which mould I used it on, but it was one that would not drop the bullets w/o several blows to the hinge pin. The result was disappointing, dimlped bullets and somewhat reduced diameters as well. Wasn`t easy to remove, either.
Not to discourage you, but by all means, give it a try.
It could prove beneficial for your needs. If the first application doesn`t seem to help, wait and cool your mould before re-spraying.
At the least, you can use it to spray/lube naked handgun bullets in lieu of typical lubesizer application to further your handgun shooting endeavors. I understand it works pretty well...
I may have used too much given my results...

I don't use it in the cavs, it makes the boolet smaller but I do on all of my mold tops and spru plate bottoms, it helps to stop lead smear. I also coat the outside of my steel blocks with it to prevent rust.
I smokem if needed for fillout and release, boy let me tell ya them thangs are hard to lite and taste like crap

I use the Midway mold release with my Lee 6 cavity aluminum molds. It works great, but does reduce cast bullet diameter. I usually Beagle my molds to overcome the reduced diameter. Having the bullets drop without any hastle far outweighs any inconvenience of haveing to Beagle the molds. PhotonII (aka Turbo)

Beagle???

This does not compute...

wasta it mean?,

and howyoudodat?

Beagle'n a mold is easy. Go to castpics.net, click on "research and data" go to bottom of the list and look for "beagle mold enhancement" click to open.

Calamity Jake

I use graphite powder for steel molds. Same graphite powder used by locksmiths as dry lock lubricant.
It could be easy applied by sprinkling, when the mold is cold or hot.
It works fine as mold release and as sprue plate lubricant.
I can not compare with commercial products because I do not have opportunity for using them.

BA Shooter

Midway mould release (aresol spray)...
Used in bullet cavity - will reduce diameter as others have already stated. Work well on ladles & pots, top of sprue plates to keep alloy from sticking.

NEI mould release (liquid - apply w/Q-Tip)...
Can be used in bullet cavities - does not affect bullet diameter substantially. Also works well on tops & bottoms of sprue plates.

If bullets are sticking in cavities...
Might be better to give the mould a light lapping. if you've not done it before - you'll be amazed at what a difference it makes. After lapping - a light smoking with a kitchen match and the bullets will virtually drop out of the mould when the handles are opened.

Best regards-

Sky

For one reason or another, I haven't had much luck with the spray-on stuff in the cavities. Since the Midway Drop Out is just graphite suspended in some carrier, any place graphite works, the Midway stuff works too. Like locks, internal parts of guns, hinges on the oven door, etc.

Something that I've used with some success inside mold cavities is dry moly powder (not the spray stuff, it's far too thick) applied with a toothbrush. IMO, lapping and using a #2 pencil inside the cavities is about as good as you can get. Smoking with a Bic lighter is the easiest.

Marlinlover: I have use midways dropout on all my moulds. After spraying light coat I burnish with a wooden stick if you able to sneek into wife's or girlfriends nail polish kit get that wooden stick the girls use. Now rub the mould you sprayed, the molly will smoothout you can hardly tell you have the spray on except how slick the mold is.
PS I spray both cavity and face of mould. Don't forget sprue plate both sides. On The sprue plate works real well>>>>>Don

Say Don,

By using that stick (maybe a popsicle stik) it thins out the Midway stuff, there by not seeing any reduction in the bullet diameter?

If this is so, maybe the areosol goops to much on, and that's why some get a smaller bullet?

Please confirm?

Thanks,

ML

ML: I havn't Miked the before and after affects of spraying molly (Drop Out) when I get a mould used new ect. I clean It and give it a spray job. I do have a process that when I spray. First the top of the mould with sprue off i keep the mould together and stuff the cavity with a bit of tissue so I am not spraying the cavity yet. After which I then open the mould and have the bottom of the mould facing me and spray the cavity area.

I think I might have some bullets that were thrown before molly and the same after I will check. But then again different aloys diff dia. I would also point out that the face of the mould is sprayed so inafect you are beagleing as well the same amount as cavity. The only differance I realy is they drop from mould quite easy and I have not oiled after use. I just store them in there boxes if I have them. Some of my moulds don't have boxes so they are store in the same place as others. If there is any rust forming on the mould doesn't show.

Here is were Felix might know if molly will form a barrier from moisture or the reverse, I know there is a problem with molly and barrels were moisture is under molly and causes corrosion. If felix doesn't read this and give some advice you might want to post for felix there is a man that is the Babe Ruth of Knowledge when it come to Lubes and Casting. >>>>>>>>>>>>>Don

PS I use a wooding shiskabob stick round off the flat end and use the pointed tip for the corners, and for the face and all flat surfaces I use the side of the stick give a nice uniform surface.

I like the Rapine mould prep also.I have the NEI stuff also.I figured out that this stuff is just graphite in a solvent.Rapine smells like alochol.I will just make my next batch when I run out.
I also use a spray graphite made by Drummond products that we use on door locks and such at work.Smells and works the same as Rapine. You can spray this on real thin or thick
Works for me.

Shooter575 you have a personal message.

I use the Rapine mold prep also. The difference in boolit diameter is so small it can be ignored. This stuff is only a few microns thick.

Both moly and graphite work. Graphite wears off too fast because it does not have the same affinity to the metal as does moly. If water moisture can get through the coating, a rust will occur. Moly, therefore, is more water proof. Moly and graphite won't rust because graphite cannot chemically anyway, and moly won't because it has already been rusted with sulfer because of it's natural chemical composition. ... felix

Well,

I used the Midway spray on a new Lee mold and WOW...

it's been the easiest mold session I've ever had.

I sprayed the whole mold, with no other lubrication, inside and out and

started casting. Bullets dropped out nicely, in perfect condition.

It was a .358 mold, and the bullet was just about exactly .358, so no

bigger, but does not matter to me because I'm sizing to .356 anyway as

I'm loading for my .357 Sig.

I even re-sprayed the top and spruce cutter when it was hot. No problem at all, and went right back to casting. Cast about 400 with no need to re-spray the cavities.

I'm satisfied, and it will remain on my bench.

Thanks fo all the tips, guys.

Marlinlover: I use it on all my moulds, just one question did you burnish the molly after spraying ie rub the molly with wooden stick? I found it works even better burnished.>>> Don

Don,

I didn't burnish it this time, I just went for it.

I will next, cause I want to get the bullet as big as it can be in the mold.

Thanks,

ML