cleaning/storing mold

[chaneylake]

I am finished with my PJ .40 cal mold till next winter, what is the best thing to clean with before oiling her up?

[powderburner]

never did such a thing, mine just set on the bench waiting for alloy to appear. but then it is dry here .
they do just set on the bench with free circulation of air around them I have a little heater for the winter but thats it

[chaneylake]

it gets mighty humid in West Tennessee, most anything will rust here if not properly taken care of

[Dan Cash]

I coat an iron mould with Ed's Red (Straight ATF will work). Soak it in paint thinner and blow dry with compressed air when ready to cast again. Worked well when I lived near Ft. Knox, KY. Works well here in ND too. I failed to douse my Hoch mould and it rusted. Got Hoch to fix it and have had no more rust as long as I treat it.

[.22-5-40]

Some of my older Ideal/Lyman moulds only see use in several year lapses. I use a commercial product designed just for injection moulds..Mould Saver..this stuff has lanolin in it & has protected them for nearly 20 years in damp basement. Cleans off easy with hot soapy water. Industrial supply houses carry it.

[Lumpy Grits]

Spray it down inside and out with WD40, then wrap in clean shop towel.
Then when you want to use it. Just spray it with brake cleaner and blow or air dry. Do this twice.
Gary

[Caprock]

Hot water, toothbrush, and dawn dish soap. Then the brake cleaner.

AT fluid is much overlooked as a valuable friend in the workshop! Keeps molds/tools rust free or serves as a penetrant and honing oil. Relatively cheap too.

[powderburner]

an interesting thread , I have moulds that have set in a drawer for 30 years and they are rust free , I never thought that rust would be a problem in the house or conditioned area , guess thats why they stored all them planes down here ,,, hope my reply didnt sound rude.

[chaneylake]

an interesting thread , I have moulds that have set in a drawer for 30 years and they are rust free , I never thought that rust would be a problem in the house or conditioned area , guess thats why they stored all them planes down here ,,, hope my reply didnt sound rude.

not rude at all, on a side note the gunsmiths in West Tennessee have made a small fortune from people using WD40 on shotguns, especially ones with screw chokes.

I was taught that WD40 only displaces moisture thus that is what the WD means "water displacement"

[Lumpy Grits]

an interesting thread , I have moulds that have set in a drawer for 30 years and they are rust free , I never thought that rust would be a problem in the house or conditioned area , guess thats why they stored all them planes down here ,,, hope my reply didnt sound rude.

not rude at all, on a side note the gunsmiths in West Tennessee have made a small fortune from people using WD40 on shotguns, especially ones with screw chokes.

I was taught that WD40 only displaces moisture thus that is what the WD means "water displacement"

Use anti-seize on choke tubes
Have never in my 45+ yrs as a gun owner had any issue with WD-40 for a 'wipe-down' on my guns or moulds.
Gary