molds

[Black Hand]

Steel molds hold the heat better so the mold stays hot which keeps wrinkles from forming. I'm certain aluminum makes a fine mold, but I don't see aluminum being as wear-resistant or tough as steel.

 

[Kansas Jake]

On the other hand Black Hand, aluminum molds won't rust. I have both and was out of the shooting sports for a number of years. When I got back into it I found my molds that had been stored away for years. The Lees were good to go, but the steel ones needed some work to get rid of surface rust even though they had a ball in the stored mold. Now I know some will say I should have taken better care of them and that is true, but shooting sports were just not on the radar at that time in my life raising kids and other obligations.

 

[Black Hand]

On the other hand Black Hand, aluminum molds won't rust. I have both and was out of the shooting sports for a number of years. When I got back into it I found my molds that had been stored away for years. The Lees were good to go, but the steel ones needed some work to get rid of surface rust even though they had a ball in the stored mold. Now I know some will say I should have taken better care of them and that is true, but shooting sports were just not on the radar at that time in my life raising kids and other obligations.

That may be, but rust isn't really a problem here. Our climate is fairly dry, so things go rusty only if you put them away wet and don't allow air circulation.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I have molds from many places, some antique Gibbs, Mihecs, NOE, Lyman, Lee and a few I have picked up at shows that have no identification on them. I have some LEE aluminum molds with tens of thousands of cast over several decades and still cast near perfect rounds. It's like everything else, take care of your equipment and it will last a very long time.

 

[hanshi]

I've cast literally thousands of balls and thousands of bullets with my Lee molds and with iron molds. They all did a super job of casting; and years later are as good as ever. Take care of your tools and they'll take care of you.

 

[Eterry]

Here's some interesting info I recently learned. You see lots of mold blocks at gunshows, swap meets, etc. and they are usually steel and good quality, RCBS, Lyman, SAECO, so forth. I have passed on them for years because new handles for them were more expensive than the used blocks.
I recently learned the LEE Commercial mold handles (the only ones I know Lee sells separately) will fit these other brand molds at a pittance of the cost.
I got a set of Lee handles ($15.00) and mounted a Lyman .495 mold, no problems.
Keep shooting!

 

[Juice Jaws]

I like steel, just ran some .648 and .490 ball with my Lyman molds

 

[old ugly]

I’ve always had good success with lee aluminum molds, round ball and Bullet. Some of my lee molds have cast thousands of balls and still work good.
Affordable prices

 

[Scota4570]

I get LEE mounds when I can. Price and ease of use are good. Galling can be a problem under the sprue plate and alignment areas. To prevent galling lube the areas with moly paste or spray graphite. I like moly better. Wrinkles? Easy smoke the cavity. I use a MAPP gas. IT makes lots of smoke. Any non greasy smoke will work. The soot insulates the lead from the aluminum cavity. I preheat the mold on top of the pot. I cast at about 750*. Once the mold is well heated you can drop the temp a bit. Tossing the sprues back in will do that.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have molds from many places, some antique Gibbs, Mihecs, NOE, Lyman, Lee and a few I have picked up at shows that have no identification on them. I have some LEE aluminum molds with tens of thousands of cast over several decades and still cast near perfect rounds. It's like everything else, take care of your equipment and it will last a very long time.

Good post. Sez it all. Mirrors my experience.

 

[Dr5x]

THEY ARE BOTH GOOD.
THE ADVANTAGE OF THE ALUMINUM ONE IS THAT IT HEATS UP RAPIDLYY. IT ALSO COOLS DOWN JUST ABOUT AS FAST. THIS MEANS THAT IT EXPANDS AND CONTRACTS GIVING YOU SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SIZED BALLS. THE TRICK IS TO CAST AS RAPIDLY AS COMFORTABLY POSSIBLE SO THE MOLD STAYS ABOUT THE SAME TEMPERATURE ALL THE TIME YOU ARE CASTING.
THE STEEL MOLDS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE AND HEAT UP SLOWER, MUCH SLOWER THAN THE ALUMINUM MOLDS. IT ALSO EXPANDS AND CONTRACTS BUT AT A MUCH SLOWER RATE. USING A STEEL MOULD I WOULD CAST ABOUT 25 OR THIRTY STARTUP BALLS TO GET THE MOLD UP TO TEMPERATURE THEN PITCHING THOSE EARLY BALLS BACK IN THE POT WOULD BEGIN CASTING THE "KEEPER" BALLS.
I PREFERRED THE STEEL MOLD BUT THE APPRECIABLY CHEAPER ALUMINUM MOLD HAS ITS APPEAL IF YOU KEEP ITS RAPID HEATING AND COOLING IN MIND.

DUTCH

aluminum or steel ball mold, which is best and why??

 

[AzShooter]

For my .36 underhammer I just buy 00 buckshot if my memory is correct. ( May be 000 buck 0 but it's cheaper than buying a mold and lead these days. I did use a Lee mold for a while though.

 

[Howard Pippin]

aluminum or steel ball mold, which is best and why??

hi. I'm not certain how much difference it really makes, but I have noticed that as my aluminum mold heats up the round balls seem to get a wee bit heavier. The lightest ones I've made in 50 caliber are 174.2 grains and the heaviest are 178.6 grains. It's really a small matter, except when I at the turkey shoot, and then I don't know if it really bothers that bad or not. I do separate them into four different categories, 174 – 175.3, 175.4 - 176.6, 176.7-177.5, 177.6 -178.5. Anything heavier than that goes back in the lead part. When I shooting that day, I site in with what every one of those I have the most of and use that all the way through. The plus side is I have less wrinkled balls with the aluminum mold, but I'm not really certain how bad a few wrinkles hurt, but I do tend to put the badly wrinkled ones back in the lead part.

 

[Jock Ellis]

I might have suggested a mold of about .342 or so. A greased pillow ticked ball of .357 goes down my .375 bore rather tightly.

 

[ZUG]

If you are just shooting for fun and not out to win trophies at every match just use a swaged .350 ball it will save you money in the long run -- unless you shoot 100 + balls a week - then cast your own. Lee molds for the cost do very well. If there is a problem with the mold Lee will replace it.

 

[Michael Ford]

I felt I needed to make sure everyone is aware that although Jeff Tanner is no longer with us his son has been making the moulds for some time and will continue. I have several J tanner moulds as I have some odd size calibers and find them excellent also I use J Tanner patches and have 3 different thicknesses in all the cals I shoot.
MLAGB member UK

 

[nit wit]

does he have a websitem or other way i could contact him?

Google Jeff Tanner moulds you should find it that way
Nit Wit

 

[Ketchakah]

I only use period correct equipment, so mine would be steel. I do however have a brass mould as well.

 

[Newtire]

Over on the "castboolits" board, they've beat this topic to death. Someone finally made a thread called Leementing a mould. I find no fault with the Lee moulds except that the handles always work loose and fall off. I fixed this finally by taking some hi-temp silicone sealer, filling the hole in the loose wooden handle with it and squishing the steel handle down into the wooden handle.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I only use period correct equipment, so mine would be steel.

HMmmmm....... "period correct"? Which period? I used to have a lot of original molds. The type many call bag molds today. They were made of iron. Have also seen molds made of sandstone. Never saw one but reports are sometimes molds were made from wood.