How to Safely Clean a Bullet Mould
© 2014 –
Thomas C. Dugas
Bullet
moulds are made of various materials, from soapstone to very hard steels.
It’s common to encounter bullet moulds made from aluminum, bronze, copper, and
various grades of iron or steel.
Bullet
moulds made from iron or steel can be susceptible to rust. Rust is
usually of greatest concern on a bullet mould when the rust affects the
condition of the cavities. Rust on the exterior of the bullet mould only
affects the appearance of a bullet mould, not its function. It is the condition of the bullet cavities
that matters most on a bullet mould.
Why this
article?
I have been
contacted over the years by family members who inherit their parent’s estate
and discover steel bullet moulds that they wish to sell. Often these
steel bullet moulds have rusted, and the family members desire to sell these
moulds on various auction sites (such as eBay) for maximum value.
Unfortunately, they often attempt to clean the bullet moulds BEFORE seeking
advice on how to properly clean them. All too often the moulds were
perfectly fine with a little surface rust that could have easily been removed
with a low impact cleaning method, but instead, in their ignorance and
impatience, they decided to use a high impact short duration cleaning method
because “We don’t have time to waste, we have a lot of things to do and we need
to get it all done as quickly as possible.”
I have lost
count time number of times I have been offered perfectly good bullet moulds
that were ruined beyond repair by the wrong cleaning method. Some of these ruined bullet moulds were worth
$500 or more before they were cleaned.
They are worth nothing when ruined.
To properly
clean a steel bullet mould that has rusted, you need to first seek the advice
of an expert BEFORE you clean the mould, not after. It is a common
occurrence when someone has used an aggressive cleaning method to clean a
bullet mould and create several new problems that did not exist before they
cleaned the mould.
A very
important point: It is extremely easy to ruin a steel bullet mould by cleaning
it too aggressively. You need to clean slowly, and numerous times, with a
low impact cleaning method to safely clean a steel bullet mould.
You should
consider the following chart when seeking advice on how to clean a bullet
mould. The left side of the chart is a short duration very aggressive
cleaning method. For example, a very effective way to permanently ruin a
bullet mould is to use a wire (bronze) cleaning brush with a power drill to
rapidly spin the brush inside the mould cavity to try and clean the mould in under 10 seconds. There is a high probability, almost
certain, that you will permanently ruin the mould should you choose this
method. Never, ever, use any metal
implement to clean a bullet mould. Metal
on metal cleaning contact is the best way to permanently ruin a bullet mould.
USGI Weapons
Cleaning Toothbrush & Dawn Dish Detergent…great to clean moulds with…
The right
side of the chart is long duration low impact represented by the green
square. This is the best method for cleaning a bullet mould. With
long duration, low impact, you are trading time to minimize the impact you have
with your cleaning method and ensuring that your method is the least impact
method to use to clean the mould. The lowest impact method I use is a green
G.I. Weapons cleaning toothbrush and Dawn Dishwashing
Detergent. Scrub the interior and exterior of the bullet mould with the
toothbrush and dawn detergent multiple times. Use hot water and
effort. Try to clean the mould at least ten times with this method before
you decide to get more aggressive. If the dawn detergent and toothbrush
does not clean the mould to create a useable bullet mould, try using a good tartar control toothpaste in lieu of the dawn
detergent. Tartar control toothpastes contain mild abrasives, usually
volcanic pumice, which will help remove rust and minimize the impact on the
steel of the bullet mould. Again, try
cleaning the mould multiple times before you give up. With a low impact long duration method of
cleaning, it takes time to see incremental improvement. This is the safest way to clean a bullet
mould.
Review the
chart below. The lower right method is best, you
are trading time and effort to minimize the impact of your cleaning
method. The upper left red box is the wrong way to clean a mould.
If you are impatient, and you cannot spend the time to properly clean the mould
and you must use a high impact, short duration cleaning method, you will
quickly speed past the point where you have removed all the rust that you can
safely remove and enter the area where you cause permanent and irreversible
damage to the mould.
Final
Points:
- Safely cleaning a bullet
mould takes time, not harsh effort
- Ask advice on how to clean a
bullet mould BEFORE you clean it, not after
- If you don’t know how to
clean a bullet mould, don’t.
- It’s better to offer for
sale a rusty bullet mould that may be worth something vs. a ruined cleaned
bullet mould which will be worth nothing.