Mold Storage Cabinet - Photos

[mold maker]

The principal of using the light bulb or other heat source does lower the humidity of the enclosed air. Warmed air will hold more moisture than cool air. Thus on closing the container the air warms and absorbs any moisture from the surface of the cool molds.
True the moisture is still in the container, but it stays in suspension in the air instead of condensing on the warmed molds to create rust.
The advice about the desiccants is valid also, until you forget to recharge it. At that point the saturated desiccant becomes a source of moisture waiting to condense on the molds and CAUSE RUST.
Best of both worlds is to use both. A fresh charged desiccant and a warming source like the 7.5 watt bulb. Plus, a rust preventative on the mold surfaces wont hurt.
Here in NC the weather is most often very humid. I have always used sealed ammo cans to store anything that moisture will hurt. They are in a non heated or cooled area that is often wet. At best the temp changes more slowly than outdoors and never reaches extremes. I've never had a problem with rust on anything stored in them.

[MtGun44]

A coat of varnish on the wood should seal out any 'wood acids' or other
chemicals that may cause some corrosion. I wouldn't worry until I noted
the first trace of corrosion where the molds contact the wood.

The 'leave a boolit in the mold' works fine in our moderately dry climate
in east KS. Believe me, it did NOT work when I lived in north central FL (noAC)
Also, living in a house that is almost always either airconditiond (lowers the
humidity) or heated (lowers the humidity - I even use a humidifier to get up
to 40% RH) also helps keep stuff from rusting. When I lived in nonAC houses
in FLA, you absolutely could not touch a gun with bare hands without wiping
it down with an oily rag after. Molds rusted unless oiled heavily, and were
a PITA to clean up prior to use.

Bill

[Just Duke]

Can someone box up some humidity and send it to me? I would really like to watch rusting in progress.

[Gellot Wilde]

For what it's worth - I keep Iron, steel, brass and aluminum molds in a metal cabinet in the unheated barn. After casting, with the mold still warm, I spray it liberally with WD40. When I go to use it again I give it a quick wash with acetone. Never had a speck of rust.

Acetone is very flammable - don't use it while smoking, next to an open flame, etc.
Also it's a carcinogen - so don't drink it or bathe your kids in it. Etc.

I've been using a system similar to yours for years and have never had a problem with rust.

I have read elsewhere that there is a chain of thought which says 'putting oil on your moulds is not a good idea as it penetrates the metal!' I can't really say that I go along with this idea, after all some of the big manufacturers actually recommend using oil for mould storage.

I've never left the last bullet in the mould after reading that moisture can get down behind it and start rusting away....however sounds like a few of you guys have never had a problem...maybe I should give it a go.

[jcw1970]

ok noobie question here. why do you strap them together? all i own is lyman and i keep them in the box. bought some extra boxes from midway in case i pick one up that doesn't have one. I put a silca pack in the box to keep the rust away.

[mold maker]

Your druggist throws away small plastic and paper desiccant packs by the dozen.
Just ask them to save them in a CLOSED zip lock bag for you. Most all drug containers have one in them.
They are the same thing we pay big bucks for, and in convent sizes for mold storage. You can (bake) regenerate them same as the expensive kind.
In the last month, my (small) digest has saved me, three sandwich bags full.

[mikenbarb]

Just my 2 cents worth, Im a welder by trade and I have been doing it a long time. What we use for keeping our electrodes dry is the same idea that Ben has here and it does work. I have in my garage a small refrigerator with the lightbulb on 24/7 and I store all my low moisture content welding rods in it and some have been there for a year or two and never a spec of rust. I just drilled a 1/2" hole in the top to allow the stale air and moisture out and the door is magnetic so its an air tight seal. I think I may make a mold storage cabinet out of a small apartment fridge with a small light bulb stuck on. It has shelves built in so that step is already done for you.
Thanks for sharing Ben, It looks great and gave me a couple good ideas.

[Ben]

Keep em' warm & dry fellows ! !

Good shooting,

Ben

[hammerhead357]

When I lived in the Panhandle of Texas and Oklahoma all I ever did was leave the last boolits in the moulds and then when cold place them in an old refridgerator. No light bulb or anything to contol the temp. Now, I did use the moulds nearly monthly so that may have had some bearing on my results but I never had any rust in my moulds.
Now I live in humid south Texas and store all of my moulds in sealed ammo cans and wax them before storing and hope that there will be no rust the next time I get them out to use them....Wes

[mtgrs737]

Someone here nickel plates his iron moulds to prevent rust, it sounds good to me. It can be done at home for a modest set up cost and does not add to the mould enough to make it cast undersize. Acording to him it was less than .0001" (one ten thousandths of an inch) reduction in diameter. They also look like stainless steel. Maybe I should get set up for this and check it out and report back? Would anyone here be interested in having their mould(s) plated?

[jim4065]

I would be interested in the effects on the boolits and the how well it holds up to temp. Would also be interested in having it done - but not in doing it, if you catch my drift.

[Catshooter]

mtgrs,

I have nickeled a few of my moulds. I have a Lyman two hole 452424 that I nickeled. Casts just fine.

When you electroless nickel it is very easy to control the thickness of the nickel deposited.


Cat

[KuunLB]

this is a wonderful idea. did you use silicone or epoxy for the window sealant?

[10mmShooter]

very nice wood work

I use a slightly smaller in physical size Mk-19, 40mm can, I just use disecant pouches and gently place my molds with handles in the can and seal the lid. I'm careful to place them gently inside so as to not bang them up. When I go to cast I open the can pull out the mold and shes ready to go. After casting and cooling back into the can until the next time, so far in 15 years of casting no rust issues any of molds stored this way. I have only 22 molds not nearly as many as some guys here.

Also this avoids having to "de-grease' or "de-oil" the molds prior to use. They are always clean and oil free.

[GP100man]

As mikeandbarb stated , I was raised on a small farm here on the coastal plains of the TarHeel state . Welding & fixing stuff when broke was a part of life . The welder always had an old refridgirator next to it with "dry goods" in it with a small lite bulb & a 1/2" hole in the bottom & a 3/8" hole in the top , & never a spec of rust on anything !!

I feel in humid climates dessicant bags are a viable source for absorbing moisture in sealed containers & I use em on containers not opened much ,but for material used often I opt for the vented cabinet(old fridge) to keep temps stable for condensation reasons .

We just had a 40f temp swing & I noticed all the farm equipment sweating & checked my fridge & while condensation outside was minimal inside was dry !

I store molds, powder & less used dies in the fridge . Boolits are stored in air tite containers & fair OK.

For the stand up fridge sized container I use a 15 watt bulb.

GP