Silicone pot holders for metal bullet mold handles?

[DaveInPA]

I have an Ideal Number 6 reloading tool for .38-40 that I'd like to try casting bullets with. I expect the metal handles will get rather hot during use. Has anyone tried silicone pot holders, especially the slip-on kind, to protect one's hands while casting with these old fashioned molds? I'm wondering if they will stand up to the heat and if they provide sufficient hand protection.

Thanks in advance.

[AmBraCol]

There's a lot of steel between the mold and one's hand in those tools. This acts as a heat sink, keeping most heat well away from one's hand. You should be good to go with a regular leather glove, which tends to give more dexterity than the silicone does. If you're thinking about something that slips over the handles themselves and stays there, the silicone should work fine. I'd still recommend a good pair of leather gloves to accompany the ensemble.

[DaveInPA]

Thanks, Paul. I think I'll give the silicone a try. I also have a pair of welding gloves on hand.

BTW, this is Dave M. from the Backwoodsman list. Good to see you here.

[Sixgun]

Dave,
This is some thin leather wrapped loosely with electrical tape over it. You can use about any kind of material as long as it does not melt at 150 degrees.....
remember, the handles don't get 3-400 degrees ...they only get a bit over "too hot to handle" or maybe like a real real hot potatoe.

I'm sure even a small wash cloth cut in half will work ...then put some electrical tape or duct tape over it. Even a toilet paper tube would work.....squeeze it and wrap the tape to hold it in place. The idea is to not wrap it too tight...leave a bit of air space. I wrapped the above handles about 25 years ago and probably cast a thousand bullets with it.---6

Screw leather gloves...I've never been able to do any kind of work except handling firewood with leather gloves. Most people read too many stories.

[DaveInPA]

Thanks Sixgun. That looks like the simplest solution.

[fordwannabe]

Just a suggestion but take the mold to the nearest auto parts store and match the handles to a size of tubing such as fuel line, water hose,.ect have two sections cut, slip on handles wrap the end with electrical tape and cast away.

[piller]

Would a section of a garden hose work? I have a few pieces of garden hose around kept for odds and ends from a hose which split when it froze. They typically handle heat up to about 150 to 170 degrees if you get the better grade of hose. You could try something like that.

[AmBraCol]

Thanks, Paul. I think I'll give the silicone a try. I also have a pair of welding gloves on hand.

BTW, this is Dave M. from the Backwoodsman list. Good to see you here.

Hey, Dave! Welcome aboard! It's good to see you over here.

[marlinman93]

I have a couple old Ideal tools for .32 Long and .38 long that I cast heeled bullets from. I've never found a need for anything but a glove on the hand I hold the mold in. Cast hundreds of bullets in one setting and not gotten too hot with leather work gloves.

[vancelw]

I use very thin leather gloves made out of deerskin or pigskin. They are very durable and flexible, so they last forever and you don't lose much dexterity.
It is simple insurance against a splatter or a sneeze in the midst of pouring hot lead.
I hate sticky handles, so I would not use any kind of tape.
They do sell the stuff you can dip handles in and make you own custom handles. It's usually called liquid electrical tape or something similar.

https://www.amazon.com/Performix-11603- ... dpSrc=srch

https://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-L ... B000FPAN2K

[DaveInPA]

Thanks guys, it looks like maybe I was overthinking it.

[DaveInPA]

I cast about a hundred bullets and just wore a leather work glove on my left hand. It was good enough.

The mold blocks don't fully meet so many of the bullets have some flashing on them that will be cleaned up when being sized, or if necessary with a fine cut file. They are dropping from the mold at about 0.412 cast from 20:1 alloy. The Ideal tool sizes them to about 0.401.

Some of the sized and unsized bullets. I'm lubing this batch with Crisco to shoot on top of 3Fg Swiss.



How you size them with the Ideal tool:



You really get a workout sizing bullets like this. A Lee .401 sizing die is on the way for use in my press.