First bagmolds. Some good advice?

[Rado]

Two bagmolds and a cleaning tool from Larry Callahan arrived today. My first bagmolds ever and of course Im afraid of damaging them by accident.
Therefore I would like to ask you guys if there is something different when using these steel molds in comparison to modern aluminium molds
or is there anything else one should know?
I ve heard that its a good idea to keep a cast ball including spruce inside them when you carry the mold around in a possibles bag, so the pliers wont misalign.
Degreasing? Of course would be my guess. But is it necessary to soot the cavity before using? Would do no harm...my guess.

Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge and experiences,
Cheers!

[rich pierce]

You’ll need to wrap the handles with leather or rawhide. They get crazy hot. The handles are quite malleable and I’ve straightened them and put corncob handles on. Getting my hillbilly on!

[Rado]

Why not? One could file a corncob pattern into the jaws and make it look like a pipe. 
Thank you for the advice RP.
Filing one end of the handles into a turn screw? Usefull or would it only punch holes into the possibles bag? I could make a little leather cap for it.
But the steel is probably too soft and I wouldnt dare to try harden it (if thats even possible) and maybe distort the whole thing.

[mgbruch]

I don't leave a ball in mine after use.  I oil the cavity and hinge lightly and tie a wool flannel "hood" over the head of the mold.  I wrap the handles with wool.  They get way too hot if you don't wrap them with something.  Balls from mine shoot just as accurately as those from my Lee mold.

[Rado]

I would expect that it leaves a crust of burned oil inside the cavity. You oil them and use them oiled?

[mgbruch]

By oil lightly, I do mean lightly.  Don't do anything before using it the next time, and have never had a problem.  I've never noticed the mold getting hot enough that any oil starts smoking.

[Rado]

Ok. Good to know. Thank you.
Otherwise I would have been fanatically careful not to let any fat, not even fingerprints, in the cavity before using it.
I remember some video on Youtube where a guy made a tutorial about how to prepare a new Lee mold and he couldnt point out enough how important it is to clean and degrease the mold before using.
But I dont remember if he said why he consideres it so important.

[Clark Badgett]

By oil lightly, I do mean lightly.  Don't do anything before using it the next time, and have never had a problem.  I've never noticed the mold getting hot enough that any oil starts smoking.

Have you even used them? I love my bag molds, but I learned long ago to have several laid out to use when you cast. They heat up to the point of the lead taking forever to solidify. When that happens, switch molds and let the other one cool a little.