Mould block head scratcher

[Don McDowell]

I went to cast some of the 434 slicks from my accurate mould the other day, and the dang thing would either leave a little acorn shaped indent in the side of the bullet or a big ol acorn shaped line on the side of the bullet.
I sprayed that cavity with the Frankford arsenal mould spray and sure enough there was that little acorn deal. So I took the blocks and scrubbed the snot out of it and set it aside. Went back a few days later and here's that danged big acorn line still on the side of the bullet.
Back to the sink we went, scrubbed and scrubbed, used paint thinner and SOS pad, and scrubbed and rinsed , and finally rinsed with alcohol and let it set.
Yesterday I set back to the thing, and before I started I smoked the cavities with matches. Don't you know I poured about 140 flawless +- .5 gr slugs... Now what the magic that got the thing to work was I don't know.
Now does anybody remember seeing/hearing about someone making shorter handles for these new Lyman ladles?