Last night, I removed my mold. I didn’t grease it or anything. I used a reciprocating saw then I switched to a very long hand saw to prevent damage to the masonry. It took some time. I smacked my elbows on the base breaking the top of the mold away from the arch.
If you haven’t started building yet, I would suggest lightly greasing it. If you didn’t grease it, just take your time and maybe put something down to cushion your elbows.
First fire went great.