Lee Mold handles suck but I found better

[AbitNutz]

Ok, Lee mold handles suck, They suck, they suck and no one can convince me they do anything other than suck.


I have several MP molds that don't suck. in fact they're about the best molds I have. I noticed they sell a set of mold handles that fit Lee Molds. I was going to buy a mold anyway so I though...what the heck.

I placed my order Thursday and I got them today...one week. Guess what? They fit and they don't suck. and they were $23.00. They are extremely nicely made. Lets face it. Making mold handles aren't like making a mold but they are really quite nice.

And they came all the way from slovenia and were well packaged and came wrapped in a Slovenia news paper.

Did you know you can buy a Novi Peugeot 308 for 201,84 Slovenian widgets?? That sounds like a deal too. If only it weren't French.

[theperfessor]

What is it about Lee handles that you find unsatisfactory? And could you post a picture of your new handles, they sound pretty nice.

[462]

I'm interested in the specifics, also. I have five sets -- three of which are modified to accept RCBS and Lyman moulds -- and they have been trouble free.

[AbitNutz]

I've had the wooden handles slide off the end...CONSTANTLY. I finally hit them with Marintex. It's like JB weld.

The bolt loosens constantly The wood is also inferior quality. I also had one pair where the wood handle just split apart.

These handles are just flat better.

This URL should take you to the site

http://www.mp-molds.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=6&=SID

[dragonrider]

In the past I have purchased more expensive handles but not any better in use. As long as Lee is making handles I won't pay more for handles, been using Lees for years and I have zero problems with them. Wood loosening is a simple fix as you found out. Never had a nut loosen they use a lock type nut on them, but again a simple fix. If Lee handles won't fit the mold I alter the mold, not the handles.

[ColColt]

I've had a set of large Lyman handles slide off while hitting the sprue plate and finally cracking and the left handle falling in half...duct tape maybe? Like all things, sometimes you're the bug, sometimes you're the windshield. I've yet to see a Lyman die that didn't need beagling or worked on by Erik to get the proper size and I've owned about 8-10 molds from them. Handles being wood are more vulnerable and won't take a lot of abuse. At some point I could have dropped them but can't recall for sure.

[bhn22]

Just use red RTV to stick your handles back on, regardless of who made them. The MP handles look nice, but since he only accepts PayPal, hell will freeze over before I buy anything.

[462]

AbitNutz, ever seen the condition of some of the ebay handles? Stuff happens, and regardless of brand, the wood is prone to slipping and cracking.

Something fishy regards the lock nut that Lee uses...there is no way that it is going to loosen on its own.

[Doby45]

As someone that owns both handles. They are damn near identical and that is actually giving credit to Miha. The Lee 6 cavity handles just flat out work and they are cheap.

[BulletFactory]

I had a bold that kept loosening up on my Lymans. Took the oxy/acetylene to them, they aint loose no more. lol

[357 Voodoo]

Red River Rick makes some really nice handles and replacement cams for Lee 6 cav. moulds.

I have some Miha moulds but no handles from him yet.

[JIMinPHX]

The Lee handles work fine for me, so I'll stick with them for my own personal use. If I was looking to upgrade to something nicer, I would contact Red River Rick. I've seen his handles. He does very nice work.

[MikeS]

As I had posted in a thread I started regarding six cavity handles, along with Red River Rick, and Mihec, Dick Dastardly also makes similar handles, and his are more money than Lee handles, and slightly cheaper than Mihec ones. I believe the Lee handles are made from sintered metal, where the others are made from steel. So far I only have Lee handles, but I think I will try and get at least one set of each of the others, so I can compare them side by side. I really can't see how much can be done to a set of handles to improve them beyond Lee's, other than the different material they're made from.

Wood coming loose is something that happens to all handles sooner or later. Dick Dastardly even puts sealer on the handles (something most folks do once they loosen up), so perhaps his handles won't have that problem. When looking at the handles, cost is a big factor too, Lee handles sell for $12.99 at Midway, Dick Dastardly's are $19.00, Mihec's are $23.00 and Rick's are $30something. At those prices I can afford to have several Lee handles, and if one breaks, throw it in the trash without getting too upset over it.

To the person that modifies their moulds to fit the handles, I really don't understand doing that, I mean the cheapest part is the one that should get modified IMHO. The only possible advantage to modifying the moulds would be that it's a one time operation, and if a new set of handles were needed, they would just fit as they come. Saeco moulds use a thicker screw to hold the mould to the handles, so I don't see anyway around modifying the handles for them, but that's a simply drilling out the holes slightly larger, so no big deal.

I currently have a Mihec mould, and will be getting some more when the GB's I'm in finally get to the shipping phase, I might go ahead and order some of his handles to use on his moulds. Similarly I'm thinking of getting a mould from Dick Dastardly, and will probably get a set of his handles to go with them. As for Red River Rick, I have a couple of Lyman 4 cavity moulds that have the handles that have the hinge in front of the mould, and might buy a couple of his handles for them (he makes ones specifically for Lyman moulds which have a much thinner groove for the handles to mount in)

For the few 2 cavity moulds I still have, I have some handles from an unknown maker that are made from brass, and sort of look like the older style Lyman handles, but are thin enough to mount RCBS moulds onto (with some fitting), and I have my 2 cavity Saeco moulds mounted on those, as I never liked how large the Saeco handles are (for a 2 cavity mould).

[cajun shooter]

Abitnutz, I have many pairs of Lee handles that I have used for years. They are the same as other Lee products and require some work before you use them. If you remove the handles and mark how they came off as they only fit one way. Mix up a nice batch of JB WELD Epoxy and apply it to the metal. When you slide the handles on, there will be a build up around where the metal and wood meet. Don't remove this but shape it like a small mound as it will add strength and keep out objects in the handles. For RCBS moulds the steel will require some filing to fit in the side grooves of the Mould. Other types of moulds may require drilling of the screw or holding pin holes as they will be too small. All of these projects only require minutes and the mould handles will last for years. Lee handles are the best buy in casting if you tweak them.

[JDFuchs]

I used to have several pairs of lee mold handles. I now only have one, as all the others broke not the wood handle part but the steel cracked and split.

[Cherokee]

I have several Lee handles, used glue to stick the wood back on the studs of a couple but never had any other problems.

[mold maker]

Every time Midway puts them on sale, I order 2-6 pair. I can't save momey on the molds, but don't find any advantage to, over spending on the handles.
I've only had one set to give problems, and a dollars worth of epoxy fixed that.
The money I've saved on handles bought my latest Mihec pretty brass mold with 2 sets of pins, and an RG4 mold from NOE.
Should I send LEE a thank You note, or complain about one loose handle???
There are folks that can tear up a cannon ball. I am careful with my tools, no mater what the price.

[bootsnthejeep]

I don't doubt your troubles with Lee handles, but man, I'm not experiencing the same. I think I've got three pair of six cav handles just for my NOE moulds and quite a few Lee moulds after that. Haven't had a problem so far. Are you in a brutally arid/wet climate? That's just bizarre to have such repeated bad luck.

You're just lucky, I guess. :)

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

You get what you pay for.
I have a set of Saeco Handles that came with a used mold,
I'd guess they were bought new in the early 80s.
Those Saeco handles are beautiful compared to the others I have.
I also have a couple sets of RCBS handles,
and a few sets of Lyman handles,
a thompson center set of handles,
and Many Lee handles.
The Lee handles sure are plain.

I have never had a set of handles fail.
Jon

PS. I also "had" 2 sets of the Lyman Nutcrackers...You can have have those,
I surely didn't like using them !

[dragonrider]

Yes I prefer to alter my molds to fit Lee handles if needed, in particular RCBS handle slots are just narrow enough that the lees won't fit and Lyman 4 cavity molds have a 1/4" slot. We know that Lee handles are not as strong as others. So instead of filing or grinding on the Lee handles to fit and making them weak I mill the mold slots.

[XWrench3]

i just jb weld the handles as soon as i get them. and forget them. no more slip. never had a set split, but if i do, i am sure the jb weld will fix that also.

[MikeS]

I'd be curious if the folks that are constantly breaking Lee handles will also eventually break whatever replacement handles they get. For some reason, it just seems that some people are harder on stuff than others. I'm not saying this in a bad way, just a fact of life. I'm very hard on clothes, my jeans get holes in them in the strangest places, so for me it doesn't pay to get expensive jeans, they all wear, cheap, or expensive, so I get the cheap ones! Lee handles are the same sort of thing, if you're the kind of person that's rough on handles (maybe you have tremendous grip strength), you WILL break the more expensive ones too, it just might take longer. So, at that point, it pays to see how much longer they last, and how much more they cost. If they cost 2x as much as the Lee handles, but you get 4x the time before they break, then stick with the better ones. If they only last 1.5x as long as the Lee, but cost 2x as much, stick with the Lee. If they cost 3x as much as the Lee, but last 5x or 10x longer, the choice is obvious!

As I said in an earlier post, I've never seen any of the other handles, but I hope to soon.

[mroliver77]

Aside from the wood failing I just cannot imagine breaking a set of handles! After I learned to Leement my molds if needed and quit beating them to get the boolits to drop I have very few problems. I have been JB welding my wood on and use enough to "bed" the wood to the steel. I figure this gives it extra support. I have an old pair of Lee handles that have been very abused. The lock nut did not lock anymore and loosened with use. I piened the bolt and all is well. Things that ride steel against steel I like to polish and deburr. It gives a lot better feel.

I still use the Lyman nut cracker handles on my 4 cavity molds. I have not decided if I want to alter a set of Lee handles to fit or not.
J

[Iron Mike Golf]

I broke a set on Lyman smalls. Whacked the hinge pin and a jaw cracked in half. I figure a bad casting. I have enough from flea markets at $5 a set that I just pitched them. I do like the handle wood on my SAECOs I got used with a used mold. My Lee 6 cav's work fine. Heavier wood would be nice. I'll try the RTV trick on some Lyman's that slip.

[buck1]

I have several Lee handles, used glue to stick the wood back on the studs of a couple but never had any other problems.

Same here. Iregard them as lee better products.

[Stick_man]

Ok, Lee mold handles suck, They suck, they suck and no one can convince me they do anything other than suck.

Well, AbitNutz, I can't argue with you on that. However, I like to think of myself as somewhat of a problem solver, and I simply can't stand to see somebody unhappy with something they bought. Therefore, if you have any of those sucky Lee mold handles, I'd be happy to take them off of your hands so you don't have to deal with them anymore. I have a couple molds that I paid a lot of money for that need some price balancing done. I also have a couple really sucky molds that could use some really sucky handles. Unfortunately, there are so many sucky things out there, they keep sucking all the money out of my bank account, so I can't afford to get the really expensive stuff that I want to get.

If you got some you just can't stand, let me know and I'll PM you my shipping address. Nobody should have to put up with sucky stuff that they don't want.

:groner:

[Irascible]

AbitNutz if you are talking about 4 cavity handles I couldn't agree with you more. All I can say about the 6 cavity handles is they work and they're cheap. Some people buy Snap-On and some by Craftsman. Taste is a personal thing.