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View Full Version : Repurposed Clamp Becomes Mould Handles



jimkim
12-10-2016, 12:27 AM
These are interesting. I see the plastic being an issue, but I like the design. https://youtu.be/P_DKIxervZM

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jcren
12-10-2016, 09:55 AM
Very cool. A pair of welding type vise-grip "c" clamps would work with minimal mod (thin the tips) and would provide consistent mold closed pressure. Cool!

OS OK
12-10-2016, 10:11 AM
A lot of extra weight though, it'll get tiring but, in a pinch, not a bad idea. Yes I'd leave them on there too after I made them useless for anything else except tack welding.

longbow
12-10-2016, 12:16 PM
Not clear why anyone would want to bother. Adds weight and complexity to a simple operation. From my viewpoint a solution to a problem that isn't. Different strokes I guess.

I could see something like that being useful on a really large mould like maybe for a 10 cavity but not necessary for a six cavity or less. But again whatever turns your crank and makes you happy. Obviously the guy who made it is happy and that's what matters in the end. And it looks like he made a nice job of it so there is satisfaction in that.

Again, different strokes.

Longbow

country gent
12-10-2016, 12:52 PM
I have several sets of the cabin tree locking handles I used on moulds. They work very good and give me an added consistancy yo closed tension. I have numbness issues in my hands so this helps alot for me. The welding vise grips "deep throats" can be modified to mould handles I had done a set and they work but are a little trickier due to the release lever. I added a lock nut to the adjuster and they stayed set for awhile but did require occasional readjustment. What I have thought about is a spirng type clamp, the big ones like a battery clamp made for wood working. A simple set up and would only require modification for block mounts and possibly longer handles. Springs could be adjusted for tension also. The cabin tree style do work well, I perfer the original style over the modified ones. But they are a little pricey.

Hardcast416taylor
12-10-2016, 01:04 PM
As the old saying goes, `If it ain`t broke - don`t fix it!`Robert

Beagle333
12-10-2016, 01:18 PM
I could see a use if one had a problem with their hand (numbness or weakness, or even temporary injury), but it looks more cumbersome and heavier than regular handles if you are able.

mold maker
12-16-2016, 12:01 PM
It was just an immediate solution to a surprise problem. He didn't want to wait on ordered handles to arrive before casting.
Whatever toots your whistle is OK by me.

shoot-n-lead
12-16-2016, 02:46 PM
As the old saying goes, `If it ain`t broke - don`t fix it!`Robert

His was broken...he had no handles on hand.

wonderwolf
12-16-2016, 10:46 PM
Couple years back when I was getting into swaging more my good friend and I machined up a 10 cavity .180 mold for .22 cores that just cast them all on a tree and clip them off from there and go to town. Anyways the blocks were kind of thin, and left little room for handles, he had a set of broken welders wide jaw vice grips. so we pinned them in place. Still works great!

He is a welder by trade and he and I both repurpose and recycle the snot out of everything. Not everybody has easy access to the same stuff you and I do....Like the guy who makes his shotgun slugs using a socket as a mold...gotta keep thinking.