Replace lyman HP pin?

[4296]

Used my Lyman 429460 for the first time today. I had to run the alloy and blocks very hot to get acceptable bullets. After just this one use-250 bullets- the wood knob on the HP pin is showing signs of charring. Seeing that the handle is not going to last too long, was wondering how it can be replaced when it gives up the ghost.

[RayinNH]

It's probably pressed on. Go to your local hardware store or Home Depot and pick up a dresser knob or similar, drill a slightly undersized hole and press it on...Ray

[HeavyMetal]

Not sure I'd do the press on thing.

Both molds I've had HP'd have had the wooden knob start turning on release after just 20 or 30 boolits. I then drilled a hole and pined them on and they work great now.

As to your "cooking off" your knob? How are you heating the pin? My guess would be dipping in the alloy, which means you have some type of holder rigged up on the lead pot, or your using a propane tourch???

I tried both techniques and didn't care for either of them! The propane tourch issue should speak for itself, plus the risk of charring the knob, and the holder on the pot seemed likely to create the same problem plus the fact that I couldn't figure out a way to keep it "moving" with the level of alloy in the pot itself!

In the end I bought a $9.99 electric hot plate from Wal Grens, this is the exposed coil type, and set up a piece of flat steel with a a short pice of round stock welded to it. The round stock had a hole drilled in it to just match the diameter of the pin I would be heating up ( now have two pieces weld to that plate because the Devestator pins are much larger than the old school Lyman originals)

These allow the pin to stand upright and just touch the tip of the hp pin to the flat plate sitting on the coils of the hot plate. Run at medium The pins have actually turned blue but I have never had a burn mark show up on the wood handles!

Fill out is excellent! Pins are always hot and with in two or three casts I am making perfectly filled out HP's and rejection rate is like 2%.

[fredj338]

My Lyman pins are pinned into the knob. I've used mine for years w/o any charring of the wood. I preheat by wedging the pin against the top or side of the Lee pot. Once I start casting, I never reheat the pin.