Question Regarding Mould Handles

[Cadillo]

Today I had lunch with an old friend. Afterwards he took me out to his shop and showed me a box of stuff he had inherited when his Dad passed on about ten years ago.

Besides a bunch of bar solder; lead ingots; bars etc., he had an assortment of old moulds(eleven) including a four cavity H&G 68 and a four cavity Lyman 452460. Both these moulds are in really good shape and have the handles attached.

Being new to casting bullets, I have never seen moulds that have the handle hinges to the front as do these. I have two Saeco's and a Lyman, all of which have the handle hinges to the rear or nearest the operator. I'm hoping to be able to trade or otherwise come into possession of the 452460 mould, but I would like to know whether my current production rear hinge handles will work with the older mould that currently has the older style handles.
Does anyone know?

He also has a really nice, though used and greasy Lyman #45 Lubrisizer that is still in the factory box. It even still has the original wooden handle in place. Neat stuff to be sure. :)

Can anyone tell me about the handles?

[waco]

they sound like lyman "nutcracker" style handles
not sure about the saeco mold, but your handles should fit the mold fine(lyman)

[Cadillo]

Waco,

I wanted to know if the current type Lyman handles would work with the old Lyman mould, which currently bears the older style handles, and from your response it seems that they should. My reference to the Saeco handles was only to illustrate that both they and the newer Lymans were of the same basic configuration, which is quite different from the older Lymans. Your reference to the older handles as "Nutcracker Style" is quite indicative of how they appear.

Thanks for the input!

Regards,
Cadillo

[tackstrp]

I agrree with Waco. I have used newer Lyman molds on the old "nutcracker" lyman style. Which is my preference.

[HeavyMetal]

If your current "new" handles are "cut" for the 4 banger molds the old molds should fit with no issue. They will not fit the current to 2 cavity large handles at all!

Now from what you orginally posted this guy has two 4 banger molds one lyman one H&G.

I don't believe the H&G mold will fit the nutcraker handles but I have never tried it either!

If your friend has handles for both molds my suggestion would be to deal for both the lyman mold and the nutcracker handles.

I also agree with tackstrp on the preference for the old style instead of the new. I also prefer to set my mold on the handles with the sprue plate "knob" pointing at me rather tha away from me amd on the far end of the mold once it is in my hand.

This makes it much easier to cast with for a longer period of time because you are not stretching to open the mold.

I also think the H&G 68 would be my target rather than the 452460 which I have never liked.


But that's just me!

[Cadillo]

If your current "new" handles are "cut" for the 4 banger molds the old molds should fit with no issue. They will not fit the current to 2 cavity large handles at all!

Now from what you orginally posted this guy has two 4 banger molds one lyman one H&G.

I don't believe the H&G mold will fit the nutcraker handles but I have never tried it either!
If your friend has handles for both molds my suggestion would be to deal for both the lyman mold and the nutcracker handles.

I also agree with tackstrp on the preference for the old style instead of the new. I also prefer to set my mold on the handles with the sprue plate "knob" pointing at me rather tha away from me amd on the far end of the mold once it is in my hand.

This makes it much easier to cast with for a longer period of time because you are not stretching to open the mold.

I also think the H&G 68 would be my target rather than the 452460 which I have never liked.

But that's just me!

The Lyman handles that I have now are for a four cavity mould, so apparently they should work with the older Lyman mould. I doubt my friend will part with the H&G mould, which is also wearing a set of the nutcracker handles. He was elated when I showed him that it was an original H&G 68, a bullet style that he likes and buys already cast and shoots in his 1911's.

I currently have a new Saeco four cavity #68 that I have not yet tried. I'm hoping to trade him out of the 452460, so that I will have two different 45 SWC moulds.

Now I've promised to have him over to do some casting at my place to try his hand at casting and see if his moulds will still make good bullets. I'm still hoping to finagle him out of the 452460.

Thanks for the input!

Cadillo