Lyman Mold Handles

[ordway]

I recently purchased a used single cavity mold marked IDEAL - Middlefield Conn. #32359. The mold appears to be in very good condition, both halves interlock well with no daylight appearing through the bottom of the mold. The handles that I have were purchased 40+/- years ago and I only used them with double cavity molds. This particular mold with this handle will not close tightly leaving a noticeable gap at the bottom of the mold. It will close when pressed tightly with my fingers but then loosens when I let go. I don't use Lyman molds anymore and and therefore I can't make a comparison between molds. Anybody have an idea as to what te problem is and how to correct same if at all possible? Did Lyman make separate handles for single cavity molds 40 years ago?
Thanks..ordway@intergate.com.

[Mk42gunner]

Lyman used to make both a small and large set of handles, plus the handles for four cavity molds. I believe they only use the larger blocks now. The mold blocks that take the small handles are tiny compared to the double cavity blocks.

Robert

[floodgate]

ordway:

I did a long post on fitting Lyman handles to large and small block sets a few days back; search for recent posts by "floodgate" and it should come up. In brief, if you will clamp the handles on edge in a vise, with the inner face of the jaw facing up and clear of the top of the vise, and file a taper from zero at the screw hole to 1/16" or so at the tip on each of the handle jaws, that will allow the blocks to close properly. If the handles clack together before the blocks close, you might also have to rasp a bit away there, but I have never had to do that.