Repurposing Lee 6 cav. handle

[oldhenry]

I recently acquired my 1st. brass mold through a group buy: the MP 359 Hammer. Fortunately Curioushooter started a thread under "Casting & Reloading"and through the many responses I was able get my tail gate casting equipment assembled early this morning (before the heat wave) and produce some decent boolits. That MP mold is so nice that I found myself being very picky & returned some shootable boolits to the pot...…...I just wanted the nice ones.

I made the right choice going with the 2 cav. for the weight factor. In less than a week I'll be 80 & my hand strength is not what I was when I was 75. I used MP handles and anyone that has them knows what a fine product it is. I would rest the poured mold momentarily against the wood on which the elevated furnace is mounted & rest it on the padded surface that I drop boolits on while I opened the mold & tapped the boolits free. I found myself wanting a shorter handle. The MP handle positions the mold so far out that it was a lever system with a disadvantage.

I happened to have a fairly new Lee handle that had experienced an unexplainable failure (see photo). I know that I could call Lee & they would send me another, but I'd have the expense & trouble of sending them the failed unit. This lee turned out to be the donor for a set-up that puts the mold closer to my hand (the weight of the mold is no longer like a divining rod).

The photos are self explaining. You'll note that the end result is only a 1.5" reduction in OAL, but the hinge point is nearer the hand giving the feel of a 2" reduction. Any advantage is welcomed.

Henry

[tradbear55]

Nice job repurposing those Lee handles. I would agree that when you have a 4 cavity at the end of those big handles it feels like a divining rod. But Miha molds do drop beautiful boolits.

[oldhenry]

To be clear: I have 2 MP 8 cav. & 2 6 cav. aluminum MP molds & they balance very well with the MP handles.

Henry

[cwlongshot]

Excellent!

I also prefer Longer handles and did that to a broken set I picked up off ebat for a magma mold. (One side needs to be short)

Good job!!

CW

[mdatlanta]

Nice job!

[Green Frog]

Those Lee handles for 6-cav moulds are one of their most useful products. They are becoming sort of the de facto “universal” handles to use or modify slightly so they can be used for virtually everything. The one downside is that so many folks have discovered this fact that they are sometimes in short supply. I don’t believe universal handles for all manufacturers was Lee’s original goal, but that’s where he ended up!

Froggie

[JMax]

I modified a set of Lyman handles to fit a two cavity NOE mold in a similar fashion instead of buying another set of handles. It is good to look at what we have that is not being used and repurpose them.

[marshall623]

I modified a set of Lyman handles to fit a two cavity NOE mold in a similar fashion instead of buying another set of handles. It is good to look at what we have that is not being used and repurpose them.

I did the same with my Lyman handles , I just drilled another set of holes .

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[Petrol & Powder]

Nicely Done and time well spent !

[Hossfly]

Very innovative, great way to think ,and do.