Lee Handles Broke

[MGySgt]

About 5 years ago I got real tired of the Lyman Nut Cracker handles for their 4 cavity molds, so I looked real hard at the Lee 6 cavity handles. (Years ago there was a sale on them for $9.00 a set, I bought 4 of them.)

All I had to do was thin the forks down to fit the slots on the side, also had to enlarge the bolt holes. They worked great until last Saturday as I was casting some 358477's and they broke on cutting the sprue!



I went ahead and thinned another set and went back to casting. After looking more at these I think I can save this set by drilling new holes, after all the forks are long enough for Lee's 6 cavity molds.

Drew

[redhawk0]

I agree...they should be salvageable....but wow...that must have been one hard sprue.

redhawk

[MGySgt]

It was one hard sprue!

[midnight]

I have broken two in the same place. There is very little metal way out there on the end where the holes are drilled. I save the unbroken side to replace the next one that breaks. I have and use several dozen of them on custom molds. Sounds extravigant but I used to buy a bunch at a time when Midway sold them at $11. It would be nice if we could get the same style using quality steel but then the price would quadruple.

Bob

[Conditor22]

Call lee, the replacement handle piece is free but you'll have to pay shipping and handling. BUT ---- if you send the broken handle part to lee they will send you a new broken handle part for free.

1958-2020 Lee Precision | 4275 County Road U | Hartford, WI 53027 | phone (262) 673-3075 |

[MGySgt]

I doubt thet will send me a new one as I modified the ones that broke

[Conditor22]

Then you can buy just the one metal part for shipping and handling. Call them and get the part number.

[MGySgt]

Yes, I might be able to buy just one fork, however I would still need to thin it down to fit the Lyman 4 cavity mold.

[3006guns]

I had that happen on a set of Lyman handles for a two cavity mold once. I had just opened the blocks and tapped......gently......the handles to loosen the castings, when one entire side of them broke off! Bear in mind these were good handles in good shape and never abused. A close examination of the break showed a fine grain structure and I suspected metal crystallization, but then realized it was a form of cast iron or possibly cast steel. In any case, it really ticked me off!

In any case, they never should have broken. I kept them for several years, meaning to send them back to Lyman, but ended up salvaging the wooden handles and junking the rest.

[Martin Luber]

I have had both Lymans and Lees break. I can't understand why the Lee brike since they have a cam to open them and no impact is involved. I support the Lyman on the edge of a bench to break the sprue and don't use hard alloys?

[MGySgt]

After 45 years of casting this is the first set of handles I have broke. I was letting the sprue too long and I had to really give it a wack to cut the sprue (remember, I thinned them to fit Lyman 4 cavity molds, I hate the nutcracker handles, I have 2 sets of them).

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have broken two in the same place. There is very little metal way out there on the end where the holes are drilled. I save the unbroken side to replace the next one that breaks. I have and use several dozen of them on custom molds. Sounds extravigant but I used to buy a bunch at a time when Midway sold them at $11. It would be nice if we could get the same style using quality steel but then the price would quadruple.
Bob

You can get quality steel handles from a castboolit vendor.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Mould-Handles

After 45 years of casting this is the first set of handles I have broke. I was letting the sprue too long and I had to really give it a wack to cut the sprue (remember, I thinned them to fit Lyman 4 cavity molds, I hate the nutcracker handles, I have 2 sets of them).

My suggestion, is to sell the handles you dislike, because I know some casters here really like them (I have sold a couple sets of nutcrackers that came with some molds and I also disliked that style) ...then use the proceeds to order some handles from Red River Rick at KAL tool and die

[MGySgt]

Just went through my foot locker with molds (heavy) only found one nut cracker. Checked Lyman home page for mold handles, no more nut cracker handles.
I also found a lot of molds I have never used, and probably never will. Time to pull them all out and thin the herd.

[midnight]

JonB: If KAL handles are as good as the heavy duty cam levers he used to make for Lee 6 cavity molds then they must be good. Long ago when Lee handles were "really cheap" I opted to mount handles on each of my custom molds. Now I have around 50 of them. It would cost me 2 grand to replace them all, as much as I would like to. Actually to be honest, to Lees have worked very well. Only 2 broken ones over all these years and those broke when using linotype & letting the sprue get too cold. Whose fault is that!! I may get a couple KAL's for molds that get used hard & often.

Bob

[Larry Gibson]

After 45 years of casting this is the first set of handles I have broke. I was letting the sprue too long and I had to really give it a wack to cut the sprue (remember, I thinned them to fit Lyman 4 cavity molds, I hate the nutcracker handles, I have 2 sets of them).

You might just get a set of the newer Lyman 4 cavity mould hands. They are of the "plier" type [no longer the "nutcrackers"] and are much sturdier than the Lee's. I quit even trying to use the Lee's with my Lyman 4 cavity moulds anymore.

[MGySgt]

Larry at $48.00 a set, I will use the Lee's until the die, then I will probably go with the newer Lyman's. I figure I cat get 3 more breaks before these 2 sets are useless ����������

[Cosmic_Charlie]

The handles heat up to about 400 degrees and then air cool when you are done casting. They get hard and brittle I'd bet. Think I had to make one set of Lee handles thinner to fit the slots on my RCBS 250K die. I do not like swapping handles between die blocks. Going to order a couple more sets of the Lee's.