Are Lee double cavity handles removeable?

[Jal5]

Will these handles come off a double cavity mold and are they useable on a Lyman single cavity mold?

[mooman76]

Yes you can remove them. You have to take out the drimps that hold the pins in. You can do that with a drimel or drill. The can be modified to fit a lyman with some creativity. I did it for an RCBS. Wasn't the best but it was useable.

[JIMinPHX]

With a little drilling & hammering, you can get Lee handles off of the blocks. I've never used them on anything except for Lee molds or blocks that I made to the same outside dimensions as Lee molds.

You can buy just the handles from Lee for a few dollars. They are listed under spare parts in the mold section of the Lee website, or at least they were the last time that I looked.

[Jal5]

JiminPHX-
the real question is can they be used with Lyman molds? If I just buy a set of the Lee handles can they work with the Lyman mold? the price is sure right.
Joe

[dk17hmr]

They can be made to work, I did it with a set and fitted them to a Lachinmiller mold I have. Just takes a bit of shimming, work pretty good.

[MT Gianni]

There are two styles of single cavity molds. One takes the old style handles from LY that are for SC only, the other modern style takes the DC handles. Lee's fit the DC without any adaptation. You may need to redrill for the older sc. Most of those are Ideal brand but not all, AIRC it is the old orange and black paper box with metal corner reinforcements.

[largom]

JiminPHX-
the real question is can they be used with Lyman molds? If I just buy a set of the Lee handles can they work with the Lyman mold? the price is sure right.
Joe

I use the Lee handles [from Midsouth shooters supply] on most of my molds, including Lyman, RCBS, Modern Bond, and NOE. The Lee handles sold seperately are NOT the same handles that are on Lee molds.

Larry

[Jal5]

larry do you use the lee handles on single cavity rcbs or lyman molds?
Joe

[largom]

larry do you use the lee handles on single cavity rcbs or lyman molds?
Joe

No I had not, until I read your post. Just tried Lee handles on an old Lyman 225415 mold and they fit. However I would open the holes in the Lee handles a little just to give more pivot room.

Larry

[jameslovesjammie]

I think he's referring to the fixed handles that come with the Lee 2 cavities, not the 6 cavity handles you get for $12.

There is quite a bit of difference in thickness between the regular Lee 2 cavity handles and 6 cavity. Here's a pic to show the difference.



The top is the Lee 6 cavity handles with a Mihec 2 cavity in it. The bottom is the Lee 2 cavity fixed handles that come with the Bator.

Lee 6 cavity handles fit Lee 6 cavity moulds and Lyman 1 and 2 cavity with NO modification. They will fit Saeco 1,2,3,and 4 cavity moulds by enlarging the pivot holes with a drill bit. For them to fit a Lyman 4 cavity, you need to thin them down with a grinder or mill (I used a body grinder). They also fit NOE and MP moulds.

Lee 2 cavity handles come fixed to the mould. You could take the handles off by removing the pin, but you are also risking damaging the mould. If you do get them off successfully, you need to shim them to fit any other type of mould by using washers or fabricating some type of shim. And there will probably be alot of play/alignment issues with this type of setup.

You are much better off, IMO, by going out and buying a $12 set of Lee 6 cavity handles. To me, it isn't worth possibly ruining the 2 cavity mould and possibly damaging a steel mould by trying to save a few bucks salvaging handles.