LEE mold handles

[lead-1]

Can anyone tell me for sure if the LEE 6 cavity mold handles will fit an RCBS 2 cavity mold. I hate to buy them if I can't use them.

Their ad says "will fit most other brand 2 cavity molds" but do RCBS molds fit in the "other" catagory?

[462]

They will require a slight bit of filing or grinding. It's easily done and certainly very worthwhile, considering the difference in price.

They are an exact fit for Lyman one and two-cavity moulds, however, they require quite a bit of modification to fit Lyman four-cavity moulds.

[GLL]

As 462 indicates only slight modification is required. I use a file rather than a grinder and slowly remove metal on the "Bottom" of the arms only to obtain close fit.

Jerry

[cbrick]

Yep, my experience also. You can fit them to RCBS blocks but it is too tight of a fit function correctly, they need to be thinned a tad exactly as already suggested. Works great and does no harm cause they can still be used without problem on the other molds.

Rick

[6.5 mike]

Just did a set for an rcbs mould this morning, a good mill file was all that was needed. Works great.

[lead-1]

Thanks for the info, I am going to get a set of them on Monday when I visit the local fun store.

[MikeS]

As the Lee handles would need a lot of modifications to fit on a Lyman 4 cavity mould, would I then be correct that if I wanted a handle for the Mihec mould I just bought from another forum member, that I would be better off using Lee handles, rather than trying to use my Lyman nutcracker style 4 cavity handles?

[Doby45]

Yhea, just get a set of Lee handles. Thats all I use on my Mihec molds, well that and one set of Mihec handles. ;)

[MikeS]

I already have a set of Lee handles (and I just ordered a Lee mould to fill it), and I'm curious, I find the Lee handles to be really nicely made quality product, so how do they compare to the Mihec handles? I'm in on a couple of the group buys, and I'm getting his handles with them, so I guess I'll know if a few months, but wanted to know your impression of the 2 as you have both. I mean I can get the Lee handles from Midway for almost half of the cost of the Mihec handles, and was kind of wondering if his handles are really worth the extra money?

I have a pair of RCBS handles, and I think the Lee handles are much nicer, in fact I'm having a strange problem with them. When I pour a mold and try to open the handles, the bottom tries to open before the top (the blocks are opening at an angle), I have to open them while holding them against a tabletop to keep the blocks parallel to each other as they open. The RCBS handles are the only ones I've ever had this problem with, I even tried a different mould in the handles, and still had the problem, and tried the RCBS mould in a different set of handles I have, and they work fine in them.

I mention the RCBS handles, as they sell for way more than the Lee handles, and I don't see any extra quality that would make them worth their price. I bought mine used, so that might be why I'm having a problem with them, but I still don't see quality worth 4x the price of Lee handles.

I wonder if Mihec could be talked into making the nutcracker style handles (like the older Lyman or H&G ones)? I really like the nutcracker style better than the regular style. I remember reading an article written by Mr Gibbs ( the G in H&G) about how to open the sprue plate on their moulds, and it was specific to the nutcracker style handles, and involved resting the nutcracker end of the handles on the table while holding the mould/handles assembly sideways, and tapping the sprueplate with a wooden stick (or mallet). I find this works great for my Lyman 4 cavity mould, but don't see how it would be possible to do with a normal style handle, unless the right side (left handle) had a boss on the end specifically for resting the mould/handle assembly on to open it.

How do most people cut the sprue on a 4 or more cavity mould in a normal style handle? I'm not talking about the Lee six cavity moulds, as they have the cam lever to open the sprueplate, I'm talking about mostly 4 cavity moulds.

[462]

"How do most people cut the sprue on a 4 or more cavity mould in a normal style handle?"

I use Lee handles on a Lyman four-cavity and open the sprue cutter with my thumb, the same as I do on any single or two-cavity.

[Echo]

I rotate the mold 90*to the right, rest the end of the mold on the folded towel, and tap the sprue plate with a plastic mallet. My thumbs aren't that tough!

[wallenba]

I've done it, like they said, just needs filing. Also, for future reference, they fit my Saeco 2 cavity too. Just needed to drill the holes out a bit for that.

[MikeS]

Echo - that's what I thought would work, basically the same way that it's done with the nutcracker handles, but instead of resting the hinge of the handle, it's resting on the mould block itself. It would be nice if somebody made handles that actually had a boss on the end to act as a rest spot. Maybe Mihec could be talked into modifying his handles to have that? There's a forum member in Canada that makes handles, but I don't remember his name, and from the pictures I've seen of his handles, while they don't have an actual boss, they are fairly thick (and don't taper down at the end like Lee handles) and look like you could rest the end of the handles on the table (with or without a towel) without the actual mould blocks taking any of the stress of being on the table while the sprue plate is being tapped open.

I don't have a lot of strength in my hands anymore (yet another side effect of diabetes!), and even opening a Lyman 2 cavity mould with just my hand is kind of hard for me to do, and impossible if I let the sprue harden too much.

Another thing I have is the sprue sticking to the sprue plate, even if I lube up the sprue plate good, it takes some tapping on the handles to loosen the sprue. (I've watched other folks cast on the internet, and they never seem to have that problem. The video that's on Mihec's site shows somebody (probably a forum member) casting with one of his HP moulds, and he just casually opens the sprue plate, tosses the sprue off to the side with a flick of his wrist, then drops out the boolits like nothing! I have a few moulds where the boolits will drop without any tapping, but even they have sprues that stick occasionally!

[lead-1]

I bought these handles that are new in the box from the local fun store and they must be defective. I took them home and they slid right into an RCBS and an Ohaus mold like they were made for them and it looks like the pin holes are lined up also.
Once everything gets heated up maybe they will swell a bit and maybe then need filed down a touch?

[Doby45]

That is not common for sure, but can your blessings. If it automatically works with a RCBS 2 cav it will still work with the Lee 6cav and other molds.

[cajun shooter]

Lee Handles will fit all of the most common moulds. I have fitted them to Lyman, RCBS, Saeco and even some custom moulds. The one problem with all Lee moulds are the wooden handles. Buy a large box of JB Weld and pull off the handles after mixing a batch. Put a small amount all around the handle and push it back on. If you have some push back out, just build a small mound where they enter the handle. After drying you will never have a problem. You may have to drill out the screw holes or grind the handles down some but they will fit all moulds.

[MikeS]

The wood coming loose is a problem not only with Lee handles, but with many mould handles. The one nice thing with the Lee handles is that replacement wood is available, and cheap too! In fact I have an older Lyman handle that had no wood on it when I got it, and for $10.00 which includes shipping I had a set of Lee wood on them! On other handles where the wood came loose I used Elmer's Carpenter glue (their yellow colored glue, not the white all purpose stuff) with great results.

The reason mould handles come loose is the wood gets charred after a while which makes them get larger so they come loose of the metal they were originally attached to. If you cast particularly hot alloy long enough eventually even glued on handles will come loose again, it's just part of the fun of boolit casting, and something easy to fix too.