Hensley & Gibbs two cavity handles

[Mk42gunner]

Does anyone have a picture of H&G two cavity handles? I remember a thread that had pictures of most types of handles, but I can't find it tonight.

The reason I ask is that I have a set of handles that look like the pliers type handles on my lone H&G four cavity mold.

I have been using them on small ideal single cavity molds, but they are pretty long and kind of awkward. I think I bought them with a mold attached, either from ebay or at a gunshow, and just assumed they were a different design from Lyman.

The length is just under eleven inches, the holes for the retaining pins are 1 3/4" from the hinge pin and line up between the first two cavities of the four cavity mold. One hole has been enlarged, (probably so it would work on other molds).

I really wish I had a camera, and knew how to post pictures.

Thanks,

Robert

[Texasflyboy]

Does anyone have a picture of H&G two cavity handles? Robert

Here you go. Side by side photos of the 1 cavity (very rare) two cavity and four cavity Hensley & Gibbs Scissor style handles. Note that the 1" mark on the tape measure is dead even with the end of the 1 cavity handle.

A small photo and a link to a larger one:

http://hgmould.gunloads.com/a/H&G11.jpg


Here is a drawing of the measurements. Note that a .139" drill bit will enter the drill hole while a .154" bit will not. The example drawing in the upper left is to show that the measurement was taken from the right side of the drill hole to the end of the handle.


http://hgmould.gunloads.com/a/measure.JPG


Link to Larger Photo (http://hgmould.gunloads.com/a/H&G1.jpg)

[Mk42gunner]

Thanks, I had went to your site but couldn't find the pictures of this type of handle.

These are definitly H&G two cavity handles. I wish I had the mold that came with them.

Does anybody other than me find it strange that H&G handles aren't marked? Or that the Lyamn handles aren't either, even with small or large?

Robert

[Texasflyboy]

Does anybody other than me find it strange that H&G handles aren't marked? Or that the Lyman handles aren't either, even with small or large?Robert


You find it strange in 2012.

That was the norm in 1935, 45, 55, 65, etc...

Folks just made stuff. Standardization came eventually for larger manufacturers, but Hensley & Gibbs was a small operation from start (circa 1933) to finish (1999).

It wasn't an ISO 900x operation. But they made darn fine moulds regardless.

I've said it before, and I will say it again, try to buy Hensley & Gibbs moulds with the handles. There is just too much risk buying blocks without handles unless you have access to a really good machine shop along with a really good machinist.

Tom

[gbrown]

Question: What about the newer balli-cast mold handles? Will they work with the older H G molds? Also, can you grind down other mold handles to fit? I have an old H G mold I want to use.

[BossHoss]

Question: What about the newer balli-cast mold handles? Will they work with the older H G molds? Also, can you grind down other mold handles to fit? I have an old H G mold I want to use.


Great thread, i just started reading up on H & G , thanks to Texas Fly Boy's links....and I just bought my first H & G......:sad::sad: without handles....:holysheep:killingpc

I have 4 cav lyman scissor, 4 cav Old Saeco plier type, Lee 6 cav type, handles..

I am guessing none of these will work....I dont have the mold yet, so I really don;t know.

But,....[smilie=l::D, now I HAVE to buy one WITH the handles .....yay!!!! Another H and G .....gotta go looking.

[ballisti-cast]

Ballisti-Cast/H&G handles fit just about all of the H&G molds out there. H&G did change there design slightly from time to time, and if it didn't fit we would be able to make you one that did. RCBS handles also fit most of the H&G molds and others can be modified.

[madsenshooter]

I think Hensley also made his handles for some other companies and didn't mark them. Can't recall where I saw that, maybe on TXflyboy's site. Peerless, moved by Stoeger's was one company, but the example shown on flyboy's site is marked. Maybe some weren't.

[Texasflyboy]

There are several eras of Hensley & Gibbs handles.

The first difference you need to establish is the width of the handle slot in the side of the blocks. The next measurement is the distance from the front of the blocks back towards the handle to the screw/pin holding the blocks to the handle.

I've seen Lyman, RCBS, and other handles fit to Hensley & Gibbs blocks over the years. I have no idea how to do this and would probably ask a competent machinist to perform this task.

90% of the Hensley & Gibbs handles on the market should not cause problems with 90% of the corresponding moulds on the market.

The problems arise from trying to fit 1940's era handles to 1990's era moulds. And vice versa. That's been my experience.

Wayne Gibbs did begin to standardize handle sizes in the 1980's when he went to a single size .308" thick handle for Two and Four cavity moulds. These are the "New" style "Thick" handles. Almost all of the previous era moulds and handles I've measured pre-1980, had the 250" thick handles with corresponding "thin" slots in the block.

Here is an article covering the same thing:

The Thick and Thin (http://hgmould.gunloads.com/casting/thickthin.htm)