Handles for every mould?

[woodlecj]

Just starting out casting and am gathering some moulds off of eBay. Should I have handles for every mould or do people move the handles around?

Thanks,
Craig

[Longwood]

Just starting out casting and am gathering some moulds off of eBay. Should I have handles for every mould or do people move the handles around?

Thanks,
Craig

A member here sells the Lee 4 cavity handles for cheap.
In the past, I often modified handles to work with other brands.
The Lee handles are surprisingly well made for the price and if I am going to grind and drill handles, it will the ones from Lee.

[Longwood]

Just starting out casting and am gathering some moulds off of eBay. Should I have handles for every mould or do people move the handles around?

Thanks,
Craig

Not all mold on ebay are bad,,, but all bad molds seem to end up there.

[woodlecj]

Thanks Longwood, I always look on Swappin & Sellin, but these folks here are fast! They must monitor that forum by the minute!

So, since the Lee handles are cheap, you're saying just get them for every mold? Are there any adjustments to be made or just screw 'em in?

[PbHurler]

I use two sets of Lee, two sets each large & small Lymans, two sets RCBS & two sets Saeco and just switch them to whatever moulds I'm using. (I have lots of various manufacturers' moulds)

[geargnasher]

There's a sticky in the mould sub-forum regarding what handles fit what moulds, if that would help.

Gear

[Elkins45]

Unless you're casting commercially where every minute of down time costs you $$$ then I don't see any great reason to have more than a couple of sets of handles in each style. I have several duplicates of the Lyman 2 cavity style, but that's only because they were on the molds when I bought them at a swap meet.

I'm not overly frugal, but I don't see spending and extra $15-30 with every new mold just save five minutes swapping handles.

[woodlecj]

Elkins45,

That's what I wanted to hear!

[Longwood]

Thanks Longwood, I always look on Swappin & Sellin, but these folks here are fast! They must monitor that forum by the minute!

So, since the Lee handles are cheap, you're saying just get them for every mold? Are there any adjustments to be made or just screw 'em in?

Not quite,,,, by the second.
They are leaned over their computer keyboards with a finger poised.
Everyone seems to need extra's and they do sell well.

When the subject comes up a sale of the Lee handles sometimes is soon to follow.
The handles he sells is one of the better made products that Lee sell n my book and if you need to modify one a little, so be it. I have done quite a bit of grinding and drilling new holes in some of mine and they are then dual purpose and still work perfectly.

[paul h]

You can tie up alot of money of handles as you gather molds.

What I find is that with heavier bullet designs I'll be casting with two molds, i.e. while one mold is cooling, I'm cutting the sprue, removing bullets, refilling the cavities with the other mold. Hence I have 2 ea of RCBS and Lee 6 cavity handles which fit the majority of my molds. I only have one Lyman mold, so only one pair of lyman handles. I know Lee 6 cavity handles can be used for RCBS style molds, but I prefer the RCBS handles as the mold doesn't overhang the handles as much as on the Lee handles.

I can swap molds between handles in less than a minute. While I'm all for buying tools to save time, extra mold handles isn't the best use of my money.

[Longwood]

On any set of handles, it has been said that a great idea is to knock off the handles then glue them in place with a good adhesive that will stick to metal.

[captain-03]

Just swap them between moulds ... keep the expense down!!

[462]

Lee's six-cavity handles are very adaptable and possibly the best value of any casting item.

My single-cavity Ideal 308291 surely looks awfully comical and puny, stuck way out there on the end of a set of them.

[shadowcaster]

I have a set of handles on every mold, but that's how I purchased them. I would have handles on every mold anyway. I don't want to take the time screwing around changing them. They are always ready to go this way, WHENEVER I need them. A bit more expense, but well worth it to me.

Shad

[Longwood]

Lookie,,

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=153100

[fcvan]

I bought Lee handles for a Lyman 225-415 and yes, it looks odd. Who cares, the handles were 12 bucks. I have one set of mold blocks that doesn't have handles. The mold is new in box from Saeco, back when they were still in Carpenteria, CA. Dad bought the mold for the 30 Carbine but never actually cast for it. Turns out, the mold is for 32, not 30. I bought a Lee C308-120 RN for the Carbine because it was a gas check design. I'm tempted to try the 32 which is plain based and size it down. one of these days, the Lee mold is working out great in the M1 and the Blackhawk. Frank

[big dale]

I found that after buying the lee handles for about a dozen sets of molds that I had to go to a yard sale and pick up an old "chester drawers" to refinish so I would have a place to store my boolit molds. If I were working with only one set of handles I could have bought another mold from MiHec or Noe, and I always need another of their molds.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[MikeS]

I like to have each mould mounted on it's own dedicated handle. When using brass and aluminum moulds that have relatively soft threads, it's conceivable that the screw holes could get loose from moving the moulds around. By mounting the moulds onto the handles on time I avoid this. The only problem with doing things this way other than it costing an additional $12 or so depending on where you buy your handles, is the fact that it takes up much more space.

Most of my 2 cavity moulds that I have (I don't have many of them) are mounted either on Lyman handles (if it's a Lyman mould), or T/C handles. The T/C handles are made from bronze I believe, and with a little bit of grinding they fit RCBS, and Saeco moulds (and possibly more, but those are the ones I've tried). I like the T/C handles as they look and handle like the old style Lyman handles, a nice compact setup.

[WilliamDahl]

I do not have handles for every mold that I have. I only have 2 sets of handles for the Lee 6-cavity molds. I swap them around to whatever I'm molding at the time. I'll usually mold 2 calibers at the same time and let each mold cool slightly while I'm filling up the next mold, before going back to the other one and dropping the bullets into water. I try to make the calibers different enough that I won't have difficulty in separating them later.

[Wayne Smith]

I have gradually accumulated a set of handles for each of the molds I use regularly. Infrequently used molds get handles switched around.

[Rockchucker]

I have gradually accumulated a set of handles for each of the molds I use regularly. Infrequently used molds get handles switched around.

I too like handles on each of my favorite molds, however a couple of my least favorite ones ie stored away in their original boxes.

[sig2009]

A member here sells the Lee 4 cavity handles for cheap.
In the past, I often modified handles to work with other brands.
The Lee handles are surprisingly well made for the price and if I am going to grind and drill handles, it will the ones from Lee.

Ya. And if you do an ebay search they are cheaper there!

[Ickisrulz]

There are many people who claim casting and reloading don't save them any money. I suspect this is because they have handles for each mold (as well as constantly adding to or upgrading their equipment). Just a thought.

[Rockchucker]

There are many people who claim casting and reloading don't save them any money. I suspect this is because they have handles for each mold (as well as constantly adding to or upgrading their equipment). Just a thought.

BINGO!

Casting sure doesn't save me any money, it's actually quite expensive. What it does do is let me shoot more. I'm not about to add it all up, i might shoot less if I did.:castmine:

[geargnasher]

I have more moulds than handles, but have several of each kind of handle. My solution to having to move them around a lot is to cast a lot of boolits at a time and stockpile them. Then I can move the handles to another mould and stockpile a bunch of those. The handles stay on my most-used moulds anyway. Kind of a "middle of the road" approach, but that's just me.

On the other hand, I have a Lee Pro1000 set up for every pistol caliber I load for. 38/357 with a loaded turret head for each, .44 Magnum/.45 Colt with a loaded turret for each, .38 Super, and .40 S&W. I don't load enough 9mm for a progressive so I have a turret and shellholder for my turret presses in that caliber, along with all my rifle stuff. I could have saved a pile of money on all those extra presss, shellplate carriers, and turret heads, but time is money and I've saved way more in time than the few hundred cost me to get setup for quick-changes this way.

Gear

[NoZombies]

I keep handles on my most oft used molds, and keep a few sets "available" for when I decide to cast with something else, or if I get a new mold I want to try, etc. I try to keep one set (or more) free of Lee, RCBS, H&G, Lyman 2 cavity, and lyman 4 cavity. That covers most of the new molds I might acquire and want to test.

[Longwood]

BINGO!

Casting sure doesn't save me any money, it's actually quite expensive. What it does do is let me shoot more. I'm not about to add it all up, i might shoot less if I did.:castmine:

It is one way I entertain myself to keep from having "Cabin Fever".
Adding up what I have purchased would be a lot like adding up for all of the cookies and ice cream I have eaten, the TV bill, etc etc.
It is a hobby, if I have the money and do not need it elsewhere, then I go for it.
I never buy anything when I don't have the cash or have a credit card bill.
I do not let it get in front of more important things.

[MikeS]

... I have a Lee Pro1000 set up for every pistol caliber I load for. ...

Right there is a good reason to use the Lee progressive press! Try doing that with Dillon equipment, it'd drive you right to the poor house real quick!

I'm still tempted to buy a Dillon Square Deal B in 45ACP. There's something about that compact progressive press that calls out to me each time I'm in the local gun shop that sells them, and has one setup on display! He also has a 650 setup, and several 550's in stock, but the Square Deal is the only one that I really like.

[EDK]

Right there is a good reason to use the Lee progressive press! Try doing that with Dillon equipment, it'd drive you right to the poor house real quick!

I'm still tempted to buy a Dillon Square Deal B in 45ACP. There's something about that compact progressive press that calls out to me each time I'm in the local gun shop that sells them, and has one setup on display! He also has a 650 setup, and several 550's in stock, but the Square Deal is the only one that I really like.

My first progressive was a SDB in 45 ACP in the 80s. I bought my first 550B in '91 and converted the SDB to 357...and then sold it. 550B is a lot better idea since you will eventually add another caliber. I bought my second 550B to "celebrate Mr. Obama's nomination in 2008"...along with 15 K primers and some eight pounders of powder. They're set up for 357 and 44 most of the time.

I've got a bunch of handles...the six cavity LEEs fit most of my moulds...but I have a lot more moulds...like most guys here.

:redneck::cbpour::guntootsmiley:

[Mohavedog]

Longwood
Not all mold on ebay are bad,,, but all bad molds seem to end up there.

Observations:
A mould may be "bad" for one person but not another. Too large or small may be just what another is looking for. Someone may sell one because they just can't make it pour a decent boolit, and another may make it work just fine. A lot of "problems" can be fixed. I think a big percentage of moulds being sold at auction the seller has no clue about because it was bought at estate sale or similar. You can tell a lot about the auction by just how much knowledge the seller seems to know about it. Avoid auctions that don't have several detailed pics of crucial areas.
It boils down to knowing what you're bidding on, or what you're willing to take a chance on.


Dog

[geargnasher]

Right there is a good reason to use the Lee progressive press! Try doing that with Dillon equipment, it'd drive you right to the poor house real quick!

I'm still tempted to buy a Dillon Square Deal B in 45ACP. There's something about that compact progressive press that calls out to me each time I'm in the local gun shop that sells them, and has one setup on display! He also has a 650 setup, and several 550's in stock, but the Square Deal is the only one that I really like.

I'd own a Dillon if I needed one, but I don't. Same reason I don't own an AR, neat has heck, wonderful guns, versatile, accurate, reliable, but my leverguns and bolt guns meet all my needs just fine. The Dillons are nice machines, although having used a few of them there's plenty I don't like. I DO like how they tend to be more stable and reliable machines than most other progressives, once you set it up it stays that way and you don't have to constantly fuss with them to keep them going. But only loading a couple boxes a month in each caliber or occasionally a marathon stockpile run, I can live with my $140-each Pro-1000s and if I need to, switch 38/357 or 44/45, I can make the change in less than two minutes including rechecking die settings, installing primers and setting the measure. I've gotten most of the hiccups sorted out on all of them and really they are pretty trouble-free for me.

Gear

[bumpo628]

I like to have handles for every mold.
However, when I started out I just bought one and moved it around until that got annoying.

[MT Gianni]

I have around 18-20 handles and 45 -50 molds. Things tend to grow on you after a while.

[sw282]

More molds than handles. l want the ratio to be 1-1. Besides mold handles are great investment

[Lance Boyle]

Wait, you guys aren't holding the molds with a pair of welding gloves?

:kidding:

[grin]

Actually at the moment I have more handles than molds. I'm a newb and did stumble across a deal on some used handles.

I currently have 3 RCBS handles and 2 lyman handles. I got one of each with molds bought online. I only have 2 pistol bullet molds and 2 rifle bullet molds at the moment but I do have a mold shopping list. All in due time. ;-)

[rintinglen]

I have about half as many handles as I have molds, but given that I have way more molds than I objectively need, (but no were near as many as I subjectively want), I could do with fewer. I recommend that you have at least one set of handles for every three sets of same-manufacturer moulds. That way, you have enough to keep the commonly-used ones mounted and ready to go, without tying up money that could be spent on more moulds.

My name is Glen and I am an addict...

[Down South]

I have handles for all of the moulds I use the most. There is really not a need but it's more of a convienance.

[Hardcast416taylor]

To each his own on handles for each mold. Of the 30+ molds I currently own, approximatley 2/3`s of them have their own handles. The remainder are the seldom used ones that I`ll trade off a set of handles from the more frequently used sets.Robert

[sffar]

It's nice having handles for each mould, but it takes a lot more space to store the moulds that way, and I find they don't get put away so carefully.
Sam

[Jailer]

I've got handles on all of my molds but I am fairly new to the game. I'll continue to do so since I don't want to switch handles around on molds.

Only time I can see taking the handles off is to sell a mold and I haven't done that yet.

[Hank10]

It all boils down to "if you can afford them" if you can get them. I wish I had handles for all mine and I do for most of the ones i use the most. I probably have 75 or so sets of handles but I also have about that many moulds with no handles and it's a pain to change them. The Lee handles are a best buy. I use them when I can and grind them a little sometime to make them fit. The long handles are much better than the old short Lyman ones.
H10

[Elkins45]

All this money you guys are spending on handles could be used to buy more molds!

[bamacisa]

I don't have handles for all my molds, but I do have handles on the most used molds. It isn't necessary, but it is nice. If you can afford handles for most of your molds, I think that you will be happy with not having to switch them around. Really, I think that it is a personal decision.

[a.squibload]

Someone said in another thread, grind only on the
bottom surface of the handles to preserve the flat
on top where the mold rides.

A dab of JB Kwik will secure the wood to the metal.

I have dedicated handles for almost all my molds
'CAUSE I'M TOO LAZY TO CHANGE 'EM!

[a.squibload]

PS check this thread if you haven't seen it:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=40238
Seems like handles are optional!