Lyman mould handles....Large? Small?

[km101]

Help me out! I have seen ads for "large" and "small" Lyman handles. Are the for 4 can, and 2 cav. ??? Are they interchangable? Which fits a Lyman single, or two cavity mold?

Also will Lee 2 cavity handles fit a Lyman 2 cavity mold? I currently have several Lee molds, but am looking to purchase a couple of Lyman molds.

[runfiverun]

4 cav mold handles are different than thier large and small.
the large is for 2 cav's and the small for 1 cav's.
i think you have to drill out the hole size on a lee to get it to fit the screw holes on a lyman.

[462]

Also will Lee 2 cavity handles fit a Lyman 2 cavity mold?

No, but their 6-cavity handles will.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Hullo KM101, the "old style" lyman mold handles you see advertised {flea Bay} i'm guessing...are made for their single cavity {small} handles , two cavities {large} handles have been replaced with one new set of handles that take both . They also had a set of handles for their 4 cavity moulds that are hinged to open from the back to front with the hinge forward of the mould... yes the Lee handles can be modified to fit, but not worth it.
IMHO...good casting . P.S. you can buy new Lyman handles cheaper than what they pay for the old ones at auction !!!!!!!:confused:

[km101]

Thanks for the education guys! This is something I had never noticed before, and it was kinds' puzzlin'.
Today is a good day! I learned something new!

[engineer401]

My single and two cavity Lyman moulds all fit the Lee 6 cavity handles with no modification.

[Piedmont]

The Lyman handles that were made in small or large look the same unless you look real closely. What is different is the angle of the steel extensions that accept the mold screws. One is parallel with the handles closed and one is angled and I can't remember which is which but you need the appropriate one if you have both types of molds.

[MikeS]

At one time Lyman made 3 different style handles. They made the small, the large, and the 4 cavity handles. The large & small handles both were relatively small by today's standards, so some people still prefer them over the modern handles. The difference is that older Lyman (and Ideal) single cavity moulds were smaller than their double cavity moulds, so needed slightly different shaped jaws. The 4 cavity handles were sometimes referred to as 'nutcracker style' handles because instead of having the hinge in the middle of the handles like their large & small ones, the hinge was at the end, so the mould opened kind of like a nutcracker. Modern Lyman single & double cavity moulds use the same size blocks, and so use the same handles. Modern Lyman handles are made in only 2 varieties, the single/double cavity mould ones, and the 4 cavity mould ones. Both of the modern handles are physically the same size, again the difference is in the jaws, as the 4 cavity moulds have a considerably thinner slot for the handles than their other moulds. Both of the modern handles are the plier type, and have considerably longer wooden grips on them than the original small & large handles had. The modern Lyman handles are also no longer actually made by Lyman, but rather a third party makes them for Lyman, the same people that make them for SAECO, so the modern Lyman handles can easily be mistaken for SAECO handles.

That made everything as clear as mud, didn't it? Basically if you're buying new Lyman single or double cavity moulds, then you can use either the modern 2 cavity handles, or the old style LARGE handles. If you buy an older used double cavity mould the same is true. If you buy an older single cavity mould that is made on their small block size then you'll need either the old style SMALL handle, or you can use the modern 2 cavity handle, however you might need to fit them some to work properly. If you buy a new or used 4 cavity mould you can buy either their new style 4 cavity handle, or their older nutcracker style handle, either will fit, it's more a matter of which style you prefer. Also if you buy any of their single or double cavity moulds, they will fit right on the Lee 6 cavity handles, which are a great value, as you can buy them brand new for under $12.00!

I hope this info helps!