Lyman Nutcrackers

[MGySgt]

Anyone besides me that despises these things? I have 3 Lyman 4 cavity moulds and that use Nutcrackers. I just don't seem to be able to get a good rhythm going with them.

Today I had to take the pins/nails from the handles and finish drilling the holes all the way through so I could use bailing wire to lock the wooden handles on (all out of JB Weld).

As you can probably tell I don't use the Lyman 4 cavities very often. But I need to cast some up for my SIL.

I am almost ready to use my 2 cavity 358477 vice the 4 cavity one.

[Doc65]

Yeah, I was commenting on that the other day on another thread, those things just SUCK!!! I even went to buy a set from Midway & they are out of stock. My Saeco & Lee commercial handles are all two thick & I don't want to mod the handles as they fit multiple molds. I'm about to go clamp the mold in the mill & mill out the slot to fit the Saeco or Lee handles...

[MGySgt]

I have multiple sets of Lee's and everytime I use one of the Lyman 4 cavities I swear I am going to mod a set of the Lee's to fit. I forgoet about it until the next time I use them. Maybe this time I will mod a set of the Lee's

[rmatchell]

I milled a set of lee handles well worth the time. They still work fine in the lee molds also.

[MGySgt]

That is fine, but I don't have access to a Milling Machine or a disc/belt sander - I will have to do mine on a bench grinder - not the best choice to do this project on. A hand file would be way to slow.

[MT Chambers]

Lyman makes the correct handles for the 4 cav. molds, they are well made and don't flex like the Lee ones do. I don't care much for the nutcracker style ones but lyman's newer handles are the bee's knees. Don't go grinding on other handles.

[MGySgt]

That is all well and good - however they sure are proud of them I am retired on a fixed income.

[dragonrider]

"I'm about to go clamp the mold in the mill & mill out the slot to fit the Saeco or Lee handles... "
That is the answer, I have done it to all of my 4 cavity lyman molds, make them so easy to use.

[drklynoon]

I can get into a rhythm with the Lyman handles but by the time I'm done I have a bruise on my leg from resting one of the handles on my leg while I persuade the boolits to drop. It's no big deal but I suppose I am too forgiving when it comes to tool operation.

[Doc65]

I know they(Lyman) make a correct set of handles, but at $40 plus shipping AND back-ordered I am not that patient or rich, having the molds/handles interchangeable seems like a nice bonus to me.


Lyman makes the correct handles for the 4 cav. molds, they are well made and don't flex like the Lee ones do. I don't care much for the nutcracker style ones but lyman's newer handles are the bee's knees. Don't go grinding on other handles.

[runfiverun]

red river rick makes the scissor type handles for the 4 cavity's.
i should have ordered more when i got mine. [at the time they were 34-35 shipped]
they work on nei and noe molds too.

i prefer the nutcracker type handles on some of my 4 cavity molds.
dunno why, they just seem to work better for me.

[MT Chambers]

When you thin the metal on handles so that they fit the Lyman 4 cav., they are looser fitting on the molds they were meant for in the first place, thinning the Lee handles weakens them as they are of pot metal.

[MGySgt]

Well - I bought a six pack of the Lee mould handles a long time ago - they were dirt cheap at the time. I think I paid about 6 or 8 bucks each for them.

If I ruin it beyond use - so be it. I will have 5 of them left, 2 RCBS and a bunch of lyman 1 and 2 cavity handles. When I was working I just didn't use the Lyman 4 cavity moulds enough that I thought about buying a different set of handles for them.

[DennisMcharold]

Those nutcacker are terrible. Hard to handle. Ergonomics are all wrong.