Lyman Mold Handles? Large on Small Mold?

[DonMountain]

I just bought a single cavity Lyman mold off fleaBay but don't have any small mold handles. I tried mounting a set of large mold handles on this mold and discovered that it fits ok in the slots and can get bolted in OK, but when I close them the mold makes it almost all the way closed except for a very small gap, maybe 0.010" between the blocks on the side toward the handles. The outside edge of the blocks close all the way. It looks like if I took a hand grinder and ground off a little bit on the inside tips of the bars that hold the blocks, that it would close all the way. Has anybody done this successfully? What problems might I find? I have three sets of these large mold handles but only use one of them at a time. So I never took two sets of them out of the boxes after I bought them 25 years ago.

[Red River Rick]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?131147-The-Right-Handles-Pic-Thread!!

[frnkeore]

I don't know your capabilitys but, if you have a verticle mill, you can drill a second hole about 1/4" farther forward (i just did a pair of my own, 2 weeks ago) and it will keep the front of the handles from hitting the mold, that is what the promlem is. If not, by trial and error, grind the area in front of the hole, at equal angles, until they qite hitting the blocks.

The easiest way though, is to by a set of Lee 6 cav. You'll always need more handles :)

Frank

[trapper9260]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?131147-The-Right-Handles-Pic-Thread!!

I was going to post this also.You beat me to it.LOL

[DonMountain]

I don't know your capabilitys but, if you have a verticle mill, you can drill a second hole about 1/4" farther forward (i just did a pair of my own, 2 weeks ago) and it will keep the front of the handles from hitting the mold, that is what the promlem is. If not, by trial and error, grind the area in front of the hole, at equal angles, until they qite hitting the blocks.

The easiest way though, is to by a set of Lee 6 cav. You'll always need more handles :)

Frank

I do have a vertical mill. And I have three sets of these handles and only use one usually. The front of the blocks come together leaving only about 10 thousandths open in the back of them toward the handles. I think the easiest thing for me to do is just clamp them in a vise and carefully grind off a little bit of the ends where they contact the blocks in the bottom of the slot, not leaving enough room for the handle end of them to close fully. Maybe even a little work with a fine file may do the job. If that doesn't look like it will work then I will clamp them in the mill and drill some new holes. Or use the drill press with the adjustable vise mount.

[DonMountain]

Thank you all for your information, suggestions and references. I took the mold handles out to the shop and clamped them in a padded vice and very carefully filed a slight slant to the inside tips of the tongs, until they fit perfectly with maybe 0.005" space between the tips and the mold blocks. Works good. Now I will have to clean the oil off the blocks and try them. I ordered a boolet matching nose punch today so I will be ready in a few days to size and lube them too. It is a Lyman #311359 mold for my M1 carbine. Now maybe I can purchase more single cavity molds through our favorite auction site (Like the Lyman 452460 I am looking for).