Handles for single cavity 429421

[tvkenny]

First an introduction. My name is Ken, been lurking for awhile now, figured it was time I should join. Seems like I have been collecting stuff for years to start casting bullets. Just got around to doing it this spring. I have about 200 Lyman 457132's made now. Haven't shot any yet, but they sure look pretty. A couple of months ago I picked up a single cavity Lyman 429421. The sprue plate was a little rough but it was only 20 bucks. Of course the large handles for the 457132 do not fit this mould. While at the gun show today I bought some Lyman SMALL handles thinking they would fit. They do not! They fit into the blocks but wont close correctly. Seems like the angle is not right? They do seem to fit the 457132 nicely however. So, what did I buy and what do I need to fit the 429421 mould? Is there anyway to adapt the small handles? It looks like they MIGHT work if I relocate the holes out towards the end more, but I don't know? Thanks for your help.

Ken

[floodgate]

tvkenny:

Try them again on the small blocks and note whether the front or back of the blocks fails to close, and whether the inner edge of the jaw is hitting the bottom of the slot on the side which is closing. File away the inner face of the jaw, on a taper from zero next to the screw hole to maximum at the inner or outer end of the jaw; take it a little bit at a time and see if this is going in the right direction.

When correctly fitted, the mold will be fully closed (no light visible through the sprue-hole) when held tightly closed up to a bright light, with the jaws NOT bearing on the bottoms of the slots at front or back, and the handles not contacting one another ("large" handles on a "small" block set will do this; sometmes you can make them work by filing a bit off the inner faces of the wood handles). Even the correct older handles sometimes need to be "fitted" like this; they seem to vary quite a bit.

floodgate

[tvkenny]

floodgate, thanks for the tip. About 10 minutes with a file and they work like a charm now.

Ken