Is there such a thing as a "sprue" handle?

[Aeolus]

I have a great set of clamping mould handles from Buffalo Arms but I would like to not have to bang the sprue plate with that wood club to cut the sprues after each cast or am I doing something wrong? I guess I could make one but I would think someone along the way would have gotten around to making them for sale. Anyone know of anything?

[HeavyMetal]

How many sprue holes does your mold have?

Singles and 2 bangers I can do by hand, once you move into 4 bangers and bigger you need something to strike the plate with.

Never having been a big fan of wood clubs, they self destruct, I went to a small hammer with a rubber tip on one end and hard plastic on the other.

Bought it at Sears in 1981 and it still works perfectly. The idea behind strinking a sprue plate is to do it as squarely as possible and only as hard as needed.

I turn the mold 90 degrees vertical and then strike straight down on the sprue plate of my lyman 4 bangers. This has cut cleanly each time and I've never bent or peened a plate during a casting session!

[Springfield]

Yeah, cut the sprues sooner. When up to heat I usually open the sprue with my gloved hand. IMHO if ya gotta beat on it it is already too cold.

[Aeolus]

It's a two cavity but I assumed if God meant for man to spin the sprue plate with a glove he would have given me asbestos finger tips, too slow huh? I'll give it a shot that way in the morning. Being an old guy I'm not sure I can move that fast though. Are you sure no one makes a little ad on thingy for us old farts? I may just have to clean off the milling machine in the basement and whip one up but then my eyesight is kinda going so its one of those damned if you do things.

[Aeolus]

One more question, if you're using a two cavity mould and it's properly heated just how many times are you folks loading and dumping in a minute? I've only been able to refill and dump about once every couple of minutes so obviously I have to really speed things up or go back to buying store bought cast, which sucks.

[Doc Highwall]

A member here made up some with a extended handle. He made them for lyman one and two cavity moulds. His name is Gussy and they work great.

[Firebird]

You could try and adapt the handle from a Lee 6-banger, but you might need a new sprue plate too to have someplace to attach the handle properly as it uses leverage to open the sprue plate.

[floodgate]

There have been several such handles made and offered to boolit casters over the years. Maybe someone here could make up and sell something of the sort to us; or you could get creative with a large screwdriver handle, some sawing and filing, and a drill and tap set; I've though of making one, but my tuits have been coming up square lately.

I cut my sprues with a medium-weight rawhide mallet, but need to try my welders gloves for hand operation, next time I fire up my pot.

Floodgate

[Aeolus]

I sent Gussy a PM. I would like to thank you all for your replies and I'll post to this thread if I make any headway.

[dromia]

Bull Plate lube means that you can cut the spres whilst the sprue is still soft without smear, that takes little effort.

Treat your mould, bull plate lube will make it happy.

Link to the bull shop is at the bottom of the page.

[DLCTEX]

With a two cavity mold I'm dropping boolits at least every 30 seconds when the mold is properly heated. I don't see how you can keep the mold hot with two minute intervals. I use a bottom pour pot and cut the sprue as soon as the sprue puddle flashes to dull, and I do use Bullplate lube, it helps. A quick push with a gloved hand is all it takes to cut the sprue. DALE

[Boerrancher]

Depends on how many moulds I am using. Once it is up to temp, a dbl cavity, I dump about every 30 sec, if I am running 3 moulds I fill and dump a mould every 10 sec. 2 moulds I fill and dump every 15 to 20 sec.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[HeavyMetal]

Aeolus:
This is why I like hangin' on this site, you never know what your gonna see or learn!

That Photo posted by Doc Highwall is just darn neat!

I'm curious if the new plates are steel or aluminum? Not intersted in the extension as much as I am the increased "thickness" of the plate.

Hope you'll post additional info as you get it.

[Willbird]

I got some molds from an estate. The previous owner had welded a screwdriver to each sprue plate as a handle to cut the sprue with, I have not tried them yet, but it looks like it ought to work just fine. He apparently liked the idea so much he did 6 or more molds that way.

Bill

[C1PNR]

Aeolus:
This is why I like hangin' on this site, you never know what your gonna see or learn!

That Photo posted by Doc Highwall is just darn neat!

I'm curious if the new plates are steel or aluminum? Not intersted in the extension as much as I am the increased "thickness" of the plate.

Hope you'll post additional info as you get it.
They're steel, and I think he said 1/4" thick. They are NEAT!:drinks:

I was going to get some for the 2 C, but ran out of time. Then I went and counted my 2 C Ideal/Lyman moulds and decided I couldn't afford to re outfit them all, and who the heck could choose among so many "friends" which to upgrade.[smilie=1:

[lordgroom]

I bought 2 of the extended sprue plates from Gussy. They work great. I am easily able to open them by hand when the mold is at temp. I have 2 sets of the locking mold hanldes from Buffalo Arms and I love them. They are advertised for older casters to prevent fatigue but I like them even as a young man. I run 2 at on time. Fill, put aside, pick up the second, open, drop, fill, etc. Buffalo arms also has a hrd plastic mallet that is indestructible. It works very well.

[Dale53]

After the moulds are up to casting temperature, most anyone can cut the sprues simply by twisting the sprue plate by hand. I have been doing that for YEARS! It works fine up to and including four cavity moulds. My most used mould is an H&G 4 cavity #130 (.45 SWC mostly used in .45 ACP's) and I use my hands to open the sprue plate. I get much better bases by doing that and the mould doesn't suffer from being beat around with a stick (or worse).

Of course, I wear a welders (or fireplace) glove to protect my hands from the 450 degree heat...

Dale53