Lee single cavity handles?

[ronniet]

Does Lee only sell the SC handles when the mold is attached?
I only see 6 cavity molds for sale even on their web site.
I have 2 single cavity Ideal molds and no handles, I like the smaller Lees I have on Lee single molds.
So???
Ron

[Tatume]

I'm confident Lee will sell handles. Write to them here:
https://www.leeprecision.net/support/index.php?/Tickets/Submit/RenderForm/4

On the other hand, I have doubts that the handles will fit your Ideal molds.

[John Boy]

I have 2 single cavity Ideal molds and no handles, I like the smaller Lees I have on Lee single molds. Why try to reinvent the wheel - go to eBay - Ideal Molds and there are always single cavity Ideal Mold handles for sale - usually in the 30 buck range

[Dusty Bannister]

The Lee single and double cavity molds which come attached to their molds, are thin and the fit to the handles with the blocks you have will be extremely poor. Also keep in mind that there are now the old style Lee and the new style Lee 1 and 2 cavity molds.

You will be much happier with the proper mold handles and less likely to cause damage to the mold blocks by mis-alignment striking the face of mold blocks trying to "get by" with a poor alternative.

[Conditor22]

You can buy the handles from Lee BUT like dusty said they are thin and would be a poor fit.

[ronniet]

So I need a pair of ideal single cavity handles? Lee told me today that the single/double cavity molds are the only way the handles come.
Not separately.
many Thanks!

[Kraschenbirn]

Check the Swap & Sell pages here. I often see the small Lyman handles offered for sale there. If you didn't know, basic Lyman handles will accept both single and double cavity mold blocks, also Lyman and Ideal molds are, essentially, the same and fit the same handles.

Bill

[Bazoo]

You can use a set of lee 6 cavity handles on a lyman ideal mould normally. I have both a set of lee handles and a set of lyman handles, I think the lee handles are more comfortable to use because they dont spread as far as the lyman handles do when the blocks are closed. And you have more handle room to hold onto. It dont look quite right, even though it works.

I cannot remember for sure, but I think the lee 6 cavity handles work on ideal/lyman moulds without modification. I had to thin my handles down some to make them fit RCBS moulds and its been a few years now so im not 100% sure if they work with the lyman ideal moulds without modification, but I think so.

[Dusty Bannister]

Just be clear on one difference between the older Ideal and the newer Lyman molds. The distance between the grooves on the older Ideal blocks which are smaller measure .560" and the correct handles should have the "jaws" parallel to fit the blocks correctly. The larger block molds which are the newer Lyman blocks have a distance of .785". While you can maybe use the wrong handles on the blocks, you can also bugger things up by trying to monkey things around to make it work. Get the correct handles, or get the Lee commercial handles and adapt them to fit the blocks you have.

[Walks]

What everyone is trying to say is that IDEAL single cavity molds are SMALL block. They will only fit on to Ideal/Lyman small handles.
Lyman stopped making small block molds in the 1970's, and the handles to fit them.

Now the single cavity molds & double cavity molds are made from the double cavity size blocks.

Also the Thompson/Center mold handles will fit the Lyman small block molds. They have wood handles about 3/4" longer then the Lyman handles.
If you buy a pair of those, you will KNOW you are getting handles that fit your molds.

The old Lyman small block handles & 2 cavity handles look very much alike. I after 60yrs can still only tell them apart by putting them side by side.

If you have a problem, PM me and I'll loan you pair of mine for a couple of months until you can get your own squared away. It is the height of casting season for me.

[jimkim]

You can use the two cavity Lyman handles if you do a bit of filing. The Lee six cavity handles will fit them too. Just for fun I tried it on some Lee two cav handles. Dang if it didn't fit. The screw is tight though. I guess that's a good thing, it keeps the mould from jiggling.

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