Mold handles for each mold.

[rcslotcar]

Do you have mold handles for every mold, or do you change them out? The reason I ask is I now have about 20 molds and each have their own handle set. I still plan to get more molds. It would be easier to store molds with out handles. As you know that gets expensive.

[Petrol & Powder]

I remove the molds from the handles for storage.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I have about 15 molds and 3 sets of handles. When I cast, I usually only cast 1 or 2 different bullets. So it works for me. If I found a good deal on handles, I would probably pick up a couple sets.

[Duckiller]

I have more molds than handles. Molds are stored in plastic boxes and handles are stored in a cardboard box. Some molds require specific handles. I have enough of each. Also have a box of molds with attached handles. This system simplifies buying additional molds and is somewhat cheaper.

[bedbugbilly]

i have more molds than handles - the molds I use most often I keep handles on - still I have probably 12 to 15 handles by themselves in a shoebox size tote. Just easier to store my "collection" of blocks that I rarely use off the handles in divided plastic storage boxes.

[Walks]

I have more molds then I do handles. But I have enough handles to cast from 3-4 molds at a time.

[cwlongshot]

Im the same as most posters here with more molds than handles.

I have about a 1 handel for every 5/6 molds. I sometimes use as many as four molds at once. I bought some Lyman single mold handles. I dont care for them as they get ta close to the heat than a lee 6 or RCBS set that I like better. Then ya need some different handles for Different molds too. Lyman 4 cav need nut crackers and you need a couple if your gonna cast two of those.

CW

[Valley-Shooter]

I guess I'm the odd one here.
I have more handles than moulds.
Group buys do that to you.

[Dave W.]

Have a handle on every mold, that way it is easy to grab and go to casting.

[tazman]

I only have a few molds that do not have handles on them. he ones that do not are molds I seldom use.
I should probably put some of them up for sale.

[Baja_Traveler]

I have probably a dozen handles for my 45 or so molds...

[Bookworm]

I have around 3 dozen moulds. When I first started acquiring moulds, I wanted to have handles for each.

Now, I realize I'm running into a space problem. Leaving the handle on the mould can triple the required storage space.

I've come to understand that I'm never in such a hurry to cast, that I can't take 5 minutes to attach the handles to the mould(s). Now, I pull the handles and store the moulds in boxes.

I need to get a dedicated box for the handles.

[GhostHawk]

I currently have I think 7 Lee 6 cavity mods, 6 handles.

I had better luck in 9mm with my .38 boolits so I ordered the .358 125 gr round nose flat point and robbed the handles off the .356 124 gr 9mm mold that keyholed in several of my guns.

As I buy new molds I'll have the option, switch out from an older one, or buy new and use both. It will depend on caliber I am looking at and which is going to get the most use.

I actually should put together an order for 3 or 4 more 6 cav molds to replace older but well loved 2 cavity. Like my .358 158 gr round nose. I've cast a lot of boolits with it, shot them in everything from 9mm carbine to .357 mag handi rifle. I can think of a few others I'd like to have as well.

[retread]

I have around 30 molds and all have handles, plus a few extra handles for the additional molds I will buy. I have picked up most of my handles used and in group buys. I have a heated cabinet that has all my molds in it and all are ready to use. Works for me as I am lazy.

[rcslotcar]

I have around 30 molds and all have handles, plus a few extra handles for the additional molds I will buy. I have picked up most of my handles used and in group buys. I have a heated cabinet that has all my molds in it and all are ready to use. Works for me as I am lazy.

Thanks for the great reply's . I never thought about a heated cabinet,the first thing I thought about was a light bulb. What do you use to heat yours???

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have 14 sets of handles and about 80+ moulds. Not all handles fit all moulds, for example I have a PGT 545gn mould that will only fir Saeco handles. It is not unusual for me to cast with several during a session.

https://i.imgur.com/6AuGmIf.jpg

[Boolseye]

More moulds than handles. I am gaining on them, however. Never gave handles much thought (Lee were and are fine) til I was in on an MP handle buy recently. A fine pair of handles is definitely a good thing.


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[ioon44]

I have more molds than handles, I just keep handles on the molds that I use most.

[Cherokee]

^^^ what ioon44 said ^^^

[Burnt Fingers]

Lots more molds than handles.

[Conditor22]

Molds are easier and safer and more compact to store without handles on. Clean/lubricate/wrap with VCI/VPI paper/ label and put in a plastic storage box.

my Lee molds live with their handles on.

I only have a few molds (mostly handgun) that I use more than a couple of times a year.

I also have more molds than handles except for Lee commercial handles (found a killer deal and got 6 of them)

[retread]

Thanks for the great reply's . I never thought about a heated cabinet,the first thing I thought about was a light bulb. What do you use to heat yours???

I use a Golden rod. Same as my gun safe. Be sure to vent the top to get proper circulation. My shelves are welded wire like stove racks but the bars are closer together. Listed as cooling racks. I think I got them on Amazon.

[mattw]

I have 62 moulds at the moment. Many are Lyman/Ideal, some RCBS and Ohaus, some NOE and a few Saeco. I have found with the Lyman and Saeco moulds, depending upon age... some handles will not fit no matter what. So, I try and keep 6 to 8 various Lyman handles, 3 Saeco handles to mix and match to fit 2C, 3C and 4C moulds and a couple sets of RCBS and 3 or so sets of Lee handles. I only store handles on moulds that I use often or am currently trying to build stock of a particular bullet.

[Rich/WIS]

Molds I use frequently are NOE 5 cavity and a few Lee 6 cavity, these I keep handles on. Most other molds either Lee 6 cavity or a few RCBS and Lyman doubles I only install handles when I use them.

[Petander]

Another odd guy here.

I have about 30 molds, each with their own handles. I also have some spare handles.

I think this started some 15 years ago when I bought lots of used handles and ended up modifying some to fit a particular mold each. So I have like matched pairs.

I like the same,familiar feel with the same handles,time after time. Like playing the same guitar neck every time. And it's good to have spare handles anyway.

[Walks]

I went though my molds & handles yesterday. I hide out in the garage, with ear buds & Old JAZZ so I don't hear my neighbors gardner.

Took a full inventory. 35 molds, 19 handles.
Molds from Ohaus, Lachmiller, Ideal, Saeco, Ideal, Lyman, RCBS, Lee, Accurate, T/C and N.O.E.

GEEZ, I got a lot of Molds & Handles of every kind. And I can't help buying more.

[redhawk0]

I have only 1 and 2 cavity molds. About 20+ LEE molds with their own handles...then another 10-15 Lyman/RCBS molds but they are shared my 5 sets handles.

I don't really need a set of handles per mold....I only cast 2-3 at a time during a casting session.

redhawk

[RED BEAR]

More molds than handles. And i have more handles than i use there are a couple that are my favorites and they get used more than the others.

[kir_kenix]

I think I have probably 3-4x as many molds as handles. I just move them around when I need a particular boolit.

Can't see dropping a few hundred dollars into handles that I might only use maybe a couple times a year at best. Heck, some molds I might make a batch up that lasts several years. Afterall, it only takes a minute to swap them around.

[gwpercle]

At first I changed them out ..... strictly because of the cost .
Then Lee single and double cavity moulds came on the scene , I bought many ...strictly because of cost $9.99 each....YES !!!
Sorta got to liking a handle on each mould that stayed there.... Next came Lee 6 cavity mould handles and the knowledge , gleaned from this forum , that they would fit all those Lyman blocks I had...YES !!! YES !!!
Now every mould that I use, or plan to use , gets it's own permanent Lee 6 cavity handle attached .
$12.00 is affordable, so every time I place an order for "stuff" I always buy at least 2 more sets of handles... soon all of my moulds will be handled .
Gary

[Beagle333]

I probably have 20-25 sets of handles, only on my most used molds. I swap out for the lesser used molds when needed.

[kevin c]

More molds than handles. The low cavity count Lees have their own (do they even come off?), the six cav Lees, five cav Accurates and the four and eight cav MP's have a mix of Lee and MP handles, but, like ioon44 and Cherokee, I keep handles only on the molds I usually cast, with the other mold blocks and spare handles stored.

[MT Gianni]

60+ molds, 15-20 handles.

[Texas by God]

Now all of my Moulds have handles. The one on the left proves that I have no shame![emoji16]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190530/ca9cb3eb32ef3a5760041dd2a9de33dd.jpg

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[georgerkahn]

I have handles on each mould I have.
geo

[Boolseye]

Nice. I had a mold wacker that looked exactly like that. I treated myself to a NOE mould mallet last order.


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[44Blam]

I generally cast with one mold, but when I cast big 45's, I also cast 44's... You have to go so slow with the 45s that you might as well cast some 44s...
EDIT: I have two Lee handles and one Lyman handle..

[Echo]

I have more molds than handles - but basically, I have one set of handles per mold set...

[John Boy]

Do you have mold handles for every mold, or do you change them out? The reason I ask is I now have about 20 molds and each have their own handle set.
The OP is posting on the premise that he has a few single set molds purchased from available current vendors and not taking into consideration that all molds are not sold with handles

For starters, I have 309 molds in inventory, out of business vendors - current vendors and both vendor types that sold their molds either with or without handles for calibers from 22LF & all calibers up to 50 caliber, plus metrics
So I store my molds accordingly:
* All Lee molds with handles are stored separately in the boxes in a separate cabinet, small to larger calibers order
* Other 'old out of business vendor' molds with handles, ie Ideal- etc, are stored on a shelf based on use, small to larger calibers order
* All single block molds are stored vertically in 2 drawers in Lyman or original boxes marked with noun nomenclature of the mold on the box edge for easy identification, small to larger calibers order
* All Ideal tong tools are stored separately on a separate shelf
* On another cabinet shelf, 27 mold handles for all specific single blocks, are stored separately. Each handle set is coded for the specific different type of mold for easy identification
Also, I maintain an Excel spread sheet of all molds by vendor - vendor mold code - caliber - bullet weight and length and then a column identifying how much I paid for each mold ... over $11,000. This will provide my estate when I die, when they sell the molds ... they will not get screwed on starting auction prices because many of the molds were rare or scarcely made, plus the custom molds for cailbers never made or obsolete calibers not obtainable
.

[aap2]

The dozen or so moulds that I use frequently have dedicated handles which never come off; the blocks are held closed by a rubber band on the handles. I store them in plastic boxes and iron moulds get a liberal shot of any oil that I have on hand before storeage...then they get sprayed with brake cleaner and compressed air before use and I get perfect boolits as soon as the blocks come up to temp. My occasional use moulds get stored without handles.

[lightman]

I have handles for all of my molds. I started out that way so the cost was fairly spread out. I recently bought a large MTM dry box to store them in as a mold with handles takes up a good bit of room.

[fredj338]

My ratio is about 2-1 handles to molds. The Lee 6cavs all have their own handles, I don't trust the softer alum to withstand a bunch of changes.

[dh2]

I do have at least one set of handles in every brand that I have a mold in , I started buying a set of handles for every mold, that quickly got expensive, I have gained more handles that come with used molds that I bought, but have only about 1/3 the number of handles of what I do molds. I don't have space to store molds with handles on them

[waco]

I would go broke putting handles on all of my molds. I think I own about five sets of handles.

[GregLaROCHE]

I have about a dozen Lee two cavities, so they all have handles. I have one RCBS mold so I had to buy a set of handles for it. I plan to buy a couple new high dollar type molds this summer that will need handles. I plan to buy a set or maybe two, but stop there, when I buy more molds. The molds are expensive enough without having to ad the price of the handles. I rarely cast with more than two molds at a time anyway.

[labradigger1]

I have at least 60 iron or brass molds. All have handles.

[Ed_Shot]

I would go broke putting handles on all of my molds. I think I own about five sets of handles.

Amen! What I don't spend on additional handles go toward primers and powder and more molds.