How Many Handles Do You Have and What Kind?

[TXTad]

30 years ago I dipped my toe into casting with several buckets of wheel weights I got from a shop my dad had invested in. After his unexpected death, career, and family, I've just now gotten back into casting. I've managed to acquire more molds than handles and the price of handles has me wanting to go slowly on adding them. I was wondering what is everyone's approach to mold handles.

[rcslotcar]

I have about 67+ molds from most manufactures. Some are very old like Ideal, Cramer, and Lachmiller. I'm always looking for handles to match newly acquired molds. I get a lot of handles from my local reloading shop as they buy out local estates. I try to keep handles for each my molds.

[Eddie Southgate]

I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 molds , all are on their own handles except the last two I bought . I expect that to change sometime next month.

[Rich/WIS]

Something else: My only molds are 6 cav Lee and 5 cav NOE so my handles are all Lee. Have a set of handles on each mold. Almost forgot, have a set of RCBS and a set of Lyman 2 cav handles that are on the shelf, don't have any RCBS or Lyman molds anymore.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I have lost track of my molds but do not have handles for all of them. Not a big deal to swap handles once in a while. I have mostly Lee handles but do have a couple RCBS and MIHA ones mixed in.

[kevin c]

I have Lee, Accurate and MP molds. Other than the Lee double cav versions that come with dedicated handles, the all take the Lee multi cavity mold handles, which also includes a separate handle for the cammed sprue plate.
I have several sets, even though I never cast with more than two molds at a time.

I also have a few sets of MP handles. They’re not as comfortable for me to use (very small hands; someone with bigger hands probably wouldn’t have a problem). To avoid cross threading or bolt head rounding off I keep these metric based handles separate from the Lee SAE based versions.

[GregLaROCHE]

Not counting all the handles on my Lee two boolit molds, I have three others. One RCBS and two from MP. I can swap out for different steel molds. I like the ones I got from MP. I think they are a good deal, as long as you add them to an order and don’t pay additional shipping. I got two and if I make another order with MP, I’ll have them send me a couple more along with it.

[rancher1913]

given a little ingenuity, lee handles will fit about anything

[uscra112]

No idea, but the only handle I use is a toggle-clamp type I bought a few years ago. Because I don't have to grip it tightly to hold the mould closed, it's actually less fatiguing to use despite the extra weight.

[georgerkahn]

Several decades back I had a Lyman 2c mould which just "wouldn't"! Talking to a master-caster at club, his first question was the brand of handles I had one it, with his suggestion -- "what the heck?" -- swap a different set of "same" handles just to see if there's a difference. HE WAS RIGHT ON!!! I put on a pair of Lyman handles... and beautiful (for me ;)) bullets started dropping! To my eyes there was no dif between handles (brand X) which I replaced. However -- lesson learned -- when I spring for a mould, I also buy a set of same brand handles, and once I ascertain they work well... they stay on!
geo

[cwlongshot]

I was repeatedly asked for a video on handles. Applications and uses.

Here is what I came up with. Maybe it can help new folks with divisions on how and what ya need.

https://youtu.be/yIp2QoDFTMw

[TXTad]

given a little ingenuity, lee handles will fit about anything

I have heard this. Right now there is a vendor on eBay with a three pack of Lee handles for $78.

[TXTad]

I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 molds , all are on their own handles except the last two I bought . I expect that to change sometime next month.

I think I'll eventually get here, at least for the molds I use frequently.

[rancher1913]

I have heard this. Right now there is a vendor on eBay with a three pack of Lee handles for $78.

mehic was selling them for 20 bucks a pop not to long ago

[GhostHawk]

I actually have at least one lee 6 cav mold that is without handles. It is a 9mm .356 that cause severe keyholing in 2 of my 9mm guns. So I bought a .38 special mold in similar size and swapped the handles over. In theory I could sell the .356 6 cavity but I hate to create problems for someone else. Call it Karma. I still have it if I ever need it. Just need a set of handles.

Everything else has its own handles from single cav slug molds to lyman .455 double round ball.

[Green Frog]

If the moulds are unusual or take a special set of handles, of course they get their own. If it's a set of moulds I use often, they get their own handles. I keep about a half dozen or so other assorted handle sets for the 25-30 or so other moulds that get used on rare occasions. This gives me a total of...
TOO MANY TO COUNT!

As you cast more, your own practices will tell you how many handles you need.
Froggie

[MT Gianni]

Not counting Lee's built in I have RCBS and a Canadian makers copy of such and an adapted Lee, Several Lyman SC handles, several more of there DC handles and at least 4 of their 4 cavity handles. I have one Saeco handle and one LEE modified to fit Saeco. I have a couple of no names handles, but have never used just fingers, not even gloved. My answer is somewhere between a handle for every mold and a few of each. I think I have cut down to around 50 or 60 molds.

[TXTad]

Not counting Lee's built in I have RCBS and a Canadian makers copy of such and an adapted Lee, Several Lyman SC handles, several more of there DC handles and at least 4 of their 4 cavity handles. I have one Saeco handle and one LEE modified to fit Saeco. I have a couple of no names handles, but have never used just fingers, not even gloved. My answer is somewhere between a handle for every mold and a few of each. I think I have cut down to around 50 or 60 molds.

I think I'll end up something like this. Not sure about 50 or 60 molds, but I'm already closing in on 20.

[Gewehr-Guy]

I'm not sure how many I have , but last week bought nine more handles at two auctions. They were reasonably priced, and one set had a Hoch .459 500gr mould on the end of it :-P

[Red River Rick]

I have approximately 200 pair of handles........................

[45workhorse]

Handles? I use my fingers. Molds only get a few hundred degrees...barely warm!

I believe this category should have at least one vote! I forget his "handle" name but he had me laughing so hard, my wife wanted to know what was so funny. I really don't think she understood though!:kidding:

[TXTad]

Handles? I use my fingers. Molds only get a few hundred degrees...barely warm!

I believe this category should have at least one vote! I forget his "handle" name but he had me laughing so hard, my wife wanted to know what was so funny. I really don't think she understood though!:kidding:

I thought there should be at least one fun choice when I made the poll.

I'm actually a little surprised there hasn't been at least one vote for this one.

[TXTad]

I have approximately 200 pair of handles........................

Do you have a mold to handle ratio, or a handle to mold ratio?

[metricmonkeywrench]

Thru default I end in I’m the couple of each category. I don’t have the space/storage capability at this point to keep all my moulds on handles and prefer to keep them in either the original box or a smaller box (empty jacketed bullet boxes work great for 1/2 cavity moulds) then all overpacked in a pelican case. Probably overkill but they are safe and less effected by our Virginia humidity.

[Red River Rick]

Do you have a mold to handle ratio, or a handle to mold ratio?

Actually, it can be either way. Since I make the handles, I also make moulds to go with all those handles.

[Reverend Recoil]

I now forge mold handles from square bar stock. I have handles for each mold.

[TXTad]

I now forge mold handles from square bar stock. I have handles for each mold.

That sounds interesting. Pictures?

[lightman]

I have a set of handles for each of my molds. RCBS for RCBS, H&G for H&G and Lee 6 cavity handles for my Accurate molds. I started that way long ago.

[SSGOldfart]

Handles? I use my fingers. Molds only get a few hundred degrees...barely warm!

I believe this category should have at least one vote! I forget his "handle" name but he had me laughing so hard, my wife wanted to know what was so funny. I really don't think she understood though!:kidding:

yes sir that was the all time funniest post I ever read So maybe he'll join the poll.
anyhow I have handles for most of my molds and a few extra just in case I have a brain fart;:groner:)[smilie=b:[smilie=b:

[Brassmonkey]

2 one for my 9mm mold and one for the 500gr .458 mold. Just getting started.

[MT Gianni]

I'm glad Red River Rick jumped in as I have a few of his very well made handles. I called them no-names as I didn't recall his name and was too lazy to look.

[Reverend Recoil]

Listed below is the link to to post on how I forge mold handles.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?423383-Making-Bullet-Mold-Handles

[Bazoo]

I have 1 set of handles other than the sets that come on Lee 2 cavity moulds. I have tried lyman, rcbs, and lee, I prefer the Lee. I like the length of them, as well as the handles are not spread eagle like some of the lyman handles I've used. I reckon I aught to get another set of Lee handles sometime so I can cast in tandem with moulds other than the Lee 2 cavity ones.

Very interesting discussion thanks OP for getting this going.

[Harter66]

I only have 1 H&G , it came with it's OM handles.
4 sets of Lee .
3ea lg&sm Lyman plus 1 set for 1 four cavity.
2 RCBS.
With that I can pretty much get all of the moulds covered from the Cramer B4 to the Mountain Molds mould to the Herters examples .

Swapping handles hasn't been a big deal for me .

[mtnman31]

I have more or less the minimum - swapping handles onto the mold I am currently casting with. For me it's a matter of practicality. With around a hundred molds, having handles for each of them would require a ton more space for storage. Not to mention the cost... handles for a hundred molds would cost a ton of money that could be spent on other more practical areas of my shooting hobby. As I get more molds that come with handles, I'm more than happy to sell them to casters who feel they need a set of handles specific to every mold.

[ascast]

Several 5 gallon buckets full, mostly lyman

[BD]

I have a good variety of handles, but the only style that I have more than one or two is the Lees as they came with each mold. Once I get onto a design that I like, If I'm going to many many of them, I'll get a mold for the Master Caster in that style. As a result I don't spend more than a couple hours a year casting by hand, so swapping handles between molds is not a big deal for me.