Removing Lee 2-cavity handles?

[bearcove]

Have a 2-cavity 8mm mold that I want to put in the lathe. Anybody Know a good way to get the handle pins out?

[454PB]

They are secured by peening of the aluminum on the bottom of the block halves. If you have a Dremel tool, you can carefully cut away the aluminum that was peened over, the pins will then drop out.

[madsenshooter]

And while you have them out, might as well cut the blocks for some decent handles.

[Buckshot]

.............Since you have a lathe you can make a "Lee Mould Block Handle Pin Removal Tool" :-) Get a piece of 1/4" OD steel rod. Any ole steel will do and doesn't need to be heat treated or anything. Chuck it and face it off, then use a number 20 drill bit to go about 1/4" deep. Now around the edge use your Dremel or a triangle file to put on some teeth. They don't need to be 'set', or even very pretty. Leave a little flat on the top of each tooth.

Best to use it in a drill press if possible, but hand held will do it too if you can put the blocks in a vice so you'll have both hands on the drill motor. All you're going to do is simply remove the upset ring of aluminum from around the top of the hole. If the pin doesn't fall out, then go deep enough to be able to grab the pin with pliers to pull it out. Now you can put this special tool in with your other 'Leementing' tools :-)

..............Buckshot

[HORNET]

Why do it the hard way? Get or make a taper pin and swage the staked material back outward, tap the mold handles at the bolt a few times and the pins'll slide out. Re-install and re-stake when you're done. Or you can tap the hole fot a #10 set screw to retain the pins.

[JIMinPHX]

I drill the blocks from the top with a 1/8" bit & then just pound the pins out with a small pin punch.

[JIMinPHX]

You might get some ideas for fixturing a mold in a lathe chuck here -
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=45741

[bearcove]

Thanks for all the input.

Jim, like the setup think I might try something like that some day. On these blocks I just want to cut out the lube grooves to make a paper patch mold for my 338-06. It is the 8mm max mold from midsouth.

Rod

[JIMinPHX]

When you indicate those bores, make sure that you check them up & down the bore for a diameter or two. The bores are not always in line with the sides of the blocks. Just because the heel is indicated, doesn't mean that the entire cavity is.