A look at mold handles 

[@jh5869]

Glad to see someone who knows teaching us who don’t. Thanks Brother!

[@cw2a]

👍🏼🤘🏼💪🏼🤟🏽🙏😜🙏♥️

[@jamespugh]

Agreed Jamie

[@ReloadingMoreAD1966]

What a great collection CW. Thanks for the information. Excellent as always. Take care.👍👍👍

[@cw2a]

Thank you my friend!! Same to you God Bless🙏♥️🙏

[@TheWalkWithAl]

Good morning CW. Thanks for the info on how to use properly and why you should have the right handles and how it makes a difference to have the right Set of handles because I am just learning And I’m glad you took the time to show the difference 👍👍👍🇺🇸🙏

[@cw2a]

Glad ta hear ya enjoyed and found value Al! Thank you man!! 🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️🤟🏽💪🏼

[@leveractiongypsy1848]

One other comment I'd like to make about Lee handles on other molds is while they may 'seem' work at first - they may not be the best fit and could possibly damage the mold pins. This is not true for all molds, but I did have a couple of Lyman 2 cavity that the lee didnt fit at all. I have a couple of Lyman Ideal single and double cavity molds the Lee hand,les have worked great for years with. One old rare Lyman 2 cavity was an odd case - a 358009 mold - the Lee handles fit fine and seemed to open close fine and tight when cold. Upon heating the mold up it still worked fine. After about 50 casts the mold started getting increasingly harder to close and open so I stopped and set it aside. After the mold cooled to touch it remained hard to open and close. I got a set of old school large block Lyman handles and put them on. Still hard to open and close. I heated it up and started casting and eventually the mold 'realigned' itself and works great now. My take on Lee handles is they will work with most new molds, but old Lyman /Ideal they can work, and some they wont work with at all, but then like my situation it seems like they fit but they really didnt. Not sure if I kept using the Lee handles it wouldve ruined the mold alignment pins or not but why risk a rare old mold?

[@cw2a]

Ta gotta take "quality" into Perspective. Speaking of quality of materials as well as quality of workmanship. I'd venture a guess that the saddle handles you had problems with we're not drilled square or the handles we're not a line square for the group the bolt in the middle was not correct and as they heated you know heat expands in cold contracts it twisted and turned and caused your issues. I would look to the Lee Handles as being the problem

[@leveractiongypsy1848]

@@cw2a Oh I'm sure thats exactly what the problem was. Thats how I got into getting old Lyman handles for old Lyman molds that the Lee didnt seem to work correctly with....then the confusion began! Which Lyman handles fit which molds? Your vid here I'm sure will clear up alot of issues I had when I did. Nobody seemed to know the difference between small and large block handles and there wasnt much info out at the time

[@shawncampbell3191]

Thanks for the great explanation on all of the different styles of mold handles. I seem to have the same problem as you, that is finding a home for old molds and handles.

[@cw2a]

My growing collection... three this month! 😳😝😳❤️‍🩹

[@leveractiongypsy1848]

Good vid CW, and good points about referring to small or large block size as opposed to single cavity or double cavity sized handles - I did not know! I recently ran into an issue where the Lyman large block handles 'fit' my old single caivty Lyman mold, but the block halves didnt close tight enough. I could still see 'light' through the halves, so I went with a set of Thompson small block handles and it was a perfect fit. This was video that needed to be made - especially for bullet casters using a variety of used molds that didnt come with handles

[@cw2a]

Thank you for the kind words and inspiration!! 🤟🏽👍🏼💪🏼🤘🏼🙏♥️

[@leveractiongypsy1848]

@@cw2a you deserve brother!

[@marcthomas2482]

Hello LeverAction Gypsy! Just subbed you after seeing this and seeing you in the comments in JH586 and Dummy Round videos. Nice to meet you.

[@leveractiongypsy1848]

@@marcthomas2482 Hey Marc Thomas nice to meet you as well and thanks for the sub! KZbin has me shadow banned lol. A quick look at your vids I'm sure I'll be in your comments soon haha

[@cw2a]

@@marcthomas2482 Marc one smart & on the ball feller you just subbed!! 🤟🏽🤘🏼🤟🏽🤘🏼🤟🏽🙏♥️🙏

[@bigal7561]

A multitude of Molds. Very nice.

[@cw2a]

Hello Al!! Hope alls well today my Friend!! ♥️🙏♥️🙏

[@walksfletcher]

That mysterious set of handles that look like RCBS are Lachmiller. RCBS bought out Lachmiller to start there own bullet mold line. RCBS later on made the "mold tips" thicker. 😁

[@cw2a]

Awesome Roger. I suspected but didnt want to miss speak. 🤟🏽🤘🏼🤟🏽🤘🏼

[@walksfletcher]

@@cw2a Ya shoulda asked Me too🥺👍👍👍😁

[@MrRebTyree]

Good morning, CW. Awesome video on Mold Handles!!! Very interesting and informative video. Really enjoyed this video!!! You have a great collection mold handles!!! Learned something new about the handles!!! Have a blessed day God bless and God bless America 🇺🇸 🙏 Let Freedom Ring 🇺🇸 🔔 🔔🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🔔

[@cw2a]

Thank you sir!! ♥️🙏♥️🙏

[@marcthomas2482]

Wowzers, that's a lot of handles! I did not know the differences and applications. I have a set of the Lyman handles now with the insides of the wood handles sanded and flattened to fit a single cavity .32 Special mold as I did not know better. 😁 Thanks for the video and info CW, I'm sure I'll be coming back to this one a time or two. I looked up LeverAction Gypsy and subbed him as I've been seeing his name in some of Jamie's and DR's videos.

[@cw2a]

He is good people Marc!! Very knowledgeable.

[@macman039reloading5]

thank you CW, great video, very informative

[@cw2a]

Thank you sir!! Love that Vaquero ya showed today!! 💪🏼🤘🏼💪🏼🤘🏼🙏♥️

[@BOHEMIANHUNTINGCLUB]

You definitely got some good looking handles!!

[@cw2a]

Hahaha. Thanks man "tools of the trade". Thanks for watching! Hope it wasnt too boring. Needed to be longer but I know it was already 2x too long.

[@HobbiesHobo]

Handles are pricey these days, except the Lee ones. It's good to know how they may interchange since used molds that are worth buying sometimes don't have handles. The MP handles look like Lee's that have been blued and dressed up a bit. We're spoiled here in North America, I've seen some resourceful handloaders overseas go as far as to use c-clamps or vise grips to get the job done. haha, You sound like you're more energized which is good!!!

[@cw2a]

Feeling better Mike. Thank you!! 🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️

[@mckwilly]

Good stuff, I had bought loose molds and handles from lgs when I got started and 1 of three fit so had to mod em to get em to work and not every one of my mold has a handle so still lotta swappin goin on

[@cw2a]

Yuppers!! 🙏♥️🙏♥️🤟🏽😜

[@PatriotPaulUSA]

You and Viejo are a wealth of info on the old steel molds and handle. Its very much appreciated by me. I have several sets of Lee and Noe Brass and aluminum molds for years, and love the NOE handles as a Lee upgrade. However I just bought my 1st set of old style steel molds as I wanted a Kieth 429421 44 Cal mold. Thank goodness someone told me about Lee Double cavity mold handles would fit the large block, 2 cavity 429421 mold. I was kinda peaved that I thought I was gonna have to pay $47.00 for a Lyman or Saeco handle set. I just wonder if they are drop forged with the price that they charge for a simple handle set. I suppose they could be either cast or forged. Regardless I wish they would just make them out of plain steel and reduce the cost. Its an insane cost for someone like me, thats new to them, to try to buy a single mold and handle set. I found a couple used 42941 molds for $50.00 each on Ebay. (They are $87.00 on Midway for brand new ones) It just seems so crazy that the handles cost about the same as the 2 molds I just bought. I do realize they cost Lyman and Saeco a lot to manufacture that old handle design . U would think Lyman and Saeco would have redesigned them in regular steel by now, especially with Lees competition, Unfortunately its not so.

[@cw2a]

I agree and thank you! I generally use the LEE handles unless I need thinner for a mold. Thanks again! 💪🏼❤️‍🩹🙏❤️‍🩹💪🏼

[@billsummy2412]

Very COOOL pard !

[@lawrencehudson9939]

A very fine presentation on mold handles. I am always bidding on some sort of handles on Ebay to fit molds I do not yet own. When I get them I have a drawer for handles and small parts for molds where I dump them until needed. I am not a machinist so I can't tell the threads or pitch on the bolts and screws. I got lucky twice. The first time was when Hensley & Gibbs closed down Wayne Gibbs called me to offer a few molds he still had in inventory, I got a #256 two cavity mold and also a bunch of different screws for his molds. My second batch of parts came from Midway USA many years ago they were offering parts for SAECO molds and I got a bunch of them. I have found that the Lyman nutcracker molds will work on some four cavity H&G molds. The one thing I am having a problem finding is large wooden replacement handles I have a Cramer 10 cavity mold that someone put rubber hose on for handles and it needs large ones similar to what you see on the new SAECO and Lyman handles. I have called both companies and they don't sell them and won't tell me their source. Any suggestions.

[@cw2a]

Hello Lawrence!! I have made handles a few times. Wood lathe makes the pretty but broom sticks and hard wood dowels work well too.

[@lawrencehudson9939]

@@cw2a I don't think broom handles are big enough. The Cramer ten cavity is a three-block mold with two rows of five bullets. The handles on my other Cramer appear to be walnut. I am in the process of doing a photo archive on my mold collection on Face Book. I don't have a closeup of that mold yet but the type of handles is clear on a post war Cramer in one of the pictures of a pile of very large block molds. Check out on Face Book.

[@cw2a]

@@lawrencehudson9939 Sorry I dont do FB. But I have 7/8&10cav H&G molds. They have solid handles but no exceptionally bigger around then 2 cav.

[@lawrencehudson9939]

@@cw2a The H&G molds even those big ones are mor practical than the Cramers. H&G had right sized their molds for the user their 4 cavity molds are much smaller and lighter than Lyman's 4 cavity blocks as well as SACEO's (Which Cramer became). H&G's 6 cavity blocks were ideal production molds and what I learned on. The 8 and 10s really for organizations that used only one bullet like 50's police department. I understand about FB and I hold my nose every time I use it but until I get my shop set up I can't do Rumble or any other platform. Keep the good stuff coming!

[@ocean374]

Great info thanks for sharing

[@cw2a]

Thank you Julio!! 🤟🏽👍🏼🤘🏼💪🏼🙏♥️

[@fuzztfork8]

GUESS YOU HAVE A "handle" on things.. You are so correct on how much the Lyman and R.C.B.S handles have jumped in price.

[@cw2a]

😜🤣😜😝🤣👍🏼💪🏼👍🏼🤟🏽🙏

[@sixshootertexan]

Good info.👍🤠🇺🇲

[@cw2a]

Thank you!! 💪🏼🙏♥️🙏♥️

[@Johnny-jr2lq]

The crude looking RCBS mold handles are a set of Ohaus I have a set of those that came in the box

[@cw2a]

🤞🏽🤘🏼💪🏼👍🏼

[@Johnny-jr2lq]

@@cw2a just a complete luck of the draw CW and to honest I’m sure you actually knew that. It just you were on a good role with this video and honestly. You have forgotten more then I could possibly ever know.

[@dannyd1213]

I have a pair of the RCBS clone handles; they may have been made by Ohaus for their molds before RCBS purchased them. Don't forget NOE makes a nice pair of handles too.

[@cw2a]

Yes sir!! Hello Danny!! Thats one set, I do not have. Thanks for watchin' Man!!

[@treetop.garage]

Nice ...great video cw

[@cw2a]

Thanks Timmy!! 🙏♥️🙏♥️

[@davestrohmeyer-saddleupsho8009]

Afternoon CW.

[@cw2a]

Afternoon Dave. Hope the sun is shining in ya my Friend!!

[@milboltnut]

does smacking the Lyman handles to jar the casts loosen the slip nuts and bolts? And wondering if cast iron handles can be heat treated, I'm know the steel molds are and are the cast iron ?

[@cw2a]

Probably. I check and sometimes tighten then mid casting. I have lost a few set screws but keep extras. Thanks man!!

[@milboltnut]

No the Lyman handle screw and nut… not the mold. They aren’t threaded

[@cw2a]

@@milboltnut AHH... no I have an experienced any of those loosening up. I probably have a dozen or more and some of them are really really old. They seem to hold up very well no issues.

[@ericoulundsen5041]

Thinking about buying a saeco 41 cal. 2 cavity mould. Will any other mould handles work on this mould. Not interested in spending $70 on Seiko handles. I have lee lyman and rcbs handles. Any help would be appreciated thanks Eric

[@cw2a]

Good morning Eric! RCBS handles generally work and it you have some tools you can thin LEE handles to work. The Saeco 41 mag is my favorite for the 41 Mag!!

[@ericoulundsen5041]

@@cw2a sweet I'm going to order that molds right now thanks for your help have a nice weekend

[@cw2a]

@@ericoulundsen5041 Happy ta help man. Drop me a line anytime if ya think I can assist! Links in my about page.

[@jamespugh]

Cool video cw lot different choices.

[@cw2a]

Tools of the trade! 💪🏼👍🏼🙏♥️

[@l.a.3887]

👍👍

[@cw2a]

🤘🏼🤟🏽😜🙏♥️