Mould handles
Posted: 13 Dec 2018 17:15
A little discussed thing that thankfully doesn't need to be done to often in mould maintenance .
New grips on the handles .
"My mould takes Lee commercial handles when they give up I just get a new set . They're only $12 ...."
That's fine but this set is on an 8 cavity H&G that later on may as well have had matching number handles and it sold for $214 delivered in 1992 , so the $12 Lee fits most won't fly . Besides this was cheaper and I like cheap fixes that guys can make look good and these don't look bad even in my low grade finish skills . I don't do finish work I can never tell when it's done .
I bought 2 3/4" copper sweat couplings and snagged a broken broom handle from a cheap push broom these are too short but will do for now .
Basically I cut the broom handle off in 7" pieces , fine for Lee commercial handles and 2-6 cavity aluminum moulds they should be about 10" for this monster .
Then I used a bench belt sander and turned the ends down to just slip about 1/4" into the coupling and drilled a 3/8" hole deep enough to hold the handle shank about 4" in this case .
Next I drove the coupling on with a soft face hammer to the seating rib , half the depth of the coupling . I then cut it off with a tubing cutter and used the other piece on the other end . These are on as a tight crush fit about 1/4" passed any taper to fit the coupling ID .
The reason for doing both ends is that when I started drilling I discovered that this broom handle was split bamboo and infact 4 pieces .
When I was done I pinned through the handle with a piece of #12 copper wire and peened it flush with the drilled coupling .
The handle shanks fit tight and further swell the wood, bamboo in this case , against the copper ferrels . The only bug might be the heat transfer from the handle shank to the mould end ferrel through the pin .
The finished product .
New grips on the handles .
"My mould takes Lee commercial handles when they give up I just get a new set . They're only $12 ...."
That's fine but this set is on an 8 cavity H&G that later on may as well have had matching number handles and it sold for $214 delivered in 1992 , so the $12 Lee fits most won't fly . Besides this was cheaper and I like cheap fixes that guys can make look good and these don't look bad even in my low grade finish skills . I don't do finish work I can never tell when it's done .
I bought 2 3/4" copper sweat couplings and snagged a broken broom handle from a cheap push broom these are too short but will do for now .
Basically I cut the broom handle off in 7" pieces , fine for Lee commercial handles and 2-6 cavity aluminum moulds they should be about 10" for this monster .
Then I used a bench belt sander and turned the ends down to just slip about 1/4" into the coupling and drilled a 3/8" hole deep enough to hold the handle shank about 4" in this case .
Next I drove the coupling on with a soft face hammer to the seating rib , half the depth of the coupling . I then cut it off with a tubing cutter and used the other piece on the other end . These are on as a tight crush fit about 1/4" passed any taper to fit the coupling ID .
The reason for doing both ends is that when I started drilling I discovered that this broom handle was split bamboo and infact 4 pieces .
When I was done I pinned through the handle with a piece of #12 copper wire and peened it flush with the drilled coupling .
The handle shanks fit tight and further swell the wood, bamboo in this case , against the copper ferrels . The only bug might be the heat transfer from the handle shank to the mould end ferrel through the pin .
The finished product .
