Big Lube Mold

[Tequila Jim]

Any of you big lube casters out there have problems with the wooden handles on the Lee
molds working loose?  How did you fix that problem. Regards, YJ

[Arcey]

Ain't got the Big Lube molds, do have a couple pair of Lee handles though. The wood will work loose.

I pressed 'em on tight. Used the drill press to go thru one side of the wood and thru the steel then stopped. Put a small finishing nail in the hole and tapped it home into the other half of the wood.  Ain't moved since.

[Dick Dastardly]

I'm thinkn' that LEE makes those handles from pretty green wood.  They seem to dry down some and get loose.  I usually can tap mine on the ends and they stay put.  But in those few cases where they seem to loosen up again and again I put some two part epoxy down the holes and put them back on.  Then, they seem to stay forever.

DD-DLoS

[Adirondack Jack]

The metal heating and cooling repeatedly inside the handles loosens the wood.  The good news is the fit is tapered.  Hold the handle vertically and thump the butt of the wood down sharply on a wood block, bench top, etc and it snugs right back up.

[Howdy Doody]

I think AJ has it. Mine stay on pretty good until I have poured a number of boolits and then I will find one or the other handle is slipping down. Just a tap on the ground and right back in place. I have a number of them and they all do that. At 6 at a time though, that is a lot of boolits before dealing with them.
Now Arcey seems to have the fix. I think I will try his method on a pair of handles and see how it works.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Boys

I seem to have the problem only with the handle on the sprue cutter. For some reason the handles that are on the mold halves themselves don't give me a problem. Knock on wood. I doubt the handles are made from green wood, kiln dried hardwood is pretty easy to find. Probably from metal expansion and contraction like AJ sez. Dunno if I want to be epoxying anything, I'd be afraid they might split. Any trouble with that Dick? I like Acey's idea of pinning them on, might try that myself. Was the steel pretty soft Acey?

[Arcey]

The bit went through the steel about as easily as it did the wood, Driftwood.

One word of caution. I pinned a set with brass brads once. Those l'il brass heads get hot.

The problem with smackin' the things back up tight is each time it's done it opens the wooden handles' bore that much more and they loosen more quickly. The more it's done the worse it gets.

[Dick Dastardly]

I said the "green wood" thing to indicate that I doubt that LEE pays much attention to how the handles stay on.  I doubt that LEE makes the handles.

When drilling and pinning take care not to weaken the metal handle shafts enough that breakage becomes a question.  Break a handle shaft and you will be buying a new handle set.

The epoxy thing works well but make sure the metal shafts are very clean and I rough them up a mite with a file to give the epoxy some extra grip.  Molded polycarbonate handles would be a permanent cure.

DD-DLoS

[Springfield Slim]

I like to fill 'em with high temp Silicone seal. Seems to tone down the damage but the handles can be removed if needed, unlike epoxy. For some reason some handles wear out much faster than others. It probably isn't the best grade of wood anyway. Never had any problem with the sprue handles, just the mains. But then I cast hot and don't put too much pressure on the sprue cutter if I can avoid it.

[Tequila Jim]

Oh shure Springfield, now you chime in . Anyway I was a little leery of hitting the
metal square with the drill press so went with the epoxy. Regards, TJ

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Greetings, pards!

"Bout the 2nd time I had to re-do the handle, I did what Arcey suggested - near a year ago.  Also as he mentioned, watch out as the pin can get HOT!

Had to do it to my Lyman mould handles AND all three of my ingot moulds - 2 from Lee, 1 Lyman.  (Why do I have store-bought moulds when muffin tins are so cheap?)  Well, I'll tell ya.  The 2 Lees get used for my wheelweight and lead alloy, and the Lyman is used for pure lead.  Helps my failing memory! 

[Arcey]

They do get a tad warm, Steel Hoss. Been pinned a LONG time.

Both my sets are old. All punchin' a hole thru 'em has done is keep the wood in one place. Ain't a big hole. Steel won't take it I don't want 'em.

Ain't raggin' on Lee either. The ones I pinned with the brass brads were from Lyman.