New Six cavity mold handles.

[Dick Dastardly]

I've had a number of sales for mold handles only.  My supply got depleted.  So, instead of waiting for the previous supplier, I manufactured them.  The first batch is now ready for delivery and more are coming fast.  Ultimately I'll have a Thousand sets.  I'm done waiting for slow supply.  Now, I'm the supplier.

My handles are high quality laser cut steel.  The wood handle grips are high quality hardwood with stain and satin wax finish.  The ferrules are solid brass and twice as long as the handles I sold previously.  Price is the same, service is already known and quality is absolute tops.

More Big Lube® LLC announcements to come soon.

DD-DLoS

[Pettifogger]

YEEHAA.  That's great news.  I think I have one of every mold you offer.  Some day I'll have to buy a casting pot and actually cast some bullets.  Right now I'm lazy and give the molds to other pards to do the casting.

[Sod Buster]

Good to hear, Dick!
iI'm like Pettifogger, I've got both the PRS 45 Cal 250 gr & the Mav Duchman 44 Cal 200gr molds but I have not yet gotten around to learning to cast.  I buy all my Big Lube boolits from Springfield Slim - a find 'pard to do business with.

[Dick Dastardly]

Thanks for the flowers Pards,

I'm not using the sintered casting method for making my parts.  I've found that the high grade steel laser cut parts are a LOT tougher.  So, as time passes, I'll be making more and more of my parts this way.

The Tower of Power cylinder loading stand is my first example of what modern CNC machining and welding is able to do.  I'm going to be shooting Frontiersman at Beloit this Saturday.  The TOP stand will be doing my loading chores.  Wish me well.

DD-DLoS

[Max Doolin]

Dang if you'd know it...I just got my backorder (2) filled by that big mailorder outfit of those substandard brand. WHy is
it I always wait till just before somethin good happens and rush out an buy the"old" stuff.....  

[Pettifogger]

Thanks for the flowers Pards,

I'm not using the sintered casting method for making my parts.  I've found that the high grade steel laser cut parts are a LOT tougher.  So, as time passes, I'll be making more and more of my parts this way.

The Tower of Power cylinder loading stand is my first example of what modern CNC machining and welding is able to do.  I'm going to be shooting Frontiersman at Beloit this Saturday.  The TOP stand will be doing my loading chores.  Wish me well.

DD-DLoS

Who'll be handling your shooting chores?

[Springfield Slim]

You got a pic of them, the one on your website looks like LEE handles.

[Noz]

For those of you that have them and are not using them, the big lubes, specifically the Mav -Dutchman mold is a pleasure to use. You have to get it hot to start but beautiful bullets fall in a silver rain. Hard to keep a 20 lb lead pot full enough and keep the temperature up to stay ahead of the mold.
Good product.


e-mail order for 6 cavity handles is on the way.

[Deadguy]

DD,
Have you made any improvements over the Lee handle design?  The wood handles on my Lee six cavity molds like to slide off while the mold is being used, and I have to keep pounding them back on.  Are your wood handles screwed or fastened on in some way?

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Slim,

I'll be changing that picture soon.  There a LOT of changes coming.  My handles will look a lot like the others, but they will have different metal and wood.

You won't see a LOT of difference and that's intentional.  My parts will fit LEE molds.

DD-DLoS

[Fairshake]

Deadguy, Go to the hardware store and buy some JB weld. I put it on all my Lee handles before they go on a mold. It's a solid fix to a on going problem. DD that is a good thing on your design of handles as the Lee are thick and can be made to fit all other molds. The only mold that I've found that will not accecpt the Lee are Hoch molds and they come with them on your order. The handles are the only Lee product that I will own own or use.

[Montana Slim]

I drill and pin (spring pin) the Lee wood handles before they start sliding off the metal.

A higher quality product at similar price point should sell well.
I'll definitely consider when I need another set.

Regards,
Slim

[Dick Dastardly]

Here's one problem, from a manufacturers viewpoint, that isn't known or talked about.  The handle holes are round.  They go on rectangular steel shafts.  The minimum drill size is used, but it's still round.  A square chisel mortising bit isn't made in that exact size.  So, a square peg goes in a round hole.

Because of that, the wood can't be dry to 6% moisture.  It would split when driven onto the handle tong shafts.  So, less than dry wood is used.  I finish the wood, cut it to length, install the all brass ferrule and then drill the shaft hole.

Since the wood can, and often does, dry out more later on especially in the presence of heat (as in bullet casting) the hole enlarges.  There are several remedies.  One is to drive the wood a bit further onto the shafts.  That usually works for me.  But, if the problem of handles loosening persists I recommend the epoxy route.  JB Weld is good.

I could epoxy the handles before installation, but if they did shrink some they could still loosen.  So, I'll be including the information with all my handles.  In worse case scenario, if the wood handles just won't stay put, return them and I'll fix or replace them no charge.  Since I  like Gorilla Glue, I'll probably use that.  It seems to stand up well to the heat and the way it foams up and fills everything it should make a good long lasting fit.

Now, as to the steel tongs. . .  Mine are made by laser cutting them out of very high quality steel sheet.  Then the handle mating recess is CNC milled and the bolt hole is drilled and reamed.  In other words, these handles are NOT made by sintered casting.  They are machined from solid steel.

DD-DLoS

[Montana Slim]

Dick, I'm curious.. you've stated several times that Lee's handles are a sintered metal component.. How do you reach this conclusion?

I have some experience with manufacturing methods including die casting, spin casting, investment / sand casting, sintered metal and metal injection molding (MIM).  Both sintered metal and MIM use powdered metal, which presently is pretty expensive compared to wrought or traditional cast materials. Plus the tooling and processing for sintered metal/MIM can be quite high. It is best justified when the volume of material needed is quite low, and the complexity of the part is quite high. (that is a quick lesson for those interested).

For such a simple shape as the handles and the given the component's large size (high material cost using powdered metal - PM), I would be highly surprised if PM were used.

At a quick glance, I assume the handles are made via die casting or similar. I've seen a number of items from other reloading equipment producers that I suspect are made from die castings as well, using steel, aluminum (& alloy), along with zinc-alloys.

Using a wrought material as used in your handles is a definite improvement in materials, nonetheless.

Regards,
Slim

PS:
I considered an adhesive for the handles, but they too are affected by age and heat, so I went with a mechanical pinning operation. Done this on several Lee molds. I even kept my 2-cavity RB mould operational by swedging the sprue-hole back to round (from the inside)...this mold is high-mileage for sure, but makes nice balls once again.

Wouldn't mind if you'd hit Lee up on making 4 or even 6 cavity RB moulds for the revolvers and would be curious why they don't offer a .31 revolver mould (should cast a .320 RB)...better yet, Maybe you could get a minimum run and offer on your website as a DD exclusive.....bet they'd sell well....I'd sure buy in on these 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

LEE does have .31 moulds.  Available sizes are .311 & .319

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/catalog/blackpow.html

I have the single-cavity .311 size.  I notice only the two cavity style seems to be available at present.  I got mine cheep, likely because it is discontinued. I have made buckshot for my 12 ga. double percussion shotgun.  It kept all 9 pellets in a 12 inch circle at 25 yards, even with the "tangental" sprue.

[Springfield Slim]

I prefer to use heat resistant silicone seal on my handles, that way i can remove them if need be, unlike JB weld.

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Slim,

The engineer at LEE told me that the handles were sintered metal castings.  I have no horse in that race because I chose to use high quality sheet steel and laser cut it.  We had looked at water cutting, but it's too slow.  One advantage to the laser cutting is that the handles have a slightly irregular edge to them that grips the wood quite well.

I had to know that they were tough before I jumped in and ordered a Thousand pieces.

Drilling and pinning is a physical solution that may work well.  One problem I looked at is heat transfer from the steel handles inserted into the wood grips via the pin.  The pin could be a hot spot and a caster could flinch and spill hot lead in his lap.  back "in the day" mold handles were made entirely of metal.  They got HOT.  Wood handle grips are a comfortable improvement.

DD-DLoS

[Noz]

DD, drill thru the brass ferule. Since it's metal my head says it's hot so I never touch it on any of my molds.

[Dick Dastardly]

Thanks Noz,

Great location for a pin.  I'll include that information with the handles in case they do loosen.  I'd be happy to do it, but the extra machining cost would have to go back into the sale price.  I'm trying my best to keep prices down as low as possible.

I think a brass rivet would be best.

DD-DLoS

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Dick;  I checked some of my LEE handles.  The single & doubles are flat steel stampings.

The 6-cav. I got from you has very noticeable circular sprue marks.  Not sure of the process, but it looks like cast to me.