List,

In my first bullet casting endeavor, I bought a lot of casting equipment from an estate. Among the items are Lyman/Ideal 35891 and 429421 2-cavity molds. These look fine and the two halves seem to fit together nicely in my hand, but when I put them into a Lyman handle, they won't quite close, with a small gap (about .010") at the front. The handle came from a Lyman 12 ga rifled slug kit. I thought it was a standard large handle as it seems to fit a number of other molds I acquired correctly. Is the problem with the molds or with the handle? BTW, these molds are in their original gray-stripped cardboard boxes.

Thanks,
Jeff

It's hard to say from here, but normally small single cavity moulds use different handles than double cavity moulds and very large bullet single cavity moulds. Are the 35891 blocks the same size as the 429421 blocks? 1.225" wide by 1.375" long. As they're numbered 35891 instead of 358091 they're old. Any chance they cut two cavities in a small block back then?

There's more on Lyman handles here.
http://www.shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=5524

Bye
Jack

You might look at the dowel pins and check for a ber on one, or with a brass hamer drive them a little deeper into the block. I have had new blocks that went togher fine but when put on handles would not close up tight. lt so far has always been taken care of with a ever so small adjustment of the pins. Good luck:

Leon

Check for burrs at the edges of the mold blocks and at the pins/holes that align the mold halves...doesn't take too much on the NEAR side to procduce a good size gap at the far side of the mold. MAy not help, but you need to check those areas anyway...post the results.
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Over kill...three posts with the same time stamp.

I think Jack is on the right track here. I thought it was the Beartooth Board that posted the pictures of modifying Lyman mold ahndles to fit various mold block? The pictures show a small grind or file mark at the rear inside of the handles. This prevents interference between the rear of the mold block and the handle.
With the blocks closed look at the inside of the handles at the rear of the mold blocks. If the block just touches the handle it will not close properly. There was a good thread on the problem of old mold blocks and new handles. I sure thought it was here. I may still have the pictures showing where to file or grind to clear the problem. I'll hunt for them.

The Mountain Mold article on modifing Lyman handles is here.
http://www.mountainmolds.com/lymanhandle.htm

Bye
Jack

Jack,
Thanks, I had the picture but could not figure where I had got it from! I have several old molds that had problems with newer handles and this "cured" my problem.

Hi, Slim:
I've been lost in cyberspace before too, and I expect it will happen again. We ordered the wrong handles a few years ago, back when we where getting started in casting. It's a good thing we didn't send them back, as we soon found a mould they did fit. :)

Bye
Jack

Your not the first caster who bought a mould to fit handles, or shooter who a bought a gun to go with the brass he found at the range!
I spend a fair amount of time at this link drooling.... nice guy and his moulds are as represented.

http://missoula.bigsky.net/western/

I bought a 452630 from Jon. It was a little the worse for wear, but a little work with the pins and sprue plate got it working. Anybody who wants a discontinued mould has to keep an eye on that site.

Bye
Jack

Jack you bring up a very good point. A lot of people do not know that Lyman sells mold rebuild kits with a new sprue plate and screws. Midway now carries them for a very reasonable price.

i am also learning the value of well named folders! I am not really a computer guy...

Hi Gents ; P.O.I., Have you tried Lee mold handles? No not the ones that come attached to the molds, but the ones made for there gang molds. Superior stuff. I've got them on RCBS, and Lyman D/C molds and am quite sure they will fit the old S/C Lyman. Check it out. There INEXPENSIVE. But they're not very "heavy" so you may not like 'em. :-)
Pepe Ray

I have not tried Lee mold handles but I will. they dont cost enough to be a bother....

Guys,

Thanks for your response. The fix I ended up using on these two molds was to deepend to slot on 1 side of each mold to allow a little more float of the mold is in the handle. Deepened the slots about .015" and the molds closed perfectly. These handles just weren't a good fit on these molds, although they work well on other molds. Tried the two molds last night and they cast very nice bullets.

Thanks again,
Jeff