New LEE 2C handle Pin Replacement?

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I just got a couple second-hand LEE C309-113s out of my mailbox, and I brought home a couple 5/16" reamers today as well.

One of the two moulds is now a 2C PLAIN BASE which probably doesn't weigh 113 grains any more. The reaming went well, cavities look great, but if they don't shoot, I'm not out much on the moulds and I sorely needed the quiet, focused shop time for my sanity.

I wasn't comfortable setting up with the blocks on the loosey-goosey handles and removed them. One pin came out with an Allen wrench but the other had to be drilled - #29 twist drill worked perfectly.

Now that I have de-GC'd the mould, I need to reattach the handles. I'm thinking that since I used the #29 twist drill to remove the goofy pin that I could tap it for 8-32 and clearance the bottom hole (through the flange on the mould under the handle tongs) and find some shoulder bolts (screws) that would leave a smooth shank running through the handle tong holes. There isn't a lot of meat on these moulds or I'd use 10-32 or 10-24.

Before I do the 8-32 handle pins (screws), I wanted to check and see if anyone here (Ben?) has had a better idea already.


As I write, I wonder what size the 6C handle screws are and whether they would work. I'll go measure tomorrow. There's not much metal for too big a tap hole on these new 2Cs though. This is my first specimen of the "new" LEE blocks. I've worked on a lot of the old 2Cs and 6Cs and there was a lot of metal to work with. I don't own many moulds, but I used to do tune-up and restoration services for a friend who had a small commercial cast bullet business. I was compensated in bullets and alloy much more than the work was worth but didn't complain much.
 

Paul Gauthier

Active Member
I think it should work just fine, you may have to find an 8-32 SHCS that may be much longer than you need but will provide the smooth shank you want, just have to shorten the threaded portion.
 

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
Before I do the 8-32 handle pins (screws), I wanted to check and see if anyone here (Ben?) has had a better idea already.

I have not had to drill one out.
I have had a few that became loose and wanted to back out.
I removed the loose ones, cleaned out the hole with compressed air, coated the pin with JB Weld and put it back in place.

No further problems.

Ben
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I think it should work just fine, you may have to find an 8-32 SHCS that may be much longer than you need but will provide the smooth shank you want, just have to shorten the threaded portion.

You're onto me, Paul. That's what I was thinking and I'd lay a few back for future projects as well. Stores keep cutting back on what they sell and when I go back,...... My local Lowe's sells treated poles and dimensional lumber but corporate decided they didn't need pole barn nails (pole spikes). Can't get most sizes of tinner's rivets at ACE any more,....
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I have not had to drill one out.
I have had a few that became loose and wanted to back out.
I removed the loose ones, cleaned out the hole with compressed air, coated the pin with JB Weld and put it back in place.

No further problems.

Ben

Thanks, Ben - a sensible and simple solution. Since I turned one pin into shavings, I could use a piece of a twist drill.

What's funny is that my JB Weld tubes are lying on the bench right beside the mould blocks right now and it didn't even occur to me.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Now that I think about it, if I used a screw, I'd have to use a set-screw type. The hole is right up against the block. I have a couple moulds with screws like that - RCBS maybe? Smaller OD on the unthreaded part - not worth messing with.

I suppose I could grind a flat on the side of the screw head nearest the block:headscratch:


Probably makes the most sense to use JB Weld. I thought way more about that than I should have before posting. I knew someone here would have addressed this issue efficiently already.
 

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
I think that is one of the real beauties of this forum.
People have suggested things to me in the past and I thought,......Gee, why didn't I think of that.

Ben
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I think that is one of the real beauties of this forum.
People have suggested things to me in the past and I thought,......Gee, why didn't I think of that.

Ben

And nobody yells at you for not having "Googled" it.

I've had some good ideas, but I don't mind considering others' ideas too. I also push my students to verbalize their thoughts and ideas because you never know how dumb what you're thinking is until you hear it out loud.:)
 

Ian

Notorious member
Just find some kind of pin that will fit in the existing hole you drilled, cut it a fuzz short so it's below flush, and stake the block material around the hole to keep it from falling out. If you jb it, be careful not to glue the handle tong fast to the block....it needs a littlt bit of wiggle.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Just find some kind of pin that will fit in the existing hole you drilled, cut it a fuzz short so it's below flush, and stake the block material around the hole to keep it from falling out. If you jb it, be careful not to glue the handle tong fast to the block....it needs a littlt bit of wiggle.

I've got scads of such suitable material. Thanks, Ian. I'll dig a little.

Yeah, I'm careful about epoxies - paranoid about how quickly a mistake could be made permanent. I can't bury this mould in the back yard if I mess it up. You guys know about it now.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I used roll pins and just punched them in the holes I drilled right through the handles and let them expand out to hold things in place.
that thought occurred to me because Magma uses that system on their master casters.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I used roll pins and just punched them in the holes I drilled right through the handles and let them expand out to hold things in place.
that thought occurred to me because Magma uses that system on their master casters.

It gets better and better. I like that one too. Thanks, Fiver.

Now, that's one I should have thought of.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ian

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Jeff,you can get pretty large "sets" of assorted roll pins off eBabe for less than gas to go to sLowes or Homedespot.

Man, that's funny. I just got home and the weather is nice; 72 F and low humidity - FINALLY. Decided I'm blowing off adult responsibilities and goofing off in my shop,..... except I can't cast anything up in my new mould for the lack of roll pins. Dug through every drawer and came up empty. sLowes came to mind, then ACE, then the idea that both would mean I'd waste good weather driving to/from. That means I wait.

I was going to log on and ask if anyone had a "favorite resource" for such things when I found you post. I will follow up on your suggestion and look for another item I need for another shade-tree mould-mod too. Just as well to wait for the mail lady as to wait for a chance to get to town.

Thanks.:)
 

Intheshop

Banned
That's the one I get off the bay Ian.

And Jeff,I hear ya on funny part.One of the boy's comes last weekend and no real fault of his.... "we" leave the shop like a grenade went off in it.Router swarf,hand planing ribbons everywhere. So,with my health going in and out of consciousness..... I cleaned the shop Monday. Tuesday morning an old contractor bud stops by to check on me and walks into a pristine shop. So,some might call it "goofing off" but hey,at least it's clean.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
https://www.amazon.com/Performance-...keywords=performance+tool+roll+pin+assortment

We buy PT assortments all the time for the shop to use in non-critical applications. set screws, o-rings, fuses, etc. cheap cheap. usually get them from Summit Racing but have to put in a $100 minimum order to get free freight. Amazon ships free in two days w/prime account.

That's perfect, Ian. I like the idea of non-critical/critical too. I've depleted some stocks of certain little handy things over the past few years and have had a shock when I went to replace them.

I keep asking my wife if she'd like a book or something so I could make the free shipping limit on Amazon and now I have enough for free shipping - except now I can't remember what I needed that was under $25!:oops:
 
Last edited:

Paul Gauthier

Active Member
I haven't had a Lee 2 cavity mold in years and I don't remember what they look like so I don't understand what this means.
" The hole is right up against the block."
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
That's the one I get off the bay Ian.

And Jeff,I hear ya on funny part.One of the boy's comes last weekend and no real fault of his.... "we" leave the shop like a grenade went off in it.Router swarf,hand planing ribbons everywhere. So,with my health going in and out of consciousness..... I cleaned the shop Monday. Tuesday morning an old contractor bud stops by to check on me and walks into a pristine shop. So,some might call it "goofing off" but hey,at least it's clean.

I have to do that (leave the shop like a grenade went off) a lot. I hate that. I used to spend a few days over Christmas/New Years going through every tool box, getting twist drills, allen wrenches, socket sets, etc. all reunited and accounted for. Cleaned off router bits, saw blades, sharpened chisels and planes irons,.... It was a yearly ritual that was calm, quiet, relaxed and darned COLD, but no power tools, vacuums, radios or chatter out there, so it's so relaxing and gratifying that it felt like goofing off.

Hand-plane ribbons? People look at me like I have three heads when I recommend a small assortment of hand-planes as part of a "starter" tool set. I even offer to give sharpening and use lessons and I swear they think I'm pulling their leg. I don't mind wading ankle-deep in that stuff a bit though and apparently the chickens don't either. Except when one gets it wrapped around a leg and drags an 8' streamer around the yard for an hour wondering why the heck that thing keeps following them.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I haven't had a Lee 2 cavity mold in years and I don't remember what they look like so I don't understand what this means.
" The hole is right up against the block."

The "new" blocks differ in a few ways, particularly the cross-section of the extrusions. A large portion of aluminum is "missing." You can see the bottom of the handle tong pin holes in the middle of the step that came about because of the new shape.

It was funny because I'd had a notion to put screws in there and the heads would not have allowed it unless I went to long "set-screw."

That was a joke about grinding one side off t he head to make the screw fit and I almost did that to an undersized screw and set it in the hole to post a pic just to see how long it took someone to ask "how the h....?"

Please excuse the the terrible photo. I'd get a "smart"-phone just for the camera but the plans are too expensive. I pay $53/mo for my wife and me to have unlimited texting and more minutes/mo than we use in a year. Our phones are really old and basically free. I'm not a Luddite, I'm just frugal.

New LEE Blocks.jpg