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.
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.