Slipping Mold Handles

[jim4065]

When these things get up to temp the handles start creeping off. Thought about driving a pin thru 'em, but there's not much meat there. A search lead to stove cement, muffler putty, etc. Gluing hot steel to wood must be tough. Do all of these solutions really work or do some of 'em crap out at 800 or 850 degrees? I tend to run a pretty hot mix for good fill-out without adding very much tin. Cheap.

[mooman76]

Might help if you said what kind of handles. I heard Jb weld works good. If you are talking the Lee handles they sometimes forget to put a dimple in the metal cap on the handle and sometimes it isn't very big. I just use a punch to put a biger dimple in it,

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Even if you're working at 850ºF., The handles aren't anywheres near this. If they were, the wood would be kindling on your first session. I think the ignition temp of wood is 457ºF. Of all the readily available cements/glues, silicone has the highest temperature rating, some of them in the 450ºF.'s. Go to an auto parts store, and get some hi-temp, it comes in small tubes like toothpaste.

Happy New Year, I just watched the ball drop in Times Square.
Morgan

[imashooter2]

Silicone caulk or gasket sealant does the job. I'm to the point that I knock fresh handles off and glue them before I start.

[jim4065]

Might help if you said what kind of handles. I heard Jb weld works good. If you are talking the Lee handles they sometimes forget to put a dimple in the metal cap on the handle and sometimes it isn't very big. I just use a punch to put a biger dimple in it,

Yea, it would help. Lee handles. The metal "Caps" spin on one pair, but they don't on the other. Doesn't seem to matter, the wood slides on the steel regardless of the cap. I'll try gasket cement on one pair, JB Weld on the other. Lots of flavors of silicone caulk, and with my luck I'd pick the wrong one. The thought occurs that maybe I should file a few notches in the corners of the steel handles. Might add some mechanical advantage to the holding power of the glue?

[Lloyd Smale]

jb weld seems to work. Best cure is to drill a hole through the handles and wood and put a machine screw threw them to hold them on. That and a little jb weld will make for a permenant fix. I havent had much luck with high temp silicone. I holds for a while but tends to let go eventually.

[44man]

I have used every type of epoxy on them without a single problem. JB would be the best as it takes more heat then the cheap stuff.

[leftiye]

Remember that the handles do not never get to 7 or 8 hunnert degrees - unless you put them in a furnace. A 350 degree mold is a HOT mold, and the handles will be in the 200 degree range with this scenario even if you use a mold heater.

[Calamity Jake]

I drill and pin all mine, never anymore problems!!

[fecmech]

I use the silicone caulk or silicone gasket sealant, it's pretty much heat resistant and I always have some around.

[nagantino]

Many years ago I made jewellry and the method used by the "old hands" to keep the handles on engraving tools was to :

1. Remove the handles.

2. Cut barbs into the steel shaft{handles in this case}

3. The bards must be cut going the "wrong" way of course, that is away from you as you hold the mold.

4. Heat the steel , then ram the wooden handle down onto the steel. The resin released and the steel bards catch the handles.

Its a very old idea but it works.

[Shiloh]

jb weld seems to work. Best cure is to drill a hole through the handles and wood and put a machine screw threw them to hold them on. That and a little jb weld will make for a permenant fix. I havent had much luck with high temp silicone. I holds for a while but tends to let go eventually.

This is the most trouble free method. Epoxies (Polymers) lose there adhesiveness with the heat. Combine this with expansion and contraction of heating and cooling, the tapping of a platic or leather mallet to free the boolits, and the handle will loosen in short order. You need the mechanical bond of a machine screw or pins.

Shiloh

[ChrisK]

I've had Lee mold handles and ladle handles slip off. I've been lazy but thought about using some JB weld inside (for good measure) and just drlling and pinning the handles (peening the ends of the pins). I probably will do it when I get frustrated enough. You could even drill it and do a metal screw, not quite as secure but should do the trick.

[94Doug]

I think that the putty for exaust repair would work best if you do go that route. The products put out by Permatex were good up to the 1000 degree mark +, they were even used on catalytic converters.

Doug

[wiljen]

a little gorilla glue works too

[shooting on a shoestring]

Worm drive hose clamps. Cheap, plentiful, tight, even works on split handles.