rebuilding a classic

[colbyjack]

well i got a RCBS A-2 rockchucker from a fellow site member. ( thanks again dennis) with a little help its like brand new. i gave it a bath in are 180* parts washer at work. then i vapor blasted the press. then i took the pins and shaft out and polished them. got some paint from wally world and there ya go, no rust looks good. smooth as new and will last me for many many years. heres a couple pics.

before

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/IPSCaprilchilli001.jpg

after

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/pressredone003.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/pressredone002.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/pressredone003.jpg

what ya think? -chris

[xr650]

That turned out great.
Nice job.

[DeanoBeanCounter]

You're pulling our leg. The after pictures are really a brand new one.:kidding:
Dean

[runfiverun]

when did walmart start sellin rcbs green?

[Down South]

Very nice job on refurbishing that old Rock Chucker. It looks like it had been where the humidity could get to it to cause that much rust. My old Rock Chucker is 38 years now but has lived indoors all it’s life. That is one fine press.

[Scrounger]

Every place that sells paint has the technology to color-match any paint, that technology has been around for many years. That it looks so original is most likely a tribute to his ability to use the paint that well, he didn't just slop it on with a brush.

[quasi]

that is not an A-2

[No_1]

That is a very fine job you have done. I am sure your pride will show thru on everything you load with it.

Robert

[selmerfan]

I was going to say, "If that's an A-2, what's the difference between that and a Rockchucker?"
Selmerfan

[Alchemist]

Colbyjack,

Very nice! Ever consider doing custom restorations?

What paint did you use? The shade looks off just a little, but it could very well be my eyes. They're not what they used to be.

BTW, what forearm do you have on that AR? Very cool...I might hafta check into one myself. :mrgreen:

Alchemist

[madcaster]

If you need the primer arm I will give you one,someone gave it to me!
Jeff

[floodgate]

The whole evolution of the RCBS A- and other series tools and their nomenclature is decidedly murky, even though Buzz Huntington is still available for questions. To see what we have been able to find out to date, go to <www.antiquereloadingtools.org>, click "Message" and then "20th Century Reloading Tools..." and scroll through the RCBS-related threads to see where the information stands to date; Bob Chambers and Ken Neeld have been doing the spade-work, but there is still quite a lot to be sorted out. (I'm outta' their league on this, I'll stick with my green-crackle finish Rockchucker with the "79" date stamp under the die adapter bushing.)

Doug Elliott/"floodgate"

[Dale53]

Cobyjack;
My hat is off to you. That is one fine restoration!!

Many years ago, I had a long time loan of a Star Reloading press. It was for .38 Special only. That was just fine as I was heavy into PPC at the time. It had sat in an unheated garage for years and was pretty crappy looking (about like your Rock Chucker) so I stripped it and painted it. There is something nice about a new looking press. When the Star had to go back, it went back "Standing Tall"...

Dale53

[colbyjack]

well gents i thought it came out very well. the color is closer to a redding color than rcbs but good enough for me.

i just rattle canned it. it says A-2 on the press, so who knows. anyway thanks to a very nice member here, i got a press ill have for many years, and i can pass it down to my son. thanks again a very good bunch of people here.

heres 2 more pics, one of the paint and the other of the stamp.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/pressredone005.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/hawgz/pressredone004.jpg

-chris

[mtgrs737]

Colbyjack,

In this throw it away and buy new world I really enjoy doing things like you just did! I have a press just like the one you refurbished but it is not queit ready for refurbishment yet. I did refinish a Star boolit luber, it was easy and fun and I would bet no one can tell that it isn't factory original paint. I used Krylon gloss in Navy Blue and it is so close you cannot tell unless you put it side by side with an original Star.

You can see my RCBS Rockchucker in the picture below.

Just goes to show that good heavy duty products will last many lifetimes, Great Job!!

[carpetman]

ColbyJack----Chris my 1967 Rockchucker has A1 stamped where yours has A2. Mine also has the RC where yours has it as seen in picture with paint can.

[rmb721]

That's the paint that Johnny Bench advertised. "No Runs, No Drips, No Errors"

Great job.

[hotwheelz]

Very nicly done sir :drinks::drinks::drinks:

[dmftoy1]

VERY NICE!

What's vapor blasting?

[colbyjack]

VERY NICE!

What's vapor blasting?

its like a glass bead blaster with really fine beads, like dust. -chris

[STP]

What a great job!!

I`ve done the same strip/clean on older presses but have yet to rattle-can one like you did.

[dmftoy1]

So vapor blasting is just like sand blasting but uses much finer media? (I had never heard of it!)

Have a good one,
Dave

[floodgate]

colbyjack:

The consensus of our "experts" from the Antique Reloading Tool Collectors Ass'n. is clear that yours IS a Rockchucker and not an A2. Can you read us the tiny two-digit date stamp under the flange of the screw-in die adapter bushing at the top of the press? We have seen "A1, A2, A3" and maybe others, and would like to correlate the pattern number with the dates of the individual presses, if possible.

selmerfan:

The A2 and others in the "A" series differ primarily from the Rockchucker in that they are two-piece presses, with the main body fastened into a separate bench base that allows the press to be posiitioned either vertical - like the Rockchucker - or tilted 30* back for more comfortable(?) use. Go to <www.antiquereloadingtools.org> / "Message" / "20th Century Loading Tools" /" RCBS A...", for photos and drawings of the whole series.

It is STILL a very nice press, and a beautiful restoration!

Doug/floodgate

[Sundogg1911]

wow...I thought I was the only one. I pick up some used stage lighting for my band, and spent about 2 hours each bead blasting, repainting , and rewiring 8 lights that I can buy brand new for about $25 each. I bead blasted an old Spar-T press. looks better than the new ones. I think I do the same stuff that I used to watch my Father do...only now it makes sense to me. (My Wife and kid think im nuts though)

[Marlin Junky]

What did you do at this location?

[colbyjack]

What did you do at this location?


knocked the pins loose, so i could polish the pins and tetra greese them before re assembly. back to normal now.

head stamp says 70' -chris

[Dennis Eugene]

Chris, stumbled across this thread whild doing a search Glad I found it.
Man you did a great job of restoreing that beat up old press. I am so glad I was able to see it. I'm even happier now about where it ended up. Thanks for posting this thread. Dennis

[colbyjack]

Chris, stumbled across this thread whild doing a search Glad I found it.
Man you did a great job of restoreing that beat up old press. I am so glad I was able to see it. I'm even happier now about where it ended up. Thanks for posting this thread. Dennis

dennis thank you, i really appreciate you giving me that press. i will use it for many years and pass it down to my son colby wants he gets older. i cant say thank you enough. i havent forgot about shipping either. things are tight at the moment, i still owe $200 to the oral surgery place and $700 to my inlaws i had to borrow to get 5 teeth pulled in colbys mouth. again thanks i cant tell you how much fun it was to redo the press. it makes my rifle loading alot eaiser with 2 presses one for full case resize and one full bullet seating. i got that model 70 .243 from grandpa bout the same time i got this press from you. i havent even shot the rifle yet, thats how busy ive been. i did manage to load 40 boolits on it though... hehehehe thanks man -chris