Lee Auto Disk Powder Measure Disks

[Bzcraig]

I have an extra set of disks I have thought about epoxying in the holes and drilling out to get powder volumes that fall in between what the disks offer. Has anyone done this with success?

[Mike Kerr]

Interesting question. I know of many, many reloaders, including myself many moons ago, who have bored out two or three holes on a disk or two to a custom oversize, to fit their specific requirements for a powder or two or three. However, I don't remember any one who filled a disk in with epoxy or the appropriate JB WELD then rebored the whole shebang. I look forward to hearing your replies.

regards,

[Johnny_Cyclone]

I've done something like this with a MEC powder bushing that was throwing just a bit heavier than I wanted it to. (wanted to be in the middle of the recommended load range)

I put a wrap or two of tape around the inside diameter of the powder bushing to take up space and reduce the charge weight to what I wanted.
It's been that way for over a year no problems...but even with that bushings full charge weight (minus the tape) I'm still within the books load data limits,
Also, I always check charge weight once before and once right after I crank out any rounds... I really do, do it.

I think It'd be wiser for me to order a smaller bushing and polish it up size.. this topic has me thinking..
(yep, I'm going shopping after I post. I know I'm in spec without the tape.. but really that tape deal should be more of a load work up test that leads to getting the right bushing/ or smaller bushing polished up size.)

Anyway... I can see doing this to a LEE disk.

However, .. I'd make absolutely sure that the epoxy had a rough surface to adhere to.
Because if the epoxy filler (guess it's an epoxy bushing now) is smaller than the case neck and the epoxy bushing section comes lose and falls with the charge into the case...how many rounds will you load before you catch it.. woo wee.. because now you have charges as big as the hole you epoxied up filling your cases. If it doesn't fall through but lodges in the drop tube then you have a sqib stuck in your barrel.. maybe followed by over charged load.

Now.. if you check your charge weight after you finish your load session you should catch it, but then how many rounds would you then have to tear down.

I think that's why folks bore the smaller holes up to bigger. Nothing to come loose.
(how much is a disk set from LEE. could you bore up size those, and grind off the cc numbers so you'd know it's a modified disk)

Not saying not to do it, but something to keep in mind if you do.

call it a 2¢ thought...

(I'm really glad you posted. It made me think more critically about my shotgun loading setup. I can't believe I've been doing something so Hack for so long with that tape Mod.. Thanks)

[Idz]

Lee used to make a microdisk to get smaller volumes. The microdisk had a bar in it to reduce the hole size height in half. They claimed just using smaller hole diameters didn't work because of powder bridging problems. Last I heard Lee no longer made the microdisk because their injection mold got dropped and broken.

[country gent]

If I was doing this not only would I roughen the disks surface but would also cut a chamfer top and bottom of hole so the bushing is locked in place. ( bigger rings top and bottom). Hmm maybe the biggest hole measured and a form made to "cast a bushing to set in it with the smaller holes. Top could be counter bored 1/8" deep and a "mold made from steel aluminum brass even wood. Coat with a cople coats of Johnsons paste wax pore bushing insert of JB weld let harden and bore to appriate hole size. Just drop in the disk and go.

[Jailer]

I needed something smaller than the smallest disk size offered. I drilled and tapped a hole in the front of the disk and installed an allen head set screw for an adjustable cavity.

[Bzcraig]

I needed something smaller than the smallest disk size offered. I drilled and tapped a hole in the front of the disk and installed an allen head set screw for an adjustable cavity.

Jailer - this sounds easier that doing the epoxy and maybe just as effective. I need to pick your brain a little though........is the set screw in and of itself what changes the volume of the powder charge? If so, how much of a change can you get in grains (both minimum & maximum). Has it proven to be consistent? Finally, what size set screw did you use? More pic would be cool too, especially looking down into the disk cavity.

Thanks

[Johnny_Cyclone]

This has me thinking...

The disk is about 1/2" thick.. so why couldn't someone make a disk/slider with a half inch diameter hole in it that would accept Hornady's 1/2" deep x 1/2" diameter pistol charge bar bushings.

Then one could use the Hornady pistol charge bar powder chart, or they could make their own bushings out of 1/2" brass stock.

Ok,.. or.... how about boring out one of the auto disk plate holes to 1/2" dia. (might already be a hole that size) and installing a powder bushing made from plastic dowel rod.
A guy could chop one rod up into many 1/2" long pieces and bore a different hole size in each one and have many powder bushings.

May have to go bigger than 1/2" diameter as I'm not sure what the drop hole size is and you don't want the powder bushing to fall through.... But anyway, we make them so the powder bushings are bigger than the drop hole so they cant fall thru.. so whatever size it is we bore out the auto disk slider and make powder bushings that fit it.


Did that make sense?

I'm figuring a guy could chuck a plastic dowel rod up in a drill press, fine grit sand the exterior to final OD size, bore the powder hole ID, and cut off a length to the thickness of the auto disk slider. (maybe a little longer then fine sand to proper thickness) wham bam.. a powder bushing created.

just another 2¢ thought

[Jailer]

Jailer - this sounds easier that doing the epoxy and maybe just as effective. I need to pick your brain a little though........is the set screw in and of itself what changes the volume of the powder charge? If so, how much of a change can you get in grains (both minimum & maximum). Has it proven to be consistent? Finally, what size set screw did you use? More pic would be cool too, especially looking down into the disk cavity.

Thanks

I used a 1/4-28 allen head set screw just because I had them laying around. I'm sure about any size would work. What's nice is it's adjustable with an allen wrench without taking anything apart. You could do it with a small bolt as well if that's all you had laying around.

Before the cavity was modified it threw 3.5gr of Tightgroup. I adjusted it down to 3.0gr but that load was too light for my gun so I adjusted it back up to 3.3gr. I have no idea how much lower I could adjust it since 3.0 was lower than I needed so I have never checked. It is very consistent and repeatable. Every single time I have weighed the charge to check it they weigh exactly 3.3gr.

More pics as requested.

[Johnny_Cyclone]

Nice and simple... I like it

[Vinne]

Nice photos Jailer...and there is no bolthead to get in the way.

[thegatman]

Nice job. If you are going to use the JB weld, then you have to make sure it will stick. I think those discs are treated to be slippery for powder drops. That screw method is the nuts. I had an old set of discs that I bored larger to meet my needs but I never had to shrink them.

[kbstenberg]

Yup Jailers adjustment is handy. But if you want to use another hole in the disk you would have to change the setting of the set screw for the disk to slide back and forth. Kevin

[Johnny_Cyclone]

that's true, but what screw adjustable powder measure doesn't require you to change the screw setting when you change powder charges.. lol

[Bzcraig]

I used a 1/4-28 allen head set screw just because I had them laying around. I'm sure about any size would work. What's nice is it's adjustable with an allen wrench without taking anything apart. You could do it with a small bolt as well if that's all you had laying around.

Before the cavity was modified it threw 3.5gr of Tightgroup. I adjusted it down to 3.0gr but that load was too light for my gun so I adjusted it back up to 3.3gr. I have no idea how much lower I could adjust it since 3.0 was lower than I needed so I have never checked. It is very consistent and repeatable. Every single time I have weighed the charge to check it they weigh exactly 3.3gr.

More pics as requested.

Thanks Jailer, your customer service is excellent not to mention your photography skills and idea, which I like a lot! This will be my solution. At this point I only have a couple of loads I would like to have that fine of an adjustment for, so I'm not to concerned about the condition that kbstenberg mentions. The pic looking into the cavity is the one that convinced me as it shows that for all intents and purposes it is infinitely adjustable. And I suppose if I come across a load I want to save for eternity I will customize the length of the set screw so it remains below the surface of the disk. Great job and Thanks again!

[Jailer]

Yup Jailers adjustment is handy. But if you want to use another hole in the disk you would have to change the setting of the set screw for the disk to slide back and forth. Kevin

I've got many disks so that isn't a concern for me. I actually messed up the first attempt at this and drilled the hole off center of the cavity and ruined that one hole. The rest of them still work fine and like I said I have multiples of each so no worries.

[ColColt]

I bought one of these...looks easier for smaller charges.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...E:L:OU:US:3160

[Bzcraig]

I bought one of these...looks easier for smaller charges.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...E:L:OU:US:3160

I have one but for some reason I can't seem to get consistent throws from it.

[Johnny_Cyclone]

Somewhere I read that the problem with the adjustable charge bar for smaller charge weights is that the end that does not move is so far to one side that when you adjust the slide over to it (to get smaller charge weights) the slider covers most of the powder hopper hole.

The modification they did was to thicken that end (glued in something like card stock or what have ya) to center the hole more.
Yes, the white CC lines are going to be off, but the white gradient marks on the adjustable bar don't really mean anything anyway (as far CC # = charge weight goes).. there just reference points.

Anyway,, they claimed more consistent small charge weights by doing the modification.

Attachment 71615

Ahhhh... found it using my white belt skills in Google Fu

Hope you can see.. (with hopper removed, and third level down in pic) how the cavity is not fully exposed (just a crescent) ,
and in the picture next to it see how it leaves a shelf (the silver colored lip) for powder to get caught on.. powder that may not fall down into the cartridge case.


read more at loadmastervideos.com... where I barrowed these photo's from

So we have lack of complete charge bar fill, and the powder that does make it.. well, small portions get caught on that shelf.

The fix he came up with:




By filling that end (I think it was cut up business card material or the back of an old writing tablet) enough that there isn't room for the silver shelf that we could see in picture three..
it also keeps the adjustable charge bar back a bit further exposing a more open cavity area to the hopper as was lacking in picture two.
At the same time keeping the actual cavity area small.

the link:
http://forums.loadmastervideos.com/f...c48781ab085257

It's a good read

[ColColt]

The reloading manual that comes with the Lee Turret Press kit...best I recall it reading, indicated not to go below .4cc using flake powder. That's all I recall without looking at it again. I think, although have no experience yet, it should do ok with charges of 9 gr of Unique or 6 gr of Universal or even 6-9 gr of HS-6.