For those familiar with the RCBS "JR3" - I need some help . . .

[EDG]

I would nuke the Ebay slob by lodging a complaint and having the Paypal charges reversed.
That will protect everyone by making a believer out of him or getting him boosted off of Ebay.

[seagiant]

Hi,
I may be wrong on this (I was wrong one time in 1968) BUT here is what I would do and I think it would work. Get a bolt with a dia. just under the dia of the hole. Heat the threaded part just under a red heat and use the bolt as a mandrel to get it back to round. DO NOt cool with water let it cool natural then take a well oiled tap and chase the threads and try it. Having Blacksmithed for years think this would work?

[Mk42gunner]

I think I would wait to work on it until after you see what the resolution is from ebay and paypal. Probably nothing, but we may all be surprised.

The pictures of the damage finally opened for me today,; to bad the shipper didn't do that damage by dropping it on his unprotected instep.

I would try threading a bolt in from the back side, after taking the press apart and holding the block in a large bench vise. It will probably take a bit of heat, but you may be lucky and get the hole mostly round again. The handle threads are a relatively minor operation to fix.

Robert

[GLL]

Turn the handle down and rethread for a nut. That is the way my old Kodiak 150 and Pacific Deluxe press handles were originally designed ! There are no threads in the pivot block.

Jerry

[seagiant]

Turn the handle down and rethread for a nut. That is the way my old Kodiak 150 and Pacific Deluxe press handles were originally designed ! There are no threads in the pivot block.

Jerry

Hi,
Another good option! This would be no problem for someone handy with a small homeshop! Maybe you have such a friend?

[Pressman]

I do not have an exact replacement block but I do have an old Pacific with the block GLL describes. It will work, but appearance will be a bit "off". I do not have the handle for it.
I will part with it for this project for the cost of shipping.
Ken

[Pavogrande]

Another option --
Turn the handle shank down till it fits into the buggered hole -
Rethread the tapped hole -
handle should tighten down on the shoulder -
not elegant but should work -

OOPS -- won't work -- thread won't enter hole -- sorry

[SSGOldfart]

Post a picture of the part, I might have a spare

Same here,but I need to see the picture to be sure

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

If all else fails, turn/grind the handle down until it goes into the pivot, then give it a few hits with the electric welder. Won't be pretty, but it will function. I did a lot of this growing up on the dirt farm.

[SSGOldfart]

PM sent

[SSGOldfart]

Hey bedbugbilly Do you want the one I have?? I'll need a name and address,I still don't have a reply to my pm your only cost will be shipping let me know ASAP,I'm head to the grandkids house for holidays,I'd like to mail it before leaving.

[bedbugbilly]

Thank you all for your help and suggestions - greatly appreciated! I apologize for not posting sooner as I got tied up for a couple of days with some business.

In regards to threading the handle and using a nut - if you look in the lower right hand photo - the handle screws in from the right - the back side of the pivot block is angled at about a 45 degree angle so there is not a right angle surface to tighten a nut down on.

As much as I'd like to be able to unscrew the handle, if I can't, it's still fine. When I talked with the nice gentleman at the RCBS service, we discussed several possibilities for a "fix". I'm getting ready to leave for Arizona this next week so it will have to wait until I get back in March. I will first remove the pivot block and try to find a drift punch of the correct diameter that might "swage" the hole back "in to round" after heating the pivot block. I have a feeling that the damage to the concentricity of the hole is too deep though. The next option is to find someone who has a vertical mill who can drill the entire hole out to the best nominl diameter - then either using the old handle or a different piece of round stock, slide the handle in to the drilled out block and pin it in. I have some feelers out to try and find someone in my area that has a vertical mill that I can either use or have them do the work. We used to have all kinds of small machine shops around but with the economy, they have dried up. One way or another, I'll get it functioning again.

I sent three messages to the seller of this press with no response. I sent a fourth (not a nice one) and finally he resounded - claimed he hadn't received the first ones (yea, right) and couldn't imagine what could have happened - after all, the press is steel and cast iron. He claimed it was well packed and had bubble wrap around it. It was in a flimsy shoe box (which I still have) and had one wrap of bubble wrap - all of which were exploded due to the press shucking around in the box. It's obvious he feels no responsibility and is blowing it off. I have bought / sold for years on flea bay and if the roles were reversed, I would have been "on it" immediately with an apology and I would have refunded the money - but then, that's the way I was brought up.

So . . . when I get back in the early spring, I'll get on it and get it fixed. It's too nice of a little press to tie a rope on and use for a boat anchor! Thanks again to all - your help is greatly appreciated. My best to all for a happy and safe holiday!

[Echo]

In the meantime, file a case with eBay, and they will refund your money, taking it from the supplier's account. Include pictures, including the box.

[davidvyee]

I had my for awhile, bought used from another owner. The handle bar broke at the tread. I email RCBS and they told be to by for a retrofit to the newer blocks. All in all, it cause me $19 for the delivery to them and paid $19 for the return. Ask them to retrofit to the newer links.

David Yee

[medalguy]

Good luck with fleabay. I've sold over 6,000 items there and finally got a negative feedback from a buyer, because I packed the item "too well" and he didn't want to pay the postage charge I posted in my listing. Fleabay would not remove the neg posting I received. And of course as a seller I can't leave any feedback for the buyer.

Good luck with the press. I still use a JR3 press I started with about 1968 I think. I use it for resizing only and I'd hate to think about how many rounds it's processed. If you can find a local machine shop to make the replacement part you will really have a good press.

[bedbugbilly]

A few months ago, I posted this thread in regards to a JR3 single stage press that I had purchased and when it arrived it was damaged. I just wanted to give an "update" and say a BIG THANK YOU to a fine member here who helped me out . . SSGOldfart.

I ALSO WANT TO APOLOGIZE HERE to SSGOldfart as I really "DROPPED THE BALL". Bob was kind enough to help me out by sending me the parts I needed to fix the press. I am currently in AZ for a few weeks and when it arrived, I was unpacking it in the garage when a neighbor came along and interrupted me. (he needed a helping hand with a project he was doing at his house). As I was unpacking it, I was thinking that I needed to go in and send a PM to Bob - I also had cut his address off of the box so I could add it in to my reloading notes in a notebook I keep. Well, this morning I got a PM from SSGOldfart asking me if the part had arrived. I thought I had sent him a message but when I looked, I found that I had not! All I can say is that it's hell getting old, thinking you've followed through only to discover that you haven't! But, that is NO EXCUSE and believe me, I was not brought up that way!

I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE TO GGSOldfart . . Bob . . . on here for not doing what I should have accomplished. It was not intentional but that is no excuse! I DROPPED THE BALL! Bob was kind enough to help me out with the part and I let my end down. Bob, I sent you a PM but I want to apologize to you on here and say that I'm sorry that I messed up. I was not brought up that way and I sincerely apologize for not checking to make sure that I had contacted you.

This member is just one of the fine examples of the good folks on here who are so willing to help others out. That's what makes this forum such a special place.

Once again, I sincerely apologize to you GGSOldfart . . . I greatly appreciate all of you help so that I can get this press going again. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and I'm very sorry that I messed up on getting back with you.

I would also like to let the members here know, that GGSOldfart . . Bob . . . refused to let me reimburse him for the postage or the parts. Bob is a "Vet" . . . he suggested that if I wanted to "pay him back" . . the next time I saw a "Vet" . . to say "thank you" and buy them a cup of coffee. That's the kind of "giving person" he is. Bob . . . that mission will be accomplished many times in the years to come and let us all remember those who have served, their sacrifices and let us all continue to support those who serve today . . and their families . . . and remember them in our thoughts, deeds and prayers.

Bob . . my sincere apologies again for dropping the ball and thinking that I had done what I had not - your kind help and generosity is greatly appreciated and I will think of that each time I use the press . . . and I will "even" things up with you somewhere along the line. Thank you again very much.

Sincerely,
Jim