Upside down press for sizing using Lee sizing die

[GhostHawk]

I have been redoing my bench this week. In the process of putting together the Harbor Freight bench.

After reading through this thread and thinking about the numbers of .30 caliber bullets I size and gas check I decided to try this.
I have just run 100 + rounds through this upside down lee press and I have to say I like it.

I can see fewer gas checks falling off in the future, fewer frustrations all around. And I just put a coffee can below it with a dishrag folded in the bottom. Cuts the nose and cushions the blow a bit.

This is slick stuff! Thanks guys!

[fredj338]

Cool. Food for thought.

[jwber]

gunoil what did you use to attach the push ram to the Arbor Press?

[Ausglock]

Very nice, Ausglock, but stone the bloody crows, mate, I thought my glasses were shot, until I took them off and it was still blurry!

Ha.. Yeah. Bloody phone camera is not the best.

[dave_g]

I finally got around to sizing a bunch of bullets through my little contraption. Works pretty good. Definitely easier than the normal way. Just drop the bullet into the sizer and bring down the arm. I need to make a handle for it but it works good so far. I just drop the bullets into a box with a towel in it. No mess.

[ipijohn]

gunoil what did you use to attach the push ram to the Arbor Press?

I drilled and tapped the HF arbor press ram to 3/8 NC, bought a Lee replacement ram for their hand press ($6 @ FS reloading), cut the end off the ram, turned down a 3/8 NC bolt to 5/16 and pressed it into the ram. With this modified Lee ram end screwed into the bottom of the HF ram you can now use shell holders, sizing pushers etc just like in a Lee press.

[Ausglock]

I drilled and tapped the HF arbor press ram to 3/8 NC, bought a Lee replacement ram for their hand press ($6 @ FS reloading), cut the end off the ram, turned down a 3/8 NC bolt to 5/16 and pressed it into the ram. With this modified Lee ram end screwed into the bottom of the HF ram you can now use shell holders, sizing pushers etc just like in a Lee press.

Photos?????????

[jmorris]

Photos?????????

Sounds like he is doing this.

http://www.magmaengineering.com/case...ss-case-sizer/

[ipijohn]

Photos?????????

Press above and close up of 270 being gas checked and sized below



I used an old dresser to mount it on, drilled a 1 1/2 inch hole through the top and put an old tin can in the top drawer to catch things. I use this setup to size before and after PC and to install gas checks as well as make the checks. Don't know what happened on import of the pictures, but if you turn your laptop onto it's right edge all is good. I went out to my computer and rotated them and brought them in again same results?

[Russel Nash]

I am about to buy the Lee sizer and whatever punches.

Has anyone here tried this with an RCBS Rock Chucker press?

[Gremlin460]

Here is some more info for those that like videos....

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...t-Mod-for-AS-2

[Whiterabbit]

I am about to buy the Lee sizer and whatever punches.

Has anyone here tried this with an RCBS Rock Chucker press?

The reason we do it with LEE presses is because the handle is indexable, so it can be rotated to operate normally. The RC press will have to be pulled up instead of pulled down.

[Dan Cash]

I am about to buy the Lee sizer and whatever punches.

Has anyone here tried this with an RCBS Rock Chucker press?

As I am right handed, inverting the RockChucker press puts the forward part of the frame in the wrong place for me to operate the system. Pulling up on the handle is not really an issue. I have an old Herters C press mounted upside down that works fine. The handle pull is more of a straight pull toward me than an up stroke.

[Russel Nash]

The reason we do it with LEE presses is because the handle is indexable, so it can be rotated to operate normally. The RC press will have to be pulled up instead of pulled down.

Ahhh....okay...I guess I will have to take a closer look at my RCBS.

[Russel Nash]

As I am right handed, inverting the RockChucker press puts the forward part of the frame in the wrong place for me to operate the system. Pulling up on the handle is not really an issue. I have an old Herters C press mounted upside down that works fine. The handle pull is more of a straight pull toward me than an up stroke.

I have an extra one of those Dillon strong mounts that I put a piece of plate steel across. I was using it like a dock for my Star lube-sizer, MEC 9000 shotgun reloader, and the RCBS. It was already drilled with holes to match all 3 presses. It would have been pretty slick if I could have just flipped the RCBS one upside down.

[Russel Nash]

I was fiddling around with my Rock Chucker press and that plate steel mount today.

I think I figured it out.

Normally, a Rock Chucker press looks like this:



If you look closely, you'll see the steel handle is threaded, it fits through that green part, and then a lock nut or jam nut secures it, and keeps the handle from spinning.

I am thinking I could take the handle off, then reverse it, securing it again with the jam nut.

Then mount the press upside down, on the FAR or BACK side of the steel plate.

And then the handle should be situated, so as I push down on the handle, the bullets get pushed through the sizing die.

Key word being "should".

[Whiterabbit]

in my experience, should is a 4 letter word.

[MT Chambers]

Shows great improvisation by all, just seems like a lot of messing and you're only sizing not lubing...why not just get a Star, lube and size with one stroke of the handle, and you don't have to sit upside down to operate??

[Russel Nash]

in my experience, should is a 4 letter word.

I inverted the handle on the Rock Chucker. The steel plate I have on top of the Dillon strong mount...it extends a good 4 inches plus off to the right hand side. The press is now upside down and clamped to the steel plate. It looks like everything will work. The handles knob swings down far enough that boolits will get pushed through the die.

[Russel Nash]

Shows great improvisation by all, just seems like a lot of messing and you're only sizing not lubing...why not just get a Star, lube and size with one stroke of the handle, and you don't have to sit upside down to operate??

I had a Star. I probably just didn't have holes drilled in the correct spots, but it seemed like I could never get it timed just right.

I plan on powder coating boolits now.