RCBS LAM1 Rebuild

[dragon813gt]

I picked up another RCBS LAM1 a few weeks back. This one was cheap and once I received it I saw why. It was well worn to say the least. First on the list was to remove all the old lube.



It was a soft lube so it came out w/ little effort. If you look closely at the bottom right corner of pic you can see the homemade bullet ejection plate. You can see the well worn handle links as well. Any of the knurled parts were worn flat from using pliers on them. The parts are meant to be hand tightened so the use of tools drives me nuts.

The ram itself was scored pretty good in two places. At this point I wasn't sure what caused it. After tearing it down I ended up w/ a list of thirteen parts that needed to be replaced. I left the ram off the list as I don't think the scoring will be an issue. I fired off an email to RCBS on Election Day. Had a response the following day that the parts were shipping out free of charge. I had them in my hands by Friday. To say that's great service would be an understatement.

After it was fully stripped it was boiled in water to remove any residual lube. As usual I took it out a little to early and lube ended up on the exterior.



Took it over a friend's house today to sand blast it. It came out looking a lot cleaner than it went in.





Upon inspection of the casting I found score marks inside the ram portion. It appears the ram wasn't kept clean and it damaged both the ram and casting. Why people abuse tools is lost on me. Regardless it will look better than new in the end.

I put a coat of primer on it this afternoon. It's currently drying and I will take pics tomorrow. It won't look much different because the primer is gray

All the small parts and pieces were placed in #2 oil for a week. I ran out of kerosene but the #2 worked just fine. It cleaned up everything nicely. Had to take a brass brush to the linkage arms to clean them up. At this point I have to paint it and then reassemble.

This will be my third one. Not sure why I need three. I only use two lubes. But I can't not buy them when they're cheap

[VHoward]

Cool.

[dragon813gt]

Primer is dry to the touch. Won't have time to paint it tomorrow. I'm tempted to leave it this way.

[Fishman]

That looks pretty sweet. I need to try that myself.

[1988-4551]

Looks like it will be as good as new. Any idea how you will proceed with the ram/score on the frame?

[dragon813gt]

Pack it w/ grease and see how it works. After same blasting the casting looked fine. It wasn't until I ran a wire brush through the hole that I saw the score marks. The marks are long but not that deep. As long as I keep things clean I should be fine. If not I will contact RCBS and see about getting a new ram.

I will try to remember to take pics of the ram tomorrow. I'd take pics of the casting but I'm not removing the tape until it's painted.

[fred2892]

Primer is dry to the touch. Won't have time to paint it tomorrow. I'm tempted to leave it this way

Hey come on, half the fun in reviving the old stuff is spending time matching paint colour. Why leave it looking like an old 450 when you can acknowledge the great service you've just recieved from RCBS.


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[dragon813gt]

I already have the paint. It's just a matter of applying it.

[Half Dog]

Kinda wish I had spare time.

[Strtspdlx]

Kinda wish I had spare time.

To add to that, kind of wish I had spare money. I've been searching for a lube sizer for awhile. People always seem to think they're worth $300 or more used.
The refurbish looks good! A question to the op. Is there any specific reasoning for you picking a rcbs over the Lyman? I've been in the market for awhile and can't decide which to get. If I had the money is buy a star. But right now that's not the cards I'm being dealt.

[dragon813gt]

The Lyman is a weaker design. And you are not going to have an extensive list of parts shipped to you free of charge. If the $300 ones are a Star they are worth the money. I have one of them as well.

You can picked up used LAMs in decent shape on eBay for around $100. If you're lucky they come w/ a heater at that cost. This one was $65 and I bought it here. It's the cheapest one I bought but that's reflected in the price.

You don't need much free time to rebuild one. From start to finish, taking out paint drying time, it's about four hours. Sand blasting was easier and cleaner but I've chemically stripped them in the past. They look good at the end which is the whole point.

These are the other two.

[1988-4551]

I was raised on lee precision but those look awful sharp.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I picked up my LAM II off ebay about a year ago for, if I recall correctly, about $130. It was sold as like new, seller ran 200-300 boolits through it he said, which it was like brand new. It came full of red carnauba with a heater plate, .358 die & SWC top punch, a mini crock-pot full of red carnauba, ladle, original box & documents. I think I did just fine on that deal! I replaced & saved the carnauba and filled it with Ben's Red. Awesome little machine for what I payed. I wanted a Star and still do but for the small amount of traditionally lubed boolits I do the RCBS is fine. I like it over the Lyman for strength and I have heard the Lyman can have some alignment issues so I decided the RCBS was the way to go. Keep your eyes out for them, they pop up for a good price with some regularity.

[dragon813gt]

Finally got around to finishing it. Been unseasonably warm here the past few days, over 70, so I figured it would be a good as time as any to paint it. Not the greatest job but I care about how it lubes more then how it looks.











Loaded it up w/ some Carnauba Blue. Won't have time this weekend to see if it leaks. My other two leak to varying degrees around the base plug. This one got a new one and it went in nice and tight. A little leakage doesn't bother me. I'm just not a fan of a LAM2s.

[fred2892]

Nice job, colour match looks spot on.

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[dbosman]

Looks great. Thanks for mentioning that RCBS sends parts out for shipping. I've been missing a cap "forever".

[Catshooter]

RCBS won't send you parts for shipping costs. They won't let you pay for anything, shipping included.

This is subject to change, of course.


Cat

[dragon813gt]

RCBS won't send you parts for shipping costs. They won't let you pay for anything, shipping included.

This is subject to change, of course.


Cat

They have charged me in the past. I've found their service to be inconsistent. This time I didn't pay and received the parts quickly. The last one I rebuilt I was billed and waited three weeks for the parts.

[Catshooter]

Really? I've been getting parts from them since the early nineties and they've never let me pay a dime. I've even told them when I've bought used presses and needed parts: didn't care. Still couldn't pay.

I have seen though that since they made a change to their phone/log-in system their delivery has lengthened quite a bit. But it still free, so how can I whine?

I'm a fan.


Cat

[dragon813gt]

Yes, really. I've found their warranty service to be inconsistent. I did get the parts I needed, eventually.