Mounting a press upside down for boolit sizing

[jamesp81]

Wanting to get some input from those who have done it. A few questions.

Most do this to use in conjunction with the Lee sizers. Has anyone done this and used it with the NOE sizers?

As far as mounting, my bench is not friendly to it. The front of my bench is not open, so simply mounting it under the front lip of the bench is not possible. What I'm considering is mounting the press to a piece of wood that extends out from the press base itself a bit, and then bolting / C-clamping / whatever to my bench. Given that a press itself can be heavy and sizing can involve applying significant force to the press, the wood mount is obviously going to have leverage against it. How thick of a board would I need?

As for the press itself, I have an RCBS Rock Chucker but it's honestly too much of a beast for this. I was considering getting one of those $40 C frame Lee presses and using it as a dedicated tool. Later down the road, I might attach a pneumatic cylinder to the ram...because, you know. Lazy

Before anyone suggests using a metal mount, I have no capability to make one. Any idea that starts out with "get your welder and metal saw..." is not going to happen. This is me we're talking about here

[bdicki]

I have the cheap Lee C press mounted upside down on a bench made of 2X12's quite a bit of force to do hard 460 boolits. I would think a 2X6 would work maybe a couple of triangle braces to stiffen it, I haven't used NOE sizers just Lee.

[TCFAN]

I wanted to try upside down sizing so I took a Lee hand press and put in a bench vise upside down to try. Used a small coffee can under the press to catch the boolits. It worked like a charm.Never used the vise for any thing so the press is still mounted in it.I use my setup with the Lee sizers, but I don't know why the NOE sizers would not work as well.

The Lee hand press mounted upside down works good because the handle is pulled down to push the boolit through the sizer.


If you have a lot of boolits that need to be sized upside down sizing is the way to go..........

[jamesp81]

I wanted to try upside down sizing so I took a Lee hand press and put in a bench vise upside down to try. Used a small coffee can under the press to catch the boolits. It worked like a charm.Never used the vise for any thing so the press is still mounted in it.I use my setup with the Lee sizers, but I don't know why the NOE sizers would not work as well.

The Lee hand press mounted upside down works good because the handle is pulled down to push the boolit through the sizer.


If you have a lot of boolits that need to be sized upside down sizing is the way to go..........

I hadn't even considered this. How exactly did you mount it in the vise? I have a 6 inch vise on my bench, mostly for changing barrels on AR15s. Do you need some non-mar jaws or something? I guess I'm wondering what you're clamping to on the hand press.

I assume the hand press has less mechanical advantage than a bench mounted press...how much more of a workout is it for you compared to bench mounted?

[Dan Cash]

Screw the press to a 2x4 so there is board sticking out behind the press. Clamp the 2x4 in the vice. You will find that pulling the handle toward you and up ward is less tiring than pulling it down. I have been using an upside down press for several years and it is the way to go. Much better than lubricator/sizers.

[jamesp81]

Screw the press to a 2x4 so there is board sticking out behind the press. Clamp the 2x4 in the vice. You will find that pulling the handle toward you and up ward is less tiring than pulling it down. I have been using an upside down press for several years and it is the way to go. Much better than lubricator/sizers.

Trying to visualize this...

If I mount to a 2x4, I don't see how I can securely clamp in a vise. I'd be clamping the vise against the 2x4 the "wide" way. I might be wrong, but it seems like it would be unlikely to hold once you started applying some sizing forces.

Unless you are talking about mounting the press the other way, in the narrow 2 inch facet of a 2x4 (yes, I know it's really 1.5 inches, but you take my meaning). Seems like it would be too narrow to accommodate the base of the press that way.

Edit: Would I not be better off with a 4x4?

[willowbend]

I have a slot just under the edge of my bench that fits a 1x4.

[TCFAN]

I hadn't even considered this. How exactly did you mount it in the vise? I have a 6 inch vise on my bench, mostly for changing barrels on AR15s. Do you need some non-mar jaws or something? I guess I'm wondering what you're clamping to on the hand press.

I assume the hand press has less mechanical advantage than a bench mounted press...how much more of a workout is it for you compared to bench mounted?

No work out at all.I find pushing down easier than pulling up.Couple of photos...

[Loudy13]

I mounted a Redding boss upside down and it does make it a lot easier to cycle through a bunch of bullets. I do use the NOE push through sizer with replaceable sizers and it makes it even easier due to not having to remove the whole die each time. I have a hose that runs into a bucket to catch the sized rounds. I used a 2X6 and had to cut off one edge to mount the press squarely and use a C-clamp to mount it to my bench. I would add pics but for some reason I don't know how to do that anymore!

[Loudy13]

Photo maybe

[NoAngel]

[lakeparkv8]

Here is what I did with a Pacific press. When mounted upside down the handle goes in the down stroke when sizing. I prefer that instead of pushing up on the handle. Its mounted on a flat piece of metal bolted to my bench. Hope this helps you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSud6gwxjW8

[hporter]

I had Dan at Inline Fabrication build me a quick change plate to hold my Lee C press upside down for bullet sizing. I wasn't smart enough to just put my Lee C press upside down in my bench vise, that is a brilliant idea.

But having the C press on a quick change mount is super convenient. I have a bunch of reloading equipment mounted on quick change plates. It makes it easy to swap from a star lubri-sizer, to this press in a couple of seconds. And I installed t-nuts in the bottom of the butcher block bench top so that I can pull the strong mount off in a couple of seconds time as well. Very clean and very convenient.

I have a dozen or more LEE sizing kits and they take up a whole bunch of storage space. All of my NOE sizing die inserts fit into a small plastic fishing lure organizer. I will eventually get around to ridding myself of my lee dies - not that they don't work well - but because my storage space is limited. Plus Al makes his inserts in any number of different sizes that you can't get with a Lee sizing die.

Here is a photo of the Quick Change bracket installed on the Inline Fabrication strong mount with an NOE sizing die in the press.




Harold

[MyFlatline]

Agree, it will work well with either the NOE or Lee...

[jamesp81]

What exactly is that? Does not look familiar to me.

[jamesp81]

No work out at all.I find pushing down easier than pulling up.Couple of photos...

I'm honestly surprised that that holds steady in the jaws, but hey, if it works, it works.

[NoAngel]

What exactly is that? Does not look familiar to me.

Custom made upside down press made specially for Lee dies and sizing powder coated bullets.

It was made by an extremely skilled and talented craftsman that likes melting old pistons and alloy wheels and sand casting/machining them into tools.

I’ve made mention that he should make a run of them and sell them but..he’d rather be out fishing and honestly who can blame him.

[jmort]

Thankfully, I got in on that before he went fishing
Simple, great tool. Glad I got a couple.
I spoke with Lee Precision last year and they said they were going to make something like that.
Possibly later this year

[NoAngel]

Thankfully, I got in on that before he went fishing
Simple, great tool. Glad I got a couple.
I spoke with Lee Precision last year and they said they were going to make something like that.
Possibly later this year

That's cool. Something tells me he really didn't like the idea of cranking them out for people he didn't know anyway.

I can see Lee selling a lot of them once word gets out. They are very fast once you find your rhythm.


....and let Lee deal with warranties and whiny people who are never satisfied. LOL!

[jmort]

He told me not to mention him as he did not want it to become a hassel
So I think you are correct