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Thread: Lee Dippers

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Lee Dippers

    I like the idea of Lee dippers in principal. However the biggest flaw I find with them is the poor incremental selection. Especially in the pistol sizes. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7?

    If you're loading 9mm or even .38 spl these increments just aren't useful. I end up fabricating my own out of spent cases, solder, and copper wire.

    It would be so nice if there was a "Pistol dipper set" with 0.1 cc increments. 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 cc.

    Or am I the only one that sees the need?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Guesser's Avatar
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    If they were available I would buy a set. I, also, have fabricated several for specific uses; but I'd buy a set.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Black Jaque Janaviac View Post
    I like the idea of Lee dippers in principal. However the biggest flaw I find with them is the poor incremental selection. Especially in the pistol sizes. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7?

    If you're loading 9mm or even .38 spl these increments just aren't useful. I end up fabricating my own out of spent cases, solder, and copper wire.

    It would be so nice if there was a "Pistol dipper set" with 0.1 cc increments. 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 cc.

    Or am I the only one that sees the need?
    I wish I had a set , I resorted to modifying a few of Lee's then making my own out of fired cases but a set of "pistol dippers" would have been nice. If they made a set tomorrow I would order one . I would like them to be in 0.5 increments , like 1.0, 1.5 , 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5....etc .
    I rather like the way dippers operate , simple and safe .
    Gary
    Last edited by gwpercle; 01-04-2019 at 04:16 PM.
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  4. #4
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    Besides making some of my own dippers, I have customized some of my Lee dippers. I can either remove some of the top/mouth of the mouth to lessen the charge and I have dropped epoxy in the cavities to make the charges smaller. To make charges a bit heavier I have reamed out the cavity or deepened it with a drill. Works for me...

    I also learned how to vary the charge from a dipper by varying my dipping method. I can run the dipper through the powder backwards and strike the mouth with a straight edge. I can run the dipper through the powder, mouth first and strike, and also run the dipper through mouth first and lightly shake, not strike. I can "push" the dipper through the powder and not strike, and push through a deeper container of powder and get heavier charges. All these methods will produce a different charge. Just takes practice...
    Last edited by mdi; 01-04-2019 at 05:57 PM.
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  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Several ways to "adjust dippers thrown charges. You can fill with epoxy and then work it down with a flat ground drill. Another is with a hole punch make some card board discs that fit snug into dippers and use for spacers to lighten charge. For small charge changes a piece of masking tape on the side of the cup does the trick will fine tune quickly. If you need a lot then the epoxy may be the way to go. The nice thing with the cut disks is they are adjustable in the future by adding or removing disks. The tape is handy for small quick adjustments of 1/2 grn or less. You can file them down if you want to also.

    I keep several lengths of thin wall brass tubing in different sizes and .060 flat stock on hand to make dippers with when needed. My shim punch knocks out a base of dia needed. This is aligned in the bottom and soldered in place. A handle is then fashioned from wire or the .060 brass flat stock and soldered on. cleaned and length adjusted for desired weight. With the tube a smaller dowel wrapped with tape to a snug fit slid into tube leaving the end known to long. Pour the desired charge in and push up to where it meets the end of the tube. pour out and measure depth of cavity. Add thickness of the flat stock + 030 - .060 to this and cut. lightly press base in flush with end and make handle solder together. clean deburr and check. You should have very little file work to do.

  6. #6
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    I agree, and I've also made a few of my own from spent cases. I always liked the Lee dippers better than other measuring methods.

    God Bless.

    GoodOlBoy
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  7. #7
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    Candle wax/paraffin melted & put in the bottom of the dippers can help with "tuning" a dipper to a specific charge.

    You can "adjust" the "setting" if you put in too much, but simply removing some of the wax.

    You can remove that wax later if you like, by placing the dipper in some water hot enough to remove the wax & it will be back at the original "setting", or amount of capacity.

    Or... You can make your own dippers out of cartridges, as mentioned.

    I have done both. It works. KISS method for me.


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  8. #8
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    i bought two sets a long while back.
    one set i used sand paper to 'file' down a few for specific powder/cartridge combos.
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  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    I love that we have so many options for measuring the amount of powder that goes into a case. Different tastes/preferences.

    I own a complete set of the yellow dippers in a pretty nice box, but never found them to be more convenient than a Uniflow with a micrometer adjustment screw. Both meter by volume, but a uniflow can cover all the in-between territory. So mine remain unused under the bench somewhere. I'll probably gift them to someone eventually.

  10. #10
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    The Uniflow with the micrometer is good, but with stick powders it gives me fits.I have the box of yellow dippers, and all but one have been used at some time or another. If using them for light loads I'll use them as is, but for my hunting loads I'll dip them and use my scale and trickler.
    Tom
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    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  11. #11
    Boolit Master

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    Yes, large extruded powders get dropped and trickled from the Uniflow. I keep a note of where the "hair under" setting is in the micro screw and dial 'er up. But I can see the utility of a dipper if one is sized close.
    Last edited by Taterhead; 01-05-2019 at 01:40 AM.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    I like the dipper method for its ease of setup and simplicity. I have a Lee powder measure that I use if the dippers don't get me close enough. Breaking out the scale to set and verify the measure is a pain if I'm just doing a box.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    I love my dippers. I have all 3, the black, red, and yellow sets. Im partial to them for stick powders and winchester 296/h110.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    I too would buy a set of Pistol dippers in .1 graduations.

    I also make my own. Took a piece of cut off flat bamboo stick 1/2" wide, 4" long. with tape put a .22mag brass on one end. .22lr on the other. Took virtually nothing to tune that .22lr to throw 2 grain of Red Dot charges. Just right for the .32sw long.

    Big one throws 3.5 grains of RD which will be handi for 9mm loading.

    Mostly I pull it forward into the pile, scooping it up with a slightly rounded excess. Then a tap on the edge of the powder container settles it, knocks off the excess. Works for me.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I've got an older set that I used back before I got a Chargemaster. I would drop an undercharge into the scale pan and trickle up. Mine had a slide rule type chart that made it quicker than adjusting a powder measure to do the same.
    I also have a small box of homemade dippers that I bought from another member a while back. These were made from old cartridge cases with a handle soldered on. Many of them were older rimfire cases and I bought them mostly for the "cool" factor! Whoever made them was a real craftsman.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    If you have access to a 3d printer simply print out exactly what you need - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1395017

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    I wonder how it would do to attempt to make some out of bamboo.......
    Tom
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    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Have a friend that made some temporary dippers from straws and card board tubes. They worked and held up with careful handling. With the range of straight walled cases from 22 short to 45-70, Brass, aluminum, and Stainless Steel mechanical tubing available Any dipper can be made

  19. #19
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by pastera View Post
    If you have access to a 3d printer simply print out exactly what you need - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1395017
    I was about to offer to design some for 3D printing community, I don't know about those flat bottoms, looks like it would require some really well performing bridging, I think a tapered conical bottom would work better

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy sparkyv's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pastera View Post
    If you have access to a 3d printer simply print out exactly what you need - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1395017

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check