Lee upside down sizing press

[Hammer0419]

I have seen roomers of Lee coming out with an inverted Lee sizing press. Does anyone have any info or updates? Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

[rancher1913]

use the search box in the upper right corner, lots and lots of threads on using the lee upside down.

[Hammer0419]

I have. I am working on mounting a Lee handheld which I feel will work upside down better. I read Lee was possibly making a specific inverted sizing press, reason I asked. I don't reload ammunition. I only cast lead for my high powered Airguns and size for a more uniform pellet. Something heavy duty is unnecessary for me. Plus I was hoping to find one that was intended to be operated in that position

[joe leadslinger]

I use a lee single stage mounted upside down for boolit sizing. Right side up for de-capping. If I remember that little press cost $30.

[Conditor22]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-boolit-sizing

you can mount it to a board and flip the board over

build a stand to mount it upside down or

[kevin c]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...t-for-lee-dies

The OP here was thinking of building his last version of this sizer for sale. I don't know where he is on that, though.

The Lee version was mentioned I think, but no recents news.

[Hammer0419]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...t-for-lee-dies

The OP here was thinking of building his last version this sizer for sale. I don't know where he is on that, though.

The Lee version was mentioned I think, but no recents news.

I found that press in my search. Would jump all over one of them.

[kevin c]

Then let me PM him and see if he is still planning to sell them.

ETA: He responded. Basically he told me that he wasn't satisfied with the second version and has been busy with higher priority projects, but is still hoping to work on better version once he gets some CAD kinks worked out.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...t-for-lee-dies

[Hammer0419]

The one press I envisioned working perfectly upside down was the Lee Hand Press. My only issue was I was over thinking on how to mount it. A piece of wood ripped, slotted, and bolted and in business. Only negative is my NOE dies don't allow press to work normally. It is usable, the handle just doesn't come down much. Short stroke.

[Kenstone]

The one press I envisioned working perfectly upside down was the Lee Hand Press. My only issue was I was over thinking on how to mount it. A piece of wood ripped, slotted, and bolted and in business. Only negative is my NOE dies don't allow press to work normally. It is usable, the handle just doesn't come down much. Short stroke.

Nice mount
It looks like making some longer link arms would get you full stroke with the NOE dies.

[Hammer0419]

I'm going to make a few this week to test out

[TCFAN]

The one press I envisioned working perfectly upside down was the Lee Hand Press. My only issue was I was over thinking on how to mount it. A piece of wood ripped, slotted, and bolted and in business. Only negative is my NOE dies don't allow press to work normally. It is usable, the handle just doesn't come down much. Short stroke.

I don't understand my Lee hand press work upside down just fine with NOE size dies as long as you put them in the press the correct way.

[Hammer0419]

I don't understand my Lee hand press work upside down just fine with NOE size dies as long as you put them in the press the correct way.

I didn't say it would not work at all. Just not as the press was intended. It does work fine but the arm DOES NOT come down to normal position. With the NOE dies you will always be using the press with arm in upper position. The NOE dies shorten the stroke. End of the world? Definitely not. It's just my OCD!!!

[Hammer0419]

I am definitely liking the hand press upside down. Very fast sizing.

[Kpj313]

I took the idea from someone here and just use a spring. Just as fast and no messing around with an upside down press.

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[Kenstone]

This guy uses a Lee bullet feeding die to feed bullets into a single stage press with a push thru Lee sizing die.
Yes, he's using a Mr. BF collator to load the feeding die but you could use longer tubes or the Lee rotary thingy with 4 tubes.
It runs really fast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8VB7mw1Qwc
This guy's using a turret press and not indexing it, for the same results:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLu0mnsqf4g

I thought about doing this but with having a tube on top of the sizer to accept the sized bullet, as I use tubes to feed bullets when reloading.
So I'd be feeding from a tube, sizing, and feeding back into a tube

[AR-Bossman]

This guy uses a Lee bullet feeding die to feed bullets into a single stage press with a push thru Lee sizing die.
Yes, he's using a Mr. BF collator to load the feeding die but you could use longer tubes or the Lee rotary thingy with 4 tubes.
It runs really fast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8VB7mw1Qwc
This guy's using a turret press and not indexing it, for the same results:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLu0mnsqf4g

I thought about doing this but with having a tube on top of the sizer to accept the sized bullet, as I use tubes to feed bullets when reloading.
So I'd be feeding from a tube, sizing, and feeding back into a tube

I was inspired by the first video to mount a Lee bullet feeder to my Hornady Classic press. I had to 3d print some new parts because it's thicker and well.. totally different. I hadn't seen that second video. That is really pretty cool and should be a go to video for those wanting to get into using a lee sizer and being shown all this upside down business.

[Kenstone]

I was inspired by the first video to mount a Lee bullet feeder to my Hornady Classic press. I had to 3d print some new parts because it's thicker and well.. totally different. I hadn't seen that second video. That is really pretty cool and should be a go to video for those wanting to get into using a lee sizer and being shown all this upside down business.

Nice...
Thanks for reading and responding to my post.

Yes, Lee has added a hair pin spring to the bullet feeder for positive/complete forward movement of the fingers to under the seat/crimp die, before the fingers/bullet begin to move upward.
Prior DIY'ers would add a weight to the die to accomplish/overcome that hiccup before Lee offered that spring as an update and added it to all the bullet feeder kits.

Have you experienced the fingers loosing their tension and ability to "pinch" a bullet over time?
That is something I've read about around the net and the reason I haven't bought a Lee bullet feeder die (yet).
Although I have an idea/design to add a hair pin spring to the fingers if loss of tension were to become a problem for me.

Edit: just thought to ask, did you need to grind an angle onto the bottom of the sizing die, similar to the angle on the seating/crimping die?

[AR-Bossman]

Nice...
Thanks for reading and responding to my post.

Yes, Lee has added a hair pin spring to the bullet feeder for positive/complete forward movement of the fingers to under the seat/crimp die, before the fingers/bullet begin to move upward.
Prior DIY'ers would add a weight to the die to accomplish/overcome that hiccup before Lee offered that spring as an update and added it to all the bullet feeder kits.

Have you experienced the fingers loosing their tension and ability to "pinch" a bullet over time?
That is something I've read about around the net and the reason I haven't bought a Lee bullet feeder die (yet).
Although I have an idea/design to add a hair pin spring to the fingers if loss of tension were to become a problem for me.

Edit: just thought to ask, did you need to grind an angle onto the bottom of the sizing die, similar to the angle on the seating/crimping die?

Ok alot there to discuss. So first of all I seen on that second video the guy who made that also said in a reply it was a major pain to set up, so maybe it's not something to recommend to people looking to automate their sizing.

Onto my gadget. I printed my own bullet feed die (the center part where the bullet drops) , the feeder link, the feed fingers. My stock one was just not working well so I had to print my own parts to get the movement I needed. I wouldn't worry about finger tension, you can buy new ones in packs or I actually heat mine up and pinch them together to get the tension to hold the bullet. These powder coated bullets are super slick so having one drop out or fly out isn't a big surprise. I almost ground an angle when I first designed my setup, but it turned out the fingers have enough flex in them that they just move outta the way. They don't NEED that angle to help them release, at least on this cobbled together thing I made.
Doing the sizing by hand is actually pretty fast.

[Drydock]

I just use my Lee hand press held upside down in my bench vise with a couple chunks of tomato stake. Works great!