Forster CoAx press ?s

[PBlover429]

Just bought my first one (used).
What do I need to know, tips ?, etc.
Thanks.

[JeepHammer]

Nice press!

The $5 primer catcher cup is a good deal, and I like the quick jaws for about $70.

If you are going to do heavy duty resizing (moving a lot of brass) or swaging, I would inset the press into the bench & put a brace crossways under the table top.
Cantilevered off the table edge, particularly if the top extends past the table legs, you will flex the table top & rock the table.

I inset presses behind the front legs, and brace under a stiff top to further stiffen the bench, which keep the 'Sponge' (flex) out of the table top and let's me apply full pressure to the press handle.
Preloading the table top isn't a good way to keep consistency.

If this link works, look under the blue press and you can see the cross brace...



Presses behind front legs keeps them from trying to tip the bench outward, no rocking wall slap.
Inset let's the force from the press to push nearly directly straight down on the front legs, better leverage/force distribution.
Inletting presses keeps the press from being hip & elbow busters also...

I'm lazy, and if I can apply the force to the case instead of loading the bench and having it rebound it's easier on me,
Plus, the bench doesn't rock and walk, and doesn't have to be bolted to the wall.

[osteodoc08]

Awesome ingenuity JH. I’ll file that away

[mdi]

I got my Co-Ax about 18 months ago. Best press I've owned (had approx 6 single stages and one turret). My press needed nothing right out of the box, but I did buy the extra LS jaws (and if you're like most of us get extra jaw springs, they are reallllly easy to lose). I heard a lot if "complaints" about the long handle and wide swing, but no body says you have to hold the handle at the end. I made a 6" handle but I don't use it, as nearly every process can be done by just grabbing the yoke or "choking up" on the handle. Of course sizing rifle cases often needs more leverage (30-06 and 308 is all I've done so far) but for most operations grabbing the yoke with my left hand is enough (yesterday I reloaded a box of 45 ACP and don't remember holding the handle by the end).

I changed the jaw plate screws to phillips head ss screws. I use a 12" screwdriver and reach the screws from above, much easier for me than an allen wrench. I also installed LED light strips from Inline Fabrication, mainly because my 70 year old eyes like a bit of help.

Stock primer catcher is excellent (I think Mr. Hammer was thinking about a different press.). I mounted my Co-Ax at about a 30 degree angle which situated the press better for me to feed and pull the handle comfortably. I mounted most of my presses this way...

My additions aren't really necessary, just a "nice to have" addition for me.

[country gent]

Herse the ultimate primer catcher for the coax. Take the steel tube to the hardware store and find a piece of clear tubing that fits snug on it. buy 2 1/2 feet of it. Take the cup lid and clip off tube and press tubing on to steel tube about 1 - 1 1/2" ad run other end into waste basket or a 8 pound powder can. With this mod you can go a long time with out having to empty spent primers.

Watch tooling height in this press as the handle yoke may hit on some taller dies or pullers.
Make sure drawers under the press clear the guide rods
The Short handle may be handy for light use priming, pistol rounds, neck sizing.
Stock up on die rings as lees don't work and the thinner ones may be an issue at times.

THis is a very good press and does a wonderfull job. Keep it clean and lubed and it will outlast you your kids and grandkids.

[JeepHammer]

Awesome ingenuity JH. I’ll file that away

I like work stations that best suits the process.
When I throw $1,500 or $2,00 at reloading equipment for precision work, I'm not about to let $200 in materials for a bench screw that up.

In the picture, back board is lifted up off the ground so outlets & cables can pass behind it, it clears base boards also.

The force is directed straight down by the end panels (sides).
There is no wobble with 3/4" plywood that's 2' long, no twist like legs do on a normal bench when the handle is pulled.

It's a structural thing that a lot won't understand, but by boxing on 3 sides with panels there is no twist or bounce, and with the presses inset behind the front leverage point, the bench works for you instead of against you.

I cheated, no groove or dovetail, I simply stick a 2"x4" (or 2"x3") in the corners and screwed the plywood it in a bunch of places.
There is a 3 side 2"x4" surround under the top, and a brace on edge with joist hangers on the ends of that brace, and again I screwed it all over the place so it's seriously rigid.

Since it's 2' deep and 4' long, it fits through doorways, and a dolly makes a 1 man move if needed.
8 sq.ft. of bench top, 8 sq. ft. of storage under the bench on the floor, and the surround keeps parts from getting away (like little springs, rolling primers or bullets, etc.).
The back & sides make good, and handy places for tools you don't have to beat yourself up reaching for.

For $150-$200 in materials and an afternoon to build it works quite well to keep that $1,500-$2,000 worth of reloading equipment safe & organized...
We have all seen the benches that were cobbled together and look like a junk bomb went off on them, I did that too before I spent a few afternoons thinking about how it would look if it were a professional work station, and this is what I've come up with so far.

This bench has a tool head single press (Lee 'Turret') for quick case banging, tearing down suspect rounds that don't pass QC, so there aren't any 'Mystery Rounds' on the bench.
2 second tool head changes let's me pull bullets, punch primers, use other tools on demand as needed.
The old 3 hole tool head presses are dirt cheap and work well for this function, a good companion for about any specialized press.
Again, low cost support for the specialized press so you don't have to loose adjustments when something comes up...

----------
New picture below,

I've used the work station design several times, and as my addiction grows it let's me move things around and expand.



Even with the case roller, press & trimmer running (motor driven) the bench doesn't rock & roll.
This one doesn't have rams hanging down, so I put a drawer under the top.

The dolly I use to move the benches is standing up on the right.

Far left roller cart is a case qualifier, necks open 95% or better, seriously damaged cases are also ejected at about 3,000/hr.
It's more than the OP asked about, but it shows the capabilities of a modular workstation design instead of a big monolithic bench.

No one is going to build a $150-$200 bench for a $100-$150 press...
This is more for the serious press/reloaders that are tired of the limitations of a salvaged/repurposed bench.

It's two sheets of 3/4" plywood, which the big box stores will cut on a panel cutter, and you will use 1-1/2 sheets commonly.
Common 2"x4"s, 2"x6", joist hangers for brace, and a bunch of aggressive wood screws.
I went the extra step and used common 1"x6" and 1"x8" pine boards for shelves, and again, a bunch of wood screws.

I'm no carpenter, so it's VERY rough, but if I can do it, anyone can, and many can do it a LOT better than me, I didn't worry about finish other than slopping a coat of paint on them.

Just some ideas, use them if they apply.

[dverna]

What I have done to my main benches that sit against walls, is add a 2x4 on top of the bench, at the back of the bench and screw the 2x4 into the wall studs with 3 1/2 " deck screws. The bench top is screwed to the 2x4 as well from the underside. Like JeepHammer, I reinforce and add legs to the front edge as well.

BTW, have had a Co-Ax for 45 years and I like it. I sit a bit to the side due to the handle travel. I use a Rock Chucker for sizing military cases as I think the RC is sturdier.

One of the reasons I like it is that I do not need to adjust dies. It was the only press with that feature back then. I do not play around much with bullet weights and types once I have a load dialed in.

[hornetman]

Take a look at the short roller handle from inline fabrication it solves the handle interference issue since you're pulling down a bit to the right(or left ) instead of the middle of the press. I solved the die changing issue by getting a second co-ax.

[MT Chambers]

Stock up (buy) Forster round lock rings for all your dies for easy die change outs, I believe that the Hornadys and Reddings work but could be wrong.

[mdi]

I'm wondering if there is another Forster Co-Ax some members are talking about. The spent primer catching system on my Co-Ax is trouble free. The cup will probably hold over 1,000 primers and takes 30 seconds to empty. "Changing dies"? I keep my dies in plastic sandwich boxes. I put a padded material on the bottom and the 4 or 5 dies fit quite easily, and I often include a couple dummy rounds. I have 9 stacked on my bench, safe and out of the way and die changes takes less than 10 seconds, 45 seconds if I have to open the box. What are you guys talking about? Maybe I got a "special" Forster Co-Ax?

I have not had any "Clearance" problems with the press/handle. I have even sized bullets on mine with Lee sizing dies. Just takes a little thought (I made a longer stem out of a dowel and a 45 ACP case and no, I don't use the plastic container to catch the sized bullets, but I take 3 or 4 seconds to pick off the sized bullet as it protrudes from the top of the die) I have been able to do everything on my Co-Ax I need to do or have done on my other presses except swaging, which I only did on my huge, extra heavy, cast iron C-H single stage...

[leadhead]

I've had a co ax for a lot of years, and the only problem I've had with it is when
sizing for the Russian 7.62x54R, When I full length size, they will NOT chamber
in the Finn rifles. It doesn't push the shoulder back far enough. (tighter chamber
specs I guess.) The jaws on the coax, won't let the case go deep enough into the
die. I just size on my single stage and no problems. Other than that, it's a great
press.
Denny

[country gent]

My coax is an older model with out the hardened shim wear plate under the jaws. I started having trouble getting 308 shoulders pushed back after many years of use for high power ammo. I knew the dies and set up had loaded good ammo before so pulled the press apart and found a belly in the base under the shell holder set up. I milled this down flat and a little more. made a .060 plate from spring banding and lightly ground it flat. Installed it and replaced all the pins and links. Back to like new. The new coaxes have this wear plate installed already. Its been a great press and always loads very accurate ammo.

[bgw45]

To stop the "shakes" I bought a piece of 1/4" boilerplate. Problem solved......