Modding the Lee Classic Cast for leverage

[20nickels]

Although it's not well known, some in the swaging forum have drilled the linkages and reset the pivot pin closer to the ram for more leverage. This will effectively give you more leverage at the cost of less ram stroke.
Yer gonna do what? :lol:
Before anyone says "you shouldn't do that" let me just say that a few have and it seems to work quite well for easing tough sizing operations like swaging.
1st things 1st, getting it apart. If anyone has disassembled one I'm all ears. I have the ram top removed, see pic, and the link pins are exposed fron the inside. I'll try to push them in or out this evening. I'm hoping some who have already done this will chime in and we can document this for others as well.

[ANeat]

Its been a while but from what I recall.........

For the dis-assembly youre part way there, as you show, the top part of the ram unscrews, and it needs to be removed.

That will get you access to the 2 pins at the top that go in the press, They are knurled and a press fit, they need to be driven OUT away from the press, one pin has a hole in it, you need to use a long 1/8 punch, go thru the pin with the hole in it and drive the other one out, after that you can use a larger punch and drive the remaining pin out, then everything will fall free (be ready to catch it or watch your toes.....)

[BT Sniper]

Yes the Lee is a perfect canadit for mods, especially for adding more leverage exactly as you have stated.

Quick answers for you,

Be sure the ram is all the way down and drive one of the pins inward so it falls into the ram slot. Then you can drive the other pin outward.

Then you can remove the lincages and ram for disasembly.

Use 1/2" grade 8 bolt for the replacment bolt rather then the factory shoulder bolt.

I relocate the 1/2" holes aproxamatly 1" from their current postion.

You will have to grind off one side of the over cam stops.

Then you should be good to go.

Measure twice and three times before drilling any holes. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I have done severial of these mods as well as severial others that use this press to swage bullets with.

BT

Do not use the factory supplied shoulder bolt for the new holes.

[BT Sniper]

Yes driving pin out is better if you have teh 1/8 punch pin, me I just drove one all teh way threw and seemed to be OK.

BT

[ANeat]

For those who havent seen it, this is what unscrews from the top of the ram.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=153&pictureid=1765


And this is the top of the ram, the Lee ram is made from a piece of tubing.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=153&pictureid=1763


And this is a shot of the linkage, this is after I had bored new pivot holes.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=153&pictureid=1761

[ANeat]

Dont drive the pins IN, if you do youre in for a much tougher ordeal, the outside of the pins have a radial knurl for retention and you really dont want to force that thru the finished hole.

Go to Harbor Freight or somewhere and get a set of long punches, you will be glad you did.


Like BT said, you will need to get rid of the factory shoulder bolt so you can quickly change back from regular to short stroke.

I ended up making a long pin for mine.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h165/aneat/Swage/DSC01453.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h165/aneat/Swage/DSC01454.jpg

[20nickels]

Tks for the responses guys. A couple of questions;
Why grind off one of the travel stops, does it interfere with the toggle arm in the swaging position?
Is a 1/2" or so trailer hitch pin suitable for a pivot pin? Use washers to snug it up. Just trying to make it easily changeable from high to low gear.
Nobody has the long punches locally. I'll get a hard 1/8" bolt in the morning and hack the head off of it. I'll use it as a "punch extender" to knock out the pins.

[20nickels]

Press is in pieces! I used an 1/8" punch and had some 1/8" hardware store round stock laying around so I used that as an "extension" for the punch to get it started. Was easier after I got it started, then use a longer piece to poke it out the rest of the way. Thought the soft stuff would mushroom under the hammering but no such thing happened. Claw hammer was enough.
Watch your toes, it falls right out! I caught it with a bucket.

[BT Sniper]

You don't have to grind off the stops if you only drill one set of the links, as in Aneats pic. With that set up you do increase the leverage and shorten the stroke of the ram but the ram is that much further now from the top of the press. If you drill both sets of the links then the stops would need to be ground off.

Up to you as to how close you need the ram to the top of the press.

Mine has yet a few extra parts in the links but you can see how I repostioned the bolt hole in both pairs of links to give it a higher top of stroke allowing the ram to be back at it's orginal hight at the top of the stroke. It does not go all the way down like it did before this way. The support links are upside down too, I got drill happy with the holes I guess?

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/pressupgrade002.jpg

[20nickels]

I see, excellent explanation. I have a couple ideas to bring it back to original height but I won't be able to judge which is best until the dust settles from this part of the project.

[20nickels]

The Lee in pieces;

[r1kk1]

Any chance Aneat or BTSniper offer the Lee presses with the conversion done?

Wow. All I can say is wow.

Wonderful talent,

r1kk1

[20nickels]

Ready to drill.

[geargnasher]

Don't forget to center punch and drill a pilot hole through both pieces first.

Gear

[20nickels]

If you look close you can see I used utility knife blades for shims on each end. The pieces do not sit flush with each other and the door shims are a must to hold it in a vice due to it's angle.
Maybe I can drill and reassemble tonight, we will see if I have time.

Oh, and I'm told Lee sells these links for $14 ea. if you mangle them.

[BT Sniper]

Any chance Aneat or BTSniper offer the Lee presses with the conversion done?

Wow. All I can say is wow.

Wonderful talent,

r1kk1


Anything is possible. Send me a PM.

BT

[20nickels]

Project on hold until next week. Holes are drilled @ 1/2" but I decided to go w/ 9/16" pivot pin as that is the size of the original pivot pin holes and I'll need to borrow a 9/16 bit this weekend from a friend. This will make it easily switchable from high to low gear.

[r1kk1]

Pm sent bt sniper

Take care

R1kk1

[20nickels]

All done. Keep in mind there is no shell plate screwed in the top of the ram in the measurement pic and the ram is all the way up in it's highest position. The bolt is grade eight 9/16" X 4.5" long. I used a second nut to lock the 1st one in place. Ram travel is about 1 3/4" to 1 7/8"in high leverage mode, sorry I didn't get a better measurement.

[JeremyLong]

Been lurking for a while now I am going to try this mod. Just got the press in the mail today and apart it comes. I think I am going to make both sets of holes in the linkage.

This is such a good forum

Thanks for the walk though. Any other tips?

[Willbird]

What is the dia of the ram ?? It might be a nice upgrade to simply make a new one from solid turned/ground/polished stressproof :-).

Bill

[VHoward]

Lee web site says the diameter of the ram is 1 1/8th inch.

[DLCTEX]

What is the dia of the ram ?? It might be a nice upgrade to simply make a new one from solid turned/ground/polished stressproof :-).

Bill

Why? A number of members are swaging bullets with the modified press and the factory ram with no problems.

[Willbird]

Why? A number of members are swaging bullets with the modified press and the factory ram with no problems.

WHY ?? Well it would be one solution to getting the top of the ram closer to the top of the press for uses other than swaging bullets ? Plus it might be a nice enhancement in a general way, thats why :-). I'd like a press with more oomph for some other uses.

This situation was brought up in post #10, and my proposition is one solution to that.

I see, excellent explanation. I have a couple ideas to bring it back to original height but I won't be able to judge which is best until the dust settles from this part of the project.

[Del-Ray]

IS this standard 1 inch center to center measurement?

Or one inch from edge of current hole to center of new hole?

Or just make it even, and leave plenty of space so the bolt doesn't hit the ram?

Thank you, gonna use the mill at work tonight to get this done before my dies sow up.

[20nickels]

I see this is back to top. I've since bought another set of links from LEE and positioned the new pivot pin holes for sizing tough military rifle brass. Links for swaging and links for sizing, they are cheap. Loading goes back to the original pin holes or off to the LNL progressive. Also for those looking to extend their ram Hornady makes a shell plate extender.

[flashhole]

Great thread, I just want to watch.

[Traffer]

Great thread, I just want to watch.

I know it's old but I want to keep this handy.

[jonp]

Extremely helpful thread

[Walter Laich]

need to keep this close to the top

[GregLaROCHE]

Why can’t you just add a longer and maybe stronger handle ?

[Kenstone]

WHY ?? Well it would be one solution to getting the top of the ram closer to the top of the press for uses other than swaging bullets ? Plus it might be a nice enhancement in a general way, thats why :-). I'd like a press with more oomph for some other uses.

This situation was brought up in post #10, and my proposition is one solution to that.

Here you go, extended shell holder = longer ram:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/225116/hornady-universal-extended-shellholder.
A toggle's highest mechanical advantage is when all 3 pins are in a straight line, some call it cam over.
jmo,
:mrgreen:

[john.k]

If you put too much load on the ram,the slots for the shellholder will bend ........if the slots are supported by an extender ,it may be very difficult to remove.........the mod I would do is to put a through pin in place of the small side pins on the links............I havent researched this,but it may be possible to simply press out the pins,leaving a hole...............If you make replacement rockers ,then a hole it will be.....If you have a mill,make up a one piece rocker unit,like some other presses..................however ,I must say,since I got the turret,my classic is occupied by several spiders looking for a quiet spot.........only little ones,arachnaphobics.

[Walter Laich]

IS this standard 1 inch center to center measurement?

Or one inch from edge of current hole to center of new hole?

Or just make it even, and leave plenty of space so the bolt doesn't hit the ram?

Thank you, gonna use the mill at work tonight to get this done before my dies sow up.


this pic (from post #19) shows that the new hole needs to be positioned so the cross pin doesn't hit the bottom of the ram
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=43936&d=1335746935

[wquiles]

OLD thread, I know, but wanted to say thanks, as it is helping me with a similar project I had in mind.

I have an early 2000's Rock Chucker II, but hate the "fix" leverage, which for some operations doesn't work well, specially some cast bullet sizing using NOE's die (with the inserts) - in those cases I don't have enough leverage since the sizing area happens not towards the end of the stroke, but somewhere in the middle :)

I knew that Lee's adjustable arm could help, but I wanted even more mechanical advantage. I understand that gaining mechanical advantage affects ram travel and/or range (there is always a compromise), but since I have my Mega Press (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?364510-Making-my-own-single-stage-press) for most things, so I am ok having less travel with a manual press if I can gain mechanical advantage "and" handle adjustability. This thread gave me all I need to work on this project, so I recently won a $115/shipped, brand new Lee classic cast press which I will "modify" before I even mount it once :)

[GONRA]

GONRA's "Lee Classic Cast Press 90998" is a "dedicated range brass case prep tool": "Mostly use RCBS Small Base Full Length Resizing Dies".
ALWAYS use STP Oil Treatment or Tri-Flow Synthetic Grease for a Case Lube
1200 + .223 Remington cases
900 + .308 Winchester cases
982 + .30-06 SPFD cases
Large, powerful Lee press to is really excellent for case prep!

[wquiles]

Here is my modified Lee. I did both the new hole in the links attached to the handle, but also on the two links attached to the press body (per BT Spniper's recommendation) to retain the same top position for ram travel. Of course the high leverage comes at the expense of the lower total ram travel, but looking forward to using it soon:
251559

251560


And by the way, my Lee must be newer manufacture as it did NOT have one of the knurled hardened pins drill through like stated earlier in the thread. Yes, that meant I had to drive them "through" the press to get them out:
251561

Will