Lee Classic Cast

[hiram]

I have the Lee classic cast press. There is a bolt through the linkage with a nut on each side (I'm not one of them).

Are the two nuts suppose to be tight?

I was depriming water soaked shotgun shells. When I was finished, I noticed when the ram was lowered it required a little more force and a rubbing noise at the end of travel. I don't remember it needing a little extra force when lowering the ram before the depriming and I don't remember a rubbing noise.

I took the nuts off to try to take the linkage apart but was unable to disassemble. I put the nuts back on and the effort to lower the ram was greater than before.

Any help?

Thanks

[williamwaco]

Yikes!

You are in over MY head!

I have no idea what to tell you but I would like to know how did you de-prime shotgun shells on a metallic cartridge press?

[Riverpigusmc]

IIRC, you take the nuts off, then turn the ram, that takes the studs out of the holes and allows you to remove it...it's been awhile, but I think thats what I did when I took mine apart to clean and lube the ram. You may just need to spray some CLP in there if it got wet...

[dbosman]

Odds are you got something on the ram. Probably a bit of paper. Since you tried to dismantle it, I'd use a water displacing compound such as WD40, thoroughly. In a couple of days dry it all well and put about two drops of oil on the ram while cycling it.
Good luck.

[Bullshop Junior]

I think those things have lock nuts and are supposed to be snug so there is no play but not tight.

[hiram]

OK--

an explanation how I deprimed shotgun shells.

I had a lee loader but not in 12 ga so I did not have a proper base for depriming. I rigged one up. During the depriming process of using the decapping tool from a Lee loader, 2 primers detonated. The decapper is made to knock out fired primers. So much for holding the decapping rod. Even though the shell were left outside and the bases were rusty, I guess most primers were hot.

I had 2 6 gal pails of shells.

I started by cutting an inch off the shell with a tree pruner and salvaging the shot.
Pulled the wad out with needle nose pliers and salvaged the powder. Some powder was thrown out because water leaked in. Most of the powder was good.

Now the depriming...........

I had the Lee universal decapper. This was open enough to allow the decapping rod in but tapered so it did not come out of the top of the die. If the rod seats too deeply, wrap some tape around the top of the decapper and the decapper does not go in as far.

No shellholder used. The primer came out on the top of the ram.

Now for press disassembly---even with the 2 nuts off, there is a pin at the bottom of the ram. Has anyone ever removed that pin?

[Riverpigusmc]

I didn't remove it..just kind of wiggled thing around until both sides were loose, turned the ram so both ends were out of the holes and slid the ram out. If we are talking about the same thing

[williamwaco]

OK--

an explanation how I deprimed shotgun shells.

I had a lee loader but not in 12 ga so I did not have a proper base for depriming. I rigged one up. During the depriming process of using the decapping tool from a Lee loader, 2 primers detonated. The decapper is made to knock out fired primers. So much for holding the decapping rod. Even though the shell were left outside and the bases were rusty, I guess most primers were hot.

I had 2 6 gal pails of shells.

I started by cutting an inch off the shell with a tree pruner and salvaging the shot.
Pulled the wad out with needle nose pliers and salvaged the powder. Some powder was thrown out because water leaked in. Most of the powder was good.

Now the depriming...........

I had the Lee universal decapper. This was open enough to allow the decapping rod in but tapered so it did not come out of the top of the die. If the rod seats too deeply, wrap some tape around the top of the decapper and the decapper does not go in as far.

No shellholder used. The primer came out on the top of the ram.

Now for press disassembly---even with the 2 nuts off, there is a pin at the bottom of the ram. Has anyone ever removed that pin?

Really appeals to my Scottish ancestry.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The Pin in the bottom of the ram is actually two pins.
Punch the small pin (locking pin), then slide the larger pin out.

[hiram]

Correction--

I did not use the Lee universal decapper. I used a Lee factory crimp die. I pulled out the insert. It was large enough for the decapping pin, the universal decapper body was too small.

The pin in the bottom of the ram, going through the linkage, appears to be the same size on both left and right side.

[Mike Kerr]

Wowser! Now that's creative Hiram. I see I'm not the only one who treads where angels fear to go.
Hope you get it fixed.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

the small pin is inside the larger pin.

[hiram]

890048900589006got some pics---

I unscrewed the shellholder adapter--cleaned it and the threads and I sprayed the inside of the ram, oiled the threads. I started to unscrew by putting a screwdrived in the primer slot for leverage and when a turn or two out, I put a screwdriver in from the top to finish up.

[VHoward]

By the title of the thread every body probably thought you were talking about the classic cast single stage, not the classic cast turret.

[hiram]

could be

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Until I saw your pictures, I thought either you were nuts or.... Evidently it was the ..... you had a different press.

[Bullshop Junior]

The classic cast and classic cast turret are the same lower

[hiram]

My wife thinks I'm nuts.