Archimedes Come Through For Me

[Char-Gar]

It should be no surprise to folks here that I like old school reloading and enjoy doing things the hard way. Over the years I have accumulated a nice assortment of Lyman Shell Resizers (full length hand sizing dies) with a few Wilson hand full length sizing dies thrown in for good measure.

I never thought to much of the hammer method of getting these cases in an out, so I bought a cheapo Harbor Freight 1 ton arbor press when it was on sale for $40.00 deliver to my door. My thinking was to use it for these hand dies.

Well, the HF press works fine for straight handgun and rifle cases, but doesn't have the gumba to full length size bottle neck cases like the 30-06 and 30-40. That last little smidge it takes to set the case shoulder back to factory headspace was just more than the poor press could deliver.

Yesterday, I was looking at the press and wondered just what size the handle was. It proved out to be 5/8". I rummage around the round stock under my lathe and came out with a piece of oil hardened 5/8 tool steel stock and stuck it in the press, and it was a perfect fit. The longer length increased the leverage as per Archimedes the Greek and full length sizing of 30-06 cases is now an easy one hand task.

To see just what this reborn HF arbor press would do, I stuck said 30-06 case in an 8 X 57 dies and took it to 8mm very easily. Still not happy, I stick the new born long necked 8mm case in a 300 Savage die and again, it went to the new shape with ease.

For grins, here is a picture of the press with the longer handle stuck in it and the old handle sitting alongside for comparison.

If you have been wondering just how much you can do with a cheap HF one ton press, well stick a longer lever in it, and it will do far more than you think.

[Walter Laich]

You don't hear about Archimedes doing much writing these days.
Wonder why :)

[C. Latch]

If your picture was a bit larger, we could see your pou sto.

[Char-Gar]

Does "pou sto" mean messy work bench?

[C. Latch]

Does "pou sto" mean messy work bench?

I think the pou sto is on the floor in front of the workbench.
:grin:


More seriously, I'd love to see more about how your old press works. I have *heard* of old Wilson dies that were supposedly very precise and used by precision shooters back in the 70's, but I've never seen how they worked, etc. Just pictures in older magazines, etc.

My grandfather was a shooter, reloader, hoarder and voracious reader, and as a kid I read all of his old hunting/shooting magazines. They're long gone now, but several years ago I found an old Gun Digest at a yard sale and went back through and read every page of it. There's a picture of an arbor press in it, but no youtube video of how it works.

[Char-Gar]

I think the pou sto is on the floor in front of the workbench.
:grin:


More seriously, I'd love to see more about how your old press works. I have *heard* of old Wilson dies that were supposedly very precise and used by precision shooters back in the 70's, but I've never seen how they worked, etc. Just pictures in older magazines, etc.

My grandfather was a shooter, reloader, hoarder and voracious reader, and as a kid I read all of his old hunting/shooting magazines. They're long gone now, but several years ago I found an old Gun Digest at a yard sale and went back through and read every page of it. There's a picture of an arbor press in it, but no youtube video of how it works.

Here is a Wilson full length sizing die. The die is pressed in by the "plug" and the headspace is controlled by the lip on the plug. There is a hole in the bottom of the die where a knock out rod goes in to remove the case. Wilson hardened these dies and that is the reason for the color. It can be polished off if a fellow wants. It is very precise, the die and plug care serial numbered together. Wilson makes all kinds of neat stuff, but does not make these any longer.

An arbor press is a very simple machine. It just an iron casting with a ram that travels up and down via a rack and pinion gear set up. Turn the handle and the ram comes down exerting pressure on whatever is beneath it. Turn the handle the other way (toward the back) and the ram raises. Easy..peasy!!

[C. Latch]

Thanks for the picture.

That's very foreign to my experience reloading; the same grandfather that had those old magazines had an old Rock Chucker mounted to his bench. I never understood why anyone would want anything else.


What *is* the advantage there with the arbor press? Is some part of the operation more precise, or faster....or just different?

[jsizemore]

Give me the place to stand, and I shall move the earth.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I believe that the original Archimedes statement read, 'Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough and I will move the earth". One would definitely need the lever. LLS

[texassako]

I bought one of those recently as well, and added a longer lever. It has been fun running random range brass through it into some Lyman resizers or random holes in scrap to see what I can make. It is definitely easier than using a vice or hammer with the whack a mole sizers.

[KYCaster]

EUREKA!!

I thought this was gonna be about runnin' through the streets nekid.....

.....but I see you have your long handles on. :roll:

Jerry

[Char-Gar]

Thanks for the picture.

That's very foreign to my experience reloading; the same grandfather that had those old magazines had an old Rock Chucker mounted to his bench. I never understood why anyone would want anything else.

What *is* the advantage there with the arbor press? Is some part of the operation more precise, or faster....or just different?

There is no advantage over a properly adjusted die in a reloading press except perhaps simplicity. You don't have to consider the slack in the press linkage, or the tolerances in the shell holder and the die.

Using a hand die and arbor press is slower, but am in no hurry and I like doing things the old/hard way.

[C. Latch]

There is no advantage over a properly adjusted die in a reloading press except perhaps simplicity. You don't have to consider the slack in the press linkage, or the tolerances in the shell holder and the die.

Using a hand die and arbor press is slower, but am in no hurry and I like doing things the old/hard way.


I can understand that. I still weigh every powder charge for rifle cartridges and any upper-end pistol load on a balance-beam scale.

[jsizemore]

I believe that the original Archimedes statement read, 'Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough and I will move the earth". One would definitely need the lever. LLS

I believe the lever was never stated just implied. Please point me to the original that shows otherwise.

[Green Frog]

I liked the idea so much I made a special little arbor press in a shop class I was taking. Cutting that long rack just right and making the matching pinion gear was a special treat (and challenge) but with a big old Cincinnati horizontal mill I got her done! My problem is too much leverage... the press wants to swing forward and break the front off of the table it's clamped onto! :oops: I mostly use my press to do a little touch up resizing of cases from the same caliber, not any major case forming duties. If I were going to do that, I think I would use a bigger press.

BTW, I've seen pix of the Wilson dies, but I've only owned/used Lyman or Ideal marked dies and most of those were for old classic cases like the 32-40 and 45-70. I'm thinking of making one for 327 Fed Mag which would serve for the whole 32 S&W family since they are all straight cylinders, but I haven't needed it yet. ;)

Froggie

[Wayne Smith]

Froggie, don't you have a vice??

[Catshooter]

He probably has a few Wayne, but he may not want to discuss them on an open forum . . . :)


Cat

[Artful]

He probably has a few Wayne, but he may not want to discuss them on an open forum . . . :)





Cat

:drinks:

[vacek]

I have around 60 of those lyman dies. Actually my favorite one is for 9mm. I also have about 10 of the Wilsons. They indeed to a fine job and I just got one for my 30-30 which will go in my little "carry in the truck" Handi 30-30/20 guage. I wonder when Wilson quit making these full length resize hand dies. In the early 70's????

[Rio Grande]

"Give me a lever action 45-70 and a place to stand and I'll move the earth all right.". - Starchyjeans, Archimedes old next-door neighbor.