Three station reloading press

[abunaitoo]

I've always wanted a three station reloading press.
The one that the top moves between the dies.
Kind of like a turret, but just side to side, not round dee round.
Seen pictures of a few.
Who made them????

[foesgth]

Sounds like you are talking about a CH4D H style press.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Or a Ponsness-Warren P200.

[Pressman]

C-H Model 205, think that's the correct number, has the dies mounted in a sliding bar. It moves front to back holding three dies.
Ken
Sorry no pictures as I am using a tablet.

[mdi]

I googled CH 205 and found a press like I own; a huge single stage "O" type. No movable dies, just a standard "O" press (and an excellent one too. I got mine used in 1990 used for $13.00 and I reloaded thousands of rounds and sized thousands of bullets until I got a turret).

[Kevin Rohrer]

There are no working inline presses, which is what you are describing.

All working, multi-station presses are round or arc-shaped. There have been several inline failures over time, the most infamous being the one sold by RCBS: the Green Machine. CH also had a series of inline presses that some still use, although they are not in-production.

[TNsailorman]

The CH 205 press is a single stage press, one station only please. I had one that was like new and was crazy enough to sell it. james

[abunaitoo]

Something like this.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?360540-Latest-addition-to-my-Hollywood-collection-Pre-Hollywood-San-Diego-Universal
But not a Hollywood.
I think Pacific or Herters made something like it.

[Pressman]

Well I got that number wrong.
I am on the road so no resources available.
There's a C-H press that mounts 3 dies in a sliding steel bar, it slides front to rear to position the desired die over the single ram.
The press is aluminum. It is an interesting design from the Owens WI era of C-H.
It's not a commonly seen model, could be that most folks have never seen it.
Ken

[TNsailorman]

I remember seeing a picture of a sliding station press but I have no idea when it was made. It would be really interesting if someone could come up with a picture of one. james

[Kenstone]

Search of cast boolits for green machine:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/search.php?searchid=4823295

[NoZombies]

Well I got that number wrong.
I am on the road so no resources available.
There's a C-H press that mounts 3 dies in a sliding steel bar, it slides front to rear to position the desired die over the single ram.
The press is aluminum. It is an interesting design from the Owens WI era of C-H.
It's not a commonly seen model, could be that most folks have never seen it.
Ken

I tried to buy one of those at a gunshow about a decade ago. I believe it was ball detent that held the sliding bar in place? I recall thinking that if one got a number of bars made up by a machinst, they could be left set up, making caliber changes pretty easy.

[W.R.Buchanan]

The problem you run into here is the strength of the press.

In order to have a sliding top plate the frame of the press must have a slot in it which is open. Thus the frame must be a U shaped affair.

When used, the forces would want to spread the U apart, thus the tool would not be very strong unless it was hugely over built.

One thing to consider here is that you can make anything work in your head. Making it work in the real world is somewhat more challenging.

Turret type presses are considered "Rotary Transfer Machines," but work opposite of how a progressive machine will work. IE; they bring the tools to the work as opposed to bringing the work to the tools which is faster and allows multiple operations to occur simultaniously.

The latter is generally considered to be the fastest way to do multiple operations to a given product. Most progressive machines are Rotary Transfer Machines. Bottling and Labeling machines are all Rotary Transfer machines. The tooling is fixed and the work is brought to the tools.

There are also Linear Transfer Machines. The C&H Auto Champ and RCBS Green Machines were hand operated Linear Transfer machines, there are also numerous Automated Reloading machines which are Linear Transfer.

The operating theory behind all of these machines is to bring the work to the tooling which allows multiple products to receive operations simultaneously. In effect after the machine is loaded every cycle of the machine/press produces a finished part.

With a turret type machine the machine must cycle as many times as there are tools to produce a finished product. In effect every revolution of the turret produces a finished part. Turret Lathes are a good example of this.

There are progressive style turning machines called "Multi-Spindle Screw Machines" which have several spindles mounted on a revolving carriage and a tool at each of the stations placed around the carriage. Each time the carriage rotates to a new position an operation is performed and the cycle time of the machine is governed by the station that takes the longest time to perform its function. Each time the carriage rotates a finished part is ejected from the machine.

The firm known as C&H which all of you know was created to make reloading dies on Multi-Spindle Screw Machines and I think they still use them. Maybe if someone could call Dave and find out. It is kind of a dying skill set as CNC machines have replaced most all to the Multi's as they wear out.

This history lesson was brought to you by Buchanan Precision Machine.

Randy

[Wayne Smith]

If you are looking for a multi base manual press, no moving of the cases except manually from one shell holder to another, my Brown Bair three station and one of the CH4D presses (H style) has three stations as well. Not automatic though.

[Pressman]

Finally got to a computer with internet access, actually I am stuck in an RV park in Beaver Dam Arizona. Getting new brakes on the truck tomorrow.

The press is the C-H model 206. Aluminum frame, steel die bar. It holds four dies. I believe Dave at C-H4D has several spare bars.
It looks like it should work, though I have doubts with the aluminum frame. These are the only pictures I have, the press is in the archive collection.

Ken

221709

221710

[mdi]

I don't see why a "die bar" in a slot won't work, the Forster (Bonanza) Co-Ax press loads dies in a slot...

[mikemanners]

I collect Hollywood presses. The 3 die press you pictured is considered "Pre-Hollywood" and simply called the "San Diego" They are a pretty rare find, like pretty much all Hollywood presses are. Even tho I collect Hollywoods, I would welcome the '3 die turret" like that one!221771

[abunaitoo]

I'm almost sure I've seen another three die press like the Pre Hollywood.
Maybe in my dreams????
Don't really need it. I'm doing fine with my Turret press.
It would just be cool to have something like that.

[Mr_Sheesh]

I have a pistol progressive press, 3 or 4 stations, inline press. I need to get in there and get a pic of it some day. It is a bit worn but has loaded a LOT of rounds for me!

[BobinNC]

CH4D has made one, two, three, and four Hole H style press for years. The 444 (four hole press) is still being made. http://www.ch4d.com/products/equipment/presses/044000

I have both a CH 444 and a CH Magnum (one Hole) press, like those shown below. The Magnum I got in the late 1970's and the 444 in the late 1980's. The One, Two and Three hole presses can be found on E-Bay from time to time.

222346

222347

222350

[abunaitoo]

There's one on evilbay now.
I don't need it that much.

[darrondb]

I remember seeing a picture of a sliding station press but I have no idea when it was made. It would be really interesting if someone could come up with a picture of one. james

Give me a couple of days! I managed to score a CH 206 and a Auto Champ Mark IV this week. Super exited about them!

[darrondb]

I remember seeing a picture of a sliding station press but I have no idea when it was made. It would be really interesting if someone could come up with a picture of one. james

Ask and you shall receive! :)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?366741-CH-206-(with-bonus-Auto-Champ-Mark-IV)&p=4444113#post4444113

[JeepHammer]

The problem you run into here is the strength of the press.

I must be related to this guy since I have a tendency to give full dissertations including pros & cons of any given product/design.

Since we are talking a manual 'Pump Handle' press here,
And since ACCURACY is the objective, strength is the single biggest issue in my opinion.
A press that has an undersized or soft ram will deflect (bend), and since you can produce 200-300 pounds of pressure with a common press, the frame strength is an issue.

The 'Minute Of Coyote' shooter won't notice, but bench shooters that measure everything with accurate tools sure will!

The common 'Turret' presses are actually tool head presses, if you want an actual turret, see Hollywood or Texas presses.

Lee, Hornady, Dillon, RCBS all use tool heads for dies, no matter if they call them 'Turret' or not.
Straight line or rotary, makes no difference, what's important is the tool heads/dies index properly,
And index means they stop at the same spot, at the same install height each & every time.

To get around this, some use fixed, non-rotating tool head, instead rotating the cases around under the dies.
This allows for cases to move slightly in the case holder allowing for cases to line up with dies.
It's not perfect, but it's functional.

Linear motion (Straight Line) moving die tool head is problem since it's going to spread the LONG slot that holds the tool head/dies out, or at least try to expand that slot, so the frame has to be monstrously oversized to resist that force.
That's why you don't see a lot of sliding linear tool head presses.

Getting a linear tool head to line up in big presses, say Camdex is a pain.
Big ram bars and positive limiting stops are mandatory, the thing is one big chunk of steel that needs to move up & down ON BOTH ENDS precisely the same amount each stroke, and the pressure exerted flexes the tool head bar, so it's a big reinforced plate to keep dies aligned.

As for little tool head 'Pump Handle' presses, I got one of the first Lee 'Turret' presses, And I still use it to this day for tear down & tools for swaging, etc.
It sits right beside my Dillon, with 10 second tool head changes, any culls that come from the Dillon get torn down immediately instead of laying around becoming 'Mystery Rounds'...

Between my first press which was a Herters, and then the Rock Chucker, there was no contest in production, the little Lee kicked butt and took names since you could manually flip the dies around in a circle.
It wasn't quite as accurate as the RC, but it was hands down the heavyweight champ of production at that time.

The Dillon cleans everyone's clock, and it's accurate to boot, loading match grade rounds like butter.
Its not what I use for bench rifles, but I shoot very few bench rifles anymore, and at 600 an hour for match grade rounds with very few fails, the Dillon works great.

[MT Chambers]

The CO-AX renders all these presses obsolete, with it's instant die changes and no changing shell holders.

[iShoot17]

Though that is mostly true (shellholders sometimes need flipped, semantics!), I enjoy using and hearing about these stories! I love my Co-ax, but I also find loads (pun) of fun using old and interesting equipment!

[abunaitoo]

I have a Co-ax that I've never used.
Just don't have the space for it.
Building a reloading room in the back, but it's been a long project.

[darrondb]

Finally got to a computer with internet access, actually I am stuck in an RV park in Beaver Dam Arizona. Getting new brakes on the truck tomorrow.

The press is the C-H model 206. Aluminum frame, steel die bar. It holds four dies. I believe Dave at C-H4D has several spare bars.
It looks like it should work, though I have doubts with the aluminum frame. These are the only pictures I have, the press is in the archive collection.

Ken

221709

221710

Ken,

You mention that the fame on the 206 is aluminum. I just picked one up a week or so back and the frame on mine is steel (or at lease some magnetic alloy). Maybe different variations?

DdB

[Pressman]

DdB, that is interesting, I have never seen anything but aluminum. Cast iron would be a much stronger choice.
It looks like the aluminum would spread and break the lips under sustained heavy use.

Ken

[LUBEDUDE]

Mine is Cast Iron as well.

[gwpercle]

Something like this.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?360540-Latest-addition-to-my-Hollywood-collection-Pre-Hollywood-San-Diego-Universal
But not a Hollywood.
I think Pacific or Herters made something like it.

That's one cool "Art Deco " looking press....work of art in my book !
Gary