Lee Die Loose Threads - Need Old Timey Trick

[Dimner]

Howdy gents and hopefully ladies.

I usually use hornady dies for most of my loading, but sometimes the only cost acceptable option is lee. I do like lee dies except for one detail. On the bullet seating die, the top adjustment that threads in and out to control the depth of bullet seating, these are always very loosely threaded. Like so loose that they can move with only a bump to the adjuster. I need to tighten this up, or if that doesn't make sense, I need to be able to make it harder to screw in and out.

I have tried teflon tape on the threads. It worked okay for about a month and then as you would expect the tape moved with the use of the bullet seater being moved up and down.

I'm not mechanically gifted. So I don't know many tricks to working with threaded parts. Is there a tip that anyone has to get these threads to have just a little more tightness to them?

I thought about a dab of blue loctite, but my gut tells me no.
Is there some sort of grease that would make it just a bit harder to adjust?

I feel like this is one of those things where there are a thousand machinist out there who would say "yerp, just put a dab of XYZ on it and yer back in business"

[onelight]

Are you talking about the seating die with an O ring to hold the setting ?

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

The "O" ring provides sufficient tension to prevent any rotation for me, and I have four different sets of these dies in various calibers.

[C.F.Plinker]

Yep this ^^^^.

Take the adjusting screw out and see if there is a groove right below the threads. There should be an O-ring that fits in the groove. It is 1/2" ID and 5/8" OD.

[Dan Cash]

The OP is referring to the seating stem being loose. Not being a user of Lee dies, I don't know if the seating stem is out of spec or the die body is at fault. One might try a common bolt of the proper size and see how the threads mate. If they mate well, fabricate a seating stem from the bolt, if you are desperate. Otherwise, send it back to Lee for some of their great customer service.

[Tatume]

The responses are correct. There are two o-rings, one on the lock nut and one on the seating stem. As noted correctly above, it appears the o-ring on the seating stem is missing.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

The "seating stem" floats until it contacts the "adjusting screw", which should have the "O" ring on it.

[onelight]

The "seating stem" floats until it contacts the "adjusting screw", which should have the "O" ring on it.

/\ that's how they work.
I have many sets and they all hold adjustment but I guess the O ring could be gone or need to be replaced.

[Dimner]

okay, now i am even more confused. This is a common problem with many of my lee seating dies. And yes to clarify, I'm talking about the seating stem. Not the lock ring and die body adjustment.

Here is a really crappy diagram I cobbled together.

A - Threaded seating stem
B - Floating seating plug
C - Where the oring sits

263029

All 4 of my Lee seating dies have the oring (C on the diagram) but they are still in my opinion too loose for my comfort. I want to be able to set the die in my turrets and then be able to rely on that bullet length. I know Lee has great CS, but i do not think I somehow got 4 bum seating dies over the years. By contrast, hornady dies take much greater torque to turn the bullet seater.

So is there a trick to making it harder to tighten/loosen? White lithium grease?

[onelight]

if you need them tighter you could see if you can find an O ring that is thicker than standard.
perhaps someone else may have a better idea.

[BamaNapper]

Oil in the die? By any chance, have you cleaned the dies? If so, did you use a cleaner that left a residue? Maybe a thorough cleaning with acetone, and some soap and water for the o-ring, to ensure the o-ring has a nice dry surface to move against. Avoid alcohol when rubber is involved.

Beyond that, I'd be tempted to try a wrap or two of something like pinstriping tape in the groove behind the o-ring. Or maybe work a little candle wax into the threads above the o-ring to gum things up. Interesting problem, I'm usually trying to get threaded parts to move easier.

[RogerDat]

Does it make a difference if the seating stem has some play as long as at its maximum position under load it ends up at the right depth?

A little play might even offer a benefit. Allowing the bullet to begin movement gradually as the slack is taken up rather than being struck by a hard fixed object.

Mine have some small amount of play but nothing excessive. Seem to work too. Set to depth, COAL stays the same.

[Elroy]

You may be able to apply something tacky on the threads ,or some sort of roofing caulk,or you may be able to somehow use a coil spring to apply constant pressure on it,but it's not really worth a lot of time,or expense when you could just buy another seating die that has the conventional stem with lock nut.

[OutHuntn84]

You are right, there is a lot of slop in the seating stem of lee dies. However I have found just like RogerDat mentions above, it doesn't matter as long as you set your max COAL. I have checked, double checked, came back to it every 100 rounds and have yet to have it change COAL on me.

[country gent]

I believe the lee dies are a standard thread, National fine. Take your die body to the hardware store and by a steel bolt the same threads and 2" or so longer. Also a package of J-B weld some floor or paste wax. Below is step by step.

1) clean die body very good.
2) with a brush apply wax 2 coats everywhere but the stem threads
3) apply 2-3 coats of wax to the bolt.
4) mix J-B weld according to directions.
5) with the a fine applicator work the J-B into the threads. a tooth pock works well as does a brush
6) while doing above work bolt in and out until threads are coated
7) remove any major excess while wet.
8) install bolt with a small amount on the threads to depth and clean up excess. This area is open and van be cleaned up with a file after curing
9) allow to cure solid usually 24 hours.
10) remove bolt and clean up excesses

This will give a slight interference fit, If its 2 tight for your likes then with the bolt and toothpaste fit the threads by lapping. This will give a snug fit thread with no backlash. Under normall use this will last a long time

[onelight]

It sounds like your dies are working correctly but may not be the style of die you prefer I like them I check the OAL at the beginning of every session and the Lees are easy to adjust .
Most brands of dies have a lock nut on the seating stem so you may be better served getting a different brand of seating die or like suggested above find a bolt that will replace the cap but it is going to be quite large unless you can find an Allen bolt and if long enough you could use a lock nut on it.

[1hole]

All I need is that rubber O ring. I've been using a few of Lee's seaters a looong time and have NEVER had one to change the depth setting without me doing it. And, after I finally got a concentricity/runout gage, I found that my Lee's load as straight as any other conventional seaters.

ONLY my Forster/Redding Comp/BR seaters do better, on average. All others are tied in second place for straight seating - and even that has to be tested in selected cases with very straight necks, nothing can seat well in lousy necks. (Most sizers have expanders that distort the necks during withdrawal but my Lee Collet Neck Dies always do good work!)

[KYCaster]

Just put a lock nut on it.

.....or duct tape. Duct tape always works!

Good luck.
Jerry

[megasupermagnum]

This is only an untested idea, but maybe a harder O ring? Your standard hardware store O ring is likely a 70 or 75 durometer Viton (fluorocarbon). The higher the durometer, the harder the rubber. Try something like a 90 durometer.

These are not tapered or interference threads, and without the O ring are supposed to be loose. All manufacturers use some form of lock, and Lee uses and O ring. It is possible too that your o rings are old. I replaced them on two sets I had that were likely 20-25 years old. With a new O ring, there is no bumping the adjustment. It is very secure.

[Cast_outlaw]

If you real ambitious and brave you could try drilling And taping the body and installing a set screw with some lock tight Lee dies are cheep enough if you screw up you can get one with a lock but instead

[Dan Cash]

Just put a lock nut on it.

.....or duct tape. Duct tape always works!

Good luck.
Jerry

Best answer yet.

[Dieselhorses]

If you real ambitious and brave you could try drilling And taping the body and installing a set screw with some lock tight Lee dies are cheep enough if you screw up you can get one with a lock but instead

You read my mind! Was just fixing to mention this!


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[fiberoptik]

Stick a piece of small shot (#9?) between threads.


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[uscra112]

You may be able to apply something tacky on the threads ,or some sort of roofing caulk,or you may be able to somehow use a coil spring to apply constant pressure on it,but it's not really worth a lot of time,or expense when you could just buy another seating die that has the conventional stem with lock nut.

^^^ This ^^^ A dab on non-hardening Aviation Form-A-Gasket would be perfect. That product has been around since the 1920s, and it still has it's niche. It's a shellac; sticky as all get-out, you'll need paint thinner or acetone to get it off your hands.

[megasupermagnum]

I would not use a set screw. You would be forcing both the knob and the seating plug to the side. With the right O ring, these dies do not need anything more. I just counted 22 Lee die sets that I own. None of them have a loose seating stem. I could drop them off the roof with no change in setting.

[MT Chambers]

If you can't/don't machine proper fitting threads in STEEL on a seating die, you would need to use orings to hold all in place.

[1hole]

Lee deliberately leaves some slack in those seater plug threads to prevent galling and allow for easy seating depth changes, it has nothing to do with inability to cut threads in steel. The O rings are perfectly capable of holding their setting during use.

[onelight]

How about hot glue easy to remove and apply to the outside of the die and adjuster.

[C.F.Plinker]

Since you have the o-rings on all of your dies and they are still too loose, try putting a small rubber band on the part of the adjusting screw above the threaded portion. Then, when you have the die adjusted to where you want it, use a bent paper clip to poke the rubber band into the recess between the adjusting screw and the die body.

[mdi]

Are you having a problem with the stem working loose? I have a bunch of Lee dies and even the old ones with old hard O-rings don't change settings, and I get very little OAL/bullet seating depth variations. Or does the floating, easy to adjust stem just not feel right to you? (unless there is variation and drifting adjustment there is no problem). Cleaning the die ID from any oil, grease, etc. will make the O-ring less likely to slip. You could always take the die to a good hardware store and find an O-ring slightly bigger making for a tighter O-ring to die body fit and more difficult to turn...

BTW, the O-ring in use with a bolt, nut, screw, etc., is old technology and still works. The O-ring in Lee's lock rings are very often misunderstood. Having been a lifelong machinist mechanic I have seen the application of O-rings and threads many times and it is simple and works. Most detractors of Lee O-ring use are mostly those ignorant of locking nut and bolt technology (I actually had classes in Thread Technology and the "locking" O-ring, similar in use to Nyoc type nuts, was covered early in the class.)..

[BigAlofPa.]

Hmm i never had a lee seating die maladjust. When i clean my dies i use a nylon brush. No solvents. I also use a universal decapping die. It helps keep the resizing dies clean.

[Three44s]

I was using a Lee FL Sizer Die the other day and saw it was vertically shifting as upward pressure was being applied and removed while sizing cases. I was taken back at first but then reset the die’s body accordingly and tightened the o-ring equipped lock ring with a wrench.

No more die bouncing!

Three44s

[tankgunner59]

I reload eleven calibers with Lee dies, and I have a bullet seating die for each caliber, and I have never had this problem or heard of it. Either your die is missing the O-ring from the bullet depth adjuster or you need to send it back to Lee for repair.

[uscra112]

If all else fails, there's what Joe Bolger used to call "Canadian Loctite". Take a pair of pliers and bugger up the male thread so it has enough friction to hold.

(When I was doing aerospace stuff back in the '60s, we had what were called "prevailing torque" locknuts. A slightly distorted thread made enough drag that it couldn't loosen. Preferred for high temps and high vacuum where plastic-insert type locknuts couldn't be used. High tech Canadian Loctite, NASA approved!)

[cupajoe]

I have not had the Lee die adjustments move but if I did I would make sure the o ring was not damaged or worn. If it still moved I would put some 3M weatherstrip adhesive (gorilla snot) on the threads. It would still be adjustable but not easily.