LnL Ram Twist

[Blindshooter]

I've had this press 3 or 4 years now and its always been somewhat aggravating getting the primers to seat deep enough, shimming the sub plate to drive hub helped considerably. Tweaking the seating stem assy helped some but not much, made sure the little spring wasn't coil binding etc.

I noticed that while seating the primer the whole sub plate rotates a considerable amount. This twist goes on right at the moment of truth seating the primer causing the primer punch/post to "lean" over instead of a vertical straight up movement. I first found a hard thin shim and glued it where the little divot forms on most of these presses and that helped the punch/post sort of slide with the sub plate twist and worked for a while now its got a little dimple and its just as bad as it was before.

Last week I started looking for another fix. Took out the .5 in pins in the upper and lower arms and used a .5 in bolt to take up the space that Hornady stuffed the wave washers into. Stopped the twisting 99%. However the added drag on the linkage was a no go.

Studied on the problem and came up with the idea to use the thinnest thrust bearings I could find between the arms and the press body/toogle block allowing a considerable more torque to be applied with the bolts and still have very smooth operation with almost no twist applied to the ram at the top of the stroke. I'll see if I can get a few pics added. I intend to load some with it tomorrow.
https://i.postimg.cc/gJ0WJS5M/20210129-160203.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WDxKYnsr)

https://i.postimg.cc/6QpW2p4L/20210129-160210.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mPKfKRwt)

https://i.postimg.cc/brkpcG48/20210129-154300.jpg (https://postimg.cc/308P2wKb)

[oley55]

good info. I don't have a LNL but more than one of my other brand/s of presses have similar slop and twisting.

[Moleman-]

Neat, thanks for the part numbers.

[Blindshooter]

I'd love to find or get someone to make me a better set of pins with threaded ends. The bolts are slightly undersized but seem to work ok so far.

Moleman, how is that hybrid Projector/LnL sub plate project working?

[Moleman-]

I'd love to find or get someone to make me a better set of pins with threaded ends. The bolts are slightly undersized but seem to work ok so far.

Moleman, how is that hybrid Projector/LnL sub plate project working?

I made a new driveshaft out of 1/2" shaft that has a key on the top so it is now set up for the LNL drive hub. Made a collar with a set screw to go on the driveshaft so that a spring pushes the drive shaft and more importantly the index wheel up where it should be. It worked with the original drive shaft and 1"-1/2" bushing, but I wanted to get rid of the nut setup. Didn't add a spring around the primer tube to push the ram slightly up, but I might. Want to do a good run of 1-2K 223 or 9mm to see if the spring is really needed or not. I think the only issue would be if there is no case present a primer could giggle off of the primer punch while the press is sitting there. Been waiting on my boy to print out a case feeder now for a few weeks before doing a separate writeup in the special projects section. Used the two holes in the frame for the original primer mount to screw on a "L" shaped piece with a cup on the tip of the small arm of the L to hold the primer break away wire.

I had to add a setscrew to the toggle pin (the one with no heads) on the pro-jector probably 12-15 years ago as it wore enough that it started drifting out. Might not be a bad idea to replace the other pins also. McMaster has 1/2" ground shaft (that's what the new driveshaft was made from). You likely could cut a section and use a die to put threads at both ends for nuts if you don't have a lathe.

[Blindshooter]

Thanks, I should have thought about McMaster for the pins. I have a machinist gunsmith friend that can thread it for me if his health will let him. I might could thread it with a 1/2-20 with a die. The threads aren't as deep and the 13 I think?

[Blindshooter]

Had time to run a hundred 9mm today, used my worst case scenario, S&B brass with WSP primers. Much improved seating. Have no idea how long the bearings will hold up since the frame to link arms fit is not exactly square but its not like they are running at speed, they barely turn.
I'm sure there are a lot of differences from one press to another but this is working great on mine.
YMMV