Bullet Sizing Press

[greybuff]

I recently started casting again and wanted a push thru sizing set up but didn't want an upside down press ( I didn't think a Lee press would fit in with my Hollywood presses). So I searched and found an old Grennerd Arbor Press at a very reasonable price. First was to strip it, clean and than paint it. I than built a base that would allow me to set it on any flat surface in order to use it. I made the base so a small loaf pan would fit under the die to collect the sized bullets. When not in use it goes under the loading bench. Luckily the ram accepted 1/2 x 13 bolt threads, so for the push die I turned a bolt down to the proper size for the sizing die selected. I than welded a 7/8 x 14 bolt to a flat piece of steel that was drilled to accept the sizing die. The Lee die goes in upside down and sits on the base and than the wheel is rotated to push the bullet thru the die. I then discovered that some of my obsolete calibers werent available from Lee, but I found one from a Lyman lubrisizer, so I made a die holder for the Lyman die using an M18 steel collar from ACE. I than found that the new Lee Breech Lock push thru dies were available in the sizes needed for some of my old calibers so I fabricated another die holder to accept those dies. I can now select from 3 different die types for any of the calibers that I might need. All in all I am very happy with the results and how easy it is to set up and use.

[1eyedjack]

Nice job! Covered all the bases near as I can tell!

[Baltimoreed]

Nice rebuild. Always good when you can repurpose a good tool and get more use out of it.

[Shopdog]

Beautiful resto and new application greybuff,thanks for sharing.

Not entirety aimed at you.... more towards the students of this application. The OP's great little press is a rack/pinion style,long stroke being desired. If you look at Lyman 450's and RCBS lube sizers,they're of the "toggle" link style. So,look up Schmidt,and another is Barkly? (Sp)... manual(vs pnuematic) "toggle press". What you're looking at/for is how Lyman went with this design. I passed on a Schmidt for basically beer money a year or so ago,convincing myself it wasn't that big of deal. And maybe it isn't? But holy moly have the prices taken off. Further... there were,at that time a year or so ago,a cpl OBVIOUS chyna clones on evilbay. That source has been "leashed" as in,off the market.

All from the more than you wanted to know files.

[Shawlerbrook]

Very creative.

[ok-22shooter]

I am automating a master caster and have been studying sizer designs for push thru PC bullets. Your die holder was great to see as it is what I have been thinking about. the following you tube video is a manual feeder of the bullet into the die that keep fingers away from the punch and probably does speed up the process. Not a lot of money or time involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bhSQvM4xtQ&t=15s

Mike