Hollywood Press Rebuild

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well I'm calling this a rebuild instead of a refurbish as I had to make a new arm for the ram linkage! When I got this press I noticed that someone had been a little rough with it . One of the things was that someone had ground some divits on the side of the upper head,for what reason I haven't a clue! Then they had taken some vise grips or channellocks to see if they could unscrew the handle off. I know they didn't because it is held in by a pin and there are no threads on it!
The metal for the linkage parts was rusty and had a few dings and roughness. All of this bugged me for such a nice machine so I tore it apart and sandblasted and painted the main body with Rustoleum hammered finish paint. When I blasted the metal peices I noticed that one of the linkage arms was cracked halfway through so made another one. I did a file hardness test and it seemed like nothing more than mild steel so that is what I used.
I slow rust blued the bright linkage parts and the pins to help with the rust problems we have here in Florida. I have ordered a universal shell holder from CH Tools and hope it arrives soon so I can try it out!

[Farmall 1066]

Very well done, seagiant! Always glad to see anything old, with the exception of John Deere tractors, rescued from the scrap heap, and returned to usefulness.
:wink:
Andy

[schutzen]

That is a great looking press!

[xr650]

Very nice.

[Shiloh]

You did a great job. I have only seen one of these that was all there and in working condition

How old is this? Any way to tell for sure??

Shiloh

[seagiant]

Thanks Gentlemen,
It actually looks better than the crummy pics I took,but it is going to be used instead of a bench queen so no big deal. From what I have gathered with the help of members here this is a regular single stage Hollywood press the one like it but about 3 inches taller is called the Senior and seems to be popular with the 50BMG crowd! This press will be used for mostly pistol work. Yes as far as how old I think it was made in the 1950's,this press and the turrent model went to a "tie rod" on the front change to help with swaging duties in the early 60's. That is what I understand anyway. It is the smoothest single stage press I've ever seen!

[Ramsgate]

Mine is the same but it's a very plain black. It says MFG BY HOLLYWOOD GUN SHOP on one side and HOLLYWOOD RELOADING TOOL on the other. It is only 4.25" between the top and bottom and of course the shell holder intrudes on that distance. The point being for me that it's too short for the .375 H&H and kind of tricky for the .45-70. I have modified some RCBS shell holders by grinding flats on the side where the allen screws can bite and that's not a bad temporary solution.

[EMC45]

Nice!

[MtGun44]

Beautiful job.

That main post looks kinda flimsy.
You sure it will hold up.? :bigsmyl2:

:kidding:

Bill

[monkeymt]

I have a Hollywood Senior tool made in the 60's. When I got it someone had also tried to unscrew the handle with vise grips and left some nasty groves. This is a great press and I do all of my 44 special and 45 colt reloading with lee dies on this press c-clamped to my bench. Next to my Forster Co-Ax it is just as smooth, and oh yea, just a bit heavier.
Mark

[seagiant]

Hi ,
Yes I still have my first press which I bought new on lay-a-way which was a Forester co-ax. This was pricey in the mid 80's at $150! It is permanently married to a set of Redding .308 dies for all of my battle rifle ammo! Yes it is a smooth press also and one of my favorites. I would like to find a Senior Hollywood press just to have the bigger model. It's funny but I'm finding myself getting away from the auto progressive type machines and going more to the loading block with the old single stage reloaders! Maybe I'm not in as big of a hurry anymore?

[cheese1566]

Very nice job!!

[Pressman]

The Senior came out in 1953. This one has the common head so it was made between 1954/55 and 1961.
Ken

[seagiant]

Thanks Pressman,
I got in my shellholder from CH Tool and just as I suspected it was a perfect fit,those people do good work. I reloaded some 45 ACP rounds and the press is really a joy to use! I really want the bigger "senior" model now!

[wiljen]

when you get the senior - I'll give ya double what ya paid ($20) for the Jr ok? :kidding:

[monkeymt]

There is a Hollywood Senior up for sale at Gunbroker. The guy wants $250 for it but it does looks like it is in very good condition.
Here is the URL
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=148540449
Mark

[Ramsgate]

When I got it someone had also tried to unscrew the handle with vise grips and left some nasty groves.


The original post said it was held by a pin. Of course I can't find the pin. Any ideas?

[seagiant]

Hi Ramsgate,
I'm not good at this but will try to explain. The round horizontal bar at the bottom of the press as you are facing it that holds the handle in the middile and the 2 ram peices on each side is drilled out all the way through and the 2 pins on each side of this peice is NOT 2 peices but one long pin going through the 2 arms and the handle! If you remove the little wire keepers and take a punch and hit on one side you will see it start to come out the other side. The top pin that holds the 2 arms to the shellholder part that rides the ram is the same way. Then you have the 2 small pins holding the arms together in the middle. Hope you can follow my poor explanation. I had to chuck some peices in my lathe and sand them down just a hair before I refinished so they were easier to get back together. Still tight but I did not want to have to beat on the peices to reassemble!

Thanks everyone for the leads,I will be keeping my eyes open for a Senior!

[Ramsgate]

I had to chuck some peices in my lathe and sand them down just a hair before I refinished so they were easier to get back together.

Thanks Seagiant ... I'm giving serious thought to leaving the handle just where it's been for 50 plus years. I really don't have a use for mine but it's just so impressive that I can't let it go.

[STP22]

Pressman,

I have the same as depicted here and have been mistakenly calling it a Senior for some time. I called Hollywood in California a few years back for a catalog to help in it`s identification and was told they would send one. No joy...no catalog has made it here.

I note that seagiant`s example has a hole drilled at the front at the die location, and that mine lacks such feature. Is this noteworth or not?

Thanks,

Scott

[smilin-buddha]

Great work.

[Pressman]

Scott, the press shown here is a Senior. The hole in the front is a small variation that I do not have a date for when it appeared.
Ken

[quasi]

here is some literature.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s320/buckbrush1961/e7eb_1.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s320/buckbrush1961/50_3.jpg

[bigbore805]

I just acquired a Hollywood Senior from my fathers estate. He used it up to his 70's and it is pretty good shape (no vise-grip marks). There are some original Hollywood shell holders (mostly pistol) and an adapter for RCBS shell holders. It also has 2 primer stems that screw into a hole under the shell plate.

There was also what appears to be a Lyman/Ideal 55 mounted on the top-bolt with a brass bar. The meter is green so it may be older. I don't know if it is repaint. The sliders are in great shape and go all the way to zero (as some 55's don't). The cap is missing but it is otherwise intact.

I might be interested in sending both to a good home.

Bill

[Pressman]

Bill, we need pictures, especially of the 55! Is the press steel or aluminum?
Ken