Modifying the Lee APP

[RedlegEd]

Hi all!
I'm still enjoying my new APP, and come to find out I really like the Lee Lock-Ring Eliminator bushings. The only problem is that they don't fit well in the Inline Fabrication Hornaday LNL bushing tray. I asked Dan if he were planning to make bushing trays for the Lee, and he said there wasn't enough demand. So the simple solution was to 3D print a collar for the bushing so it would fit snugly in the tray. Pictures below show what it looks like. I've posted the files on Thingiverse here.
Ed

[Mollyboy]

Hi all,
I posted previously of the bottle soda cap adapter I printed 3D to use soda bottles instead of the pretty jar Lee includes with the APP. Well, I tweaked it to now have Soda threads on both ends so you can put the cap back on the adapter and store your primer bottle until it fills up. It's available on Thingiverse here.
Ed

Attachment 259564 Attachment 259565 Attachment 259566

I printed both and the one with the octagon outside worked well. The round one had a error in the file that filled the thread in on the bottle end about an1/8 of an inch. For depriming it worked great. Not so good on bullet sizing. The projectile will go in but will not come out of the bottle with out much much shaking. They get trapped so bad I cut the neck off to get the bu... out.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Some good mods y'all are coming up with! Couple things I did. For the hight adjustment I put a nyloc nut on one side of the bolt but I see some better ideas prevailing already. The other is i put mine on a Lee benchplate system, actually have 2 dock on my bench and everything but my Dillon 650 is on one. Anyway, one is close to the 650 so I made a lengthed feed tube with a gentle S-bend that allows me to turn the 650's case feed 90° and have it feed the APP too! Works pretty good unless the tube gets too full. The problem then became too much weight bearing on the slider andthe spring "linkage" would buckle. A piece of music wire with a peened end fixed that. This new Lee press is awesome! Something like this has been a long time coming and for the money, Lee has a home run! Just a little fettling and custom touches really bring it home! It would be nice to see some metal parts for it some day. Im trying to get a lathe now and hopefully a mill not long after. ����

[RedlegEd]

I printed both and the one with the octagon outside worked well. The round one had a error in the file that filled the thread in on the bottle end about an1/8 of an inch. For depriming it worked great. Not so good on bullet sizing. The projectile will go in but will not come out of the bottle with out much much shaking. They get trapped so bad I cut the neck off to get the bu... out.

Thanks for letting me know! I’ll get it fixed. I really didn’t intend for them to be used for bullets as the soda bottle neck is too narrow, as you found out.
Ed

[LittleLebowski]

The lock ring for the spent primer bottle is kind of a pain, has anyone else pondered glueing it into the bottle so that it doesn't fall out in the spent primers when you unscrew the bottle?

[Mollyboy]

Unscrew the bottle from the plastic cap rather than the cap from the shell holder adapter. Tighten the lock ring once and let it be.

[LittleLebowski]

Unscrew the bottle from the plastic cap rather than the cap from the shell holder adapter. Tighten the lock ring once and let it be.

I just figured that out this morning

[RedlegEd]

Hi all!
I just figured out another neat little tidbit of the Lee APP. The lid to the little bottle they give you to catch primers and/or bullets not only fits some powder bottles, but it also fits the large mouth vitamin bottles you get from Costco or Sam's Club. I usually use these old vitamin bottles to hold lubed cast bullets, and it dawned on me the mouth was about the same size, so I checked, and voilà! Fits perfectly.
Ed

[Mike Kerr]

You guys are getting seriously inventive. Very impressive.

[Maxsterblaster]

The shorter bolts are a good idea and wing nuts simplify adjustment.

try welding a piece of tube to the nut. turn it into a hand tighten.

[CRracer712]

Just got an email showing these on clearance at Midway. Wonder if they're changing design or doing away with them?

[GWS]

try welding a piece of tube to the nut. turn it into a hand tighten.

That would certainly work, but I used a coupling nut underneath to get it below the frame enough to easily grasp it. Then wrenched tight a short bolt into the bottom....through a wingnut. There are other ways....winged thumb screw screwed into the bottom, or just a short all-thread and wingnut....for those like me who don't own a welder.
or even drill a hole sideways near the bottom of the coupling nut, thread it and screw in an all-thread for a lever.....all better than standing on your head to thread and wrench a little nut up in there, like Lee did it.

Just got an email showing these on clearance at Midway. Wonder if they're changing design or doing away with them?

Anybody's guess......interesting....maybe they took the hints and remodeled the caliber changing. I tried to show them how to improve that......the response was like....go away you pesky gnat.... The other possibility is that Midway ordered and received more than they have been able to move......market saturation already? Time for us to buy a second one?

[cabinarms]

That would certainly work, but I used a coupling nut underneath to get it below the frame enough to easily grasp it. Then wrenched tight a short bolt into the bottom....through a wingnut. There are other ways....winged thumb screw screwed into the bottom, or just a short all-thread and wingnut....for those like me who don't own a welder.
or even drill a hole sideways near the bottom of the coupling nut, thread it and screw in an all-thread for a lever.....all better than standing on your head to thread and wrench a little nut up in there, like Lee did it.



Anybody's guess......interesting....maybe they took the hints and remodeled the caliber changing. I tried to show them how to improve that......the response was like....go away you pesky gnat.... The other possibility is that Midway ordered and received more than they have been able to move......market saturation already? Time for us to buy a second one?

and that is what I did. second APP is on the way.

[Norcal707]

Just got an email showing these on clearance at Midway. Wonder if they're changing design or doing away with them?

Great deal at $70 shipped free! https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022385797?pid=973423