Lee Bench Plate

[monkeymt]

Has anyone here seen one of the new Lee Bench Plates? Looks pretty good and at a great price if it works as advertised.
Mark

[deerslayer]

I just googled it and I will be getting that soon. It is one of those well duh moments when you see how simple the design is.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Before you buy, look at Pat Marlin's RockDock, Much nicer and fits a lot more stuff.

Sam

[HeavyMetal]

Saw the add for the Lee product in the current American Rifleman. Page 74.

Noticed they have a patent on it!

Wonder if PatMarlin will get a letter from them? Hopefully it's Pat's Patent!

[jimkim]

Saw the add for the Lee product in the current American Rifleman. Page 74.

Noticed they have a patent on it!

Wonder if PatMarlin will get a letter from them? Hopefully it's Pat's Patent!

That's the first thing that popped in my mind.

[flashhole]

Some of the guys on another forum whom I have a lot of respect for their opinion gave the Lee product pretty low marks. They outright cautioned against buying it. It has a tendancy to pop out of the holder. They are making inquiries to Lee but haven't posted any response yet.

[StarMetal]

Here's a picture of it:



Hey Pat, you had better patent your system, Lee's coming after you.

Who know's maybe we'll see you system in Lee's ad knocking it. Your system looks a whole lot better.

[BCall]

My understanding about Pat's Rockdock was that you could change presses without needing any tools. You cannot do that with the new Lee copy. You have to loosen 4 screws to change anything. If you have a low use space on your bench that you could use it with something that doesn't use much force, it might be fine. Otherwise I think you would be money ahead to buy Pat's system. JMO, as I don't have either one. Billy

[StarMetal]

My understanding about Pat's Rockdock was that you could change presses without needing any tools. You cannot do that with the new Lee copy. You have to loosen 4 screws to change anything. If you have a low use space on your bench that you could use it with something that doesn't use much force, it might be fine. Otherwise I think you would be money ahead to buy Pat's system. JMO, as I don't have either one. Billy

I like Pat's system too, but in all fairness from the ad I posted once you have mounted the plates on the presses you don't use any wrenches to remover them. The ad shows just slipping one press out and the other in. Where did you come up with they have to be bolted? Not talking about the base, it of course is bolted to the bench as is Pat's.

[BCall]

I have already seen one personally. The ad states
"Trapezoidal base block slidea into perfect register and is made immoveable with the quick tightening of four bolts."

I have seen it, held it, seen how it works, and I would not use it without tightening those four screws. It is not made to close enough tolerences to use without tightening those screws, the press would just slide around and fall out. As with alot of cheap things, not a bad design, but poor execution. It just doesn't seem that sturdy. Billy

[StarMetal]

I have already seen one personally. The ad states
"Trapezoidal base block slidea into perfect register and is made immoveable with the quick tightening of four bolts."

I have seen it, held it, seen how it works, and I would not use it without tightening those four screws. It is not made to close enough tolerences to use without tightening those screws, the press would just slide around and fall out. As with alot of cheap things, not a bad design, but poor execution. It just doesn't seem that sturdy. Billy

Thanks Bill, their ad certainly doesn't depict that. Yeah, that really sucks...heck if you have to do any bolt turning you can mount your press the regular way!

Perhaps with a little innovation one could attach some sort of lock to keep it in place rather then bolting it. I'd have to see one such as you have already.

[grages]

I want Pats RockDock but money right now does not allow it. I ordered a bench plate today from Midsouth. Without shipping it is $20 and change and I was ordering other things so shipping is moot. I hope one day to get Pats System, for now I will have to tighten 4 bolts.

As to the design, there is enough of a difference in Pats and the Lee design that Lee would have a hard time enforcing it. And the patent date I believe has the RockDock existing first which makes it a moot point as well since it would not be enforceable on Pat. I'm no lawyer but that is my understanding of how it works.

Patent on BenchPlate

Shawn

[ph4570]

I believe I will try the Lee plate. I too saw it in Rifleman. There are a couple of youtube videos on it.

[StarMetal]

Just out of curiosity what is Lee asking for their system? It's interesting you see their new stuff in magazines before it's on their website. You would think they would announce new products in a What's New section.

[Forester]

I like the looks of Pat's system, but for the number of larger items I need it for the cost was going to get pretty high, fair for the quality to be sure but still $$$.

Instead I bought a package of these: Threaded Inserts
and some thumbscrews.

Run them in flush to the benchtop and when you need the bench clear it is easy enough to have it wide open with no mounting blocks or anything in the way.

[BCall]

Just out of curiosity what is Lee asking for their system? It's interesting you see their new stuff in magazines before it's on their website. You would think they would announce new products in a What's New section.

It is on Lee's page now. Bottom of the products section. Price is $29.98, but as grages paid $20, I would imagine that will probably be the going rate. Billy

[bohokii]

gee why didnt they jsut have it slide in and have you drop a couple pins through

to remove pull the pins pull it out

ive kind of already been using a system like this i just have my presses mounted to 3/4 plywood with elevator bolts (no protrusion on the back) and clamp it to a table

being that i use 2 clamps i may even be quicker if i used some of that non slip rubber mat stuff it wouldnt move even if loading 50

[lurch]

Instead I bought a package of these: Threaded Inserts
and some thumbscrews.

I did something like that a few years back - in fact those look like the exact insert I used. Somebody (Midway...?) was selling wood blocks with holes in the corners for 1/4" bolts and drilled in the middle to fit some presses, etc. I put enough inserts in the front of my bench for about four of those blocks and some to fit the shotshell press and have been happy ever since.

[jonblack]

Look at the toolhead on a Dillon 650. Mounts more or less the same way, except it has pins to keep the toolhead from slipping out. It would be easy to mod the LEE unit to make it quick release.

jonblack

*EDIT - fix typo

[jonblack]

Thanks Bill, their ad certainly doesn't depict that. Yeah, that really sucks...heck if you have to do any bolt turning you can mount your press the regular way!

Perhaps with a little innovation one could attach some sort of lock to keep it in place rather then bolting it. I'd have to see one such as you have already.

The patent mentions "which allows different presses to be secured to a bench or the like by turning at least two fasteners."

So, while trying to differentiate the LEE design from prior designs, they mention the fasteners. What is vague is what the fasteners are and what tools, if any, are needed to install and remove them.

jonblack