Gas' Set Up

From a shoebox to an full production setup, show us how you operate! There is something to learn from everyone!
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Re: Gas' Set Up

Post by GasGuzzler »

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Re: Gas' Set Up

Post by Ranch Dog »

Very good job!
Michael
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Re: Gas' Set Up

Post by GasGuzzler »

Thanks. The drums that have been set up already have the cartridge, powder, and charge weight on them. Some of these sets are completely set up (.45ACP and 9X19mm) and some have not had the dies or drums adjusted (or are somewhere in between) so I labeled them all too. Need a better labeling system as the Avery labels won't stick well to the wood rack I built.
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Re: Gas' Set Up

Post by akuser47 »

Looks elegant well done
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Re: Gas' Set Up

Post by GasGuzzler »

Been almost two years since I had an update to my bench but this weekend I will be taking some big steps and will try to post some pictures of the results. I bought the Lee bench plate system and enough brackets to be able to quick change my Lee Classic Turret, Lee "angled o-press" (discontinued), new Lee APP (more later), and my RCBS LAM-II.

The APP is new and is not yet set up. As stated elsewhere, I have the swage kit for the automation kit, as well as the 4-tube case feeder and Lee collator to set up. Finally I plan on putting something on the wall to hang the turret rack I made (see pictures above).

First things first. Took the two used Lee presses to work and cleaned them well. Then I plugged some of the holes in my bench top with cut off dowels. I still need to get some 3/8" dowels for the larger holes. After that I will mount the bench plate. I already have a place picked because there are some extra 2X4 reinforcements under the table in certain places.
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Re: Gas' Set Up

Post by Ranch Dog »

Looking forward to seeing the changes!
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Re: Gas' Set Up

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GasGuzzler wrote:Took the two used Lee presses to work and cleaned them well. Then I plugged some of the holes in my bench top with cut off dowels. I still need to get some 3/8" dowels for the larger holes. After that I will mount the bench plate. I already have a place picked because there are some extra 2X4 reinforcements under the table in certain places.
First bigger hole ... I learned on this one to go a little smaller on the drilled hole and pound in the dowel. See next pic.

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Here are two with wet glue. They dry nearly undetected.

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So now it was time to mount the bracket/base. I went where the single was before because I attached a 2X4 under the bench top there for reinforcement and because it's under the light. Note I did not use the middle bolts on each side because they would land at the verge of the fascia 2X4 and there would be no room for nuts. I used large lag screws into the fascia on the near side and bolts trough the table and 2X4 reinforcement on the back.

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The LCT bolted up to its plate fairly easily but there is not really enough room between its base and the hole in the plate where the "safety screw" goes. If that makes no sense I can post a pic later. Obviously the APP bolted right up. See its update later on below. The single stage did not have any combination of three holes to line up so I had to make one. Sure, just get out the square drill :). I made a tape template to drill the corners, drilled out the center larger, then used the Dremel to cut out the slag.

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Then I started on the APP. I have to tell you several honest opinions.
  1. The instructions are horrible
  2. The thing looks cheaper than what you get out of a gumball machine
  3. It's the single most AWESOME invention ever!


Here is where I was trying to figure out where to put all the plastic parts.

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Here is after I just started looking at pics and videos. Note the catch bottle for spent primers. I did about 400 9X19 in 20 minutes. I learned a lot about the feeder and collator but I'll have to explain later. My wife is hungry for our Saturday night take out Mexican with 'ritas and it's after 20:00.

Oh yeah, I mounted the bins too. No biggie.

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You can really get this thing moving quickly! The only trouble is remembering to NEVER double clutch AND every 37th is upside down. One more issue...I broke the pin on the universal decapper. Too fast? No, there was a ROCK inside one of the cases after all that washing.

Three decap rods, 10 pounds of Lyman treated media, and a flash hole fixer thing on the way.

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Re: Gas' Set Up

Post by Ranch Dog »

Great work and report!
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Re: Gas' Set Up

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Somehow this pic was left out but hopefully you can see where it goes in the progress above. I center punched the hole location then guesstimated the square using masking tape before I drilled the corners with a cordless drill motor and a DULL drill.

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Here is the LAM-II mounted the way it was on the secondary bench. I hope you see hope much work I have ahead to adapt it to the Lee quick-change bench plates. There are a few options but first realize I need to keep the aluminum block. It's my heat sink for the lube heater I built. I got this square chunk of machining drop off eBay cheap then drilled some holes (with a cordless drill and it took FOREVER) for the mounting bolts, the heater element (at the back) and the temperature probe (left side foreground) the Chinese PID uses (this one works way better than the lead melter PID I built then sold).

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Here it is disassembled and ready to start the design. I cleaned the plate with acetone after the pic was taken. Not only will only it look better without the lube on it but the Sharpie will work better for MORE DRILLING.

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OK...you might be asking what is the big deal? Well, there are no SQUARE holes in the Lee plate that align with the LAM-II and I'd rather not make more. If there were, the Lee flat head carriage bolts are too short (possibly too small in diameter for the load as I was using 3/8" bolts, there's only two) to make it through the heater plate and the LAM-II base. I basically have two options. Make two more square holes and use the longer carriage bolts I found today (after I take them to work and grind the button heads flat...ugh) OR ... I can countersink the bottom of the aluminum plate to bury the heads of shorter bolts to attach the LAM-II to the plate then drill through the plate at mating holes for the Lee (shorter) carriage bolts.

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Pretty sure I'm going with option #2. Let me know in the mean time your opinion as it's Sunday evening which means back to work for me all week.

Below see a mock up of option #2 without and countersinking or drilling extra hole...just some 1/4" bolts (in the previously drilled larger holes in the plate) with the whole thing sitting on the bench plate.

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I still need to get some shelf brackets to hang the turret rack I built. I'm looking to do that tonight. The oddball part is my garage is studded at 16" centers (normal) but I built the rack EXACTLY 32" wide so...might be just sinking two long screws halfway in the side horizontally and setting them onto shelf brackets. I'd like to hear commentary on that too.

Man! Lots left but I'm trying to clear my bench tops because I use them both for more than reloading. My house is 1474 sq ft and I have four school age kids. My garage is mine so...
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Re: Gas' Set Up

Post by GasGuzzler »

No advice? Might be this weekend before I get any time for this. I just finished a 6L80 overhaul and now I'm putting pistons in a Malibu.

I'll get the LAM-II cleaned up at least.
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