I was helping a mate reload some 45-70 cases today and quite a few were very hard to lower the arm on. This had never happened before, the cases are twice fired and lubed as before, I also cleaned the die. Some went in easy, some REAL hard. Then it happended...I broke the pivot thingy. I done the only thing I could think of at the time...I blamed my mate!
The press is a Lee (don't laugh )

Of course I will get new bits but why were the cases so hard to resize in the first place? Any thoughts?

Bakes

Bakes ya press would make a good barra sinker, ya problem is ya press mate...Les

Les
I know alot of people put shit on lee presses but the thing has worked fine before!

I broke my lee press twice with stubborn .375 cases and a Lee sizer die. The aluminium arms broke, right?? Now the lee is only for back up, bought a Forster co-ax and br dies, have never looked back really, this set up is much, much better.

Tron

Some of the inexpensive presses may seem like a bargain at the time but they seldom are,in my opinion. If you are going to be loading some of the larger cases (45-70),doing any case forming or just reloading some of the longer H&H length cases one of the compound leverage presses are the only way to go. If you load any of the longer calibres(300Wby 375 H&H etc) either the Lyman Chrusher or the Redding Boss are excellent presses. They both offer a larger opening above the shellholder.The RCBS Rockchucker is also an excellent press but doesn't have as much room as the Lyman & Redding presses. Sounds like it is an ideal time to move up to a better press.

I hate it when that happens! Possible causes are:
1. Lube-try a different kind- maybe Imperial sizing die wax, it works great for reforming cases, so resizing would be a snap;
2.Rough die- polish the inside- with some automotive rubbing compound, JB Bore Paste, or even TOOTHPASTE, and 0000 steel wool spun on a brush, with an electric drill-BE CAUTIOUS here, you don't want to enlarge the dies, just clean up any scratches.
I'll second the reccomendation for a better press. That said, I have -and use- a Lee, regularly.
Ditto on the recommendation for a Lyman press. I have a Rockchucker, and would trade it in a minute for an old Orange Crusher, due to the taller height in the window.
Can anyone tell me if the new-colored Lyman press is as tall, inside, as the old Orange Crusher?,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Bug.

If you buy a good press to start with you will never need another.My old rockchucker is 23 years old and is going strong inspite of loading several thousand high capacity magnum cases.I load a lot of stw and ultramag rounds and don't find a real problem with the height of the window.

The reason the cases were hard to size is that the nut on the bolt on your Lee press loosened up. Then everything was catywompus down there causing binding and the pot metal links to break. Very common. Get a bolt a quarter inch longer and use a Nyloc nut on it. It will never loosen up again and the press will work forever. That bolt needs to be checked frequently and kept tight.

Hi All - just an observation on lube.

I form .280 Ross cases from 8x68S cases and .300 Sherwood cases from .223 Rem cases. (Check in COTW for dimensions - there's some serious swaging involved)

I had several cases concertina on me using the normal RCBS lube. Then by chance I used a synthetic motor oil (Duckhams) and was staggered when press forces were reduced by a factor of two or three!

Normal case resizing almost happens under the weight of the press arm alone.

Haven't used the RCBS stuff for more than 10 years now.

cheers edi

I broke my Rockchucker press from pushing too hard.

I called RCBS to order a new main casting, but they told me they would give me a new press for free.

I hate that.
That is as immoral a Social Security.
I will give Lee credit, they never give me anything for free, and thier prices reflect it.

I go with the theory that the cases were hard to size because the press was developing problems, not the other way around. .45-70s just ain't that hard to resize.

I like the Lee stuff. It's cheap, does the job, and is light enough to be portable. I keep a Rockchucker around for the heavy jobs, but most of my reloading is done on the basic Lee C press I paid $10 for about 20 years ago. (btw, I had the Rockchucker when I bought the Lee.)

When it breaks, I'll buy another. Think they are up to $20 now.

Good news! Your problem is easily fixed.

The "toggle links" are made of zinc, and are not strong enough. They do break in time.

What you need to do is go to the Lee web page, and order equivalent parts for the Progressive press. This is a larger press, and has beefier toggle links. You will need two links, which I think are $3 each, and you will need a new handle. I think those are $5. So for $11, you're back in service, and the new ones will probably never wear out.

Time to buy a Redding

I bet you won't break that one.

The bitter taste of bad quality stays in the mouth far longer than the sweet taste of a low prize................

I try to thing about that saying when I�m buying something I�ll keep for a while

I have a Rock Chucker by the way

Stefan

Clark-Just how hard did you have to push on the lever to break a rockchucker?Did the lever bend first.Just what were you doing that you had to put so much force on the press?

I think I was using a collet neck die and I didn't know if it was working so I kept adjusting it closer to just over center and pushing as hard as I could.
I only weigh 185 pounds, so that is about as hard as it could have been.

Thanks for the replys guys. A new press is on the cards as I have a .416 Rigby comming to me soon, but I would like to keep the lee around for awhile yet.

Bakes

Hi Bakes what type of 45/70 gun that shot the shells? and hows the anti- gun thing going down under, are you geting any of the laws changed so its not so darn hard to own a handgun. I would like to email you if I could. thanks Frank

I've been using the same Rockchucker I bought back in 1970. Have used it for forming some strange wildcats and do all my mag, STW, and Ultramag sizing on it. (Would like a larger "window" though.)
That said, I also have one of the Lee turret presses that have all my pistol dies set up in different turrets. It does an excellent job.
The advice on using the progressive parts is good. Had a buddy who broke his linkage (no comments from the peanut gallery) and fixed his with the better parts. Runs like a champ.

clark
My rockchucker destroyed my first set of lee collets I was like you and couldn't tell if I was doing anything and pushed the threads right out the top of the die.

Bakes- Get an Ammomaster as long as you have a
big cartridge rifle coming.Then you have the capability to go bigger yet like my 700 HE.They are selling on ebay
for about 140 bucks.
Ed.

Broke a Rockchucker?

Wow...

I can't imagine the force it would take to break my Rockchucker...and I outweigh Clark by about 60lbs

Did RCBS offer any explanation? Liek a flaw in the casting or something?

Fivegunner
Hand gun ownership just got tougher! New laws have been passed, mainly relating to high capacity semiauto's. The Northern Territory has adopted the laws to appese the federal government, saying that, the NT is one of the very few (if not only)places that you can hunt with a hand gun, with the right permit, which are hard to get!

The gun was a Guide Gun thats fired about 50-60 rounds.

My email is
acbakes@austarnet.com.au

Thanks Ed I'll have a look at ebay.

Bakes

I use the same press.
45-70 has got to be the easiest case I have to resize. Something is really really wrong there!!!!
Check and see if the dies are wrong, or full of crud.

Also everything Bob338 said about the bolt is true, and it works. As soon as you notice that the handle is moving at all, check the bolt.

I have broken one set of these links, on 308, the dies were the problem, the expander was corroded from sitting on the shelf too long.
Lee replaced the parts free, I just sent them the old ones.
I will be changing to the progressive press handle next time it breaks.

Clark--

The Rockchucker you broke had a defective casting and they were right to replace it.

I haven't calculated the force it would take to break the "O" frame, but I bet it would take some serious hydraulics on the ram to do it. A good frame won't break no matter who's on the handle. The same goes for most of the block "O" presses.

I see no use for a pot metal press no matter the price.

Jbelk,

I think that the failure was caused by operator error.
I don't think the press is made to take the punishment I gave it.

1) If I adjust the die so that my 185 pounds is with in 1 degree of top dead center
2) The leverage on the handle is 3 to 1
3) There are two links each with cross sections of .75x.25" on either side of their pins [4 places]

Then the stress on the case iron in tension is

[1/sin [1 degree]] [185 pounds][3 to 1]/[4[.75x.25"]]
= 42 kpsi

Machinery's handbook shows the ultimate strength for cast iron in tension to be between 20 and 60 ksi, so this is reasonable.

[ 06-02-2003, 20:26: Message edited by: Clark ]

When your press starts to wear and the moving parts get galled, they put extra stress on the leverage parts and cause failure of the remanufactured lawn chair presses. It only hurts once to go with quality from the onset. You learned now go out and buy a serious press and enjoy your shooting.

RCBS has a new style Rock Chucker press called the Rock Chucker Supreme. It has a taller opening to accept a longer round. I use an Ammo Master to reload all my longer rounds like my 45-120 Sharps and up to my 50 BMG rounds. Plenty of room.

Keep the links tightened and make sure the notch on the handle lines up with the links. If it loosens, the stress is put on the links and they will fracture. Just put the thing together correctly, keep the nut tight and lube your cases and it will last a very long time.

Martindog

I think the problem is indeed with your toggle linkage. Lee makes some good utile products for the money, but they use a lot of cast metal parts and aluminum. That's why it's so inexpensive. It's quite true. You only get what you pay for. Maybe you could look around at a local gun show and come up with a heavy duty unit for a reasonable price. I've used Redding products for years, but they are by no means the only good press out there. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

What really ticks me, is that they know there is a problem, it's not hard to fix, (just use steel links)
So why not DO IT

Spend good money on a good press & don't look back. Ya get what ya pay for. Get an AmmoMaster from RCBS. Bear in Fairbanks