Lee bullet feeder on Dillon 550

[DeepVoid]

This is a little project I worked on during these christmas days: install a cheap Lee bullet feeder on my Dillon 550 press. In order to make the bullet feeder work properly, it was necessary to make its little brace to be linked to the shell plate's vertical movement. So, I redesigned the original Dillon powder vertical brace linking flange, in order to obtain a new piece able to operate both the braces at the same time.

This is the original Dillon's flange:




For the new project, I designed the new flange with Rhino 5.0, a fantastic 3d CAD I love since so many years. Here is a screenshot of the finished project:



As you can see, there is still the original shape of the Dillon's flange, but now a new part is added to the geometry. This new part will catch the bullet feeder vertical brace end, thus transfering the vertical movement of the shell plate to its actuator, in order to put a new bullet under the seating die every time the press handle is operated.

To move the virtual object into reality, I managed to cut a 1,5 mm. thick stainless steel with a waterjet machine: its 40,000 psi water flow went through the metal like a hot blade through the butter, and the cut came out so laser-accurate that no post-production finishing on the new piece was necessary! Here it is the brand new flange, nice and clean, ready to go:




And this is the flange put into position, ready to make the Lee bullet feeder work properly on a Dillon 550 press:

Note: in order to make the Lee bullet feeder operate properly on the Dillon 550, it is necessary to replace the original Dillon seating die with the corresponding Lee seating die. This is because the Lee die is correctely shaped at its bottom part in order to work with the bullet feeder moving fork. Dillon's die causes this fork to be stuck against the shell plate, thus preventing the bullet to be seated at the right height into the shell.

If is anybody out there interested in this solution, please let me know, I'll be glad to share the flange project for free :-)

[jmorris]

Nice work!

I did the same thing years ago with a Lee on a 650, before there were any other choices except the pneumatic MA Syetems feeder.

I sure hope you have better luck with it than I did. Seemed pretty neat at first untl it started spitting bullet out. Lee says to boil the fingers when it starts doing this.

After it was all said and done I felt like giving a friend the $20 to just kick me in the nuts would have been a better investment. Out of all the Lee products I own, it stands alone as the one that dissipointed me to the extent of calling it names.

Edited December 24, 2014 by jmorris

[DeepVoid]

Yes, the Lee bullet feeder is a raw and poorly designed object, but:

1. it suits my current finances
2. when the fingers start to behave erratically, I'll purchase new fingers for a bunch of coins
3. I do love DYI solutions, and if DYI solutions are also cheap, I do love them much more :-)

The next phase is to build the automatic plate for the feeder, it shouldn't be a tough task.

[jmorris]

The most difficult part on the collator is the wheel, if you don't have a CNC or indexer.

I build some simple jigs to make them.

Your water jet would likely do a good job if it can work with 1/2" thick materials.

[DeepVoid]

Yes, I can cut through metal up to 80 mm. in tickness.

How many holes must have the collator wheel? What diameter? And thickness? I would like to build one for the 9mm calibre.

I would really like to understand how to obtain the "magic" bullet flipping, if a bullet is inserted upside-down in a collator's hole. Do you have a drawing for me to study?

What motor do I need?

Apologize for all the questions, I can't wait to build the collator!!! :-)

Edited December 24, 2014 by DeepVoid

[jmorris]

For the flipper you need it so a base down bullet just passes by.

If the bullet is nose down the tip is traveling a slightly larger radius and this falls into a slot.

That drags the tip outward and lays the bullet down infront of a ramp that flips it back up base down.

I used 6" PVC pipe cut the wheel so you have .030 clearence or so between the two.

I use a Dayton DC gear motor 4.5 rpm, don't remember the exact number but it is the same as the 2L009 but 4.5 vs 17 rpm.

[DeepVoid]

UPDATE: since I'm receiving some requests for the new bracket's 3D project file, I've decided to make it freely available to everybody interested in adapting the Lee bullet feeder to the Dillon 550b press. Here is the file:

www.deepvoid.it/public/new_plate_dillon_550.3dm

It's a Rhino 3D 5.0 standard project file.

Let me know if you need more info or explanations about the project. I've also included the 2D source splines used to obtain the 3D surfaces, so anyone who can play with Rhino 3D should be able to modify the object with great ease .

I had my new bracket made from a stainless steel sheet 3 mm. thick, with waterjet cutting, but I think it could be possible to build it also via 3D printing, even if the steel sheet is preferable for its rigidity.

Ok, let me know what about, and have fun with your magnificent Dillon press!!!

[cayuga306]

Is is possible to get the specs in PDF or some other format?  I just couldn't figure out Rhino to get it converted. 

[gieddt]

On 12/24/2014 at 8:23 AM, DeepVoid said:

This is a little project I worked on during these christmas days: install a cheap Lee bullet feeder on my Dillon 550 press. In order to make the bullet feeder work properly, it was necessary to make its little brace to be linked to the shell plate's vertical movement. So, I redesigned the original Dillon powder vertical brace linking flange, in order to obtain a new piece able to operate both the braces at the same time.

This is the original Dillon's flange:




For the new project, I designed the new flange with Rhino 5.0, a fantastic 3d CAD I love since so many years. Here is a screenshot of the finished project:



As you can see, there is still the original shape of the Dillon's flange, but now a new part is added to the geometry. This new part will catch the bullet feeder vertical brace end, thus transfering the vertical movement of the shell plate to its actuator, in order to put a new bullet under the seating die every time the press handle is operated.

To move the virtual object into reality, I managed to cut a 1,5 mm. thick stainless steel with a waterjet machine: its 40,000 psi water flow went through the metal like a hot blade through the butter, and the cut came out so laser-accurate that no post-production finishing on the new piece was necessary! Here it is the brand new flange, nice and clean, ready to go:




And this is the flange put into position, ready to make the Lee bullet feeder work properly on a Dillon 550 press:
 

 

 

 

Note: in order to make the Lee bullet feeder operate properly on the Dillon 550, it is necessary to replace the original Dillon seating die with the corresponding Lee seating die. This is because the Lee die is correctely shaped at its bottom part in order to work with the bullet feeder moving fork. Dillon's die causes this fork to be stuck against the shell plate, thus preventing the bullet to be seated at the right height into the shell.

If is anybody out there interested in this solution, please let me know, I'll be glad to share the flange project for free

 

 

Can you send me more info on the  this.  I would like to do this on my Dillon

[ScottyDM]

Hi guys, I know this forum is quite a few years old now, but would anyone have a clear picture with the dimensions of the adaptor plate. I can replicate one for myself but can read the screenshot clear enough. Thanks

[Kokeman]

On 7/11/2020 at 8:17 AM, ScottyDM said:

Hi guys, I know this forum is quite a few years old now, but would anyone have a clear picture with the dimensions of the adaptor plate. I can replicate one for myself but can read the screenshot clear enough. Thanks

I have a 3D model and a 2d CAD drawing I drew up a couple years ago. I will look for it on my PC tomorrow and if I still have it. I will share it with you if I do.

[Kokeman]

On 7/11/2020 at 8:17 AM, ScottyDM said:

Hi guys, I know this forum is quite a few years old now, but would anyone have a clear picture with the dimensions of the adaptor plate. I can replicate one for myself but can read the screenshot clear enough. Thanks

I used 1/8 steel without formed up sides. It was more than strong enough.