Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Lovegasoline

Members
  • Posts

    9
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Lovegasoline

  1. After my recent post and now acheiving reliable function from my RL550, I want to discuss some of the finer points of 550 reloading. The only issue my press has now are minor, pet peeves (unless I'm misinformed) rather than glaring flaws. I gave the press (used, RL550, not 'B' model, maybe 10-20 +/- years old???) a once over when I got it. I prematurely started to clean the small POWDER CHARGE BAR...I thought the surface had powder residue impacted on it. Nup, it was teflon (little did know, but I had suspicions so I stopped midway...and then confirmed my error by reading back-posts on this forum....eagerness got the best of me)! In any case I successfully polished 50% of the teflon off the bar with Flitz polish . Nevertheless, the bar seems to slide without any major hang-ups....perhaps when I'm flush with cash & in a spendin' mood I'll replace the powder bar with a new one....unless I begin to detect inaccuracies in powder metering. BTW, what sort of powder drop repeatability + grain/- grain can be expected from a stock 550 correctly set up? Furthermore, when running more than one POWDER MEASURE, do you go with Dillon, or is there a more accurate measure on the market that will drop in place? Two other niggling areas concerning the powder measure. My powder measure NEVER gets tight on top of the belling/powder die. After I tighten the BODY COLLAR CLAMP until it bottoms out (the part with 2 hex/allen head screws that secures the powder measure and allows its removal/mounting)...the powder measure will still wobble a bit, jiggle, and easily rotate...it isn't ever 'clamped tight'. I called DIllon and they said it was normal for it to be jiggly. Seems a little sketchy/sloppy to me, but if it is desirable, and works, then it works. Is the Powder Masure on your press solidly fixed in place after tightening, with no rotation or wobble? My powder measure is the older style without the Fail-Safe system. The Stripper Wing Nut which goes on the end of the rod seems to always rapidly unloosen on its own (a handful of rounds) & I need to keep a constant eye on it. I had called Dillon and mentioned the ROD SPRING (part #14033) looked a bit beat-out, they sent me a new one....however, I received a PRIMER SEATING CUP SPRING (part #14033) it seems stouter, was this a snafu or are they essentially the same part...or does it even matter? My press came with a CARTRIDGE COUNTER, a little metered dial assembly, and when I have my crimp die set correctly, the clamp/bracket on the counter assembly seems too tall to fit over the threads of the die, where it needs to seat. It's as if it needs another 1/8" or so, and would demand raising the die further. I had tried out the counter for a dry dummy run when I first assembled the press (without adjusting the dies) , and I noticed that the actuating arm of the counter was pushing the bullet down further into the case...it was seating the bullet further...it seemed to be engaging the bullet before the latter was crimped (likely it needed finer tuning, which I did not perform...again I was just curious and playing with it). I may play around with the counter further or just sell it as was my original intention. A call to Dillon received a response that it is no longer sold and was a design that was a great idea but that the implementation was never realized successfully...so it was dropped from their product line. What the heck is the PLASTIC PLUG (part #13921) on the Powder Measure assembly for? I may get a Vibra-Prime from Frankford Arsenal to load the primer tubes as I've read raving reviews of it on other forums. The only areas I haven't really explored is complete disassembly of the linkage arms to grease the pins they rotate on. My press does not have the lube holes so to get that area greased means dissassembly. I squirted some 3-in-1 Oil and also some FP-10 oil in there, but I would feel better knowing there was some grease lathered in there....I do not know how long the press was in operation (older RL550, not the 'B' model) and with no lube holes it was probably never dissassembled and lubed..at least I have to go on that assumption. I suppose if I get it apart and get ambitious I can even drill/tap it for zerk fittings. Anyone do the full disassembly? Is it a bitch? Not to bad? What sort of tolerances do you get with the other dies, the seating die for instance? What is the repeatability +/-? No significant primer woes to report (I did get a couple upside down primers the other day, but it could of been my error in loadig the pickup tubes?). As I wrote @ the beginnng of the post, nothing here is a glaring problem (or neccesarily a problem @ all), I'm just entering the larger terrain of press fine tuning and discovery of the machine's quirks. And yes, I do love my Dillon! Thanks a bunch for any insight or comments you can offer.
  2. Well, I went back to the press...I couldn't sleep soundly without knowing I had confirmed the solution in my mind. I set the chronograph (chronometer??) on my watch for 5 minutes and started to reload...not as an all-out speed test, but rather to firmly and consistently run the press with a swiftness (or at least the swiftness a newbie can muster) that would mirror a fully engaged reloading session. In the 5 minutes, I loaded 32 rounds, in rapid succession. There was no binding of the shellplate or hardware anywhere, no resistence at the interface of brass meeeting dies, all the brass was smoothly belled (no, the dies/cases have not been lubed with One-Shot...I've read much about it & will include a can with my next supply order), and the finished cartridges exited the press and passed all measurement and tolerance tests. The problem is whipped! I haven't fully removed the EJECTOR WIRE, but it IS possible that the end of the wire had a burr and had locked itself in the Shellplat platform....perhaps the ends had been splayed excessively to increase its holding tension when inserted into the Shellplate Platform holes, perhaps (since the press is older...how old I do NOT know but possibly early 1990s or even from the 1980s)... perhaps the Ejector Wire was midly siezed in place for over a decade and the gent who owned it before me just loaded slowly and dealt with the case rim damage on occasion...or maybe it was just a freak bind that occured just recently. The difficulty in solving the issue was my assuming that the Ejector Wire was fixed in place and was a non-adjustable component.
  3. Lots of insightful ideas & inquiries here, it has got me thinking, which is good. I carefully noted the tightness and slop of the shellplate that was mounted on the press when I received it (I needed to remove the .44 shellplate and put on the .45ACP [#1]). I recall when I first mounted the shellplate (SP) something felt suspicious about that ball/detent setup. When I tighted the shellplate down, it would get TOO tight and would not spin freely....yet, even when it was too tight to turn, I could still push DOWN on the shellplate and it would depress the ball/spring even FURTHER. Huh? Then I would back off the shellplate bolt a little and the SP would spin freely again. It never made sense to me that the SP should bind...maybe the spring tension was too tight? When I examined the shellplate further I noted as I tightened the SP Bolt, the index sprocket would eventually drag against the top of the Ejector Wire and bind. So I would back off the Sprocket Bolt until it sprung freely again....but introduce wobble...until I reached the best compromise. Having never owned a press before, I assumed the wobble was 'acceptable'. But then once I got used to the press and up to speed, the cases were starting to get crushed. This time I left the Index Sprocket off and cranked the SP down....down....and down even further...to my surpise no bind was occuring with the ball detent. So it couldn't be the ball. Hum. I tested with the Index Sprocket left off and with brass in the SP...to my surprise, the cases were held stable and the cases aligned perfectly(!) with the powder die...even when I spun the SP fiercely. It was then I discovered the problem. The Index Sprocket dragging against the Ejector Wire and preventing the SP from being mounted lower as it should be. When I first mounted the SP I had explored the Ejector Wire and it felt FIXED in position, SOLIDLY press fit into the Shellplate Platform. I took a lightweight hammer and gave it a few taps, and it lowered down. Eventually, between lightly tapping it down and prying it upwards, I got it perfectly positioned so floated sandwiched between the SP and Index Sprocket when the latter was mounted where it SHOULD be....lower than I had it previously. All of a sudden everything made sense and came into place: when I got the press, I had had to adjust the primer seating punch and raise it so it would fully seat the primers (proof to me now that the SP was too high). It was an Ejector Wire frozen in position a little TOO HIGH. Everything is working smoothly now! I need to readjust the height of all my dies and I'm back in business...and I'll get to see the true speed and grace the press is capable of. Thanks again for all the suggestions!
  4. I bought a used RL550, which appears to have been extremely well maintained... it is the older model and is likely 10++ years old. The previous owner even had a deluxe custom wooden case built to store it in, and it's in very nice shape as is the other equipment I purchased. A few things were worn and Dillon sent me replacements. However, I'm having a problem at station #2 (powder drop and belling). I'm getting cases that are crushed at the rim...not every case, but frequently enough that it is a problem. I'm loading .45 A.C.P., and have Dillon dies (older style). I'm using shellplate #1, mounted correct side up, with matching#1 retainer pins (these pins came with little blue plastic tabs that fit onto them for easy removal/replacement of the pin. I've run the press both with the plastic tab on the pins and without, and it doesn't appear to have any effect on the case crushing). The Shellplate is mounted with what I believe to be the correct amount of play...any tighter and I cannot turn it reliably & smoothly. What happens is the case does not maintain a proper vertical axis in the shellplate...i.e., the case wobbles slightly off vertical . The case has enough play in the shellplate at station two so that it often leans 'out' a bit, off vertical axis (as if centrifical force had acted on it). Then, when the shellplate rises and brings the case into contact with the die's powder funnel, the funnel will sometimes NOT self-center on the case ...sometimes the case will be so far off center that the rim of the case is missed by the funnel's curved radius. In these instances the 'hole' in the end of the powder funnel will just kiss the case rim and crush it….not a complete collapse of the case, but enough damage to the rim to ruin it. It isn't an issue of the primers protruding: they are fully seated & I've experimented with primerless cases and they get crushed just the same. If, at station #2, I keep a finger on the case to keep it in a vertical orientation it guides precisely into the powder funnel. I called Dillon and they are sending me out an 'alignment' part of some sort, in the event the press had been disassembled and incorrectly reassembled previously. Anyway...anyone else here experience something similar….or have any ideas about a solution? Thanks a bunch. Neal
  5. I have a used Dillon Swager. It comes with two sets of dies (lrg,sm)...each set includes 2 dies, one for inside of the case (anvil) and one for outside of the case that enters the primer pocket. Changing the inside case die (anvil) is straightforward....I cannot see an easy method of changing the shorter die, the one that goes into the primer pocket (and is mounted closer to the handle). Do you need to remove the heavy shaft that the handle pivots on to swap out the dies? Is there any sort of instruction sheet for setting the tolerance/depth of the dies? I've never swaged cases before so I'm not certain what constitutes a well vs. a poorly swaged case. If it matters, my Swager is likely an older generation, it doesn't say "Super Swager" or "600" on it, nor does it have a model number on it...however, it looks exactly like the current model featured in the Blue Press circular. Thanks a bunch.
  6. When I have a bit more time (and ambition) for the deeper inspection/greasing of the linkage arms & pivot pins, I'll tear it down. Everything else is lubed up and operating smoothly. Thanks for all the replies.
  7. I'm a first time reloader. I bought a used RL550, it is probably 10-15+ years old...however, it is in exquisite condition and was VERY well cared for by its previous owner. I lubed the MAINSHAFT and squirted some 3-in-One oil at the linkage joints. I did several dry reloading runs without primers/powder, to set up the dies and get a feel for the press' functioning. A few things were sketcky: the LOW PRIMER WARNING BUZZER wasn't reliably going off (after you press down on the black actuation lever on top...even after a new battery and cleaning the battery contacts). The Spent Primer Catcher Chute (the little chute that flips up/down and directs the spent primers to the collection bin)...it sometimes gets stuck in the 'closed' position and will not drop back down again....the part has a very odd surface... it looks as if it is white powdercoated...perhaps it is corroded. One edge of it rubs against the Primer Slide when the shellplate platform is lowered. Finally, a little Shoulder Washer that fits over the powder measure rod and inserts in the return bracket was missing. I called Dillon and new parts are on their way for free: Low Primer Warning Module, a complete Roller Bracket Assembly (includes spent primer catcher chute), Shoulder Washer. The customer service was superior and mirrors the testimony from the endless stream of very happy customers. Count me in that stream! I do have a question about press lubrication. Do you lubricate the SHELLPLATE BOLT so that the INDEX SPROCKET and SHELLPLATE spin freely on it's lubed shaft? Is it necessary? Also, do you in any way lubricate (graphite powder or other???) the SHELLPLATE PLATFORM which the brass cases slide across as they go from station to station...or will lubing this part just introduce potential contamination? I love this little machine and am impressed by it's design and the quality of it's fabrication. Thanks a bunch for any tips or advice you can offer a new owner. Cheers, Lovegasoline
  8. Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated! I also checked with Dillon and they say the powder measure on the earlier versions do not have the return mechanism the newer one's have...possible problems are powder clogging and/or powder not dropping or charging correctly after 1000-1500 loads unless the measure is thoroughly cleaned. Older versions ("without the small white Delron cube part") cannot be upgraded. Cheers, Lovegasoline
  9. Hello, I'm new to Dillon & reloading and have been considering a used RL550 press. Is there any differecnce netween the earlier 1980's model and the newly produced RL550B? Will the differences be significant enough to warrant not purchasing the older unit? Thanks.
×
×
  • Create New...