spideysteve Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) Sheesh ... Really????? Was totally excited when I got home from work, then I opened the box ... 4 pics, a couple thousand words ... look at the outside of the box pic first, then see what was inside ... Edited November 18, 2011 by spideysteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Oh Snap ! Luuuuucy, you got some splaining to do ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajadudes Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Maybe they will let you keep what they sent you and send you a new shell plate and complete tool head with dies and powder measure in 40 cal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modoc Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Doh! Think about the Cowboy Shooter who is going WTH? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
want2race Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) That thing is a monster compared to my press (small deal B ). Always makes me chuckle, and be a bit jealous. Edited November 18, 2011 by want2race Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spideysteve Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) Maybe they will let you keep what they sent you and send you a new shell plate and complete tool head with dies and powder measure in 40 cal? That would be my preferred method of fixing the problem. At the moment I don't even own anything in 38/357 but I suppose it would give me an excuse to go buy a new gun. Doh! Think about the Cowboy Shooter who is going WTH? No kidding .. I'm sure that wheel gun shooter is going to be saying the same thing I did after opening the box. LoL Well, I'm sure they will fix it, and I understand mistakes (human error) happens, but it really sucks since I wanted to set this unit up over the weekend and get it going. Still things I can do I suppose, like set up the major parts, pull the shell plate, clean/lube all the parts. Edited November 18, 2011 by spideysteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98sr20ve Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Don't forget to remove the "star thingy". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkie Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 They must have got distracted when we were down there touring the plant.... We had fun with them, but have caused you much pain sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spideysteve Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 Maybe they will let you keep what they sent you and send you a new shell plate and complete tool head with dies and powder measure in 40 cal? Just got off the phone ... That's exactly what they are going to do .. Send out a .40 conversion kit, plus Gary was nice enough to throw in some spare parts that I asked about, due to the inconvenience. And it is going out FedEx today so I should have it early next week. Still sucks, but hey, they are working to fix it right away. I got a chuckle when he said "well I wish I could say this was the first time it ever happened, but ..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajadudes Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Maybe they will let you keep what they sent you and send you a new shell plate and complete tool head with dies and powder measure in 40 cal? Just got off the phone ... That's exactly what they are going to do .. Send out a .40 conversion kit, plus Gary was nice enough to throw in some spare parts that I asked about, due to the inconvenience. And it is going out FedEx today so I should have it early next week. Still sucks, but hey, they are working to fix it right away. I got a chuckle when he said "well I wish I could say this was the first time it ever happened, but ..." What a deal, That is awesome CS. I am very happy I decided to also stick with Dillon for my reloading equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Before doing any thing, read the manual (lots of luck with that) and buy and watch the video. While watching the video, try to follow along with your press. In particular, watch how the operator goes about removing and re-installing the primer lever. There are things he does without thinking or mentioning that make things go so much smoother. You should try to have the video playing on a computer next to your press and frequently stop and "rewind" if there is something you don't catch. I mounted mine all with wing-nuts with the bolts coming up from the bottom. Be sure that your press handle does not contact the bench when fully down. This is not the problem it was with the RL models. Be sure your bench is sturdy. All progressive presses need a very rigid bench--and many problems are solved simply by stiffening up the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spideysteve Posted December 15, 2011 Author Share Posted December 15, 2011 (edited) I finally got my replacement parts yesterday. Dillon sent it out regular mail, not FedEx as I originally said. No biggie really, just Canada customs and Canada post are both a PITA. Opened up the box and I got 40 dies, 40 conversion kit which is what I needed, and they threw in a spare parts kits as well as the set up DVD. pretty happy with the service from the Dillon folks. Edited December 15, 2011 by spideysteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Maybe they will let you keep what they sent you and send you a new shell plate and complete tool head with dies and powder measure in 40 cal? Just got off the phone ... That's exactly what they are going to do .. Send out a .40 conversion kit, plus Gary was nice enough to throw in some spare parts that I asked about, due to the inconvenience. And it is going out FedEx today so I should have it early next week. Still sucks, but hey, they are working to fix it right away. I got a chuckle when he said "well I wish I could say this was the first time it ever happened, but ..." Still sucks? I'll be there are a LOT of folks on this list who would gladly put up with the extra week or do delay in getting set up to get a free extra toolhead and dies (even if the dies aren't one you use, the toolhead itself has real value). Classy move on Dillon's part - lesser companies would respond with "we'll replace it once the incorrect part arrives". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spideysteve Posted December 15, 2011 Author Share Posted December 15, 2011 Maybe they will let you keep what they sent you and send you a new shell plate and complete tool head with dies and powder measure in 40 cal? Just got off the phone ... That's exactly what they are going to do .. Send out a .40 conversion kit, plus Gary was nice enough to throw in some spare parts that I asked about, due to the inconvenience. And it is going out FedEx today so I should have it early next week. Still sucks, but hey, they are working to fix it right away. I got a chuckle when he said "well I wish I could say this was the first time it ever happened, but ..." Still sucks? I'll be there are a LOT of folks on this list who would gladly put up with the extra week or do delay in getting set up to get a free extra toolhead and dies (even if the dies aren't one you use, the toolhead itself has real value). Classy move on Dillon's part - lesser companies would respond with "we'll replace it once the incorrect part arrives". Yup, like I said later in this thread, was pretty awesome from their part. I didn't get an extra tool head, just the conversion kit and dies. The part that sucked was being all excited about a new toy, only to open the box and it's not the right one. But hey, all good now ... Plus it gave me time to finish building my new bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bofe954 Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Plus now you have to go out and buy a 38spl/357... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spideysteve Posted January 2, 2012 Author Share Posted January 2, 2012 Got it all set up and watched the video while doing it. 2 things I've encountered, hopefully someone has experience with it ... 1st ... when I took off the tool head to change the caliber, the main bolt was quite stuck and needed a fair bit of force to move it. I didn't notice at the time, but this seemed to twist the tool head somewhat as I was removing the bolt. Now, in the regular up and down motion, the tool head twists a bit as it is cycling at a couple of points. It's like it is traveling down, makes a bit of a rocking motion ccw, then moves back into position. I would guess something is now out of alignment somewhere, but I can't figure it out. The closest thing I can come up with is the linkage at the bottom of the ram is loose possibly? It doesn't appear to affect the function of the machine, but I don't have the experience with it yet to be able to make an informed statement on it. 2nd ... when feeding cases into the shell plate, sometimes they don't go in properly, jamming up the machine. Looks like they get hung up before entering the shell plate, sometimes they are at an angle. At times the rotation starts before the new case is in. It doesn't happen all the time and there is no rhyme or reason that I could see ... I tried cycling the handle at different speeds which doesn't seem to change anything, and I made sure everything was clean in that area, but it seems to happen at random. Any thoughts/ideas would be great Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck223 Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Steve, It's normal to have a bit of toolhead rotation. When you look at the toolhead coming down, you'll probably notice that the rotation begins as the casefeeder roller is being contacted. What I do when setting the machine up is to leave the toolhead nut loose by a full thread, then lock it in the full down position to snug it tight. That should leave you centered. As for the casefeeder probems, there can be a few simple issues you can check and improve. 1) Is the track the shellcase shuttle rides in clean? Tumbling media can cause issues. 2) Is the shellplate clean, or is the area underneath fouled with spilled powder and media? (Compressed air is your friend) 3) Is the shellplate snug without binding? (Full hand tight, then back off 1/16th - 1/8th of a turn) 4) Are you controlling the handle on the way up, or are you allowing the spring to let it race up? 5) Without any shells on the shellplate, does the shellplate index properly, or do you find that the indexing pins in the toolhead are shoving it over the last bit when approaching the shellplate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalaur Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 1st ... when I took off the tool head to change the caliber, the main bolt was quite stuck and needed a fair bit of force to move it. I didn't notice at the time, but this seemed to twist the tool head somewhat as I was removing the bolt. Now, in the regular up and down motion, the tool head twists a bit as it is cycling at a couple of points. It's like it is traveling down, makes a bit of a rocking motion ccw, then moves back into position. I would guess something is now out of alignment somewhere, but I can't figure it out. The closest thing I can come up with is the linkage at the bottom of the ram is loose possibly? It doesn't appear to affect the function of the machine, but I don't have the experience with it yet to be able to make an informed statement on it. The toolhead can actually twist a bit on the main shaft as you're tightening up the bolt which can cause it to twist back 'straight' when lowering the handle and the locator pins start to enter the frame. One thing I do when putting the toolhead back on the main shaft, is raise the shaft to the top of its stroke, put the toolhead on, and hand tighten the bolt. Then, lower the handle so the toolhead is all the way down, wiggle the toolhead a little bit, then tighten the bolt. This seems to get everything fairly straight and aligned while tightening. Also, be sure to lube the top of the main shaft where the toolhead sits, this prevents the toolhead from seizing on the shaft when you want to remove it. If you've done the above, and there is still a little rotation, it shouldn't be a big deal, this is why there is a locator pin/bushing setup on the toolhead and frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alvarez Kelly Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Do you have a large pistol case feeder plate installed? 40S&W uses the large plate, while 38 uses the small one, if I remember right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spideysteve Posted January 3, 2012 Author Share Posted January 3, 2012 I will have to check all of those things tonight after work. Thanks guys for all the tips/suggestions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind bat Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I wonder if they were shooting a Blue Press cover photo in the shipping room the day your press went out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalaur Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Do you have a large pistol case feeder plate installed? 40S&W uses the large plate, while 38 uses the small one, if I remember right. 40S&W can use either large or small pistol casefeeder plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spideysteve Posted January 4, 2012 Author Share Posted January 4, 2012 Do you have a large pistol case feeder plate installed? 40S&W uses the large plate, while 38 uses the small one, if I remember right. Came with the large plate installed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 With toolhead up, screw in bolt but leave a little play. Lower the toolhead and help it align with the various alignment homes. When toolhead is all the way down, then tighten up the bolt all the way. Just like dies, alignment really helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spideysteve Posted January 4, 2012 Author Share Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) Steve, It's normal to have a bit of toolhead rotation. When you look at the toolhead coming down, you'll probably notice that the rotation begins as the casefeeder roller is being contacted. What I do when setting the machine up is to leave the toolhead nut loose by a full thread, then lock it in the full down position to snug it tight. That should leave you centered. As for the casefeeder probems, there can be a few simple issues you can check and improve. 1) Is the track the shellcase shuttle rides in clean? Tumbling media can cause issues. 2) Is the shellplate clean, or is the area underneath fouled with spilled powder and media? (Compressed air is your friend) 3) Is the shellplate snug without binding? (Full hand tight, then back off 1/16th - 1/8th of a turn) 4) Are you controlling the handle on the way up, or are you allowing the spring to let it race up? 5) Without any shells on the shellplate, does the shellplate index properly, or do you find that the indexing pins in the toolhead are shoving it over the last bit when approaching the shellplate? Thanks for the tips Canuck ... 1) it was clean, but gave it a shot of air and wiped it out to be sure 2) same as 1 3) was actually a bit looser than what you described, also one of the bolts which hold the nut in place wasn't tight either, which appears to have caused the shell plate to be slightly tilted, which could also create the issue I was having 4) controlling, definitely not letting it bounce up 5) indexes fine, the pins are centered After fixing the shell plate, it appears the case feed issues are gone. I ran 100 rounds through the feeder and onto the shell plate and not one jam. I was pulling the case out at the first (second?) station. When I was playing with it the other day, I had every third case (or more) jamming. Last check is to actually load some rounds as it will likely behave slightly differently with cases at each station. I have noticed that the swaging station seems to pull the case upwards with the upstroke of the handle, putting some force on the shell plate. As for the tool head ... I took it apart, and put it back together as everyone suggested. Still gets a bit of rotational movement, but it appears to be the entire shaft, not just the tool head. As I was putting everything back on, this movement didn't start happening until I put the part on which moves the primer shuttle. That being said, there is definitely less movement now after putting it all back together than what there was previously. Thanks again to everyone for all the tips/suggestions. Much appreciated! Edited January 4, 2012 by spideysteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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