XL 650 Powder spilling on exit of brass before indexing

[bronco8000]

I am ready to freak out!!!!!!

I am new to reloading and right out of the gate purchased my first machine a Dillon XL 650. I have followed all the set up instructions on dies and tool head and I am trying to reload 300 winmag, but the powder dispenser is spilling anywhere from 1 - 2.6 grains of powder (RL22) all over my machine and bench each time I raise the handle. This happens after the brass has exited the powder die and has just started to index. I can raise the handle slowly or fast it doesn’t matter. If I raise the handle slowly I can stick the scale measuring tray between the brass and the tool head and measure the spillage. I am using Hornady dies for decapping, sizing, and seating and Dillon dies for powder dispensing, and powder check. I have installed a shell plate bearing kit,

http://s1112.beta.photobucket.com/user/Bronco8000/media/2012-11-24_15-02-03_334.jpg.html

the UniqueTek tool head with clamp kit, the UniqueTek powder baffle and polished the Dillon Magnum powder bar, funnel, and inside where the powder bar slides to a shiny mirror like finish (as per suggestions)

http://s1112.beta.photobucket.com/user/Bronco8000/media/2012-11-24_15-04-23_753.jpg.html

and yet am still spilling powder.

When I called Dillon, the support guy told me to disengage the spring that joins both gold arms on the powder dispenser.

http://s1112.beta.photobucket.com/user/Bronco8000/media/2012-11-24_15-02-17_540.jpg.html

He also told me that fluctuations of .3 grains of powder when measuring were acceptable, which is a lot more than what these forums have told me of .1 grains. I am getting fluctuations of 2 - 3 grains total per dispense.

I had the same problem when reloading .223. Is this normal or am I just stupid? I can accept stupid but not normal powder spilling. Please help.

[ClaytonWelch]

I had the same problem and when I called Dillon support the guy told me to tighten down the big bolt in the center of the shellplate. This is to make it "drag" when indexing instead of slinging the powder.

[lablover]

I just clipped the little spring under the shell plate that has the silver bearing/ball on top of it. Works like a charm now. Make sure you get yourself an extra spring in case you clip too much. If I recall, I clipped almost half of it off. Just clip a little at a time. Stop when you find the shell plate not popping into place real hard.

[noylj]

1) Get marine propellor grease to slow things down

2) put your finger on case as it comes down so powder won't spill or put your finger on the shell plate to slow it down.

[bronco8000]

Ok maybe I wasn’t clear.

My issue is not powder spilling out of the brass as the shell plate indexes, my issue is the powder is spilling out of the powder dispenser after the brass has exited, started to index, and is no longer under the powder dispenser. I recognize what you’re referring to with the powder spilling out of the brass and I think I have that part handled with the bearing kit, just not the other part. It would seem powder is getting hung up in the dispenser and not all falling at once.

Thanks for your posts.

[assaulter]

Are you holding the handle down long enough for the powder to fill the case? If you go to fast, you'll pull the case out before the powder is finished dropping. Or, are you overfilling the case?

Edited December 18, 2012 by assaulter

[Koppi]

The other issue may be that the air cannot exit the case fast enough thereby stoping the powder from getting in, you need to make a exit hole for the air, Maybe. You can as you come off the case stop just above the it with the funnel still in the neck, tap the funnel to make sure the powder is done falling.

[Sarge]

Is that a stick powder? Sounds like the powder is bridging.

[Jaxshooter]

I agree with Sarge sounds like the powder is bridging. It could also be from static electricity. Try a strip of drier sheet in the powder hopper.

[Got Juice?]

Powder bridging for sure.

Sometimes the dillon funnels are not well finished inside (rough) and it causes the powder to bridge.

Remove the powder funnel and look down its bore. If there are even light machining marks, you want to remove them.

Get a drill bit 1/16" smaller than the opening on the powder funnle, place it in a drill. Place the powder funnel in a vise (non marking)

Now wind some 0 steel wool around the drill bit so that it is snug in the funnel bore.

Remove bit and saturate with flitz or cutting polish.

At medium speed, slowly work the drill in and out of the funnel. Then bore snake the residue out and continue process until the only marks you see are the ones left by the steel wool

Now. Repeat the process with 00 and 000 steel wool until the bore of the funnel is like a mirror.

That solves the problem permanently

[Beacon22]

I had this issue and did pretty much what juice is talking about and I havent had any problems since. I also grounded my machine as well.

[bronco8000]

Interesting about the grounding I never thought about the static electricity. I will do both polish the inside of the powder funnel and ground the machine and report back. All the Christmas chaos and deer season is over and now I have some time to invest some time into my machine. Thanks for the suggestions. Stand by to stand by.

[Beacon22]

Gotta love the distraction of deer season!!

[audioshooter]

I had this problem with H4895 loading 223. All i did was tap the powder measure 5-6 times on each case and fixed the problem.

[toothguy]

What Juice said, grounded mine to the copper piping and placed a rubber mat to stand on. Seems like the problem is worse in the winter. I installed an April Air house humidifier, really seems to help control static in the winter.

Also I have read where others have placed a fish tank air compressor, that vibrates, on the press. I have not tried that but it may help.

Edited January 4, 2013 by toothguy

[rutilate]

Powder bridging for sure.

Sometimes the dillon funnels are not well finished inside (rough) and it causes the powder to bridge.

Remove the powder funnel and look down its bore. If there are even light machining marks, you want to remove them.

Get a drill bit 1/16" smaller than the opening on the powder funnle, place it in a drill. Place the powder funnel in a vise (non marking)

Now wind some 0 steel wool around the drill bit so that it is snug in the funnel bore.

Remove bit and saturate with flitz or cutting polish.

At medium speed, slowly work the drill in and out of the funnel. Then bore snake the residue out and continue process until the only marks you see are the ones left by the steel wool

Now. Repeat the process with 00 and 000 steel wool until the bore of the funnel is like a mirror.

That solves the problem permanently

What would happen if you were to tumble the powder funnel in either dry walnut media or wet stainless steel media? would that have the same effect as polishing with steel wool?

[Got Juice?]

Powder bridging for sure.

Sometimes the dillon funnels are not well finished inside (rough) and it causes the powder to bridge.

Remove the powder funnel and look down its bore. If there are even light machining marks, you want to remove them.

Get a drill bit 1/16" smaller than the opening on the powder funnle, place it in a drill. Place the powder funnel in a vise (non marking)

Now wind some 0 steel wool around the drill bit so that it is snug in the funnel bore.

Remove bit and saturate with flitz or cutting polish.

At medium speed, slowly work the drill in and out of the funnel. Then bore snake the residue out and continue process until the only marks you see are the ones left by the steel wool

Now. Repeat the process with 00 and 000 steel wool until the bore of the funnel is like a mirror.

That solves the problem permanently

What would happen if you were to tumble the powder funnel in either dry walnut media or wet stainless steel media? would that have the same effect as polishing with steel wool?

No. The machining marks and the steel in the funnel is too hard for that to work.

[Got Juice?]

What Juice said, grounded mine to the copper piping and placed a rubber mat to stand on. Seems like the problem is worse in the winter. I installed an April Air house humidifier, really seems to help control static in the winter.

Also I have read where others have placed a fish tank air compressor, that vibrates, on the press. I have not tried that but it may help.

I forgot about the grounding.. My presses are all permanently grounded to the common ground in my wall outlets. When I set up to reload, I will touch the metal of the press just to discharge any floating static charge I might have on me.

[Bob DuBois]

Mine was spilling quite a bit and I installed a flat bearing kit that helped about 70% but didn't cure the problem. I'm using Solo 1000 which is a light flake powder. The funnel was polished and that helped bridging but need to load smoothly. I used a long 1/8th drill bit with sandpaper strips attached then Simichrome Polish on a large patch attached to the drill bit with tape.

[rutilate]

I forgot about the grounding.. My presses are all permanently grounded to the common ground in my wall outlets. When I set up to reload, I will touch the metal of the press just to discharge any floating static charge I might have on me.

Where is your grounding line attached to your press?

[Got Juice?]

I forgot about the grounding.. My presses are all permanently grounded to the common ground in my wall outlets. When I set up to reload, I will touch the metal of the press just to discharge any floating static charge I might have on me.

Where is your grounding line attached to your press?

On the 550 it is bolted to the table and Press. copper washer, copper wire (insulated speaker wire soldered to the washer), then to the box. Sand any paint off where you bolt on your ground.

On the Super1050 I used the same procedure.

Each press runs to a different box (but still common ground)

[Larry White]

RL 22 is a coarse powder and the dillon does not meter it to well, it has a tendecy to bridge, pluse a 300 win mag holds a lot of it, takes a while for that much powder to fall thur a .30 cal hole. Slow down and tap as suggested above. ------------Larry

[bronco8000]

Ok I finally fixed my problem of powder spilling. Some may say looks pretty crude however I just loaded 20 rounds, it was very repeatable, I didn’t have to make sure I tapped the dispenser, and I didn't have powder spilled all over my press. Instead of having a variant of 2-3 grains of powder in weight, I am now getting only .3-.4

I added a spring (bought from Lowes) to the gold lever on the powder dispenser and attached the other end to guide bracket on the press that moves. Both replaceable parts. What I think was happening was the powder bar was not returning while the case was still in the dispenser. This defiantly solved the problem.

Below are the pictures.

http://s1112.beta.photobucket.com/user/Bronco8000/media/2013-02-02_13-48-59_9891_zps61138883.jpg.html

http://s1112.beta.photobucket.com/user/Bronco8000/media/2013-02-02_13-48-44_1841_zps88421be9.jpg.html

http://s1112.beta.photobucket.com/user/Bronco8000/media/2013-02-02_13-48-23_5531_zpse3b66c87.jpg.html

Any thoughts are welcome.

[Steve RA]

You can also use the Dillon springs that used to come on the powder measures and accomplish the same thing. They still have them for sale.

[bronco8000]

Steve thanks but I am unfamiliar with the springs you are referring to. Do you have a picture or a link to the product from Dillon I would rather use those instead.