Lee Pro 1000 Solutions < No Bashing >

[kingmt]

It says no bashing because people like to put there opinion where it isn't helpful. All tools are blamed for problems by the people that don't know how to use them. I have a Pro1000 & have yet to have the first problem with it. I have made a few mistakes tho. A mod isn't to make it work only to get it to do something different then it was designed to do. I've seen post on here for mods of other brands also.

 

[evan price]

Yes, I will keep my few LEE die sets, but will avoid there other mod requiring products.

I did not write this as a LEE bashing, but there are other product lines that offer a lot more..

Sure they do, but they cost more too. If I had to pay Dillon or Hornady or RCBS prices to start reloading I never would have done it. I don't mind the occaisional tinkering.

 

[jfh]

OK, let's put this thread back on track

by not speculating any further about further Lee bashing--either pro or con. The issues Codefor raised are simply an adjunct discussion not suitable to this thread.

Jim H.

 

[LiveLife]

I know the initial thread title was "no bashing". But why does every LEE thread have to start with "no bashing"..??

RCBS, Hornady, and Dillon threads do NOT start with "no bashing"..

LEE makes some good products but some products just require too much work to make them work as the other offerings..

I did not write this as a LEE bashing, but there are other product lines that offer a lot more..

I started this thread in February of 2010 after several Lee product threads were closed due to generalized Lee bashing and Lee vs other brand press comparisons that resulted with no constructive information provided to help OPs' problems.

Mind you, I have used other brand presses and admire products like Dillon Super 1050 and Hornady AP LNL for their level of construction and operational features.

The original intent of this thread was not to promote the Pro 1000 as the "best" progressive press out there (Believe me, it's not) but to provide help and support to those who already owned one or have decided to purchase one due to various reasons. For them, posting how a brand X press is better and offers more than the Pro 1000 press isn't going to help them with their problems. Offering practical solutions will get them back to reloading, which is all of our primary objective.

My hope with this support thread is to help Pro 1000 users get the most out of their presses and THR members respect that goal. Will brand comparisons and "Which is the best press" discussions ever end? No, but I think that's for another thread discussion.

Peace.


If you want to contribute to this thread, the following format will help those looking for a particular solution quicker:

Problem: XXX

Solution: XXX

 

[J_McLeod]

Has anyone tried Tula or Wolf primers in their Pro1000? I know Lee says to only use Win or CCI.

 

[LiveLife]

I have tried Tula SP/LP and Wolf LP in several Pro 1000 with the same result.

They are much harder to seat than Winchester/CCI/MagTech/PMC primers. It maybe due to slightly larger diameter of the Tula/Wolf primers and I must push very hard on the ram lever. For once-fired and tighter primer pocket cases, I have to hold the frame with my left hand while I push with my right hand to seat them. For Winchester, one hand pressure on the ram lever is sufficient.

So far, MagTech SP has been the easiest to seat with Winchester second.

As a comparison, when I hand prime on Auto Prime XR, I can seat a Winchester primer with my right thumb pressure. With Tula/Wolf primers, I must use two thumb pressure.

 

[kingmt]

Tula seat easier then CCI in my Pro1000. I have never used Win tho.

 

[J_McLeod]

Thanks for the help. Winchester is what I have on hand, and the easiest to get, so I'll stick with those for now. I just set my Pro 1000 up last night and ran some cases through it a few times with no powder or primers. I'll go back to the thread's original format

Problem: Case feeder does not stay in place well with the two nuts provided.

Still looking for a solution.

 

[LiveLife]

J_McLeod, I use the upper nut to adjust for the height of the case (about 1/8" clearance) then I use a box end wrench to tighten the bottom nut while I hold the case feeder (black round part) about 1/16"-1/8" away from the press body (you may need to raise the shellplate carrier up to do this).

I use a short stubby box end wrench but apply firm enough pressure so the case feeder won't move. Just be sure you check the clearance from the press body by cycling the feeder a few times.

BTW, do not lube/oil the slide ramp case/slider moves. It needs to be kept dry or lightly lubes with dry graphite/#2 pencil lead.

 

[evan price]

I use thousands of Wolf primers in my Pro1K. Does need a bit extra push to seat them all the way.

I've got one specific shellplate carrier now that must be out-of-round. When it is fully tightened onto the ram the shellplate won't turn. Loosen the lock bolt and it turns. Seems to be the drive bolt shoulder is too tight in the carrier. I chucked the hex rod up in the cordless drill, removed the ball bearing check/stop, the spring fingers and the primer sensor, then took it for a five minute spin at high speed with the hex rod in the drill and the drive bolt and shellplate in the carrier. Now it works better but one of the three positions it will still stick. Odd, that. Going to have to try more honing.

 

[LiveLife]

evan price, before anything, have you checked the condition of the nylon hex ratchet in reference to the ratchet gear?

Also, did you spin for 5 minutes with the lock bolt (allen head) tight or loose?

 

[evan price]

New hex ratchet made no difference. First thing I tried, although I have so far never needed to replace on out of many thousands loaded.
Bolt snug, not tight, not loose. The shellplate only seems to bind in one of the three positions now. Luckily this is the one I use for .223 & .32 so it does not get used a lot.

 

[LiveLife]

Well, then how about a call to Lee customer service?

 

[J_McLeod]

Alternate Spent Primer disposal

I came up with another method to catch the spent primers from my turret and Pro 1000. I bought 2 1/2"x1' sections of plastic tubing for each press, and then ran one through each of the holes in the base of the press. Then I put a small cork at the end of each tube to hold the primers in. It was very easy to do, but in practice doesn't work as well as other methods. Sometimes the primers will get caught in the tube, so I put a zip tie down to unclog them. So probably not as effective as the funnel cutout, but it works.

 

[LiveLife]

I posted this reply on another thread but since many reloaders experience issues with primer feeding on Pro 1000, I decided to add to this support thread. I hope this information will help new users of Pro 1000 avoid the dreaded "primer feed" frustration.


Problem:
Pro 1000 won't feed primers or cause flipped/sideways primer seating.

Solution:

In a rush to reload, how many of us just fill the primer tray and start the reloading session? I am guilty of that but soon learned a quick minute spent on checking the proper primer feed attachment function will save a lot of frustration during the reloading session.


After cleaning/lubing my Pro 1000, checking shell plate timing and weighing my powder charges until they are consistent (to allow settling of powder in the hopper); before starting a reloading session, I do a QC check of primer feed attachment.

I fill the primer feed ramp with primers and without any case in the shell plate, actuate the case sensor with my finger to see if the column of primers drop freely in the feed ramp and push a primer into station #2. If not, first check to see if the primer push rod is dropping with a "click" to allow a primer to slide down - Lee Precision has a nice video on this (if there's too much powder inside the primer rod tube, you'll need to disassemble the shell plate carrier to clean) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOhDMhYY9ug&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Then I look for obstruction that's keeping the primers from sliding freely and/or remove the primers and clean/polish the slide surface as necessary (some reloaders posted they use car polish/wax to make the surface slick but I just clean them with a Q-tip). If your primers are not sliding freely even after cleaning, you want to inspect the surface of the primer feed attachment for any gouging of plastic that maybe keeping the primers from sliding freely and smooth out the surface as needed. If the primer feed attachment is too far damaged, you may need to replace with a new one.

Note that if you are using a powder that's sized smaller than the flash hole, you'll get powder leakage when a primer is not seated in the primer pocket and the case is allowed to charge with powder.


During my reloading session, since the Pro 1000 primer feed attachment is gravity based that may not fully insert a primer into station #2 base if there is any obstruction in the feed channel (maybe few flakes of powder that may leak from operation of Auto Disk), I watch the column of primers in the feed channel as the shell plate clicks into station #2. If I don't see the primers dropping to insert the next primer, I will check and/or use a small precision screwdriver/bent paper clip to help push the next primer fully into station #2 as partially inserted primer will bind and may cause flipped/sideways primer when the primer push rod comes up on the upstroke of the ram lever. If I see any obstruction/debris, I will use compressed/can air or small brush to keep the area clean.

When I refill the primer tray with more primers, I will also reinspect the base of the primer feed attachment for obstruction and clean as necessary.

 

[HEAVY METAL 1]

1) Once in a great while the frame seems to have twisted slightly not allowing the cases to enter the dies squarley. If this happens put a case into each station, loosen the nuts on top of the pillars, run the cases up into the dies-with slight persuasion of the top part of the press. With the ram all the way up (and cases fully into the dies) carefully tighten the pillar nuts and everything will be lined up again.

2) I have found the loaded round exit ramp too short so I augumented it with a tray I made of aluminum bent to like dimensions slightly longer than the ramp on the shellplate so it underruns it some. I drilled a hole at the near end of the piece I made and threaded a short bolt through it (I don't remember what thread) that is compatable with the unused hole at the near left side of the press base and snugged it down. Now I have an extended ramp that I can swivel if I want to.

 

[LiveLife]

Problem: Primer attachment won't feed right and primers keep jamming, preventing the shellplate from rotating.

Solution: This is a preventable problem. Often gouges/burrs form on the primer feed attachment surface that primers slide on from primers that are tilted/flipped by the primer push rod. This is the result of powder particles falling into attachment hole and preventing the rod from falling/retracting all the way down under spring tension when the case sensor is actuated by the case arriving into station #2. Maintaining station #2 area clean is key and minimizing powder leakage from Pro/Auto Disk will help also. You can also fashion a simple cover for the primer feed ramp/trough to keep powder particles out from cut paper but sky's the limit on what material you can use (See post #69 for pictures of cover)

If your primer feed ramp/trough has burrs/gouges that prevent primers from sliding freely into station #2 (on top of primer push rod), you can try to repair by burnishing/polishing the sliding surface. If the damage is too great, you may need to replace the feed attachment with a new unit.

Some basics first. This is how the small/large attachments look like on the inside (springs are not pictured on push rods).

Detail pictures

Common problem that's preventable:
If powder particles fall into the primer push rod opening, they may prevent the rod from retracting all the way down when the case sensor is actuated and then the rod will stick above the attachment surface where the primer cups slide. If the rod does not drop down fully, primer being inserted into station #2 could get tilted and catch on the rotating shell plate bottom causing a jam and keep the shell plate from rotating. At this point, forcing the ram lever to cycle (pushing lever back up) will cause the primer to gouge the attachment surface (see white arrow).

Primer push rod drops/retracts down under spring tension when the case sensor is actuated by the case. The top of the rod cannot be more than flush with the primer feed attachment surface.

The primer should slide on top of rod surface without tilting.

To clean out the powder particles, you'll need to remove the primer feed attachment and clean the bottom of the tube (this requires removal of shell plate). Lee Precision video for installing shell plate with carrier in the press (but you can reverse the steps to remove the shell plate without removing the shell plate carrier) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmCg...xt=C3490e4eUDOEgsToPDskK7Ikc2TCl785bWD_5-Keq0

OK, back to the burnishing/polishing the attachment surface. Attachment on the left is new showing smooth surface and attachments in the center/right show burrs/gouges.

To disassemble the attachment, pull out the pin and carefully pry apart the two halves being careful to not break the tabs (to prevent breaking the tabs, pry on one end slightly, then pry the other end - yeah, ask me how I know )

White arrows indicate the surfaces I am going to burnish

Simply using a folded 8x11 white copy paper, apply firm finger pressure and quickly rub back and forth to burnish/polish the surfaces.

Two left pictures are before pictures and two right pictures are new attachment compared to burnished attachment. If your attachment is damaged beyond repair, replace with a new unit.

 

[res7s]

Solution: The 45 acp shell plate accommodates any case with the same head dimensions as the 308 win. ( which is a good portion of common rifle calibers). Remove the spinner rod from the center of the shell plate carrier and presto, now you have a turret press for loading rifle calibers. I am not sure if full length rounds (such as 30 06) will have enough clearance for bullet seating, but short action rounds will work fine. I am loading for my 7x57 with my pro 1000.

I have long wondered if there is anyway to make the Pro-1000 a manual advance press. I have a Dillon RL-300 and feel one reason people have as much trouble with the Pro-1000 as they do is because there is just too much going on at once. After reading this thread I may have buy one. I solved the spent primer problem on my Lee Turret press by turning the ram around and making a small high-walled tray that fit between the columns. I got the idea from looking at a toy dump-truck at Walmart. IDK if the present owner is still using it, but while I had it, it worked well.

 

[LiveLife]

Ran out of attachment space on the previous post.

Here's a simple primer feed ramp/trough cover that's made from copy paper. Note that top is low enough to see if you run out of primers and sectioned so the cover follows the contour (But sky's the limit as what else you can make the cover from as long as it keeps the ramp/trough clear of powder particles).

 

[kingmt]

problem: I only have a pro 1000 and want to load for my rifle.

Solution: The 45 acp shell plate accommodates any case with the same head dimensions as the 308 win. ( which is a good portion of common rifle calibers). Remove the spinner rod from the center of the shell plate carrier and presto, now you have a turret press for loading rifle calibers. I am not sure if full length rounds (such as 30 06) will have enough clearance for bullet seating, but short action rounds will work fine. I am loading for my 7x57 with my pro 1000.

Another way is to drill out the turret that holds your rifle dies.

 

[LiveLife]

Update to catching pesky primers (Post #47)

I made another change to my primer cutout cover from post #47. Although the cut aluminum can cover worked well for small spent primers, when I was doing load development with slower burning powders, often with dirtier lower powder charges, the large spent primers with more black fouling clogged up the hole in the ram.

Problem: This is the old cover that got inserted inside the hole in the ram (red arrows). Because the cover was inserted inside the hole, it reduced the inside diameter of the hole and was prone to clogging large primers and required frequent cover removal/cleaning.

Solution: Corners of the cover were cut and I also trimmed the bottom of cover - Dimensions now 1.5" x 0.75".

Cover is now inserted outside of the hole in the ram cutout (green arrows) so even dirty black fouled large primers won't clog the hole. Also note wider opening at the bottom of cover.

Continued on next post.

 

[LiveLife]

Continued from Post #71.

When inserting the cover, slowly lower the ram to be sure the bottom of the cover clears the base of the press (blue arrows).

With the cover outside of the hole, I am catching 100% of pesky spent primers without having to clear the ram hole. They all continue to fall into the collection hole of the press base.

 

[Tilos]

Problem: Function of Pro Auto-Disc Powder Measure

I bought a new Pro Auto-Disc today and took it apart to remove the plastic and pot metal mold flash and check the internals for burrs, etc.

I found a protentional problem in that the drop tube was NOT completely seated into the body of the measure.

I was able to press the body over the drop tube until it seated against the shoulder in the measure body.

Had I used it as it was, I think powder would have piled up in the gap and or the timing of the powder drop/flaring operation would have been affected.

 

[280shooter]

I dont use my press anymore... but one problem I had was short stroking the ram. and that seemed to mess up the timing..and just messed everything up//
My fault im sure. I used it for 44 mag. I sold the gun. so its sits aprt in boxes.. Im thinking of buying another for 223,,,

 

[LiveLife]

Tilos, nice catch. I checked all of my Pro Auto Disks and the drop tubes are all tightly pressed in (white arrow).