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Posted: 5/12/2024 1:41:25 PM EDT
I'm a poor and use Lee equipment. I have the now discontinued loadmaster and old pro1000 with a LCT. Loading equipment is one of those things you generally buy for life. Any idea how long Lee will support these presses? The indexing ratchets on the Pro 1k are a wear item. The square ratchet on the LCT I've found a printed file for and have tried out of PLA an PETG and while they work they don't last anywhere near as long as factory, what plastic are they using? Anyone else here have presses of ANY manufacture with plastic wear parts that they're worried about not being able to find? Links to files? Reviews of their use? Help the other guys with a repository of files for when their presses eventually become obsolete.
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USA
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Posted: 5/12/2024 2:20:16 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Trollslayer]
[#1]
You are "a poor" but have a 3D printer???
Buy some spares while you are able and store them in protective packaging, to protect yourself against parts obsolescence. If the shapes are simple enough, hand make one using steel or aluminum and a hacksaw and file. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:04:20 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Trollslayer: You are "a poor" but have a 3D printer??? Buy some spares while you are able and store them in protective packaging, to protect yourself against parts obsolescence. If the shapes are simple enough, hand make one using steel or aluminum and a hacksaw and file. A basic 3d printer is less than most reloading presses........ and I have a friend who has 4 of them..... |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:05:40 PM EDT
[#3]
Have you checked Thingiverse? Might find what you need there.
I’d be more inclined to buy the wear parts now you think might need replacement as already suggested. It’s also nice to have the part already in your hands and not have to make or buy it when a part fails. OEM parts are usually available up to 7 years after the product is discontinued. Aftermarket parts become available somewhere in that timeframe if there a profit to be made. Really depends how many of those presses were sold and still in use which will drive potential demand. Is there a list of Lee parts your specifically looking for? Might reach out to Lee and ask them when they expect to sunset spare parts availability for those parts. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:17:06 PM EDT
[Last Edit: -Obsessed-]
[#4]
PLA and PETG neither are wear adverse.
I'd try nylon, personally. MAYBE ABS. Something that small you shouldn't have issues with warping. You may not even need an enclosure. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:21:35 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By -Obsessed-: PLA and PETG neither are wear adverse. I'd try nylon, personally. MAYBE ABS. Something that small you shouldn't have issues with warping. You may not even need an enclosure. Agreed. it's just that pla and petg are the easiest to print. ABS seems to up the difficulty level and require an enclosure, and doesn't nylon require a hardened nozzle. Either of those two i don't have any experience with. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:22:53 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Blowout: Have you checked Thingiverse? Might find what you need there. I’d be more inclined to buy the wear parts now you think might need replacement as already suggested. It’s also nice to have the part already in your hands and not have to make or buy it when a part fails. OEM parts are usually available up to 7 years after the product is discontinued. Aftermarket parts become available somewhere in that timeframe if there a profit to be made. Really depends how many of those presses were sold and still in use which will drive potential demand. Is there a list of Lee parts your specifically looking for? Might reach out to Lee and ask them when they expect to sunset spare parts availability for those parts. There's nothing specific I'm looking for parts for as I already have a couple extra, just trying to think of the buy once cry once aspect of buying reloading equipment. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:23:55 PM EDT
[#7]
Hardened nozzle is a pretty easy and affordable upgrade, and on small parts, as mentioned, nylon doesn't need an enclosure.
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:24:41 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Detached: Agreed. it's just that pla and petg are the easiest to print. ABS seems to up the difficulty level and require an enclosure, and doesn't nylon require a hardened nozzle. Either of those two i don't have any experience with. The enclosure is normally needed due to warping. A part that small won't really warp. Do a draft shield and you'll be fine. ABS isn't hard to print with. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:28:53 PM EDT
[#9]
Also, lot of places that will take your file and print in engineering grade materials at pretty reasonable prices.
Might also just try a good quality "PLA+" like Polymaker Polylite Pro, pretty big difference in durability between that and regular "knick knack" PLA. |
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MN, USA
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:44:17 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Detached: A basic 3d printer is less than most reloading presses........ and I have a friend who has 4 of them..... Tell me more? What's a good "cheap" one? |
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PA, USA
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Posted: 5/12/2024 3:50:18 PM EDT
[#11]
Go to Titan reloading. They have the Pro 100 ratchets in stock, even on sale. I get all my parts for my Lee presses from them.
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Posted: 5/12/2024 4:34:46 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By s4s4u: Tell me more? What's a good "cheap" one? Good and cheap don't really go together. Like guns, some swear hi point is just as good. It shoots just like a Glock, right? You get what you pay for. I recommend Bambu or maybe Prusa. Cheap is Ender. They are a crap shoot. You may get a decent one. You may get a heap of shit. The latter is more likely but the former isn't unheard of. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 4:53:53 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By -Obsessed-: Good and cheap don't really go together. Like guns, some swear hi point is just as good. It shoots just like a Glock, right? You get what you pay for. I recommend Bambu or maybe Prusa. Cheap is Ender. They are a crap shoot. You may get a decent one. You may get a heap of shit. The latter is more likely but the former isn't unheard of. Sovol, Elegoo, Voxlab. Just like cheaper reloading presses, they might require some tinkering like anything mechanical, but we're getting off topic |
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USA
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Posted: 5/12/2024 5:17:44 PM EDT
[#14]
So, you are not actually "a poor". You have a wealth of knowledge and are wealthy with friends.
Good for you! Be sure to count your blessings. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 6:15:51 PM EDT
[#15]
In all honesty, reloading presses don't last forever, and I'm not certain how OP came to the conclusion that one press, especially a LEE, could possibly last forever. I've worn out two LEE single stage, one Hornady single stage, and had to rebuild a Redding Big Boss, and a Dillon 550. Redding & Dillon supplied the parts to rebuild the linkages and I did the repairs myself. The two LEE presses kept breaking the same parts over and over until their warranties expired, and Hornady pissed me off so bad over the worn out 007 that I never bought another Hornady press again. Hornady told me there was no warranty on the press after two years, contradicting the information that came with it when I bought it. They were nice enough to quote me almost $200.00 for parts to repair a press that sold new at the time for about $100.00.
All of my presses have always received maintenance pretty much equivalent to Dillons annual maintenance, but my presses get it twice a year. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 6:45:20 PM EDT
[Last Edit: -Obsessed-]
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By anachronism: In all honesty, reloading presses don't last forever, and I'm not certain how OP came to the conclusion that one press, especially a LEE, could possibly last forever. I've worn out two LEE single stage, one Hornady single stage, and had to rebuild a Redding Big Boss, and a Dillon 550. Redding & Dillon supplied the parts to rebuild the linkages and I did the repairs myself. The two LEE presses kept breaking the same parts over and over until their warranties expired, and Hornady pissed me off so bad over the worn out 007 that I never bought another Hornady press again. Hornady told me there was no warranty on the press after two years, contradicting the information that came with it when I bought it. They were nice enough to quote me almost $200.00 for parts to repair a press that sold new at the time for about $100.00. All of my presses have always received maintenance pretty much equivalent to Dillons annual maintenance, but my presses get it twice a year. How many rounds did it take you to wear out a single stage Lee? Not doubting you but I have roughly 100k rounds on one and it still works like New. I told myself I'd upgrade to a Dillon when it died but it hasn't yet in 12 years. 
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Posted: 5/12/2024 7:30:26 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By anachronism: In all honesty, reloading presses don't last forever, and I'm not certain how OP came to the conclusion that one press, especially a LEE, could possibly last forever. I've worn out two LEE single stage, one Hornady single stage, and had to rebuild a Redding Big Boss, and a Dillon 550. Redding & Dillon supplied the parts to rebuild the linkages and I did the repairs myself. The two LEE presses kept breaking the same parts over and over until their warranties expired, and Hornady pissed me off so bad over the worn out 007 that I never bought another Hornady press again. Hornady told me there was no warranty on the press after two years, contradicting the information that came with it when I bought it. They were nice enough to quote me almost $200.00 for parts to repair a press that sold new at the time for about $100.00. All of my presses have always received maintenance pretty much equivalent to Dillons annual maintenance, but my presses get it twice a year. The parts I'm discussing are sacrificial wear parts so that you don't damage the press and they are designed to wear out......that's why they're plastic. We're getting off into the weeds here. Feel free to lock it down. |
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IN, USA
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Posted: 5/12/2024 7:45:12 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Evintos]
[#18]
You can print using PA6 nylon or POM/acetal/delrin if your printer is capable of it. Either material would work better as that ratchet gear compared to PLA or PETG. POM would be better because it has a lower coefficient of friction. You'd be able to print them with normal brass nozzles unless you get filament with fillers in it like glass or carbon fiber. You do need something like 220-250C nozzle temp and bed temp above 100C I believe. You also should ventilate the room especially with POM, the fumes are bad.
My guess for the material used in the OEM ratchet (because it's a commonly used plastic) is polypropylene. |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 10:38:11 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Detached: The parts I'm discussing are sacrificial wear parts so that you don't damage the press and they are designed to wear out......that's why they're plastic. We're getting off into the weeds here. Feel free to lock it down. I don't lock thread if I feel like it. 
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MN, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 1:30:12 PM EDT
[#20]
I use UHMW for a lot of jigs and fixtures because it is so dense and hard. I wonder if that would be durable enough, or maybe PTFE? Both are readily available to me. I hope this thread doesn't get locked because the use of a 3d printer for things like this is of interest to me.
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Posted: 5/13/2024 3:27:17 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By dryflash3: Do you wish for your thread to be locked? I don't lock thread if I feel like it. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By dryflash3: Originally Posted By Detached: The parts I'm discussing are sacrificial wear parts so that you don't damage the press and they are designed to wear out......that's why they're plastic. We're getting off into the weeds here. Feel free to lock it down. I don't lock thread if I feel like it. Up to you. I know how stringent you are about staying on topic |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 4:16:21 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Detached: Up to you. I know how stringent you are about staying on topic If OP (you) wants to stray, it's your thread, do as you wish. |
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SC, USA
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:15:18 PM EDT
[Last Edit: 11B3XCIB]
[#23]
The plastic inserts for the RCBS hand priming tool that retains the shell holder and guides the gate and the seating stem are what I’m worried about. I got a spare set for both large and small primers because after the countless tens of thousands of priming cycles it felt like part of it was wearing thin
I imagine at some point down the road that could be a weak link |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:52:30 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 11B3XCIB: The plastic inserts for the RCBS hand priming tool that retains the shell holder and guides the gate and the seating stem are what I’m worried about. I got a spare set for both large and small primers because after the countless tens of thousands of priming cycles it felt like part of it was wearing thin I imagine at some point down the road that could be a weak link Didn't RCBS just recently change hands here? Wonder what that will do for parts availability. Also, is new printed plastic better than the older better new old stock parts that have been sitting in the warehouse for years? |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 8:56:25 PM EDT
[#25]
https://www.printables.com/search/models?q=dillion
Printables search for dillion printed products. Lee is too generic Search for reloading https://www.printables.com/search/models?q=reloading |
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