Foot pedal on a press? Been done?

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Grandpa Shooter

Grandpa Shooter

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I was in the cave this morning working on the .223 I am processing and had a thought. Wouldn't it be easier to run the press with the handle out of the way and really be able to use two hands? My thoughts went to adapting the press for use with a foot pedal.

Just thought it out and wondered if any of you Rube Goldbergs had ever tried it or successfully done it. May be my next project!

Feel free to jump in here with your thoughts. I may just do it anyway to prove it can be done.
 
Hydraulic. it can be done. just im not too sure how many reloaders would be willing to spend the money on a hydraulic press. It would be awesome. could go pneumatic also hook up an air compressor with a ram to move the press. could be done.


OH what cave were you in. The BAT CAVE
 
Not sure if you could get enough leverage on larger rifle type loads. But I have thought about installing a electric motor on the turret press.
 
I was in the cave this morning working on the .223 I am processing and had a thought. Wouldn't it be easier to run the press with the handle out of the way and really be able to use two hands? My thoughts went to adapting the press for use with a foot pedal.

Just thought it out and wondered if any of you Rube Goldbergs had ever tried it or successfully done it. May be my next project!

Feel free to jump in here with your thoughts. I may just do it anyway to prove it can be done.
Click to expand...

I think I can guess why you are thinking of this... :D

Ouch!!!!

One disadvantage I see to it is losing the feel. The feedback I get through the handle is pretty useful to me.
 
Done all of the time on shotshell reloaders. MEC, P&W and Sploar all can come with hydraulics. There is also a electric add-on for P&W and MEC that will move the arm for you to cycle the press. (Cannot think of the name now.)
 
good point k3. i can rig up an air compressor ran. but getting the ram to stop before it destroys the shell is another thing.
 
Hydraulic. it can be done. just im not too sure how many reloaders would be willing to spend the money on a hydraulic press. It would be awesome. could go pneumatic also hook up an air compressor with a ram to move the press. could be done.
Click to expand...
I don't know how much stock I put into it but I know many reloaders believe that working the press with the same force and speed everytime is vital to accuracy. It sounds like mechanising it would be a good way to achieve it and perhaps even test that theory out.
 
The man cave not the batty cave!

I was thinking more of a leg operated foot pedal. I would connect with a flex link to the bottom of the ram and push it with my body weight. 190 pounds ought to be able to handle .223, 30-30, 308 and 30.06. Having a power assist would be nice, but doubt I would go all powered.

I will have to diagram it out and check with a welder buddy of mine who is pretty inventive. Sure wouldn't hurt!
 
Without the compound linkage, 190 pounds won't do it.

And then there is still the matter of getting the ram back down and the case out of the die.

Those first fractions of an inch coming & going when sizing cases are very hard to do without compound linkage to do it.

rcmodel
 
RC,

I wondered about that. Any guesses how many foot pounds it does take? My upper body is still pretty strong, it's from the rib cage down my problems start. I don't have any real problem working the lever with my arms. I was thinking about spring assist with the return.

HMMMM, quite a project?
 
I couldn't tell you how many pounds it will take to full-length size a rifle case.

I did just stick the corner of my bathroom scales in my RCBS RockChucker, and easily got to 250 pounds before the linkage got even half way straightened out.

Then it squashed the corner of my scales! (Don't tell Mamma what happened!)

I think it could easily be several hundred pounds, probably way more, at full toggle link-over.

rcmodel
 
Unless I'm dreaming again,Dillon showed a peddle setup for one of it's larger machines ... the 1050? ... acouple of years back,but it wasn't in the catalog very long.
anybody else remember this?
 
Just subcontract your labor!

It's how we get it done in Aerospace... Oughtta work with a reloader. Ship your press and components off to China and pay them $5 a shift! They may mix things up a bit (Varget in your .357 :what:might be interesting...)... But hey... It's cheap!

We use vacuum to power things where I work as well as pressure... I wonder about a vacuum actuated press.
 
i work with a lot of pnuematic cylinders and solonoids that would get it done.

some of the guilotine cutters we work on even have a foot pedal operated clamp that is very controllable.
 
Okay you use linkage and run the ram up on, lets say a 30-06 case, now what. Hate to rain on your parade but it still has to come down. What now springs? That would mean more down pressure to load them. Air cylinders or hydraulic cylinders would be the way to go.
 
Bicycle sprockets and chain setup for gear reduction and a large clockspring for the downstroke ?!?
well... ???...Mabey... ???
 
It could be done, I just don't think it would be worth it. Its gonna take a long stroke with your foot to move the linkage unless you set it up with shorter arms then its gonna get harder to cycle.
I don't think you will come up with something that works better than the way it is.
I did see one set up one time with a long stroke air cylinder attached to the handle of the press, he took it off due the lack of feeling the case in the die.
 
And then there is still the matter of getting the ram back down and the case out of the die.
Click to expand...
I've thought about it quite a bit too. But that "getting the ram back down" is the rub. But of course as an engineer I make a good shooter. :D If anyone can figure it out though I'd sure be interested.
 
I've thought about it quite a bit too. But that "getting the ram back down" is the rub. But of course as an engineer I make a good shooter. If anyone can figure it out though I'd sure be interested.
Click to expand...

Probably the simpest thing to do would be to put a return pedal on it. One for the up stroke, one for the down stroke.
It can be done, again I just don't think there is anything to be gained by it.
Let us know if you get it going.
 
Ok, so what you are saying is that I can forget about inventing it. Now all I have to do is make it simple and cheap enough that us average Joes can afford it.

Hmmm, food for thought.:D
 
How about an arbor type press with electric motors for up/down? Maybe rack and pinion gears? Long sessions at the Square deal hurt my middle age joints nowadays.
 
With all this talk of hydraulic, punematic and electric actuation has anyone thought of what happens to your finger if you hit the petal at the wrong moment.
:what:
HOLY $&*&*(^(I just resized my thumb
 
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