Lee APP not properly positioning cases

[**Brian19**]

Hello. I’m having a new and recent issue with my Lee APP in that it is not properly positioning the cases to the center of the die. It is stopping a couple millimeters short. It happens with all case types, I’ve done a bit of cleaning of the slide parts, but that hasn’t made any difference, and my experience has been that the press works a little better without frequent cleaning. For each cycle, I need to assist it with my finger lightly to get the case into proper position. My next step is to order a new spring for the slide, but I wanted to get advice here first. Thank you in advance.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I have to clean mine and spray it with silicon spray to keep it from doing that every so often.
Also try unscrewing the bottle a tad, if the shell holder is up too high from over tightening, it adds resistance to getting the case in the shell holder.

 

[GW Staar]

I've never sprayed sliicon spray yet, but I do burnish shuttle parts and sliders with fine graphite powder once in a while, and for me that made all the difference.

The other component in the problem are case heads with rough embossing. For the worst offenders, rubbing them on top of 400 grit sandpaper, to smooth any burrs fixed them for me.

The third possibility is adjustment, where the shuttle and the shell holder isn't exactly the same height or orientation......

 

[Highland Lofts]

That happens with lee products.

 

[refuse2bafool]

Hello. I’m having a new and recent issue with my Lee APP in that it is not properly positioning the cases to the center of the die. It is stopping a couple millimeters short. It happens with all case types, I’ve done a bit of cleaning of the slide parts, but that hasn’t made any difference, and my experience has been that the press works a little better without frequent cleaning. For each cycle, I need to assist it with my finger lightly to get the case into proper position. My next step is to order a new spring for the slide, but I wanted to get advice here first. Thank you in advance.

When I first got mine I had the same problem. Turns out the ramp got progressively wider as it approached the shell holder. It was 0.005" wider at that end. I ordered another ramp and both sides were parallel and 0.005" more narrow at the shell holder end. Problem solved.

I love Lee. By far the most innovative and best designs on the market. Quality control can be lax, though.

 

[GW Staar]

I had to tune my brother's Dillon 650 when it was new too. Happens with everybody's products sometimes. After tuning it should work just fine. Mine does.

 

[refuse2bafool]

I had to tune my brother's Dillon 650 when it was new too. Happens with everybody's products sometimes. After tuning it should work just fine. Mine does.

You are gonna get creamed by the Blue Meanies.

 

[9mmepiphany]

You are gonna get creamed by the Blue Meanies.

I doubt it. @GW Staar has a lot of credibility on this site as his posts are usually based on experience as opposed to blind opinions

I've also spent a fair bit of time tuning different Dillon 650 and 750 presses. The 650 especially needed attention and accurate parts to run acceptably. The 750 was able to use aftermarket 650 parts, but it didn't need as many -as Dillon did a good job or addressing 650 issues. The 750 did have an mis-machined shell plate which needed to be replaced

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Bump

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

The third possibility is adjustment, where the shuttle and the shell holder isn't exactly the same height or orientation......

This ^^^^

I must have gotten lucky, my APP hasn’t needed any tweaking or twerking, it just runs. I have had problems, mostly related to cases and rim condition but it sounds like your issue is the alignment of the push bar assembly and the case holder. The die that holds the case holder can be inserted and tightened so the flat bottom is not aligned with the feed ramp. Check for a ridge and see if that’s the issue.

 

[**Brian19**]

Thanks for the advice. I did do a more through cleaning and a light graphite application and it’s much better. Not quite a 100% (yes, I know 100% isn’t realistic on an APP), but I’ll try some of the other tips next.

 

[GW Staar]

Brian....You know I slept a few months since I was tweaking my new APP....... okay 36 of them....and I just remembered something that REALLY helped with pushing cases on the APP shuttle and ended the problems with alignment. Don't know why I forgot this....74 year old brain is the only excuse. Anyway......

I found that the APP slider pushed cases from too high up (above the center of gravity) and allowed the bases to tip just enough to cause problems. So I came up with a way to improve it and make it push at the rim....however TylerR took the idea and 3D printed a better easy version......

First the seat of the pants way I figured out: (with a paper clip no less and a tiny twist drill)

Friction fitted together.....worked like a charm....no more tilting of the heads that caused jams.....

Then TylerR designed this:

Soooo much easier....find a library or a friend to print you this on a 3D printer....and no more alignment problems....

Would be awesome if Lee made one! Maybe LiveLife can show his Lee contact how easy the fix was.....would just require a little change on the slider base, how about it Lee?
.
I found the old thread....Geeze three years ago! The video below shows the TylerR part in action.....very worth doing....



Zip File with .stl below. Print vertical and specify unsupported angles to 60%.

Update 9/29: Udated .STL that no longer requires supports.

 

[74shooter]

Brian....You know I slept a few months since I was tweaking my new APP....... okay 36 of them....and I just remembered something that REALLY helped with pushing cases on the APP shuttle and ended the problems with alignment. Don't know why I forgot this....74 year old brain is the only excuse. Anyway......

I found that the APP slider pushed cases from too high up (above the center of gravity) and allowed the bases to tip just enough to cause problems. So I came up with a way to improve it and make it push at the rim....however TylerR took the idea and 3D printed a better easy version......

First the seat of the pants way I figured out: (with a paper clip no less and a tiny twist drill)

Friction fitted together.....worked like a charm....no more tilting of the heads that caused jams.....

Then TylerR designed this:

Soooo much easier....find a library or a friend to print you this on a 3D printer....and no more alignment problems....

Would be awesome if Lee made one! Maybe LiveLife can show his Lee contact how easy the fix was.....would just require a little change on the slider base, how about it Lee?
.
I found the old thread....Geeze three years ago! The video below shows the TylerR part in action.....very worth doing....



Zip File with .stl below. Print vertical with supports to bed only and specify unsupported angles to 60%.

Where can we purchase this slider?

 

[**Brian19**]

Thanks, GW. That’s quite interesting

 

[Tilos]

Where can we purchase this slider?

There are a lot of people selling 3D printed parts for Lee stuff on Esty.
If you don't find what you need contact the sellers and ask them to quote you by sending that file GW Staar posted.
I did a simple search and came up with these sellers:

https://www.etsy.com/search?q=3D+printed+parts+for+Lee+APP&ref=search_bar

Happy hunting,

 

[tightgroup tiger]

That screw in GW's picture will also come loose and drags on the track the shuttle rides on. Can't really tighten it tight, just plastic but I put locktite on mine to keep it in there.
I've found mine loose and dragging a couple times now. Found it when I was having problems like your having, don't know if it was the direct cause though.

 

[refuse2bafool]

I doubt it. @GW Staar has a lot of credibility on this site as his posts are usually based on experience as opposed to blind opinions

I've also spent a fair bit of time tuning different Dillon 650 and 750 presses. The 650 especially needed attention and accurate parts to run acceptably. The 750 was able to use aftermarket 650 parts, but it didn't need as many -as Dillon did a good job or addressing 650 issues. The 750 did have an mis-machined shell plate which needed to be replaced

And yet, I own:

A Lee Reloader Press
An LCT
A Pro 1000
A Pro 6000
An APP
2 Pro Autodisks
2 Autodrums
Mostly LEE Dies - I think their dies and lock rings are about the most user friendly on the market. Some authors on reloading have postulated the use of the O ring allows for better alignment. These were recommended to me by an old guy who ran a small local store dedicated to reloading (yes there was one) and started me with LEE back in the 90s.

So obviously the issue has not been enough to keep me from being a loyal customer. Ironically, I usually find mself defending LEE from the blue meanies and others. I can generally tweak their products so they work well, but I am old school enough that I think a product should work out of the box, regarldess of what it is or who makes it.

The latest and greatest case was when I ordered a bunch of those red round boxes (that some hate) and none of them fit the turrets I had. I could make a long list of other examples, of which this string (and those specifically dedicated to LEE fixes) are just more of a plethora of data points. That is I could if I wasn't past the point in life where I feel the need to prove anything to anybody.

I am hardly the first to make this point about LEE. To dismiss our comments as "blind opinions" is bit high handed.

I think GeoDude's experience is indicative and the reason you see such a wide disparity of opinions on LEE. My LCT worked perfect the day out of the box. Others claim they could never get it to index. If you get a product where everything fits, its great. If not... you get another string dedicated to fixes for it.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I am hardly the first to make this point about LEE. To dismiss our comments as "blind opinions" is bit high handed.

That isn't what I did, I was addressing the potential action of what you referred to as Blue Meanies.

You may want to re-read the post I quoted and the post that that quote was responding to for context...Well, I guess, unless you're claiming to be a Blue Meanie

 

[GW Staar]

That screw in GW's picture will also come loose and drags on the track the shuttle rides on. Can't really tighten it tight, just plastic but I put locktite on mine to keep it in there.
I've found mine loose and dragging a couple times now. Found it when I was having problems like your having, don't know if it was the direct cause though.

I printed another base today and thought I'd show you how I handled my worn out "thread" for the screw you talked about. I can use locktite on the nut, but I think I'm going to use a nyloc in place of the nut currently on it.



You may notice the black top piece I printed.....that's only for my Summit APP conversion I did.....not used on the Lee.

Also, I made another version of the base that does not require supports, which I now prefer, attached below:

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Anything would work better than that hexed hole Lee uses. It's like you can tighten it one time. Nyloc nut should solve the problem completely.