RCBS Big Max - cup at bottom that catches old primers

[mikemyers]

Sometime over the past 30 years I lost the small plastic cup that goes on the bottom of the shaft of the RCBS Big Max press, and catches the old primers as they drop down through the tube.

I called RCBS to order one if possible, but they are out of stock. The support person said that reloaders have found a measuring cup that comes in some company's milk shake kits at the grocery store, which is just the right size and shape to work on the Big Max. Anyone here know what it is?


Plan "B" is to buy a rubber stopper, and empty the press after each use.

 

[rcmodel]

From the interweb:

I took that little plastic cup off, then I got a small plastic bag, like what you get at the grocery store, crossed the "handles" on the bag, and slipped them over the arm and linkage.

I can now deprime around 500,000 pieces of brass, and none of them ever hit the floor. I just snip the handles on the bag, and in the trash it goes...

rc

 

[Sunray]

Those wee, tiny, small, itty-bitty things don't catch enough or 'em anyway. A plastic bucket hung over the press does though. Cut it a bit to clear the ram.

 

[mikemyers]

The technician explained about finding the milkshake making kit, and using the measuring cup, but that sounds pretty iffy.... the original cup didn't stay on very well, as I recall.

I took a plastic shopping bag from Publix, looped one "handle" over the right-side lever, and twisted the other "handle" over the left side lever location. Looks strange, but it's directly under the press when the handle comes down, so even the most pesky primers will probably find their way into the bag, even if the bounce off the part of the press that ends up below the center tube.

Even if I go with plan-B, the rubber stopper in the hole under the press tube, this idea will catch all of them as they fall out when removing the rubber stopper, so it's a useful idea even if I use the rubber stopper.

I guess a plastic bucket would also do the job! Thanks...

 

[rcmodel]

Your shopping bag sounds like the best plan to me!!!

I suppose you could cut off a plastic pop bottle and hang it on wires if you want something more durable?

Still, the old 'wad it up and toss it in the trash when it gets full' shopping bag has a certain American charm to it!!

rc

 

[mikemyers]

The bottle idea can't work - here's a photo I took six weeks ago, showing the shaft in the "down" position. When it moves up, all those parts at the bottom of the press move directly under the shaft. Any primers dropping down the center of the shaft, if not stopped by the missing cup, will hit those parts and bounce every which way - which is why I like your idea of the Publix plastic shopping bag!



I should take a new photo. Things have improved nicely over the past six weeks.

(Plan C was to place a large paper shopping bag under the press, and most likely all the old primers will fall into it - but I like your idea better.)

(Plan D was to use my old RCBS JR3 press to punch out the old primers, which would both keep the Big Max cleaner, and justify my having mounted the JR3 on the table anyway, without any plans yet for what to do with it...)

I like the press, and I like the adjustable shell holder.

 

[gamestalker]

I just got a new primer catcher from RCBS in the mail today, but it wasn't for that same press, it was for my cast iron SS Reloader Special from 1981.

You know what I've done in the past, is I find a plastic bottle of appropriate size, a water or Gatroade bottle, or what ever. Then I heat up a piece of rebar or a piece of galvanized pipe with a propane torch, then I carefully form the plastic bottle against the hot pipe until I have it shaped to fit my press. I've done this a time or two before after having misplaced the original primer catcher tray.

GS