Shim Kits

[tightgroup tiger]

I here people talking about putting shim kits under the threaded bushings on there single stage presses so they don't have to change die settings when moving dies for progressive to single stage.

I have a Hornady LNL-AP and a Rockchucker ll. Can someone point me in the right direction as to where you get the shim kits?
Thanks
TT

 

[edwardware]

I have never heard of anyone doing that. . . seems like it neglects the slop inherent in a progressive to expect it to size consistently at any setting other than cam-over.

Nevertheless: Shims

 

[D Rock]

Here's a link that to a product that Horskinator mentioned in the thread lasr month.
https://www.fastenal.com/product;js...b9-3dd2-aa63-3c743b855037?query=7041958&fsi=1

The thread is here, post #36.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/time-for-an-upgrade.873951/page-2#post-11619204

Dave

 

[Skgreen]

I've heard of shimming the bushings up to tighten the fit inside the adapter as well as shimming the drive hub in an effort to tame shell plate 'jerk', but I'm not certain either is what the OP is asking for

I have a similar combo of presses and shimming the LNL AP adapter bushing up on the 'chucker to match the height of the AP sounds interesting. (Allowing for press to press die swaps w/o die adjustment)

I have multiple adapter bushings laying around,, Grabbed a mic,,,

Not a lot of 'meat' on the adapter to work with,,,,

Outside diameter of threads is ~approx~ 1.240, 1.365 OD for the very top of the adapter
If you get shims with a split the un-threaded neck portion of the adapter is 1.145

 

[tightgroup tiger]

No, there is not a lot of meat to work with, about .120" I will have to do some measuring and look for some spacers and shims in Mcmaster Carr. If I have to I'll machine something out at work to fit.
Man I miss my metal lathe.
Thanks SKgreen.

 

[Blue68f100]

I found the shim pack to fit the 7/8" body of the dies on Amazon. When I bought them they were only $6-8 but it been many years since I've looked.

If you decide what thickness you need I can turn you a spacer on my lathe. Would be best to have some one use a surface grinder for a more precision.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Look what I found, bushing adaptor for 1 1/2-1/1/4 drain nut. Hard nylon and ID fits the outside of the bushing perfect.
It was .045" to thick so I worked it down on my powered ocillating sander. Only shot it across the garage once.
I kept going around the thickness of it with my calipers and thickness is with in .005 the whole way around.
Right now I'm within .002 of matching seating depths between RC and AP without changing adjustments. I have the bushing screwed into the press pretty tight and hate to crush it .002" more. I'll leave it set like that for a few days and see if the 1.075 has changed any. It may settle in by itself. I'm so close I hate to mess with it now.

@Blue68f100 I appreciate the offer but I think this may work just fine.

All precision work is done on the upstroke and the play is taken out of the threads by tightening it up. I don't know why this won't work.

Here's what it looks like.

The bushing tightened up pretty hard and fast so the spacer is not wanting to compress. I tried to tighten it up a little more to get rid of the .002" and it doesn't want to go so I will do a little light hand sanding if I have to.
This will work fine I think. I'll start using it and keep checking it with my 9mm seating die that is set for 1.075 with a RMR 124 gr TC plated bullet to see if it's tolerance is changing any.
I'll resize some 30-06 shells and then see if the 9mm die is still seating at 1.075.

I'll let you know how this works.

 

[Skgreen]

You may be on to something here!
Almost looks like a compression washer for a P trap ,,,
Do you have a part number, lead, or link to that same bushing?

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Don't waste your time, What I just discovered is I can't account for the flex in the shell plate on the progressive press. The RCBS Rockchucker ll and every other single stage has the ram right under the die.
Even though I was within .002" of matching the seating depth between the AP and the Rockchucker, when I put the resizing die in there was about an .008 gap between the sizing die and the shell holder on the Rockchucker.
The Rockchucker is much more precise than the AP is because of the flex in the shell plate, the clearance in the ram and the sub base of the AP and so on.
I can say I am now within .010" of being able to interchange the dies between the two instead of .002".

I don't believe they can ever be made to match exactly. I think I could make one caliber with in .002-.005" with say 9mm but if I change to say .41 magnum there will be more resizing pressure and it will change the flex in the shell plate with the progressive press. Then they will not match again.

It's a effort in futility.

I'm going to leave the spacer in there for now because it is so close and continue to experiment but I know know there is no interchange between a Hornady, Dillon, or RCBS progressive and a single stage.
Lee, ABLP? Maybe because the ram in under the resizing die on it.

Crap.

 

[Blue68f100]

The reason I have multiple sets of dies. One for each press........

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Oh well, it kept me occupied for a few hours yesterday and now I know.