POLISHED 2 (Almost) PERFECTION

[THRASH]

Hey all, I just got my carrier & primers back from MagicMike... and WOW!!! So I took it to the next level by polishing the carrier ribs, case feed parts and shell plates. In the pix that follow you'll see what I did. It's hard to see the carrier ribs, but MagicMike milled those flat and I hit them with some Dremel polishing pads & rouge. With the slider ramp I used a bench-buffer w/6" polishing wheels and 3 different grits of rouge... and I could see my teeth in its reflection. I hit all the edges and the underside as well, using the Dremel. Also polished the case feed slider & bar, no lube necessary! Same on both sides of the shell plate (a stock, unpolished .380 plate shown next to my polished .40), except I first hit those with 1000 & 2000 wet sandpaper. End result: When I sit the plate loose on the carrier it will spin like its on bearings. Just say no to friction!

[carload9]

if ya want a slider and bar riser that works, and you can polish those too, pm member websterz. His parts are also incredible, " dont be home without em".

[THRASH]

Yep did those as well. I also ground down & polished the raised "LEE" letters on my aluminum LoadMaster frame, so it looks like my Challenger Breechblock (they should do that at the factory), looks killer! In the photo you can see 1 of my 2 primer-vibrator switches (this one switches on at the up-stroke, on other side there's one at the bottom that switches on at the down-stroke), magnetic counter pad with magnet tripper, and blue LED no-primer warning light under the shell plate at station #3.

On a side note, LOVING and I mean L-O-V-I-N-G my 2 new Auto-Drum powder measures... maybe the best Lee product ever!!!

[carload9]

confused/ dont see em in your pic. Appears you dont have websterz parts.

How bout more pics?

[Garlydog]

Nice work.

[THRASH]

confused/ dont see em in your pic. Appears you dont have websterz parts.

How bout more pics?

I have not seen websterz stuff yet, will check it out thanks. I'll post other stuff soon, have done a bunch of mods and my LLM is running like butter.

[carload9]

thats good!

more pics!

sta1)size (decapped & washed already).
sta2)my expander has finger adjuster in top
sta3)milled expander off, drops powder only. Never adjust ment there/no expander. Change holes without taking hopper off.
Sta4) seat
sta5) crimper
Then, funnel shoot l made down to darwin bucket

Station 2 & 3 take the hassel away.

[THRASH]

Will do...

This is how I roll...
1) Pin-Tumble all brass (nothing dirty touches my press, ever)
2) Turret #1, Decap Only (using case feeder, typically 500+ cases at a time):
Station1: Universal Decap
Sration3: Case holder pulled back, brass flings into improvised paint roller tray
3) Pin Tumble again to clean primer pockets after depriming (no biggy with dehydrators)
4) Turret #2, Reloading:
Station1: Universal Decap (just in case I miss one)
Station2: Full length "U" sizing die
Station3: Powder & Flair
Station4: Seating
Station5: Factory Crimp

[gooffeyguy]

Just curious, but what does polishing the top side of the shellplate do?

[Sparky45]

Looks pretty doesn't it?

[THRASH]

Just curious, but what does polishing the top side of the shellplate do?

It's just a smoother surface for the extractor to ride on, I polished the center hub area mostly and hit the rest just a touch. Cuts down on the amount of lube needed. Be careful not to take off very much material though, that could lead to a sloppy fit. Another advantage is it all cleans up easily. You'll also see I stamped the plates w/caliber for easier ID (have three right now), as the Lee numbering thing is not rational.