Lee Pro Auto Disk powder measure disk not lining up?

T

Toadcs

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[solved]

Hello! Brand new reloader here. My Father bought me some reloading equipment and I've been setting up the press. I was trying to find correct grain measurements with the auto disk but I kept getting inconsistent results on the scale. I found this. When I have the press raised up the hole is not lined up with the drop hole. Its a Classic Turret press and it is a 9mm cartridge. What am I doing wrong?

Pics for reference:
http://imgur.com/a/c5t3V
 
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That's what I was assuming so I readjusted it according to the book (all the way down to the top of the ram then back out 1 full turn) and it's still the same.
 
Backing out one full turn is a starting point. Turn the die back in until the the disk hole and the drop hole line up when a case is inserted.
 
Do yourself a favor and get rid of those disks and spend 10 bucks and buy the Lee Adjustable Charge Bar....it will make life easier
 
1) I wish I could actually see someone who can get the ACB to work (at the bench and not pictures), since it doesn't align with the powder drop hole except at almost full open
2) Raise the ram all the way up, screw the die all the way in the riser and screw the riser all the down until it touches the shell holder/shell plate, lower the ram, insert case, and raise ram.
If the disk doesn't move all the way, check your expander plug. Maybe you have the wrong one--call Lee and have them walk you through it.
 
Make sure the hopper isn't too tight against the disk. There seems a happy medium between ensuring against leakage and free operation. If there is too much resistance somewhere in the works, the case will bell prematurely and frustrate full activation.
 
Easy Fix

You are not doing anything wrong - you may have a powder measure where the drop tube is not fully inserted into the base. This was a manufacturing problem for a short time a few years back, but some folks never heard of the fix (it is documented on the Lee web site). The symptom of this problem is that the disk OVERSHOOTS the drop hole - usually not noticed with small disk sizes like you would be using for 9mm, but with the big ones, you could actually have powder dump outside the drop tube onto your bench.

If that is your problem, the fix is easy. If I remember correctly, it is a simple matter of taking the powder measure off, removing the hopper and placing the base upside down on the edge of your bench. A light tap or two on the drop tube will seat it properly - it does not have to move much - only about 1/8 inch.

NOPE - scratch all that above! I just looked at your pictures (didn't see them at first), and your problem is simply a disk installed wrong. There is a small notch under the disk where the end of the actuating arm must fit, but it is easy to miss that pocket and have the end of the arm sit in the longer slot behind it.
 
Thanks guys - i'm just an idiot and had the disk put in wrong. Thanks for all your help. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions soon enough

-Aaron
 
Hmmm..Surprised at the resolution, since this clearly is a common issue, even when the disk is in the right place, which when at rest has the aperture directly under the hole in the hopper bottom. No, I expect there is something else going on. Higgite's instructions seem right to me. I usually get it working but have never been sure what is going on. I think you do have to go beyond the instructions and work the die in until you get the activation and belling you want. I suppose you could back it out gradually also, but the case will be belled prematurely.
 
In my experience with Lee Auto Disk and Pro Auto Disk measures, the proper activation of the charge disk is NOT sensitive in any way - the disk reaches its end-point centered directly over the drop tube before the belling even happens. The activation of the charge disk happens from the friction of the expander plug inside the case mouth way before the plug is fully seated for belling. Proper adjustment of the die IS important to get just the right bell on the case mouth, but those final minor adjustments make no difference in the activation of the charge disk unless the case has already been over-expanded somehow to the point there is no internal friction on the expander plug.

Note that the most salient point here is that the proper adjustment of the expander die changes the amount of belling, NOT the activation point of the powder measure, thus, higgite's instructions are entirely wrong.
 
Hmmm I didn't realise they made the auto drum.
I'm still using the disks, not perfect but they have been getting the job done for years.

The biggest problem I had was sticky powder from static electricity. Dryer sheets fixed that and made the disks more accurate.
 
Real Gun wrote - "Trying to fully activate my auto drum is the same issue. It is more about what goes on beneath it."

Not to deviate from the thread, I really like the Auto Drum.

I discovered a problem trying to use the Auto Drum when loading 45-70 on the Lee Classic Turret. I connected the Auto Drum to the Powder Through Expanding Die like the instructions stated. For the drum to fill its cavity from the powder hopper and dump it into the case when the case is raised via the press ram requires about 120 degrees of rotation. The degree of rotation is directly related to the amount of rise that can be achieved by raising the press ram. In my case the drum would only rotate about 90 degrees and not drop the powder.

I purchased both the Lee Large and Small Rifle Dies (used with 221 Fireball, 223 Rem, 25-06 and 7mm RM) and I also have a Lee 40 S&W Powder Through Expanding Die. All of these combinations work fine with the two Auto Drums I have. I took all the dies apart and compared them one to the other and discovered the interior shoulder on the 45-70 sliding sleeve that captures the hollow ram on the Auto Drum was recessed about .100" deeper than the same shoulder on the other 3 sleeves.

This comment is exactly correct - "Trying to fully activate my auto drum is the same issue. It is more about what goes on beneath it."

My fix was to make a small bushing/riser from a 1/4-20 hex nut by drilling the threads out and filing it circular then inserting it into the sliding sleeve on the 45-70 die. This raised the interior sleeve shoulder to a height that allowed full rotation of the drum. Works great.

I contacted the good folks at Lee about the problem and explained my findings and what I had done to fix it. They agreed the sleeve was the issue and are sending me a replacement.

I also discovered that on the other dies, even when the Auto Drum is fully inserted via the threaded lock, there is some rocking movement of the entire Auto Drum assembly because the powder through ram on the Auto Drum does not come in direct contact with the sliding sleeve in the die. There is a small gap. That gap allows the Auto Drum to rock a bit when in use. No functional flaw, just a bit on an annoyance. I like it better when the ram has direct contact with the sliding sleeve and the entire assembly is rigid.

A #10 flat washer has the correct OD to make a snug fit in the sliding sleeve (again raising the shoulder just a small amount) allowing the hollow ram in the Auto Drum to fully contact the sleeve in the die. This eliminates the rocking. I haven't been able to cut a larger hole in the #10 washer without destroying it but a buddy of mine is turning me some bushings on his lathe. Ideally the ID of the hole in the spacer would match the ID of the hole in the Auto Drum ram (.310") so as not to catch any powder and cause irregular charges.

I hope this makes sense. Again, I really like the Auto Drum. I think Lee has a real winner with this powder dispenser and I plan to pick up two more. They are sufficiently inexpensive I can outfit one for each of the cartridges I load.
 
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This is very interesting about the Auto Drum. I took a slightly different, more complicated approach to the problem but I think this is a much simpler direct approach. I wonder if a small piece of copper or aluminum pipe would work as long as the ID & OD would match. If I find something I'll post it.
 
Hey folks, the OP answered here,
December 29, 2015, 11:32 AM #9
Toadcs
Junior Member

Join Date: December 28, 2015
Posts: 3
Thanks guys - i'm just an idiot and had the disk put in wrong. Thanks for all your help. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions soon enough

-Aaron
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