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#1
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Building a press stand for a Hornady LnL - v2.0 ...updated 2/24/13 - FINISHED
*********** Updates in threads below - scroll down to the bottom of the page ***********
1/3 update 1/5 update 1/7 update 1/8 update 1/9 update 1/10 update 1/13 update 1/21 update 1/23 update 1/24 update 1/25 update 1/29 update 2/1 update 2/4 final update for version 1.0 end of v1.0...beginning of v2.0 2/8 update for version 2.0... 2/13 update 2/14 update 2/16 update 2/24 update - v2.0 finished!! ****************************************** I decided my bench did not have enough room to add a Hornady LnL press, so I thought it would be best to mount in on a stand. I poked around on the net and really didn't find anything I liked. They were, for the most part, grinder stands that didn't seem too well built and I had concerns about the weight distribution considering the arm/ram action. Dillon makes one, but the color would have to change (LOL) and the base looks like it was meant to be bolted to the floor. Blue stuff is usually expensive and this was no exception. Closest thing I found that I really liked was a stand that Gavin from UltimateReloader built. Here's the stand: http://ultimatereloader.com/2009/01/22/lnl-ap-stand/ Then someone did a set of plans for the stand and I decided to run with those. Here's the basic plans: http://ultimatereloader.com/2010/01/...ans-available/ I did a life-size mock up to anticipate any issues and discover how accurate the plans were (I did some mods as well). My cardboard expertise: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...20Stand/Design I didn't want to bolt my stand to the floor, so I extended the front of the plate to avoid the forward tip factor with the intention of mounting wheels. The wheels I picked up a a big box hardware store : http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...20Stand/Wheels Finding "scrap" iron is easier said than done. I also don't know how to weld and I didn't want to spend the $ on the gear and making this my "learning" project. Looked around and found a local metal fabricator (who also shoots I found out) and selected him to do the work. Here's my cardboard translated into reality: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...%20Fabrication Adding the wheels to test the mobility (and locking) as well as the "tilt factor" (I mounted the press and no issues whatsoever...yay!). http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...0with%20Wheels Over the course of the next few days/weeks, I plan on doing the following:
Should be an interesting body of work. Last edited by drkphibr; 02-24-2013 at 8:34 PM.. Reason: 2/24 update/finished! |
#2
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Wow, I like that but I might stick with the small stand from inlinefabrication.com.
Although now that I think of it I do have a place and a guy that can weld something for me...
__________________
7 Billion people on the planet. They aint ALL gonna astronauts. Some will get hit by trains... Need GOOD SS pins to clean your brass? Try the new and improved model... And remember- 99.9% of the lawyers ruin it for the other .1%... |
#3
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Thanks, for sharing the build. I may need to build a stand up soon as I'm moving my reloading setup to a new (smaller location). Nice job welding, it looks like he TIG welded the plates to the column. What size base did you end up using?
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#4
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I like the stuff from Dan @ inlinefabrication.com. I've got a number of his goodies you will see on the finished press configuration.
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#5
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Those look more like MIG welds. Believe it or not, that .125 wall column will flex a bit. I'm building something similar, but going with 1/4" wall for everything.
__________________
Member - NRA, GOA, CAPRC CalGun Contributor "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." -Albert Einstein |
#6
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The plans in the PDF list the base as 18"x24" if I remember correctly. When I cut that out, it was way too big and clearly not what UltimateReloader built. Turns out UR's is actually 12"x16". When I tried that configuration and centered the 4"x4" column, my concern was the location/press weight would be too forward heavy and tip. I then moved the column back and since my configuration would be on wheels, I lengthened it another 4" for a total length of 20". My base is 12"x20".
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#7
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********* 1/3/13 update *********
Today was spent cleaning and preparing the surface for primer and paint. Multiple cleanings with mineral spirits and then acetone to clean the surface. From there I sanded it a few times to see what the pitting is like (most on the front of the floor plate as well as the top plate and a few dings and deep mars on the standing column). Post sanding rough edges and cleaning: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...tal%20Cleaning After cleaning, I put a thin layer of bondo filler down (95% of which will be sanded off) to take care of the pitting on the base/top plates as well as any issues (including the column "seam") on the column. Went light on the hardner so I'd have time to work with the material (and the steel was quite cold) and let it set over night and start sanding tomorrow. Weekend is targeted for uniform surface and primer, maybe even painting depending on weather and how things go with sanding. My bondo hack: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...d/Metal%20Prep |
#8
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Those are purdy welds. They do look a bit like MIG, maybe pulsed MIG. They are not really clean enough to be TIG. They do not flow together enough to look like SMAW. Either way, I really hope you don't fill in those welds with any bondo, OP. Someone did a very nice job for you. I look forward to seeing the finished paint, even if it isn't blue .
__________________
He who dies with the most tools/toys wins |
#9
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Totally agree. The welds came out great (even the ones no one will see under the top plate). No intention of covering them up other than with primer/paint.
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#10
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Your probably right, MIG welds. I just wish my MIG welds looked that good.
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#11
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********* 1/5/13 update *********
Took advantage of decent weather this morning and was able to accomplish the following: Final sanding: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...and/Pre-primed Priming: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...20Stand/Primed Cut wheel stems down: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...d/Cut%20wheels Will look over the primer coat to see where I need to do any glazing touch up (metal dings) or additional sanding ("extra" bondo). Intend to give it one more primer coat so none of the bondo "bleeds" through and there are no uneven spots, at least that I can see or bother me. |
#12
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It looks a real workman like job!!
If you find the four castors a bit of bother, replace two of them with legs. To move just tilt and go -- It has been my experience that setting on all castors is a bit wiggly, even when locked, and when moving the unit it tends to go every direction but what you want. :-) |
#13
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********* 1/7/13 update *********
Started shooting some of the red yesterday and today a bit. Will post pics tomorrow or so. Focused on some smaller detail things tonight. I like the look of wood, especially oak (have it on my bench/presses) and decided to add some to this build. Picked up a 1/4" oak board and sized it to the top of the stand. Gave Hornady some props and cut out a decal and lacquered it onto the top of the wood. If I measured correctly it should look nice once the press is mounted. The red contrasts with the wood nicely. Also picked up some mounting pads for cable ties that I will use to route the primer tube. Primed them and then shot them red. Wood top/cable pads: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...s%20Stand/Misc |
#14
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I'm lazy + I want a stand that can "do it all" and travel to the range with me to work up loads from the firing line. The kit is the RCBS Ammo-Monster along with a dedicated case primer and trimmer.
I got it at Harbor Freight on sale for $29 and reinforced the top with a sheet of .125 mild steel. |
#15
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Before I headed down the build path, I was considering a few HF products, especially their grinder stands. I have no portable needs, so mine is very garage centric.
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#16
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Painting
********* 1/8/13 update *********
Started laying down some of the red. Did the base plate first and then the top plate and underside. I'll probably mask off the top to avoid "spray" when I do the column and base all in one shot or it won't look clean/uniform. After the paint cures, I'll add a few Hornady decals and then clear coat it. painting: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...0Stand/Painted |
#18
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Lame weather day
********* 1/9/13 update *********
So today was supposed to be paint day...but the weather did not cooperate. Turned into prep day. Covered the top for spraying as well as making an "over spray" bib for the base when I actually do paint (Thur or Fri weather permitting). Also trying to decide on decals. The wood top is set. I'm also pretty set on the base decal. The remaining "H" decal was slated for the 4" column front originally, but with the length of the press and the primer tube, maybe that's not the best place for it. My next thought was maybe on the mid to upper portion of the rear of the column. Prep/decals pics: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...20Stand/Decals |
#19
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Better weather today
********* 1/10/13 update *********
Weather cooperated today so I was able to spray the column. Came out nice and uniform. Debating on a second coat or not or go directly to clear coat. Column painted: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...0Stand/Painted Hoping to do the base plate tomorrow. |
#20
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That looks great - maybe before you bolt it down it might be worth seeing if you could rig a "spent primer recovery system" into the main column? You could have a container at the inside of the bottom that wouldn't need to be emptied but every 20 years or so...
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#21
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Quote:
I like the oak top and decals. Hurry up and get it done, we want to see the fruits of our.........errr.....your labor.
__________________
He who dies with the most tools/toys wins |
#22
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Quote:
But...as I've been spending the week off and on trying to get the base stand right (spraying is never as clean as one would like), I've watched a few YT videos about cutting oil based paint and using a brush to apply. I'm also looking into Rust-Oleum's "Hammered" paint as I like the look since it's close to the finish on the press....so painting is "in process" at the moment. Here's a few examples of the "hammered" finish: http://www.amishwares.com/site/15044...arget%20Market Scroll down 3/4 to see the hammered examples. No one carries red (just about every other color of course) so I had to special order it. Your idea of going through the column made my anal retentive light bulb go "click". So, today I'm going to mock up the stand/press and route the tube to see what path is necessary for the primers to "flow" and possibly drill through the front/rear (different heights) of the column to route the tube that way. Stay tuned... ********* 1/13/13 update ********* Took NoHeavyHitter idea and modified the column by drilling and shaping 2 holes. Mounted the press to see where the primer tube hangs (glad I did, as I would have assumed center of the column). Turns out the spent primer tube on the press it offset a bit by about 1/2" or so. Center of the tube was 1.5" instead of 2" on column. Cut and shaped the holes as the front hole is higher than the rear (rear hole is dead center on the column). Top of the hole on the front is recessed on the top and just the opposite (on the bottom) for the rear hole. I installed the tube and tested it with primers to ensure that there is a clean flow. All worked good. Sanded, primed, filled and primed again. Now it's more paint time. Not liking how the base plate is turning out with the brush method, so I'm going to wait on the "hammered" spray to see how I like that. Spent primer holes addition (thanks again, NoHeavyHitter): http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...Primer%20holes Last edited by drkphibr; 01-13-2013 at 4:05 PM.. |
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Paint day!
********* 1/21/13 update *********
Took FOREVER for the special order paint to come in. Left WI on Monday only to arrive in San Leandro on Friday and sit in a truck from Saturday to today for "next business day delivery" via FedEx. Had to be shipped to vendor, otherwise I would have driven to San Leandro on Fri/Sat for pickup. Oh well. Perfect day today for painting. Couldn't beat the weather...minimal wind, cloudless and SUNNY. I am glad I pursued the "hammered" look paint and without question the result was worth the wait. When you see the test "strip" of metal, you can see the color/texture match of the hammered red is MUCH closer to the Hornady Red on the press. The texture look of the hammered paint on the stand looks outstanding IMO. The final layer of paint went down nearly flawlessly. Good enough not to mess with ;-) Debating on applying the decals to this layer or shooting a layer of clear coat first and then applying the decals with a layer or two sealing them in. Any thoughts? Paint: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...mmered%20paint |
#24
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Final decals and clear coat
********* 1/23/13 update *********
Applied the decals and then applied about 6 or so coats of clear coat (spread about 10 minutes or so apart). Used a one stage automotive clear coat (since this will be inside the garage) that I will be able to wet stand and then polish later on (3-4 days after curing). Decals are sealed in now (base plate and back of column) and sometime next week I'll do a small wet sand/wax/buff test to see how it comes out (probably the top plate that will be covered by the oak wood top. I also decided on a different route for the primer catch cup. Took an aluminum drinking can, sanded the artwork off, cut the top down, drilled a 1/2" hole in the cap and then primed/painted it. Shot it with clear coat today as well. Ended up attaching small magnets to the base so when I sit it on the floor plate of the press stand, it will not move but "click" into place. Decals/clear coat: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...Decals%20final |
#25
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That looks good. Can you really wet sand that? I would guess that the hammered paint left a texture to the finish, therefore wet sanding would only knock the top off the highest portion of the texture. Or, did you lay on enough clear that the surface is now smooth?
The stickers finish it off nicely. I hope they hold up well with the clear. Often times stickers look good until they age a bit and start to come off, but you got that one covered.
__________________
He who dies with the most tools/toys wins |
#26
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Quote:
That being said, I'm going to pick up some buffing compound tomorrow and test that on the finish (test strip) and if all goes well, I'll be able to bring out a nice gloss shine while still retaining the texture of the hammered finish. Never a dull moment with tinkering. |
#27
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Rubbing compound rocks!!
********* 1/24/13 update *********
After testing and some researching, decided to go a different route on the "finishing". As was pointed out and verified, any wet standing would basically ruin the hammered texture and I want that to still be visible and tactile. Picked up some rubbing compound and a drill mounted bonnet. Decided to test my assumptions on the top plate as that will be covered by the oak anyways. Came out great after only a few swipes of the drill. You can see the before and after quite clearly. I'm planning on doing the rubbing compound process on the rest of the stand. Rubbing compound results: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...ing%20compound I also finished the spent primer collection container. Used an old aluminum water bottle, cut, sanded and drilled the top for the primer tube. Primed, painted and clear coated it. Then I picked up some magnets and mounted them to the bottom so that the bottle will no move around or fall over when the press is finally on wheels and mobile. Spent primer system: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...rimer%20system |
#28
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Almost done...
********* 1/25/13 update *********
Last few evenings have been busy! Collapsing a few day's of updates into one. Finished basic stand before installing/mounting the LnL: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...nal%20assembly Press mounted and dies installed (including a lockout die): http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...ress%20mounted Have to give a shout out to Dan @ Inlinefabrication. Great stuff (extremely well made) at a great price and incredibly excellent customer service and extreme attention to detail (I should know, huh?). I ordered (and installed) the following:
Inlinefabrication.com goodies installed: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...nlinefab%20acc Inlinefabrication.com goodies in process. What I'm now doing with the light kit (have some ideas on the wire/cable routing but I haven't made any final decisions - notice the motion activated sensor - picked that up at the Cow Palace a couple of weekends ago. Works great and I have it set for 2 min so that will give me some additional "placement" options) Light kit: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...nd/Light%20kit |
#29
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Some finishing touches (one left to go)
********* 1/29/13 update *********
Working on the finishing touches now.
Finishing touches: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...hing%20touches |
#30
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Very nice work in building up your press stand. In fact, you have inspired me to build a similar stand for two of my presses. I'd like to hear about how well the press works once you have the wheels installed.
FYI somewhere in your post I saw that you are located in the East Bay. I found a place in San Leandro to buy metals. It is called Alco Metals, on the corner of Davis St. and Doolittle Drive. I bought all my metal plates and square pipe from them. |
#31
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I approve of this thread!
Awesome work!!! |
#32
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Quote:
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#33
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Pretty sweet man, I got a buddy who's gonna weld up a stand for me. I can't wait for my LnL to get lifted.
__________________
se carga el diablo de la pistola... .223, .25acp, 25-20win, 9mm, 38spl/.357, 10mm .308, 8mm M, 7mm Rem Mag, 45acp, .475 Wildey mag On 2 Hornady LnL AP & Dillon Super 1050 |
#35
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Custom cover
********* 2/1/13 update *********
Big new stand needs a big new cover. Since the press/stand will be in the garage full time, there is no shortage of dust, dog hair and other interesting things that occupy that shared space. Preventing unnecessary wear and tear in a good thing. Since a heavy canvas wasn't available in the red I liked, I decided to "bond" two colors for two reasons. Having the fabric sewn together would give me the heavier canvas feel as well as being more durable. Backing the red (exterior) with black (interior) means than dirt/grime/grease from the press will not be noticeable on the cloth as it will blend. Decided to put a "split" about 2/3 up the left seam as that would allow the bullet tray arm to hang out while still covering the rest of the press/stand without looking too much like a tent. The cover also keeps the motion sensor for the light "in the dark" and off ;-) Cover pics: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...%20Stand/Cover |
#36
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Final update for LnL press stand 1.0
********* 2/4/13 update *********
Picked up the final piece to the press stand on Friday. A way to hold the primer and pickup tubes, not to mention another way to put more decals on. The long tubes don't "fit" on my bench so I thought I'd put them on the stand. Here the final addition to the LnL Press Stand v1.0 (yes, that means there is a v2.0 at least on paper and in my head): http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...Primer%20tubes |
#37
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Quote:
Stick welding is easy. Find a friend or bring a 6-pack to a muffler shop. They'll take care of you. I recently finished mine too, but in chalkboard paint (My favorite rattlecan finish!) |
#38
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Version 2.0
********* 2/8/13 update - Version 2.0 *********
Threw around some ideas about how to add weight to the stand to keep it from lifting slightly on the upstroke for priming. Since the locking wheels only locked the wheel and not the swivel, the wheels would move a bit as well. That was an easy fix with dual locking wheels. Unfortunately, given the stem size of 1/2" (vs. the current 3/8") I would have had to enlarge the current holes. No big deal. But, the base of the wheels would have not been covered by the base plate as the wheels are larger in size overall (even though they are also 3" wheels). I was able to add a weight to the base so it would not move. Basically a hack. Combining the extra weight solution and the wheel challenge, the best solution was a new base and re-weld the existing column to the new base. My local welder suggested another shop to do the cutting since I went from a 17lb 1/4" plate to a 68lb 1" thick plate that needed to be cut to size as well as 4 1/2" diameter holes in exact locations. I also wanted a very slight radius to the edges of the plate to take off the sharpness of the corners/edges. The shop that did the work was H2O Precision with water jet cutting. They did a beautiful job. The holes and locations are perfect and the sizing cuts with the corners/edges came out excellent. I'm planning on using them to cut an outline of the Hornady decal on the base plate and turn that into a medallion that I will mount to the base (so I have a mix of old/new stand). I'm also going to put a different coating on the base plate. Experimented with a few coatings and decided on truck bed lining. Reason being after loading a bit, things fall (or when not reloading, stuff happens in the garage and things fall - naturally on a nicely finished surface!). This will allow for better wear and tear on the base without worrying about any damage. New base with dual locking wheels: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...20base%20plate Last edited by drkphibr; 02-08-2013 at 10:08 PM.. |
#39
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jeez, what was the cost on that? I was thinking just a 6 pack of beer and some oxy-fuel cutting after hours would do it, though it would look like a disaster
(by the way, I don't know what your forum name means, but I could almost pronounce it "Dirk Fibbler") |
#40
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Column transfer
********* 2/13/13 update *********
Had the column cut from the original base and welded to the new base. Given the height differences of the wheels combined with the thicker base, I had 1" removed from the existing column to give me effectively the same sitting/standing height when operating the press as before. The transfer came out great. Welds look beautiful and the only "damage" to the column is from the heat to the paint/finish. That should be a relatively easy fix (just not fast as it's detail and matching work). New base with column: http://s145.beta.photobucket.com/use...umn%20transfer |
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