Lee loadmaster problem

[Veggie]

My uncle is going to give me a lee loadmaster that he never used. We can't get the handle to move. Any ideas?

[CSACANNONEER]

Any evidence of corrosion? Is it locked tight or is there a little play?

[Veggie]

Tight and I didn't see any signs. I'll take a picture and upload it in a sec.

[CSACANNONEER]

Why not just try to disassemble the entire press and then reassemble it?

[Veggie]

Actually gonna have to wait a bit on that pic. But it looks pretty clean. He had it covered.

[Veggie]

We took off the plates and the part that holds the plates and still didn't move.

[CSACANNONEER]

Try disassembling the arm and ram assembly. Who knows? Maybe someone assembled it an over tightened some of the bolts that are suppose to pivot? Or, try putting diesel or Kroil on the ram where it is going into the press and all other points that move or should move.

[Veggie]

Yea I dunno. It is odd because I have used it before just to see how it works. So I know it worked before. It has never been used to actually make any rounds.

[xfer42]

Check if the ram is dented. If so, replace it. Dont force it or it will mess up the frame.

[stilly]

It would be nice to see some wider shots of the press. And also, there are no primers in the ram correct?

IT is greased and ready to go?

Will you please be a little more specific about the handle moving?

Does it wiggle anywhere? side to side movement is okay? How does the indexing rod look? Some more shots of it are certainly in order. Turlock huh...

[sdkevin]

Check to see if the handle axis is aligned with the head axis..

[stilly]

Did OP die while trying to align his head with his handle?

Also, I am looking at this photo here and all I can say is that I hope the index rod has been pulled OUT completely and that it has not been bumped in a way to push into the frame and cause it to lock the upwards and downwards travel and thus make the press inoperable.

Too bad I do not have it in front of me, I would ninja turtle it and make it magically work or know why exactly it does not work. I know the loadmaster now more intimately then I ever thought I would know it...

[Bobshouse]

From the looks of the pic, the ram has rusted to the sides of the frame.

Try some rust breaker or liquid wrench, let it soak a few days. Lube the pins in the handles also.

You would probably have a better chance with the press firmly mounted.

[stilly]

From the looks of the pic, the ram has rusted to the sides of the frame.

Try some rust breaker or liquid wrench, let it soak a few days. Lube the pins in the handles also.

You would probably have a better chance with the press firmly mounted.

I was thinking that also, but when I first got my loadmaster, I had no issues pulling my ram with it unmounted...

Your eyes must be better than mine. I THOUGHT it could be a rust issue, but I did not see anything that pointed it out exactly so I left that alone.

[Divehobo]

My guess is machine has dried up a bit from not using and needs some lube to get it moving again. Apply grease to zerk fittings, take shell plate and indexing rod off machine, empty spent primer catch, Marvel Mystery Oil to exposed areas of ram (inside and out) and let it sit for a few days. Corrosion has gotten the best of the machine and allowed dissimilar metals to bond together. Galvanic corrosion