Tech Question on Lee Pro1000

[Bill92869]

Since loaded ammo is almost impossible to find these days and reloading supplies are still somewhat available, I have decided to return to reloading. Just bought a Lee Pro1000 so I could spend less time reloading and more time shooting. I've got it set up and it's loading fine, but I do have one question/problem: During the start-up process I had a brass with no primer charged with powder that then went all over the turret. This was entirely my fault! I fixed the error and moved forward but still have loose powder from that screw-up in the primer seating station. As a result loaded rounds have slight indents from the loose powder still in that area getting caught between the new primer and the primer seating rod. Anyone know how to open up that area to clean it??

Please please please no smart *** comments about the Lee Pro1000. I am an inventor with several U.S. patents, very mechanical and a long time reloader. I have no complaints about the Lee press, in fact I'm amazed at how much you get for so little cost. In my opinion the vast majority of problems people have with it are because they are newbies and gravitate towards the cheapest reloader they can find. Lacking the knowledge, they make mistakes. By the time they learn how to reload and use a progressive press, they have moved on to the more expensive models. IMHO

[f4tweet]

Don't vacuum it.

[Bill92869]

Yeah I figured that. I've tried blowing the powder out, but it is wedged under the plate.

[bartt]

Don't vacuum it.

For the sake of noobs (like me) who might be lurking here. Can you be a bit more verbose? thanks...
Why would one not vacuum it?

[22popnsplat]

I see people dog the lee presses , I have had alot presses and still use a lee turret for the quick tool head change for load development work. it will do benchrest quality ammo with a little care . I do my bulk ammo on a dillon 550 .
As to your question , I would use a paint brush , compressed air if that wont do a good enough jobe you may have to unbolt it from the bench and and repeat

[f4tweet]

If you vacuum and there is a spark in the cannister/bag, kaboom.

[diginit]

I use a Lee also. Just lower the shellplate (push the handle forward) and brush off the piston and you're good to go. You can dissasemble the carrier and clean it fairly easily. Do a Google search for instructions on how to.

[RHT447]

Bill92869,

If I understand correctly, it sounds like you need to pull the shell plate to clean underneath it. If so, start by removing the tool head. Let the shell plate click into position and then put a tool handle down through one of the shell positions to prevent the shell plate from turning. Use a 1/4 inch socket to turn the drive rod to unscrew the shell plate from the drive spindle. Double check the direction of the threads. I can't recall at the moment, but I think they are left hand. Hope this helps.

[Bill92869]

Thanks for all the feedback guys! I looked at the instructions for removing the shell plate and chose not to go that route. What I did, and must advise others not to do, is use my new vacuum to clean it up. It's a brand new from Home depot with 6.5 HP. A quick zap of the shell plate area while rotating it did the trick. The press is working fine now. I do think a bit more of a bell on the case mouth would help the feeding of the hard-cast bullets though, anyone increased the belling of the case mouth from factory pre-sets?

[ejor]

try blowing it off with compressed air, no compressor?, they sell cans of compressed air for cleaning computers. Would be handy. I've also used a plastic straw to blow the powder off, just don't inhale, scraped the compressed grains off with the straw too. I was using a very finely grannulated powder and when a primmer didn't feed it made a mess.
ED

[diginit]

Thanks for all the feedback guys! I looked at the instructions for removing the shell plate and chose not to go that route. What I did, and must advise others not to do, is use my new vacuum to clean it up. It's a brand new from Home depot with 6.5 HP. A quick zap of the shell plate area while rotating it did the trick. The press is working fine now. I do think a bit more of a bell on the case mouth would help the feeding of the hard-cast bullets though, anyone increased the belling of the case mouth from factory pre-sets?

Factory presets? That's a new one on me. You will want to set the dies to your bullets' specs. You only want enough bell to seat the bullet without scraping it up.Too much bell will overwork the brass. Ammosmith has a good vid on Utube on the subject. Also on sizing, priming, and seating.
Just ignore the one guy that uses a lee loader for a headspace guage. He's guessing. Use the barrel from the gun you're loading for, After removing it from the weapon.

[Southpaw45]

I find the priming system to be a big fault on the Lee 1000. Mine is over 15 years old. Especialy if the primer shoot is getting dirty and your running low on primers. They may have improved it over the years but I now decap and hand prime my brass before its loaded into the 1000. I removed the decap pin in the sizing die. My reloads with missing primer problems was solved for good...