Dillon 550/650 Strong Mount Flex

[CB45]

Anyone use the 550/650 S.M. and notice your press moving on the down stroke?

Would the 650 only SM have less flex?

I'm just loading 9mm and the case feeder will move 1-2" with each down stroke.

I'm expericing inconsistent c.o.a.l. I'm pretty sure its hard to get a consistent o.a.l. when the press is wiggling around like a 3 year old hopped up on sugar.

How strong should I expect a "Strong Mount" to be?

 

[Electronrider]

Is your press moving or is the surface you are mounted to moving? I had to reinforce my bench when I went to a strong mount ( for my 550) due to flex in the worktop. You might want to check that. Also, how hard are you pressing once you get to the bottom of the downstroke? Once you hit the bottom of the stroke, any more force applied is a waste, as the shellplate has reached its maximum height.

 

[CB45]

The actual metal legs are flexing during the downstroke due to the force required for resizing.

Edit: bench is plenty strong.

 

[Dolton916]

Anyone use the 550/650 S.M. and notice your press moving on the down stroke?

Would the 650 only SM have less flex?

I'm just loading 9mm and the case feeder will move 1-2" with each down stroke.



I'm expericing inconsistent c.o.a.l. I'm pretty sure its hard to get a consistent o.a.l. when the press is wiggling around like a 3 year old hopped up on sugar.

How strong should I expect a "Strong Mount" to be?

Your COL is set by the relationship between your shellplate and you die head, this should not change due to a flexing mount. Is your toolhead VERY snug in the press frame? I have a couple of 650"s and had to do the uniquetek setup (CNC Machined 550/650 Toolheads) to get a consistant COL due to wear. Even if your press moves it will ALL move accordingly. Check to be sure no one part is moving independently.

You may also be "Pulling" your stroke, (Insert humor here) to try to not move the press and that can also contribute to variances.

It also shouldn't take that much force to size a 9mm, do you lube your cases?

 

[CB45]

New press. Tool head fit is better than my 550 was. Brass was lightly lubed. Shell plate is not moving. Part of consistent coal is a consistent smooth downstroke. Which I'm not getting due to the SM.

Still not addressing the issue, which I believe is the movement in the press caused from the strong mount.

Anyone want to comment who is actually using a 550/650 strong mount on a 650? Or know if a 650 only SM would be better?

 

[Killion]

I have not had any problems with mine.. Maybe Dillon switched their steel to cheap China ****? I would email Dillon and see what they have to say.

 

[Lunati]

Save yourself the trouble and sell it to buy a Lee...



Had to say it since all Dillon owners do the same haha.

 

[CB45]

I'm almost considering going back to a 550 mounted to a 2x8, c-clamped to a kitchen table. I loaded 40k rounds that way.

So far my new press adventure has not been fun.

 

[Killion]

I will buy your 650 for $300.00

 

[Dolton916]

New press. Tool head fit is better than my 550 was. Brass was lightly lubed. Shell plate is not moving. Part of consistent coal is a consistent smooth downstroke. Which I'm not getting due to the SM.

Still not addressing the issue, which I believe is the movement in the press caused from the strong mount.

Anyone want to comment who is actually using a 550/650 strong mount on a 650? Or know if a 650 only SM would be better?

All of my strong mounts flex, but my I haven't seen the issue you're having. I'm going to try this Ultramount press riser system for the Dillon 650 | Inline Fabrication and see if the lower shelf/brace stiffens it up.

Have you thought about bench mounting the press and seeing if your problem goes away?

 

[Aszerigan]

Chad - You're strong mount is flexing? There's no round you could load on an XL650 that should require so much force to resize that your strong mount would be bending.

Bring it by if you can, I'll have a look at it.

 

[CB45]

Now that I know that the flexing is common, I may consider the Inline Fab. mount or mounting it directly to the bench.

 

[praff]

Chad....if the mount is really flexing that much (not questioning, just cant visualize it), i would think a couple diy triangle shaped gussets either welded or bolted to the under side of the bends on the strongmount would go a long way in making it more stable. I am using the mount for a 550 and it is rock solid, but cant comment on the 650. Can you post a pic and maybe point out where you think it is flexing??

 

[rvb]

Chad, how much variation are you seeing?

I only have a 550 so I can't directly answer your question, but I can't imagine the strong mount I have actually flexing that much w/ a different press on it. Are you SURE it's not the surface you have it mounted to flexing? Is everything square? I would remove the press/SM and cross measure your holes in your benchtop, and plum from the center of the press and measure to the outside legs of the SM and make sure the press is centered.... basically make sure the SM didn't get bent/warped in shipping or one side's not longer than the other. That's the only reason I could see for it to flex is if the load isn't being distributed right...

Is this the same load/bullets you have been loading?

How did you set up your sizer? I set mine up to just kissthe shell place, slightly caming it over. At least on the 550 w/ the seat die being opposite the sizer, that seems to really help make the oal consistent.

If you want to drop your 650 off for a couple weeks I could mount it to my 550 SM and see if I can replicate the problem.... might take a few thousand rounds to verify repeatable results....

-rvb

 

[CB45]

Variation of +/- 0.007. That's a lot compared to my old 550 which could hold +/- 0.001 all day.

Sizer set up just kissimg the shell plate. Seating die diagonal of the resize. Remounted the SM, same deal.

Same load as I loaded all year. The legs are truly flexing

[video=youtube;uQeX7h-SBbw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQeX7h-SBbw&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/video]

 

[Rob377]

How much variation?

It's possible it's the seating die. See here.

Redding Competition Seater 9mm Questions - non-Dillon Reloading Equipment - Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

 

[BGDave]

From the video; your roller handle is turned clockwise from normal position. Try to turn it at least parallel to the bench top. I'm using the 550-650 strong mount. Might also try running press standing directly in front of it. I realize you may have changed position for video clarity. I will go into basement later today and check my mount for lateral stability. Washers on the press and mount may also help.

 

[CB45]

How much variation?

It's possible it's the seating die. See here.

Redding Competition Seater 9mm Questions - non-Dillon Reloading Equipment - Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

I am basically at the same variation as Sarge was.

Very interesting thread about the Redding die. If I go much longer the bullets bind in the mags, much shorter and the powder will begin to compress.

 

[CB45]

From the video; your roller handle is turned clockwise from normal position. Try to turn it at least parallel to the bench top. I'm using the 550-650 strong mount. Might also try running press standing directly in front of it. I realize you may have changed position for video clarity. I will go into basement later today and check my mount for lateral stability. Washers on the press and mount may also help.

Yes, I normally stand directly behind the press. I didn't want my gut in the video. Pressure applied to roller handle is typical for resizing 9mm brass through my Titanium Carbide Redding Die

I set the roller handle to be 90° to the press. Is that not normal?

 

[rvb]

Variation of +/- 0.007. That's a lot compared to my old 550 which could hold +/- 0.001 all day.

Sizer set up just kissimg the shell plate. Seating die diagonal of the resize. Remounted the SM, same deal.

Same load as I loaded all year. The legs are truly flexing

[ video=youtube ]

wow! It does look like it's not applying the load evenly to be able to shift like that. Id take the mount off and make sure the bends are the same on both sides (same angles)... If you have a large carpenter square I'd look to see the press is square to your bench... doesn't look like the metal itself is flexing (at least what can be seen in the vid) but the whole assembly is shifting over...

as for the die.... is it the same die you had been using on your 550 or a new one? stem get flipped?
0.007" is a lot (but I've never been so good to see 0.001"... usually ~.003" min/max range).

-rvb