Hood press question

[Dave M.]

I just set up an original Hood press and the it seems the shell holders fit very tight in the ram. They click in and then they are very hard to get out. The retaining clip doesn’t seem to make a difference.
My first question is where can I get some replacement clips for this press? The original retaining clip seems to be bent a tad and it’s nearly impossible to bend to the correct shape because it’s so stiff.
My second question is if guys are running their Hood Press without these retaining clips because of how tight the shell holders seem to fit?
Every other press I’ve ever used allows the shell holder to clip into the ram via the retaining clip and then is allowed to free float a bit. With how tight these shell holders clip into the ram on this Hood press, I’d think it would counterproductive with regard to the production of concentric brass. I’m almost wondering if these Hood presses were meant to use a special shell holder.
Thanks for your help guys and God bless you and your family this holiday season.

Dave

 

[mroper3]

I just set up an original Hood press and the it seems the shell holders fit very tight in the ram. They click in and then they are very hard to get out. The retaining clip doesn’t seem to make a difference.
My first question is where can I get some replacement clips for this press? The original retaining clip seems to be bent a tad and it’s nearly impossible to bend to the correct shape because it’s so stiff.
My second question is if guys are running their Hood Press without these retaining clips because of how tight the shell holders seem to fit?
Every other press I’ve ever used allows the shell holder to clip into the ram via the retaining clip and then is allowed to free float a bit. With how tight these shell holders clip into the ram on this Hood press, I’d think it would counterproductive with regard to the production of concentric brass. I’m almost wondering if these Hood presses were meant to use a special shell holder.
Thanks for your help guys and God bless you and your family this holiday season.

Dave

Dave,
I’ve had several of Charlie’s presses, and have never had this problem. Are you having this problem with more than one brand of shellholder?

Mark

 

[butchlambert]

I have one of his very early ones without any problems.

 

[Dave M.]

Dave,
I’ve had several of Charlie’s presses, and have never had this problem. Are you having this problem with more than one brand of shellholder?

Mark

I’ll check some other shell holders I have downstairs. Perhaps the clip needs to be replaced too. Do you know where I can get some of the clips for the hood press?
Dave

 

[Rope2horns]

@arkcomatt

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Im sure theres a simple solution here. Charlies press and everything else he made that I have handled is top notch. Start measuring and youll figure it out and sounds like a few thou is all it will take. Id suspect shell holders first.

 

[Dave M.]

Well I tried several shell holders and it seems the Hornady ones are extremely tight, the ones I have with the knurling around them seem to fit much better, I think these are Redding shell holders. I just ordered some new Redding shell holders for the cartridges I plan to load on the Hood press. Thanks for the help guys. I did contact Matt at Arkco Machine to see if he can send me a couple new retaining clips for the hood press, as they seem to be a larger diameter than the clip used on my Hornady presses.
Dave

 

[rayporter]

if you buy one of every brand of shell holder some will be tighter than others. i just use a small screwdriver to pry them out but some can be pulled out with your fingers.

an added benefit of different shell holders is the difference in height which allows you some degree of control in bumping case shoulders.

 

[Dave M.]

I just bought a new Redding shell holder and I’ll try it out when it arrives tomorrow or Friday.
Dave

 

[Jefferson]

it is sometimes called




wait for it




wait for it



tolerance stack

Hope you tolerated this answer

 

[farmerjohn]

Hey Fellers, I've found a GOOD hydraulic oring works great on my old Charlie press and on Matt's new ones also. Those strong clips are hard on old fingers... John

 

[Dave M.]

Hey Fellers, I've found a GOOD hydraulic oring works great on my old Charlie press and on Matt's new ones also. Those strong clips are hard on old fingers... John

Size please? Or can I offer you a few bucks to mail me a few?
Dave

 

[farmerjohn]

Size please? Or can I offer you a few bucks to mail me a few?
Dave

Hey Feller, Dave you can pick up a box for a little bit at harbor freight and do some experiments to see just how much movement tickles your fancy. The cheap ones last about a year and start getting worn as the one in the pic, any store that makes hydraulic hoses will have a higher grade like cat or John Deere and you can get your size from the cheap ones. I like a lot of "wiggle" in mine allowing the holder to align perfectly with the die. An old well known bench shooter showed me this years ago as an accuracy trick. I use them on all my conventional presses because it's so easy to change holders with a pick tool. Hope it helps.... John