SA made Multi-Press lucky find

OA oafpatroll 11 months ago

For those not on Gunsite who may be interested this is a cross post from there.

I picked up a little used SA made Multi-Press which I think dates from the early 90's at the very latest. I remember seeing one once on a serious reloaders bench when I had just started out collecting janky second hand gear to start out and that was >30 years ago.

I got it from a guy who knew that it was a reloading press but had never used it and had got it at a scrap yard. I can only imagine that it was part of the clean out of a deceased persons reloading room/workshop/scrap pile or something. I paid about what the cap screws holding the thing together would cost so I think it may represent the biggest bargain of my long career of being an ultra short armed bargain hunter.

It's absolutely rigid with less play on anything including the ram and linkages than I can detect and weighs close to 10kg. After a thorough degrease and lube its butter smooth. I plan to try it out this weekend sizing some 270 brass and suspect that it will be up to swaging which I have always wanted to try my hand at but have shied away from mainly because of the sort of press I'd need to buy to try.

(Pics embedded from Onedrive and apparently some people are blocked from seeing them)

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OA oafpatroll OP

Got carried away and decided to disassemble and strip the press in preparation for bluing it. Can't believe how well built and massive the parts are. The pivot is a 50mm odd ground bar that rides in a honed channel in a half brick of steel. It fits so well it made sucking sounds as I removed it. Every cap screw had anti seize on it and everything came apart without fuss.

TR Tripodmvr

Why not a bright red finish?

OA oafpatroll OP

Thought of that as all my other presses are red and they all live on a wall. For reasons of laziness though I'm going with bluing so I don't have to mask the bearing surfaces, the pressed in main shaft bushing and the threaded holes that hold it all together. I also don't want to lose the metal to metal fit which is perfect.

OA oafpatroll OP

The cold bluing didn't take at all well. I assume that's to do with the alloy which is something good and appears to be hardened. I didn't have the time or inclination to set up for a caustic hot blue. Went with sponge applied heavily thinned NJR paint which has given me excellent results on hard use things I've built in the past. Got on the second coat done on Sunday afternoon and it's looking pretty good. Will trim back any coating that interferes with fit up, beat my OCD back into it's cave with a stick and call it good. Didn't have any red to hand so black it had to be. Also made up a new quick release plate for it to work with the setup I posted about here previously.

OA oafpatroll OP

Been tied up with unfun stuff so only got to finishing off my lucky find press this Sunday. Two strokes of luck made my task a short and satisfying one. First thing is that the base of the press was almost perfectly dimensioned to fit into my quick-ish release setup with nothing more being required than making up one new securing strap and putting in some slightly longer carriage bolts to accommodate for the much thicker base. Second one was that because I didn't need to secure it to a plate I also didn't need to make a 'dock' for it to slide into on the wall for storage. It hangs on a bit of M6 allthread wound into a rawlbolt set at a slight angle into the wall.

TR Treeman

Is there much wear on any of the components, or is it a new by use, old by years press ?

OA oafpatroll OP

Is there much wear on any of the components, or is it a new by use, old by years press ?

Tiny bit on the main pivot shaft in the form of some radial scratches where I suspect grit got in. The shaft is >55mm in diameter with a bearing surface in the main housing approx 95mm long and fits so precisely that its a non isue. The steel, at least in the bearing surfaces, is seriously hard so I'd be very surprised to find that it wouldn't last two lifetimes easily with basic cleaning and lubrication.

TR Tripodmvr

I use graphite and avoid the gumming up that oil causes.

JA janfred

Or, make your way into the 20th century and use Molybdenum disulfide or titanium disulfide.

And, yes, I know the 20th century is the 1900s. Just a snide remark over how long Mo2S have been around. Seeing as how it is a much better dry lubricant than graphite.

TR Tripodmvr

Had some in a spray can many moons ago. Not easy to find in shops.

OA oafpatroll OP

Or, make your way into the 20th century and use Molybdenum disulfide or titanium disulfide.

And, yes, I know the 20th century is the 1900s. Just a snide remark over how long Mo2S have been around. Seeing as how it is a much better dry lubricant than graphite.

Do you have pointers for a retail source for either?

JA janfred

Titanium disulfide not so much. But I got my Mollyspray at a carparts supplier so phone around.

For online purchase,

ORAPI MOLYSPRAY 700

OA oafpatroll OP

Titanium disulfide not so much. But I got my Mollyspray at a carparts supplier so phone around.

For online purchase,

ORAPI MOLYSPRAY 700

Thanks, will pick some up. Grease or oil and presses don't play nicely together.