Adjustable LEE Auto-Disk Powder Dispenser

This is how I went about adjusting the amount of powder that the LEE Auto-Disk Powder Dispensers are pre-designed to dispense.

If you're anything like me, the amount of powder that I come up with in my more accurate load workups rarely ever falls neatly in line with the pre-made holes in the Lee Auto-Disk System.

I'm sure alot of thought went into coming up with these predetermined powder volumes that they put in their disks but dang it, I've never found them optimum for the rounds I've reloaded.

That's not to say that they don't work well, even at those pre-set volumes. They work fine, just not as fine as they could work once a person works up a better load.

I'm sure this topic has been covered before by the do-it-yourselfers in this group. I was just to lazy to go in search of any other posts made on the modified Lee Auto-Disk Powder measure/dispensers.

I did come across a few DIY mods to adjust the volume of a given existing Auto-Disk-Hole. For the most part, they entailed drilling and taping a hole in the wall of the hole and just screwing a set-screw through the wall of the hole and into the main chamber/hole.
This was enough to alter or adjust how much powder was in the powder hole of the disk. By all accounts, this seemed to work out well enough.

I was just reluctant to drill holes in my newly purchased Lee Auto-Disk components so, I came up with this 3D printed version of the Adjustable-Powder-Volume Auto-Disk.

I'm also sure that there are easier less complicated ways to get around this. This is just
the way I went about it.

This photo is a CAD Rendering. Although my 3D print looks just like it, the color of my print is solid white. I chose these colors in this computer rendering simply because it allowed for the showing of more detail than a solid white colored rendering.

It took me three tries to actually get all the measurements right. Even then, my 3D printer doesn't have the resolution to print out models as pristine looking as this CAD rendering.

I have to print them out about a thousands or two larger or smaller depending on the part or area of the part, and then manually sand or file them down to as close to a perfect tolerance as possible.

I pretty much got it down to where the manual sanding or filing is minimal but still, there is some post-print work involved.

In the end, I made myself something that the LEE Auto-Disk System should probably think about offering without it being an expensive optional feature.

HollowPoint

Did you ever try Lee's auto disk adjustable charge bar #90792 https://leeprecision.com/adj-charge-bar.html

Well done and excellent thought out project.

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Originally Posted by Moleman-

Did you ever try Lee's auto disk adjustable charge bar #90792 https://leeprecision.com/adj-charge-bar.html

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No, I never tried it. I knew it existed but, I just didn't want to spend any more money on something I could basically make myself.
The adjustable disk I've printed allows me to keep the two different powder charge weights that I use the most. I only reload for 130 grain lead round nose bullets and for 115-116 grain hollow pointed versions of those same round nose bullets. This nice-looking Lee adjustable disk appears to only have one adjustable powder hole; not that it makes too much difference. It still looks like very convenient if loading one powder charge weight without having to change the setting each time.

Adjusting each hole to the powder volumes I'm working with takes about a minute or two but, after they're set, that's where the charge weight remains, unless I change it. It's not too much different from the adjustable disk in the link you provided.

The best thing about it is that I didn't have to pay the 9.98 plus tax and shipping for it and, if I need another one, I can just print another one. The screws and the e-clips I'm using as my adjustment knobs were components I had in my junk drawer.

I think it turned out ok. I still load for my 223 AI cartridge. With just a few mods to the original design I could make an adjustable auto disk for that too. I'll probably just stick with my coaxial press for reloading rifle rounds though.

HollowPoint

Like Sparky said it's a well thought out and done project. I bet you could sell a few if it were worth your 3d printing time. You hadn't mentioned the adjustable bar in your first post and it wasn't clear if you were aware of it. For pistol ammo the auto disk is my favorite measure to use. Simple linkage with the only issue I've had in over 30 years is the wipe developing a burr after many years of heavy use and the swivel actuator which the arms are prone to cracking at where actuator locks nubs contact it. But it takes a lot of use to get there. I did replace the hoppers on mine with the round "pro" style since they're nicer to use.

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Originally Posted by Moleman-

Like Sparky said it's a well thought out and done project. I bet you could sell a few if it were worth your 3d printing time. You hadn't mentioned the adjustable bar in your first post and it wasn't clear if you were aware of it. For pistol ammo the auto disk is my favorite measure to use. Simple linkage with the only issue I've had in over 30 years is the wipe developing a burr after many years of heavy use and the swivel actuator which the arms are prone to cracking at where actuator locks nubs contact it. But it takes a lot of use to get there. I did replace the hoppers on mine with the round "pro" style since they're nicer to use.

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I usually do stuff like this for my own personal use. In those rare occasions when I have attempted to sell my 3D print ideas, they ended up being stolen by unscrupulous internet people who would turn right around and copied and then claiming them as their own ideas for sale.

HollowPoint

I finally got around to modeling and 3D printing my DIY Auto-Disk powder dispenser for my 223 Ackley Improved varmint rifle.

I had some problems with my 3D printer for some reason. I just couldn't get it to print the main body of the Auto-Disk without the print going bad on me. I was able to print the smaller components though so, I went ahead and printed those black and the main body was done in the clear filament.

When clear filament is printed this thick it really isn't clear any more. At best it's a frosty white color.

No matter. As long as it functions as designed, that's the important thing.

I'm editing this to include that after testing for volume capacities at maximum and minimum fill, it's 22 grains at the lower end and 37 grains at the higher end using Varget powder and BLC2 as my test powders.

With my 9mm Auto-Disk I used HP 38 powder and at minimum amounts it came out to 2.3 grains and maximum amount of powder volume was 5 grains even. I'm off to the races now.

HollowPoint.

It’s a shame the information gets stolen. I bought the Lee adjustable disc and was never happy with the consistency of the drops. Maybe due to the odd shape vs a cylinder. I don’t trust it and put it back in the package in my deal with it later box.