Lee Double Disk Kit ?

azphx55 · May 23, 2011, 07:11 PM

I've been using the Lee Pro Disk powder measure for several thousand rounds now, generally happy because I've always been able to find a disk that drops at least one of my available powders in a load that I like for each of my calibers.

But now I'm branching out to different bullets and trying new powders and find myself becoming frustrated with the limitations of the disks.

I tried the adjustable charge bar. It eventually wound up in the trash so I wouldn't waste any more time trying it again. It would drop nicely for about half a dozen rounds and then just stop dropping anything. I don't know how you can make a hole fail to act like a hole, but I found a way.

So, does anybody have any experience with the Double Disk Kit?

Thanks

amamnn · May 23, 2011, 07:35 PM

I went through the same thing some years ago--it sounds like you might be trying to use a large hole with the charge bar above and constricted to a fairly small size in order to drop a charge a bit larger than the largest disk hole will allow. In such a case, the Lee powder system really has no reliable system to stop powder bridging at the smaller hole--this is also true when using the double disk system when the top disk presents a very small hole to the powder reservoir. The Lee idea of stopping bridging is that "sticking" in the ram return which shakes up the whole press, die, and powder reservoir. I tried it with the bigger hole on top and it still bridged-- then added a baffle in combination with the the sticking shaking action, but that did not answer either. What I did was go to an RCBS uniflow and Redding trickler and then eventually to a PACT digital powder scale/dispense system for all my rifle charging.

I still use my Lee pro powder unit with the charge bar on the press for pistol charges over 5 grains and the same unit with the micro disk, which I somehow missed learning about for years, for the smaller drops-- every now and then I get bridging so I watch my cases very closely as they charge. You would have to remove every rifle case to do the same and I am not going to do that especially since I have not found the whole Lee system to be very accurate in the charges it drops, anyway. I have found that applying a bit of graphite or ground mica (AKA white graphite) to the sliding surfaces of the Lee disk system helps a little bit by stopping some of the leakage..

Eazmo · May 23, 2011, 09:19 PM

I know I'm just a newbie at loading metallic rounds ( shot shell for years ) but after searching and reading about auto disk issues. i got the pro model and adjustable bar. cleaned it and ran graphite thru it. i made my own baffle copied from RCBS uniflow type. I believe a baffle is a must in every measure especially when using flake powders. mine is spot on accurate and that is with Unique and have had no bridging problems at all. also note i have not loaded less than 4gr. as Lee tells you flake powders might be a problem.

NWPilgrim · May 23, 2011, 09:25 PM

Fixed cavity measures like the Auto Disk or dippers have that limitation. Lee's philosophy if you read the his manual is to pick a powder that does well with a dipper or cavity in the range suitable for that cartridge. Rather than fine tuning the cavity to the powder.

Also, Lee flat out says he does not believe in trying to reach max pressures. Find a couple of cavities that load below max and see which one works best. If no luck then try another powder.

I find that this method works best with "forgiving" powders, those that shoot well at a wide range of pressures. I think Alliant powders are some of the best in this regard, especially Bullseye, Unique, and 2400 on the upper end. I have not tried Power Pistol yet but plan to. W231 is also very flexible in the regard.

I do use the disk doubler occasionally. First, make sure the smaller hole is on top. Second, try to find a combo near enough to what you want to have similar size holes; i.e. avoid combos that have a very small and very large hole. But, don't try to make the AutoDisk into what it is not: an adjustable cavity measure. Use the Perfect measure if you want this.

I would first do my best to find a single cavity that works good with a forgiving powder. If you just can find the right powder or cavity then try the double disk. You don't really need 5 steps in test charges if you stay well below max load. Two or three are plenty usually.

This is all just to say, keep it simple. The Auto Disk is really sweet when you use it as designed and find the right powder and cavity combination. Extremely easy and fast to make exact duplication of loads year after year.

Jim243 · May 24, 2011, 12:44 AM

Quote:

But now I'm branching out to different bullets and trying new powders and find myself becoming frustrated with the limitations of the disks.

They didn't warn you that Lee powder measures do not like flake powders?

Quote:

So, does anybody have any experience with the Double Disk Kit?

Not sure what your question is? If you have not bought or used the Double Disk Kit, then you have not been loading rifle with your Pro Auto Disk unit. The other disks without the Double Disk Kit will not drop enough powder for rifle loads! If you have the Double Disk Kit and have not figured out how to use it then, A) the larger of the two holes HAVE to be on the bottom (a must) and you need to mix and match the numbered openings with as close to your needed load as the chart will allow and then go one size larger on the bottom disk.

You will not get the 31.5 charge that you want but something close enough that should work with out a problem for your load, say a 31.2 or 31.3. You have to remember that Lee goes by VOLUME and not weight. And as long as the volume is the same from load to load your results will be consistant.

By the way I have used the micro adjustable charge disk for over 5 years for pistol loads and I get the same weight (volume) from 1st charge to last charge without any problems. (just use ball powder (win231 or Power Pistol) and it will work fine.)

Jim

Dave R · May 24, 2011, 11:05 PM

Yeah, I use the double-disk kit to reload .223.

I use a plain autodisk for pistol calibers.

The others are right on this. You can't dial in an exact load with the double disk kit, but you can get pretty dang close. My .223 plink load is 25 gr. H335 under a 55gr. FMJ and lit by a CCI 450 primer. The double disk found 25 grains of H335 more or less exactly. I think I tried 3-4 disk combinations to get there, but then I just leave it alone. For me, its cheaper to buy another Autodisk than to keep switching disks. I use a separate Autodisk for each caliber I load. Dial it in once, then just leave it attached to the turret for that caliber.

The Pro autodisk does better with the double disk kit and small spherical powders than the regular Autodisk does. The Pro "leaks" less.

grumpa72 · May 25, 2011, 07:12 AM

I have a Lee Classic Cast Turret with the Lee disk system. When I got into reloading for the .30.06 I bought a double disk kit and found it very limiting. I wound up buying the Hornady lock-n-load Powder measure. I couldn't be happier with it. I can vary powder charges by .1 grain and it will throw consistent charges. I will no longer use the double disk kit but the single disk kit does a fine job for pistol rounds.

griz · May 25, 2011, 07:44 AM

I used to use it for loading 223 with 322 or BLC2. As long as you didn't want to adjust to an exact charge I thought it did a pretty good job. With 322 it would very rarely (maybe once in 200 rounds) bridge but I always visually checked all the cases before bullet seating and just recharged those. At least in my memory from 10 or 15 years ago it seemed consistent enough for me.

azphx55 · May 25, 2011, 03:49 PM

Thanks, all.

As usual, I neglected to mention an important fact: I'm only making pistol loads. Mostly .45 ACP and 9mm, but also .380, .40, .38spl and .45 Colt.

I've ordered the double disk kit and the micro disk and will see how much more complicated I can make things before I break down and upgrade to a progressive press.

NWPilgrim · May 25, 2011, 04:22 PM

The nice thing is the Lee accessories are very affordable and does not cost an arm and leg to try out different methods/tools. Good luck!

azphx55 · June 8, 2011, 10:24 AM

I was disappointed to find that I can't use the micro-disk together with one of the regular disks (without some customization), but the micro-disk works very well for loads for .380

I haven't played much, but I'm getting the impression that it's best to keep the two disks similar in size (smaller on top) to get consistent results. They seem to work perfectly with Trail Boss (large grains), but not as consistently with Accurate #2 (small ball).

Maybe the best news is that I now have three disks in the 46-66 range, so I can pull out the Dremel and try reaming one to new volumes.

By the way, if you can find a "Metallic Silver" Sharpie pen, it's great for writing on the outer surface of the disks.

CrustyFN · June 8, 2011, 05:36 PM

I used to use a double disk kit for loading 223. It worked OK. I bought an adapter that lets me mount a Lee perfect powder measure to my rifle charging die and I am much happier. I have to cycle the PPM by hand but it works fine and doesn't seem to slow me down much.

HJ857 · June 8, 2011, 07:49 PM

This is kind of on topic. I had trouble using a standard disc on the bottom and the adjustable charge bar on top, dropping 25.7 grains of TAC for .223.

It wasn't terrible, but I couldn't get to the point of trusting it completely. And you'd think a powder like TAC would drop really well, but no.

Anyway, I have an extra adjustable charge bar and not long ago decided to stack two of them together. They have index "nubs" on the bottom and you need to trim off a little bit on charge bar that is going to sit on top. Once you do that they stack up nicely.

I set both charge bars to the exact same volume and tested and adjusted until I got the right powder drop.

This has proven to be very reliable and consistent. No more messing with the fixed cavity disks at all anymore.

May 23, 2011, 07:11 PM	#1
azphx55 Member Join Date: September 7, 2010 Posts: 85	Lee Double Disk Kit ? I've been using the Lee Pro Disk powder measure for several thousand rounds now, generally happy because I've always been able to find a disk that drops at least one of my available powders in a load that I like for each of my calibers. But now I'm branching out to different bullets and trying new powders and find myself becoming frustrated with the limitations of the disks. I tried the adjustable charge bar. It eventually wound up in the trash so I wouldn't waste any more time trying it again. It would drop nicely for about half a dozen rounds and then just stop dropping anything. I don't know how you can make a hole fail to act like a hole, but I found a way. So, does anybody have any experience with the Double Disk Kit? Thanks

May 23, 2011, 09:25 PM	#4
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	Fixed cavity measures like the Auto Disk or dippers have that limitation. Lee's philosophy if you read the his manual is to pick a powder that does well with a dipper or cavity in the range suitable for that cartridge. Rather than fine tuning the cavity to the powder. Also, Lee flat out says he does not believe in trying to reach max pressures. Find a couple of cavities that load below max and see which one works best. If no luck then try another powder. I find that this method works best with "forgiving" powders, those that shoot well at a wide range of pressures. I think Alliant powders are some of the best in this regard, especially Bullseye, Unique, and 2400 on the upper end. I have not tried Power Pistol yet but plan to. W231 is also very flexible in the regard. I do use the disk doubler occasionally. First, make sure the smaller hole is on top. Second, try to find a combo near enough to what you want to have similar size holes; i.e. avoid combos that have a very small and very large hole. But, don't try to make the AutoDisk into what it is not: an adjustable cavity measure. Use the Perfect measure if you want this. I would first do my best to find a single cavity that works good with a forgiving powder. If you just can find the right powder or cavity then try the double disk. You don't really need 5 steps in test charges if you stay well below max load. Two or three are plenty usually. This is all just to say, keep it simple. The Auto Disk is really sweet when you use it as designed and find the right powder and cavity combination. Extremely easy and fast to make exact duplication of loads year after year. __________________ "The ultimate authority ... resides in the people alone. ... The advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation ... forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition." - James Madison

May 24, 2011, 11:05 PM	#6
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	Yeah, I use the double-disk kit to reload .223. I use a plain autodisk for pistol calibers. The others are right on this. You can't dial in an exact load with the double disk kit, but you can get pretty dang close. My .223 plink load is 25 gr. H335 under a 55gr. FMJ and lit by a CCI 450 primer. The double disk found 25 grains of H335 more or less exactly. I think I tried 3-4 disk combinations to get there, but then I just leave it alone. For me, its cheaper to buy another Autodisk than to keep switching disks. I use a separate Autodisk for each caliber I load. Dial it in once, then just leave it attached to the turret for that caliber. The Pro autodisk does better with the double disk kit and small spherical powders than the regular Autodisk does. The Pro "leaks" less. __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

May 25, 2011, 04:22 PM	#10
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	The nice thing is the Lee accessories are very affordable and does not cost an arm and leg to try out different methods/tools. Good luck! __________________ "The ultimate authority ... resides in the people alone. ... The advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation ... forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition." - James Madison

June 8, 2011, 05:36 PM	#12
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	I used to use a double disk kit for loading 223. It worked OK. I bought an adapter that lets me mount a Lee perfect powder measure to my rifle charging die and I am much happier. I have to cycle the PPM by hand but it works fine and doesn't seem to slow me down much. __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.

May 23, 2011, 07:35 PM	#2
amamnn Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2006 Location: WA, the left armpit of the USA Posts: 1,323	I went through the same thing some years ago--it sounds like you might be trying to use a large hole with the charge bar above and constricted to a fairly small size in order to drop a charge a bit larger than the largest disk hole will allow. In such a case, the Lee powder system really has no reliable system to stop powder bridging at the smaller hole--this is also true when using the double disk system when the top disk presents a very small hole to the powder reservoir. The Lee idea of stopping bridging is that "sticking" in the ram return which shakes up the whole press, die, and powder reservoir. I tried it with the bigger hole on top and it still bridged-- then added a baffle in combination with the the sticking shaking action, but that did not answer either. What I did was go to an RCBS uniflow and Redding trickler and then eventually to a PACT digital powder scale/dispense system for all my rifle charging. I still use my Lee pro powder unit with the charge bar on the press for pistol charges over 5 grains and the same unit with the micro disk, which I somehow missed learning about for years, for the smaller drops-- every now and then I get bridging so I watch my cases very closely as they charge. You would have to remove every rifle case to do the same and I am not going to do that especially since I have not found the whole Lee system to be very accurate in the charges it drops, anyway. I have found that applying a bit of graphite or ground mica (AKA white graphite) to the sliding surfaces of the Lee disk system helps a little bit by stopping some of the leakage.. __________________ "If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal

May 23, 2011, 09:19 PM	#3
Eazmo Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 164	I know I'm just a newbie at loading metallic rounds ( shot shell for years ) but after searching and reading about auto disk issues. i got the pro model and adjustable bar. cleaned it and ran graphite thru it. i made my own baffle copied from RCBS uniflow type. I believe a baffle is a must in every measure especially when using flake powders. mine is spot on accurate and that is with Unique and have had no bridging problems at all. also note i have not loaded less than 4gr. as Lee tells you flake powders might be a problem.

May 25, 2011, 07:12 AM	#7
grumpa72 Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2009 Posts: 487	I have a Lee Classic Cast Turret with the Lee disk system. When I got into reloading for the .30.06 I bought a double disk kit and found it very limiting. I wound up buying the Hornady lock-n-load Powder measure. I couldn't be happier with it. I can vary powder charges by .1 grain and it will throw consistent charges. I will no longer use the double disk kit but the single disk kit does a fine job for pistol rounds.

May 25, 2011, 07:44 AM	#8
griz Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2000 Location: Middle Peninsula, VA Posts: 1,588	I used to use it for loading 223 with 322 or BLC2. As long as you didn't want to adjust to an exact charge I thought it did a pretty good job. With 322 it would very rarely (maybe once in 200 rounds) bridge but I always visually checked all the cases before bullet seating and just recharged those. At least in my memory from 10 or 15 years ago it seemed consistent enough for me.

May 25, 2011, 03:49 PM	#9
azphx55 Member Join Date: September 7, 2010 Posts: 85	Thanks, all. As usual, I neglected to mention an important fact: I'm only making pistol loads. Mostly .45 ACP and 9mm, but also .380, .40, .38spl and .45 Colt. I've ordered the double disk kit and the micro disk and will see how much more complicated I can make things before I break down and upgrade to a progressive press.

June 8, 2011, 07:49 PM	#13
HJ857 Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2007 Posts: 447	This is kind of on topic. I had trouble using a standard disc on the bottom and the adjustable charge bar on top, dropping 25.7 grains of TAC for .223. It wasn't terrible, but I couldn't get to the point of trusting it completely. And you'd think a powder like TAC would drop really well, but no. Anyway, I have an extra adjustable charge bar and not long ago decided to stack two of them together. They have index "nubs" on the bottom and you need to trim off a little bit on charge bar that is going to sit on top. Once you do that they stack up nicely. I set both charge bars to the exact same volume and tested and adjusted until I got the right powder drop. This has proven to be very reliable and consistent. No more messing with the fixed cavity disks at all anymore.