Elric
Well-Known Member
Precision Shooting Magazine 1986 09 page 25
by Bob Pease
The newly designed B-Square Company ‘SUPER-MAG’ arbor press solves many problems for the traveling benchrest shooter and the man who loads at the range. It will do all the tasks a conventional arbor press will do and then full length size in the bargain. Massive will be the first thought that enters your mind, just as it did mine. Cheer up, the press takes up less space than the original B-Square Magnum arbor press and actually weighs less as well. Length is somewhat greater but the extra 1”+ should not be any problem in a shooter’s type tool box.
Price you figure has to be the catch. Uh .... Uh! It sells for the same price that B-Square has maintained on it’s magnum arbor ever since it’s inception in 1978. Now you know there has to be a catch cause no one else has so diligently fought to maintain prices as has the B-Square Company. Just how powerful is the press? (Now you think you got me — don’t 'ya?) How about .30-06 full length sizing and .308 military range fired pickup brass full length sized with minimum lube and — get this — WITHOUT EVEN CLAMPING OR BOLTING THE ARBOR PRESS DOWN!!!! Now you gotta’ admit — I have your attention!
Comments -
NOTE: Advertisements mention almost 1 TON capacity - Ed.
B/W photo from 1986, color from post 2000.
Old vs new units
Old - The '86 version has a base made up of two pieces of angle channel, fastened to the press base with screws. That press base looks to be as wide as the later one-piece base. The 1/2-13 vertical studs are very close to the black die base.
New - The later version uses a base made with a single upside-down piece of extruded aluminum "U" channel. The 1/2-13 vertical studs are spaced about three times as wide.
NOTE: The 1/2-13 size is very common in the machining community, its used for T-bolts and clamping studs.
B-Square Super MagArbor Twin Post Arbor Press - B-Square #: T0050 My haphazard mangling of a later version. I expect that a real machinist could do much better.
Continued -
While the photo will explain the principle better than I can, it is the simplistic “H” design press with threaded uprights between which rack and pinion ram head rides. The rise is controlled by ordinary nuts above and below the ratchet head on each of the two columns. While it does take a few seconds to make a major adjustment — say from PPC to .308 — the power and convenience more than make it worth while to accept the small inconvenience of adjusting the ram head with the eight nuts which run freely on the threaded upright columns. Lest you wonder about tipping — it can be done but you have to work at it to set it up crooked. The tolerances are held close enough in the holes through which the uprights move that the unit becomes almost self aligning.
Using the favorite Wilson Full Length sizing die which returns case dimensions to SAMMI specs., even mis-alignment of the ram head on the columns cannot interfere with the perfect full length sizing operation. Newest trend among some of the benchresters is to cut off the neck area of the Wilson FL die so the carefully prepared and turned case neck will not be damaged in any way. The base from a Wilson Punch & Base set has sufficient recess to protect the neck as it protrudes from the die when the full length die is mounted atop it. So too does the popular Speedie die base made for the Wilson dies.
The threaded columns, nuts, pinion, handle and base plate anvil are of blued steel which will help in resisting perspiration rust. The rack itself is bare steel and surrounded by a return spring, thus a reasonable amount of lubricant will hardly be bothersome and will serve as protection for the base steel. The supporting feet, main column support and ram head are made of aluminum which has been anodized in the traditional B-Square gold pinion for storage or for 180° insertion thus letting one position the handle for best downstroke pressure. (This last feature desirable since the ram head unit does not quickly adjust up and down a main column as in the more conventional arbor.)
The most amazing thing to me about the B-Square SUPER-MAG arbor was the ease with which it worked. My first effort was a once fired PPC case and at that moment I was in a hurry to try it and no clamps were handy. I was fully prepared for the base to go skidding away from me when I applied the downstroke. Instead there was no disturbance at all. Next up was the acquisition of some fired military brass in .308. This was pick-up brass from a commercial range and included military, commercial Federal, Federal nickel match, Norma and Winchester, a fair cross section of fired junk since the owners never bothered to pick it up. Again no problem at all with the SUPER-MAG full length sizing and it was done without clamping the press in any way — on a Formica work top. Truly amazing! Yet certainly a product that has been needed for a long time now.
The base has holes through which it could be bolted or screwed to the workbench. However with the desired portability that is usually associated with the reloading arbor press I see little likelihood that it is necessary. Case formers and shoulder shovers who have long bemoaned the need for a massive bench press will be ecstatic over this unit.
Complaints or doubts — sure I have a few where the overzealous are concerned. One can envision forming so demanding as to damage the pinion. One might wish a quicker column adjustment but to do so would increase cost and complicate the function. Esthetic appeal — who buys a wheelbarrow to admire? It’s a tool! Durned if I can find anything else to gripe about and those who are offended by the gold color would likely be replaced by others who found any other finish unappealing. The steel purists may holler foul but they'll enjoy the lighter load and the increased capabilities enough to drown their cries of heresy. In short, it’s one of the neatest innovations to hit the benchrest game in quite some time. It will be copied, the final test of acceptability.
SPECIFICATIONS
Orig New
Magnum Super-Mag
Arbor Arbor
Weight 8.5 lbs 4.5 lbs
0.A. Ht 12" 13.75"
Width 4.0" 3.75"
Rack Travel 1.75" 1.75"
Length Handle 4.5" 5.25"
by Bob Pease
The newly designed B-Square Company ‘SUPER-MAG’ arbor press solves many problems for the traveling benchrest shooter and the man who loads at the range. It will do all the tasks a conventional arbor press will do and then full length size in the bargain. Massive will be the first thought that enters your mind, just as it did mine. Cheer up, the press takes up less space than the original B-Square Magnum arbor press and actually weighs less as well. Length is somewhat greater but the extra 1”+ should not be any problem in a shooter’s type tool box.
Price you figure has to be the catch. Uh .... Uh! It sells for the same price that B-Square has maintained on it’s magnum arbor ever since it’s inception in 1978. Now you know there has to be a catch cause no one else has so diligently fought to maintain prices as has the B-Square Company. Just how powerful is the press? (Now you think you got me — don’t 'ya?) How about .30-06 full length sizing and .308 military range fired pickup brass full length sized with minimum lube and — get this — WITHOUT EVEN CLAMPING OR BOLTING THE ARBOR PRESS DOWN!!!! Now you gotta’ admit — I have your attention!
Comments -
NOTE: Advertisements mention almost 1 TON capacity - Ed.
B/W photo from 1986, color from post 2000.
Old vs new units
Old - The '86 version has a base made up of two pieces of angle channel, fastened to the press base with screws. That press base looks to be as wide as the later one-piece base. The 1/2-13 vertical studs are very close to the black die base.
New - The later version uses a base made with a single upside-down piece of extruded aluminum "U" channel. The 1/2-13 vertical studs are spaced about three times as wide.
NOTE: The 1/2-13 size is very common in the machining community, its used for T-bolts and clamping studs.
B-Square Super MagArbor Twin Post Arbor Press - B-Square #: T0050 My haphazard mangling of a later version. I expect that a real machinist could do much better.
Continued -
While the photo will explain the principle better than I can, it is the simplistic “H” design press with threaded uprights between which rack and pinion ram head rides. The rise is controlled by ordinary nuts above and below the ratchet head on each of the two columns. While it does take a few seconds to make a major adjustment — say from PPC to .308 — the power and convenience more than make it worth while to accept the small inconvenience of adjusting the ram head with the eight nuts which run freely on the threaded upright columns. Lest you wonder about tipping — it can be done but you have to work at it to set it up crooked. The tolerances are held close enough in the holes through which the uprights move that the unit becomes almost self aligning.
Using the favorite Wilson Full Length sizing die which returns case dimensions to SAMMI specs., even mis-alignment of the ram head on the columns cannot interfere with the perfect full length sizing operation. Newest trend among some of the benchresters is to cut off the neck area of the Wilson FL die so the carefully prepared and turned case neck will not be damaged in any way. The base from a Wilson Punch & Base set has sufficient recess to protect the neck as it protrudes from the die when the full length die is mounted atop it. So too does the popular Speedie die base made for the Wilson dies.
The threaded columns, nuts, pinion, handle and base plate anvil are of blued steel which will help in resisting perspiration rust. The rack itself is bare steel and surrounded by a return spring, thus a reasonable amount of lubricant will hardly be bothersome and will serve as protection for the base steel. The supporting feet, main column support and ram head are made of aluminum which has been anodized in the traditional B-Square gold pinion for storage or for 180° insertion thus letting one position the handle for best downstroke pressure. (This last feature desirable since the ram head unit does not quickly adjust up and down a main column as in the more conventional arbor.)
The most amazing thing to me about the B-Square SUPER-MAG arbor was the ease with which it worked. My first effort was a once fired PPC case and at that moment I was in a hurry to try it and no clamps were handy. I was fully prepared for the base to go skidding away from me when I applied the downstroke. Instead there was no disturbance at all. Next up was the acquisition of some fired military brass in .308. This was pick-up brass from a commercial range and included military, commercial Federal, Federal nickel match, Norma and Winchester, a fair cross section of fired junk since the owners never bothered to pick it up. Again no problem at all with the SUPER-MAG full length sizing and it was done without clamping the press in any way — on a Formica work top. Truly amazing! Yet certainly a product that has been needed for a long time now.
The base has holes through which it could be bolted or screwed to the workbench. However with the desired portability that is usually associated with the reloading arbor press I see little likelihood that it is necessary. Case formers and shoulder shovers who have long bemoaned the need for a massive bench press will be ecstatic over this unit.
Complaints or doubts — sure I have a few where the overzealous are concerned. One can envision forming so demanding as to damage the pinion. One might wish a quicker column adjustment but to do so would increase cost and complicate the function. Esthetic appeal — who buys a wheelbarrow to admire? It’s a tool! Durned if I can find anything else to gripe about and those who are offended by the gold color would likely be replaced by others who found any other finish unappealing. The steel purists may holler foul but they'll enjoy the lighter load and the increased capabilities enough to drown their cries of heresy. In short, it’s one of the neatest innovations to hit the benchrest game in quite some time. It will be copied, the final test of acceptability.
SPECIFICATIONS
Orig New
Magnum Super-Mag
Arbor Arbor
Weight 8.5 lbs 4.5 lbs
0.A. Ht 12" 13.75"
Width 4.0" 3.75"
Rack Travel 1.75" 1.75"
Length Handle 4.5" 5.25"
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