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Thread: Semi-automatic sizer

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Semi-automatic sizer

    Finished up my sizing project yesterday. It's a Lee Challenger turned upside down and mounted to a piece of scrap I-beam. Removed the handle and associated hardware and a buddy welded on a flat piece to the ram and made a bracket to mount an air cylinder.
    I chose not to try to make it fully automatic but rather a joystick control that I can control the speed. I started out with a 1 1/16 cylinder but had to go up to 1 1/4 for more power. It still takes 2 strokes most of the time to size a 147g boolit without lube groove and coated with Hi-tek. The attached video is sizing a 233g Hi-Tek coated and it only takes one stroke.
    This really saves a lot of wear and tear on the old shoulder.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    https://youtu.be/P7pAfvKHMEI

  2. #2
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    rancher1913's Avatar
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    thats pretty nifty. might try to do a foot switch so you can have both hands free to feed it.

  3. #3
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    RED333's Avatar
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    Nice work, just need two joy sticks to make it punch. Safety, you pull the joy stick at the wrong time and you just might cuss with a hole punched in your finger. Looks like a lot of movement in the cylinder mount, I can see the bolts and nuts move, or is that by design to allow movement?
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  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    I think I'd let one hand to the loading and switching. Just one 'brain fart' at the wrong time...your gonna damage one of your booger pickers.

    I like it so far...keep us posted as it 'morphs' into the final setup.
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  5. #5
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    There is some movement in the top bracket. It fit without the shim washers and nuts before I put the bigger cylinder on it and it was a little loose because it wasn't perfectly centered. I went back today and put another washer under the rear bolt and now it is tight. I may have to get a thicker bracket made. I may later on make a bench to accommodate both the sizer and Master Caster as I have some old counter top waiting to be repurposed.
    Always a possibility of smashing a finger if not careful. Since I'm retired I don't get in a big hurry. Don't have any deadlines to meet so I take my time. It wouldn't take much to get off timing and with the pressure this thing has it would take a digit right off. I take my hand off the joystick after every stroke and don't touch it again until my hand goes to the tray to get another boolit. Going slow and being precise should help me keep all fingers. I have learned from woodworking to be very very careful.
    I can size 30-35 a minute and not get tired or have an aching arm and shoulder and after an hour I haven't even broken a sweat.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    I'd add some other safety myself. Either something that wouldn't allow it to cycle if your hand was breaking a beam or another button so both hands have to be out of the way.

    The reason there are buttons on both sides of punch presses isn't for left or right handed people, both must be depressed for the machine to cycle.



    They used to not be that way, the reason they are now is because people were hurt.

  7. #7
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    I'm trying to figure out a way to drop a boolit out of the way and let it slide down into the die. I saw a video that had that feature and for the life of me I can't find it now. I do agree I need some kind of safety device. If anyone has ideas I'm open.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    Just need a slide and have the ram actuate it. I did mine like 460gremlin did his except it's not tied to the ram directly, it just pulls a bullet from the column over the die when the ram is all the way up. A spring pulls the slide back to the column when the ram begins moving down.

    Last edited by jmorris; 04-30-2017 at 04:03 PM.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by wlkjr View Post
    I'm trying to figure out a way to drop a boolit out of the way and let it slide down into the die. I saw a video that had that feature and for the life of me I can't find it now. I do agree I need some kind of safety device. If anyone has ideas I'm open.
    Flip it on its side and you can have the bullets drop onto a chute. The ram picks up the bottom bullet and shoves it into the die while the rest sit on top in a magazine.

    Like in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1aQJFModws

    If you set the cylinder to run automatically, you would only need to refill the magazine, keeping your squishy bits away from the cylinder.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master 1989toddm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wlkjr View Post
    I'm trying to figure out a way to drop a boolit out of the way and let it slide down into the die. I saw a video that had that feature and for the life of me I can't find it now. I do agree I need some kind of safety device. If anyone has ideas I'm open.
    This one?
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BJOkb3RxrZE
    For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph. 2:8,9

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by wlkjr View Post
    I do agree I need some kind of safety device. If anyone has ideas I'm open.
    A 2nd air joy stick, so both hands have to be used to make the ram move.
    Last edited by RED333; 04-30-2017 at 07:23 PM. Reason: beacuse I can
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1989toddm View Post
    Yes, this is the one. Thanks.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    It's a little difficult to see how it's attached though.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master 1989toddm's Avatar
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    He says the black is kydex..probably epoxied together.


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    For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph. 2:8,9

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RED333 View Post
    A 2nd air joy stick, so both hands have to be used to make the ram move.
    Just need a normally open, momentary switch/button times 2 wired in series. Press one button and nothing happens because both must be closed to complete the circuit.

    I too would be fine with this one, fingers stay away from the pinch point.


  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm a KISS kind of guy so I made this as simple as possible. I didn't want a totally automatic type of operation and also didn't want to make this complicated or expensive. A big thanks to 1989toddm for the video he shared of the feed tube modification. I had seen it previously but couldn't locate it again. I made my own adaptation from that video and after some adjustments, got it to work every time. Cost of this mod is probably about a dollar. It only took 7" of 1/2" pvc, a 45 degree elbow, a short piece of tape, two or three zip ties, and a 2" piece of clear vinyl tubing.
    I took two pics of the new mod and a short video of Part two. Please excuse the corny southern accent. There is no modification to cure that.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    https://youtu.be/okiJXGQjefQ
    Last edited by wlkjr; 05-01-2017 at 02:27 PM.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    That sir, is a winner. Well done.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by jmorris View Post


    That sir, is a winner. Well done.
    Thanks for the comment. Coming from you means a lot.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master 1989toddm's Avatar
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    Good job!!


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    For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph. 2:8,9

  20. #20
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    RED333's Avatar
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    Hey, aint a thing wrong with the way you speak, great job on the mod!!!
    Je suis Charlie
    ΔΕΞΑΙ
    Rednecks run the Brits out of this country years ago,
    I will defend this country from anyone or thing that tries to take it from me or mine
    I AM A REDNECK!!!
    "If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government,our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." Samuel Adams, 1776

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BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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