Making that Bullet Collator

[TylerR]

So far I have printed out the 9mm and .45 feeder dies. I am printing the .223 die now. These things are pretty cool. I haven't actually tested anything yet. I am going to slowly start working on recreating them, starting with the screw in die. That part can be somewhat standard I think, just with varying internal diameters. The part that slides in is a little trickier but I'm sure I can reproduce. Thing is getting the roughed out design is not usually the problem. Its working out the finer details to get the reliability, which generally means printing the part 50 times. haha

[TylerR]

I'll help out with the feeder die fun since I just recently went down that rabbit hole for 9mm and 45. I have a DAA one for 30 cal but will do a printed one for that and a 223 also.

Have you recreated anything in 3D cad yet?

[GWS]

I am very glad to hear about the success. I think the modifications we made to the generator are probably worth while anyway. Any time I can make things better I will.

I agree! That amazing creation is just getting more amazing......wish I could say the same for my skill using OpenScad.....just having a hard time holding on to new stuff in an old brain I guess. I noticed that AmmoMike didn't stick around to chat. Would have been fun. Wonder what he's been up to since his files were last updated? Nothing new on his post since last spring, but maybe he was concerned that the files were taken down yet again? Were they?

Will be interested in how these feed dies work out.......patiently watching. I have Hornady pistol feed dies, and the RCBS tube rifle dies......but these printed ones look interesting if they work smooth and every time. The ball bearing design itself is superior to the Hornady ones, but again there may be patent problems. RCBS got around that with a different but equal ball bearing design.

[djinnpb]

Have you recreated anything in 3D cad yet?

Just the bushings in f3d

[lablover]

What I want to learn is how to remix things. I’ve used fusion 360 but that’s about it. It would be nice to be able to modify a .stl file and make a few changes. If there’s a way to do it I’m clueless as how to do it. Fusion is not a simple cad program. I know enough to get in trouble for sure.

Will be interested in what Tyler comes up with for the dies. I don’t think the software he uses works on a Mac so I’m limited

[TylerR]

What I want to learn is how to remix things. I’ve used fusion 360 but that’s about it. It would be nice to be able to modify a .stl file and make a few changes. If there’s a way to do it I’m clueless as how to do it. Fusion is not a simple cad program. I know enough to get in trouble for sure.

Will be interested in what Tyler comes up with for the dies. I don’t think the software he uses works on a Mac so I’m limited

I have always wondered about that term "remix". Unless you get your hands on the original cad files, it is not an easy process to make changes. STL files do not translate well in to 3d cad programs for the most part. What I do is pull the stl in and use it as a template, where I can grab dimensions from and such, to basically recreate the cad from scratch. Which is what I am doing with these feed dies. My first task was to recreate the 7/8 x 14 thread pattern for the screw in die. Just getting that correct is a project. lol

[lablover]

I have always wondered about that term "remix". Unless you get your hands on the original cad files, it is not an easy process to make changes. STL files do not translate well in to 3d cad programs for the most part. What I do is pull the stl in and use it as a template, where I can grab dimensions from and such, to basically recreate the cad from scratch. Which is what I am doing with these feed dies. My first task was to recreate the 7/8 x 14 thread pattern for the screw in die. Just getting that correct is a project. lol

Never thought of that. Good idea. Wife got tired of me going into the home office to work on the computer for hours on end so she sprung for a MacBook for me....hahahahahaha. Perfect

[Andar]

Just a quick question. I've got a Dillon xl650 and I saw in the original AmmoMike files he has a mount for the rod that normally holds the case feeder. Has anyone used that yet? Can't figure out how to mount it nicely.
I'll be printing a case feeder as well, so the two feeders will be mounted side by side.

[TylerR]

Just a quick question. I've got a Dillon xl650 and I saw in the original AmmoMike files he has a mount for the rod that normally holds the case feeder. Has anyone used that yet? Can't figure out how to mount it nicely.
I'll be printing a case feeder as well, so the two feeders will be mounted side by side.

My 1" post mount will work on the Dillon rod.

[Andar]

My 1" post mount will work on the Dillon rod.

Awesome, I'll take a look at that tonight. Thanks!

[djinnpb]

Going to try the APP files out also (got an idle printer). What's the difference in the drop tube adapter and connectors, primarily offset adapter #4?

[TylerR]

Going to try the APP files out also (got an idle printer). What's the difference in the drop tube adapter and connectors, primarily offset adapter #4?

You may want to go back to page 79 and read up from there. All of the APP stuff was discussed.

[djinnpb]

You may want to go back to page 79 and read up from there. All of the APP stuff was discussed.

/me flips blonde hair. Thanks! I swore I ran through those but I clearly missed it. Good save!

[TylerR]

Here is a little preview of my progress so far:

[lablover]

Here is a little preview of my progress so far:

Drool!

[GWS]

I'm interested.....and that's an understatement!.....but I have one problem. I'm so stinking slow with my projects that it'll be Christmas by the time I get there.

Tonight I did finally get a bullet flipping plate printed for my .223 bullet project, it took me as long to adjust it and fine tune my proximity sensor stuff as to print it....but finally got it adjusted to work at a pretty good clip. Below, the video shows how long it took to fill the tube and turn off automatically......bullet flipper works quite well.....the loudest thing is the little motor. Really like that motor.


I wish I could say I got the tube to the press figured out....but I don't.....molasses my middle name anymore.

BTW, what's the green mark on the flipping plate and base? When I got the plate just right, I took a dremel cut off blade and cut a slit across the intersection.....heated up a wood burner pencil and fed and melted a piece of green filament into the slit separately on each side, and cleaned it up.....if the line is straight the adjustment for .223 is perfect. Simple, but it works for me.

Oh! Another BTW. Notice the thing stuck into the sprung knocker. I found I don't need that noisey thing without the radial troughs. Even the ribs TylerR designed on the bullet plate aren't moving any bullets top side....they stay down in the bottom until they fall in a hole. I like that a lot!.........and it empties to the last bullet very fast.

[lablover]

Nice job GWS. That thing is cruising

[stlmacgeek]

Thanks to everyone here for all the work they have done. I have read every post. I started printing AmmoMike's original design before finding TylerR's larger version. So I am sticking with the original size. I have almost everything printed and all of the parts together I just need to assemble it.

GWS, I did notice in a picture you posted in post #1844 that it looks like you have a part attached right under the drop hole that looks like it has a proximity sensor installed in it. I have looked through all of the files and have not found it. Is that stl file available somewhere? I would prefer to use the proximity sensor because that is what I used in my case feeder and I already have an extra one. If anyone could let me know where I can find the stl file I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks everyone and keep up the good work!

[TylerR]

Nice job GWS. That thing is cruising

Yeah, holy cow man. I assume he doesn't run it that fast when actually reloading. Or he must pull the handle on that press super quick.

[TylerR]

I am also playing around with a feed die design that just interfaces directly with the drop tube, no adapter necessary. To be honest I am not sure I see the need for the rubber band /spring attachment points, because it seems to me a full drop tube will provide plenty of weight to reset the die, just like with the DAA dies.

It looks like this.

Attachment 270450

My 4mm ball bearings should arrive today so I can do some actual testing.