Making that Bullet Collator

[GWS]

Yes, something would be needed there. Another option to supports is to bevel the bottom edge to 45 degrees. That allows the printer to build it up without any supports.

Just curious, what calibers are you mostly feeding? I know part of my issue is .45 caliber bullets and brass are about as large as this feeder design will accommodate. So I would imagine smaller diameter bullets can be fed faster without any jamming. A longer bullet definitely contributes to more jams as well. Just takes more time to fall through the hole.

I reload .45, 40, 357, and 9mm. and the modified Hornady collator does it all with the one plate......but no boolets.....not set up with a lead factory yet. For rifle I do .223 and .308 on my other progressive, and a little .243 on my Rock Chucker and even less .22-243 wildcat and 30-30.

So eventually I want a rifle bullet feeder. A case feeder for the Pro Chucker 7 down the road. So obviously, my little nose down design attempt is just for others, since I have no boolits to size......if it works. I just don't care for the bullies Rick sold his design to. Everybody would be buying Rick's Ramp machines if they weren't so over-priced and undersized. Now they finally make bigger ones but they are even pricier....products for the rich and most of us......aren't.....and most of the rich buy bodyguards not reloading equipment, so where does that leave them?

Bottom line, we all need to put our heads together and come up with an equal or better way to turn bullets. That patent will long survive me.

Beveling the bottom was my next thing to learn how to do in Autocad......thanks for the suggestions and experienced info! Appreciate it.

[impala68]

I'm looking for a printed Dropper die that actually functions .. I read 75% of this thread starting on pg 55 and went backwards to 18 and didn't see anything on the dropper die so I apologize if I missed it

I have 2 collators printed and running on my dillon 650s that i'm running the DAA droppers on ... those 2 machines are dedicated to 9 and 40 so it was worth spending the cash on those droppers

but my 3rd 650 is kind of an all around press that I do anything from 38 super comp, .10mm to .45, on so I don't really want to buy a DAA die for every caliber that I load once in a blue moon

I did purchase a 9mm die from karl bib but it broke before I ever installed it ... and the files I have found on thingiverse.com are either only 9mm or just don't actually work

anyone know of good stl's that actually work, before I go and reinvent the wheel and design it myself

[Fil131]

I have posted a new copy of download files. Here are are a few of the changes:
- Removed body for JGY motor, as the motor is just not powerful enough for the larger body so no sense in having it.
- Modified all of the drop tubes to have a more gradual slant in the top where the bullet feeds for more reliable feeding
- Added a drop tube --> DAA feeder die spacer to add height to drop tube which I found was helpful in adjusting where the bullets sit in relation to the light sensor, depending on the caliber.
- Added an extra large spring adapter that works with the spring from the DAA Output Chute. I used this larger diameter spring to reliably feed 45 cases. https://www.doublealpha.biz/us/doubl...ute-and-spring
- Also added some length to the extra large spring adapter so the feed to the spring was more gradual to reduce issues where bullet/cases would catch on spring. I may make this modification to the other spring adapters as well.
- 45 ACP nose down brass collator plate now has the built in pivots.

Now that I have 45acp bullets and brass feeding flawlessly, I am going to move my attention to 9mm. Once I complete that process I will post additional files. My plan is to have dedicated flipper plates for each caliber to match the collator plate, so I don't have to mess with set screws to get the spacing correct.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...vV?usp=sharing

I cannot stop the JGY by hand is it definitely not powerful enough to run the bigger design?

Guess I'll have to spend a bit more bucks to get the bigger motor you have linked.

[TylerR]

I'm looking for a printed Dropper die that actually functions .. I read 75% of this thread starting on pg 55 and went backwards to 18 and didn't see anything on the dropper die so I apologize if I missed it

I have 2 collators printed and running on my dillon 650s that i'm running the DAA droppers on ... those 2 machines are dedicated to 9 and 40 so it was worth spending the cash on those droppers

but my 3rd 650 is kind of an all around press that I do anything from 38 super comp, .10mm to .45, on so I don't really want to buy a DAA die for every caliber that I load once in a blue moon

I did purchase a 9mm die from karl bib but it broke before I ever installed it ... and the files I have found on thingiverse.com are either only 9mm or just don't actually work

anyone know of good stl's that actually work, before I go and reinvent the wheel and design it myself

I haven't seen or heard of anyone running an actual printed dropper die. Sure would be nice to eliminate the cost of buying one from DAA. I have not even considered how to go about designing a reliable printed version. Do you have any links to ones you have seen on thingiverse?

[TylerR]

I cannot stop the JGY by hand is it definitely not powerful enough to run the bigger design?

Guess I'll have to spend a bit more bucks to get the bigger motor you have linked.

My experience when I tried it was it could only handle a small number of bullets in the hopper before it slowed way down. If you still want to try it and don't already have the stl for the main body I can repost it for you. In general I just felt its not the right way to go and that's why I removed it.

[Fil131]

Honestly it's no big deal, my budget isn't unlimited by any means but with all of the savings by making this I'd rather follow tried and true suggestions you guys are making. Big purchases have been made lately(MK3S, lots of filament and spare parts, Dillon RL1100 with all accessories and changeover parts for 8 calibers, and the parts to make the bullet feeder) also prefer to buy all at once on Amazon to get free shipping.

Are there any of those motors sold and shipped from US sellers? Shipping from China is crazy right now.

[TylerR]

Honestly it's no big deal, my budget isn't unlimited by any means but with all of the savings by making this I'd rather follow tried and true suggestions you guys are making. Big purchases have been made lately(MK3S, lots of filament and spare parts, Dillon RL1100 with all accessories and changeover parts for 8 calibers, and the parts to make the bullet feeder) also prefer to buy all at once on Amazon to get free shipping.

Are there any of those motors sold and shipped from US sellers? Shipping from China is crazy right now.

Original motor used by MBF. Tested and proven. Fast shipping from US. Price is the tradeoff.

https://www.mcmaster.com/6409K15/

[Michael303]

Very nice! That is crazy fast for sure. I suspect the drop hole is larger then the original 16mm? In order to get my case nose down feeding to work I found that the drop hole had to be much larger, even when run at slower speeds.

I just double checked and the hole is 16mm. I started just making minor changes to the AM design before I ended up here and I just never had an issue with bullets hanging up in the drop tube so I never considered changing it.

Wow, that thing moves! What motor again was that?

Also, will the hex sleeve fit on a McMaster motor? Or the original DAA motor? I have a spare motor and want to use it for Tyler new design.

This is the motor I have. https://www.mcmaster.com/6409K15/ If I had to do it over again I might go with the 8rpm but the 12rpm is fine if it's on a speed controller. I can't speak to the hex sleeve. I just made my plate fit the McMaster shaft.

Michael303: Looks like perfection for that bullet down and caliber implementation! Good job! The spring works great too! Wondering how fast the high speed part of the video was. Bullet drop was perfect too. No hangs. Any additional info on how you handled getting those bullets to drop that fast?

Noticed your switch knob was similar to mine.....except yours was green adorned, mine red. Figures.....my machine being half green ....

Here's the result of yesterday's hair pulling, and what I'm going to try to print for my proximity sensor outlet......going to turn it upright, then support the 90 where the sensor screws in....as well as interior support for the sensor threads? Any suggestions? Will it work? Learning every day with this printer.

I couldn't say how fast it's going but it's not topped out there. The only think I can think of that might be helping them drop is that I'm running the collator between a 35 and 40 degree angle. I don't know what angle everyone else it at but it might make a difference at 45 degrees.

If you can, you should try to model stuff with about a 30 degree angle or chamfer on the bottom side of any over hang. It can be tricky to do in every situation but I rarely if ever have to use supports. If your slicer settings are half way decent your printer should easily handle 30 degree overhangs and it should work fine on both the areas you're looking at printing with supports.

Original motor used by MBF. Tested and proven. Fast shipping from US. Price is the tradeoff.

https://www.mcmaster.com/6409K15/

That's why I went with it.

[Michael303]

So I just tried mine at full speed and it did jam a bullet in the drop but it was moving a lot faster than it was in the video I posted which is way faster than I ever run it in real life.

On another note I thought some of my fellow 3D printing nerds would appreciate a few other things I've modeled and printed for my press.

Mount for an endoscope for easy viewing of the powder and bullet drop.


Drop tube limit switch housing.


Powder quick disconnect.


Case feed stopper.


Primer follower hanger.


Hundo case gauge riser and filpper tray.


Anti wobble locator pins.

[rototerrier]

Folks, I purchased a 12rpm motor from Grainger to work with my MBF and my speed controller is apparently not infinitely variable. Only slows down the motor so much, which is still faster than the stock motor's fastest speed. Works fine for most bullets but was right on the edge for longer. For my application, I think the 8.8 will work better.

For anyone interested in the 12 RPM, I have posted it for sale in S&S.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...case-collators

Already has the roll pin installed and might work for you guys. I've knocked a few bucks off the price to make it worth it for anyone who might be interested.

[GWS]

I've not printed the bigger collator so the little motor works. But I have one of the American Daytons identical to rototerrier's, but a faster rpm model. I bought it a few years ago for another project that didn't happen. It looks nearly like the unit Michael bought at M.C., but runs really fast at 28 rpm. The little speed control I bought for mine came two in the package so I just connected one to the speedy Dayton and it slowed it down smoothly to a stop. Will use it for my next base.

My speed control...https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

How much bigger is the big base? I didn't think it was THAT much bigger than the other......certainly not nearly as big as my modified Hornady posted on this thread.

My drop tube worked great except for the sideways printed threads.....back to the drawing board...uh...computer! I found the CR-10 v2's limit. Plus I found that PLA and thin walls isn't an option for the relatively heavy proximity switch. On the upside, I did connect it all up, turned on the collator, dropped bullets, filled the tube, and it stopped.....works perfectly......will print another heavier model, in two parts.....both vertical. Lesson learned......it's pretty tho, except for the failed sideways threads & thinwall that ruined an otherwise perfect print. Oh, and I did figure out the bevels on my software, and that's awesome. Just wish I could learn a little faster. Thanks Tyler for the heads up. Certainly my mistake on the thin walls....will fix that. The vertical print on the left was an awesome perfect test thread....the right one was the important one printed sideways on the downtube....and that sucked.



Michael!....show off your endoscope mount....looks like it works great for pistol. I made one, but use a station on my PC7.....the camera goes through an old .45acp seating die body. Seems to me to be another possibility for a 3D print. Others have made plastic die bodies for bullet feeders....and as mentioned some don't work, but I'd think plastic would work great for a borescope.


Below is a picture of a .308 case full of powder to the shoulder......reflected selfie was an unintentional surprise.

[TylerR]

How much bigger is the big base? I didn't think it was THAT much bigger than the other......certainly not nearly as big as my modified Hornady posted on this thread.

The body on my feeder is roughly 210mm x 200mm. I designed it to print on a 220x220 build plate with a little room to spare.

....show off your endoscope mount....looks like it works great for pistol. I made one, but use a station on my PC7.....the camera goes through an old .45acp seating die body. Seems to me to be another possibility for a 3D print. Others have made plastic die bodies for bullet feeders....and as mentioned some don't work, but I'd think plastic would work great for a borescope.

Nice camera setup. someday I will get around to that project.

[gnafin]

what endoscope you using?

[Michael303]

Here's the endoscope I bought. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZH9P8QH

I think I paid a little less than what it's at now. I justified the purchase by telling myself that I'd probably use it for other DIY projects around the house, which is probably true. You can get endoscopes that connect to your phone for less but I didn't want to have to connect it to my phone every time I used it.

All the stations on my Dillon are occupied by dies so putting the camera through a dummy die was a nonstarter. I like that I can see the seating station too in case the bullet topples over. I feel like viewing the powder at a slight angle makes it easier to see if the volume was a little off too.

[GWS]

I have two....one on a five station press, and it doesn't use a station.....the other....7 stations allows some latitude Still it beats a powder cop that uses a station and is either annoying with a loud piezo beep, or a thingie you have to watch for.....or the mechanical stop....which works for pistol only. I like both....using the same video monitor swiveled......I like that it's "in my face" so I'm not likely to ignore it.

Mines..........cheaper......and was on a long boat from China. But it finally came and it works. I wasn't in a hurry, if you are, better try another source. You get to choose how long the cord is and some are extremely long.....I got the 1 meter length. Monitor came from another source....just a 5" screen made for an aftermarket backup camera. The screen cost me $15. These Chinese sources and products change monthly.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3302...c46a60c0bfc-12

Read the ad carefully.....there is no video screen in spite of what the Chinese advertising picture leads you to believe. And most are made for usbs.....mine's 12V for auto use.

Neither product or company exists any more that I ordered, but one goes away and another appears.

Aliexpress seems to be the come Chinese order point now days....

A similar camera is still available.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000...archweb201603_

[Michael303]

I always forget to check Aliexpress. Amazon is just so fast and easy. Looks like you could get something similar to what I got on Ali and save a few bucks though.

[impala68]

@TylerR I was hoping to find this one https://ablpkits.com/product/bullet-dropper-401t/ I'm thinking that's Karl Bibs storefront as its identical to what I got from him ... this design has 3 sets of holes for the ball bearings and has channels in the threaded part for the balls to ride in so it doesn't spin

and these are the others on thingiverse
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3346109

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4257070

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4317058

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3508115

[GWS]

I always forget to check Aliexpress. Amazon is just so fast and easy. Looks like you could get something similar to what I got on Ali and save a few bucks though.

Only if you have the time to wait....and wait. I actually forgot I ordered mine.....then it came and it was like cool....Christmas....surprise surprise.

impala68: interesting....might have to try one sometime....if I ever get this built and working right! I do have two of RCBS's new rifle bullet feeder dies....they have a little different ball bearing design, and they work great.....they are expensiver, but they come with an "M" style neck expander that made it worth it for me....and graphite tubes... $125. Does help when you have extra stations, obviously.

Tested it for function on a single station press below.....the "M" die makes it stable for the roughest progressive merry-go-round (IOW's won't fall over before is gets to the seater):

[TylerR]

@TylerR I was hoping to find this one https://ablpkits.com/product/bullet-dropper-401t/ I'm thinking that's Karl Bibs storefront as its identical to what I got from him ... this design has 3 sets of holes for the ball bearings and has channels in the threaded part for the balls to ride in so it doesn't spin

and these are the others on thingiverse
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3346109

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4257070

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4317058

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3508115

Very interesting. Now I am curious to try myself. I am in the process of making a bunch of changes to my feeder so have to finish that up before I take on any more projects.

[TylerR]

GWS,

Are you saying you like the RCBS dies better then DAA? I have the DAA dropper and expander die for 45, and while it works well, I don't feel like the expander die works as well as it should to seat the bullet firmly.