Trimming without a trimmer

[CraigOK]

I have a Ruger bisley Blackhawk convertible with 45 acp and 45 Colt cylinders. I bought some 460 brass to make some shotshell loads for it. There is a great thread on the steps here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ot-Load)/page2

So my issue is I have some of the Lee trimmers and 2 wft for 223 and 308, but nothing that is ideal for cutting the brass to just slightly shorter than my cylinder. I'd love to buy a brass trimmer but my wife will shoot that down right now. So if you have an idea post it up. Thanks!

[slim1836]

Buy the trimmer and tell your wife it was a gift, a gift to yourself.

Slim

[Grmps]

Do you have stuff you could possibly trade for one?

She shouldn't get mad at that

[CraigOK]

Well I don't really have a large need for one, the calibers I need to trim I'm set up for...this is really a one time need. I would like to have one, but I'd be just as happy to find a good solution to the problem that didn't require me to spend the money. Or give up something I do need...

[airone46]

Buy the trimmer and tell your wife it was a gift, a gift to yourself.

Slim

Better if you tell is a gift for the ... WIFE !!!

[mdi]

If you could hold a case solidly, and straight, you could try one of these in a drill press, very carefully. It probably wouldn't be real precise, but maybe give it a try... https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...l_877fq2kzfg_e

[CraigOK]

I have spade and forstner bits, so I just need a way to hold it

[CraigOK]

I'm dumb. I think I'll bore a hole in a block of wood then cut that in half and the brass can be clamped in there. Didn't realize I have the 45acp trimmer, so I'll use that with the Lee trimmer chucked in the drill press. I'll have to rig a stop, but surely I can get a repeatable length that will work

[country gent]

One of the lee trimmers don't cost a lot and using the 45acp stem should do fine set up in a drill press and use its spindle stop. the case holder can be set in a piece of flat stock or wood block. Its a 1/4" hex so best might be a 3/8 bolt glued square into a block of wood then a 1/4" hole drilled in the bolt head on center with a small set screw hole drilled and taped to lock it in place. this raised the holder above the block and makes it easier to grip the threaded ring that locks the case to loosen or tighten it.

[Dieselhorses]

One of the lee trimmers don't cost a lot and using the 45acp stem should do fine set up in a drill press and use its spindle stop. the case holder can be set in a piece of flat stock or wood block. Its a 1/4" hex so best might be a 3/8 bolt glued square into a block of wood then a 1/4" hole drilled in the bolt head on center with a small set screw hole drilled and taped to lock it in place. this raised the holder above the block and makes it easier to grip the threaded ring that locks the case to loosen or tighten it.

That's what I did, pretty fast once you get the hang of it. I welded the part that the shell holder screws down on. It recesses in a hole already on drill press, then I just center whole assembly where cases line up.

[Hick]

I trim all my brass using a belt sander. I use a cartridge length guide if I have one. If not, I pick through my collection of socket sets to find a half inch socket that is close to the length I want. Then stick the case in the socket and grind off the excess using the sander (I put the sander in a vise so it is stationary and vertical)

[country gent]

A simple case holder collet can be made from 2 hard wood strips 3/4 thick x 1-1.5 tall depending on case. this can be used in a drill press vise or regular vise. You want the finished case moth above the blocks .060-.100 and the rim left flush or just below .

Cut 2 pieces of a hard wood the length of your vise jaws. Dill 2 dowel holes 1/2" in from each end and on center line of height, this locates the 2 blocks together got other operations. Clean up ends to match cut to height. Install a wood dowel pin in each hole to hold blocks together. place a piece of 3x5 index card between blocks and clamp in vise. drill a hole .060-.090 bigger than case dia. Wrap case with tape up to hole size and give 2-4 coats of release agent wax works good here. Insert into hole and clamp snug Mix a good epoxy according to instructions and fill around case working into opening with a wire. allow to cure. remove case by tapping out the bottom. Split the epoxy with a fine saw blade on each side. you now have a form fitted case holder for your vise that shouldn't scratch or distort cases. Be sure to bevel all edges with a file. If you want you can remove tape raise case and add more epoxy to fill in the rest where tape was.

[airone46]

Sorry, but a Lee Case Length Gauge costs only $ 4.5 + Cutter & Lock Stud $ 4.32 from Midway (half a dollar more from Midsouth): is it possible that you can not hide from your wife such a small expense?

Whatever easy you can do, if you took the time to do a little work, you would earn more and more to buy what you need, and you would always have a more precise item that works better!

[CraigOK]

Sorry, but a Lee Case Length Gauge costs only $ 4.5 + Cutter & Lock Stud $ 4.32 from Midway (half a dollar more from Midsouth): is it possible that you can not hide from your wife such a small expense?

Whatever easy you can do, if you took the time to do a little work, you would earn more and more to buy what you need, and you would always have a more precise item that works better!

I need these to be slightly shorter than the length of my cylinder- the Lee system won't work or I would have purchased it and not wasted everyone's time. I'm not sure if you're telling me to work overtime so I can afford one...I appreciate that you tried to be helpful

[airone46]

Craig I don't speak english and my traslator computer traduce what he thik, and no what I think!

In fact, I am always afraid that the translator will write "offensive" things for others!

The Lee case gauge allows you to adjust the length of the case within certain limits: if you want to get shorter cases THINK suffices to shorten the pin that enters the flash hole!

Excuse me so much if I wrote things that have been misinterpreted! Mine was just a joke! I just wanted to advise you not to waste time and not to tire yourself for things that could not work!

I often interrupt post because I can not make me understand, nor understand what others say!
Every people has ways of saying that they can not be translated and that can not be understood!

[lightman]

Craig I don't speak english and my traslator computer traduce what he thik, and no what I think!

In fact, I am always afraid that the translator will write "offensive" things for others!

The Lee case gauge allows you to adjust the length of the case within certain limits: if you want to get shorter cases THINK suffices to shorten the pin that enters the flash hole!

Excuse me so much if I wrote things that have been misinterpreted! Mine was just a joke! I just wanted to advise you not to waste time and not to tire yourself for things that could not work!

I often interrupt post because I can not make me understand, nor understand what others say!
Every people has ways of saying that they can not be translated and that can not be understood!

You are doing pretty good. The English language is difficult to learn. We have so many slang terms and so many words pronounced the same way that have different meanings. We also have different regions that speak differently.

[airone46]

I know! can realize SOMEONE errors that the translator computer commits!
Also with age I became lazy and I do not want to force myself to learn it!
Yet my wife is an American citizen!
But .... both my wife and I are doctors! We had both shifts in the hospital and ... THREE daughters. We organized each other so that as one arrived, the other left for work! We saw each other and talked very little about it: if I had to use the little time I had to learn English, it would have been difficult!
What I care about are certain untranslatable expressions (slang?): In fact, a book or a scientific article in English I can understand, but some post absolutely NOOO!

[chutesnreloads]

Do not concern yourself Airone46.I've lived my whole life in this country and only speak english.Even I can't translate some of these posts.

[Mr_Sheesh]

CraigOK - Any chance a close to you reloader has a trimmer and could trim those? I can't imagine you're making 2000 of these, only nuts like me make even 200 shotshells for their carry gun :P Should be a matter of visit, adjust a good trimmer (RCBS, Forster, which ever) and trim a few cases, that's not that huge a favor