simple gas check maker w/o lathe. possible?

[corey012778]

here's the challenge,

don't own a lathe, only a cheap modded drill press with a 1/2" chuck and a non modded old drill press with a 3/8" chuck. bench grinder, 6in metal saw, hacksaw, old tile saw modded for metal cutting, and hand tools. oh, and a hf 110v flux core welder. only propane and mapp.

extra reloading equipment
lee universal decapper
lee .314 sizing die

looking to make a simple gas check maker. trying to do it with what every I have on hand. plan on doing thin aluminum or copper.


picking a few brains before I dive too deep and look like a idiot (again )

[Rcmaveric]

2 aluminum blocks or cylinders aprix 1x1 inch. 2 drill bits.

1 drill bit the size of disk you need. That will drill bit A.

1 drill bit aprox the diameter of the gas check you need. That will be drill bit bit B.

Use A to drill all the way through one block (we will call that block A) and half way through the other block (we will call that block B). Now use drill bit B to drill the rest of the block B.

Now use a hack saw to cut a slot into block A. Now, you can slide you gas check metal into the slot and you can use the back side drill bit A as the punch to punch out your gas check disks.

Take drill bit B and hone down the shank with sandpaper till it is the diameter of your bullet shank. Cut off about 1/3 inch of that and weld it to a 2/3 inch piece cut from drill bit A shank. Now that will be your gas check forming punch.

Drop a cut disk into the big hole of block B. Insert forming punch. Forming punch should be sitting center inside the big hole. All you have to do is smack it with hammer.

I am a visually person so you would need to adjust sizes of blocks, punches, and hole depths to meet the visual. The lengths i gave were a quick hip shot.

You will need to measure your bullets and do your own math to figure out your disk size.

I lack the skills and machines to do what i said above. Lmao or i would have done it along time ago. There are ither threads on her for other ideas, but what insaid above is the basic jist

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[longbow]

Here's one way:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ghlight=simple

I know there was another even simpler home made check maker posted several years ago where IIRC the gas check die was a washer that was drilled and punch was something like the check end of a drill bit. Crude but it made acceptable checks. I can't find the thread though.

Here's a simple gas check maker I put together from some scrap. I do have a small beat up old lathe though:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ghlight=simple

If you scroll to the next page on the first link you'll find my PDF drawings for it.

I have since made the excellent Ed Smith designed single stroke check maker from his PDF instructions. It works very well and is quite fast. You do need a lathe to make it though.

Longbow

[longbow]

Found it!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-6-check-maker

[corey012778]

the $6 may have gave me an idea. with what I have on hand I may be able to something like that in steel.

Aluminum may not be strong enough. Could be wrong.

[Jackpine]

I made one on a drill press using PVC pipe and carriage bolts. I made checks out of beer cans. Never tried copper. Don't know if it would hold up or not. I think they are in AZ, so can't look at them or take pics now.

Cut out two sections of PVC pipe, about 1x3 inches or a little wider. Heat in boiling water and compress between two pieces of board in a vice to flatten. For punch, drill hole in one piece size you want disc. I was making for 38-55 and think I drilled 1/2 inch hole. I used a Fostner bit, so edges of hole were square. Grind head on carriage bolt so shoulder is square in just barely passes through hole in PVC. Mount "punch" in drill press, align in PVC hole over hole in center of drill press table, clamp pvc and punch away.

For forming press, counter drill with Fostner bit about 1/16 th deep. (this is to center blank) and then drill hole just a few thousandths more than you want finished check. (clamp PVC onto drill press and change bits without moving PVC, so both holes share exact same center) I think I used long countersink to get hole to exact diameter, but it was a few years ago, so not positive. Grind another carriage bolt head to diameter needed for punch, clamp PVC on press and punch away.

I made many hundreds of checks with this tool and it worked fine. Discard rate was probably 10 or 20 percent, so I had to drink some more beer to get more aluminum stock!! Major problem!!

[Dragonheart]

I certainly can understand the challenge, but I personally would just get a plain base mold and powder coat the bullet then you don't need a gas check.

[corey012778]

I certainly can understand the challenge, but I personally would just get a plain base mold and powder coat the bullet then you don't need a gas check.

for the gun and boolits I been working with pc been hit and miss. have one boolit that loves pc and no gc another that hates pc but lube and gc. my supply of gc are running out. remember another tool in the bag.

guess I kinda said the dia. boolit I am doing gc for is .309 to .311 boolits

[Dragonheart]

Problem is a gas check mold requires a GC to make the base flat and a flat base is required for accuracy.

[corey012778]

I have a small start. went with the ugly low budget set up for punching. used a 7/16 stop collar. need another one but it is a start.





watch a video after posting, wouldn't a hollow hole punch work as long as I keep it shape?

[longbow]

Yes, if I am getting your intent... a gasket punch on end grin hard wood will punch out aluminum disks if that is what you are asking. My simple gas check maker uses a punch to make disks then the forming die. it works well but is slow compared to the Ed Smith single stroke check maker... but that one requires a lathe to make. The simple version is in the links I posted and is similar to the old Freecheck that Paco Kelly and Ed Wosika used to sell.

The $6 approach should work as well.

Longbow

[corey012778]

I will get me started may end up ordering 1 or 2 in aluminum stock, either round or square. Just use what I have already got.

Ended up a 7/16 hinge pin. Better fit then the bolt. Still need to make the forming die. Having problems find 9/32. Closest to the shank. Going hf these weekend. Get a cheap drill bit and maybe find something there that would work

[longbow]

For gas check shank boolits I use old gutter for checks. It is 0.019" thick so THICK but using a hammer type check maker allows me to use a bit of extra force so they simply swage as deeper cups and work perfectly. I have enough old gutter to make many thousands of gas checks and it was all free! Both my check makers work with the thick gutter material.

[corey012778]

Been testing with aluminum cans. Too thin for my liking. Targeting .011” for gc.

[longbow]

I believe the recommended aluminum thickness for copper and aluminum checks is 0.014". Some have posted good results using two thicknesses of pop/beer can. Not sure how you'd put 2 disks together to form with a disk puncher then forming tool but in a single stroke check maker I'm guessing just go 2 layers thick, punch and form all at once. You might try using spray contact cement between 2 pieces of aluminum then punch disks. Disks should stay together for forming then.

[dragon813gt]

I believe the recommended aluminum thickness for copper and aluminum checks is 0.014".

The recommended thickness is what works for each bullet design. I use between .008 - .014 depending on the bullet. The .008 is used for 35 cal bullets. You can use one thickness if you want to but when you’re at the point of making your own checks you should tailor them like you do w/ every aspect of a reloaded cartridge.

[corey012778]

Misread the first, thought you meant the disc. Thinking a washer the size of disc over the forming die could work, just friction would stick them together. But I realized what you where talking about.

.011 would be the easiest for me to get ahold of. Roof flashing. Well .008 to .011.

[country gent]

A small die set could be made for this and used in a vise or small ahrbor press.a reloading press could be done also.

Materials would be : 6" 3/4 X1 flat stock 6" of round stock close to desired caliber ( bigger not smaller) 2 3/8" X 1 1/2" dowel pins. a couple springs

Tools. drill press, set of 1/16-1/2" drills a couple lapps files and michrometers.

Cut 2 pieces of the flat stock 3" long, deburr edges these are going to be the upper and lower die shoes. Ink and lay out a 3/8 hole in 1/2" from each end on center line. Clamp together and pilot drill then drill to 5/16" while together. mark matching end with punch mark along with top. drill one out to .374 for the lower, a press fit to hold the pins securely. the upper needs to be opened up to .376-.377a sliding fit. This makes the small die set for the tooling. Assemble the die set with up up and matched ends together. Lay out a hole on center length and width. center punch and pilot drill thru . 1/8" is fine here. Drill lower to checks full dia size 1/4" deep then to formed dia thru. In the upper drill a fitted hole to the punches. Square one end and harden. polish bright and stone end sharp this is the cutting punch. a second punch needs to be fashioned at checks formed dia minus material thickness X 2. A fine radius polished on the punch hardened and polished bright face radius and sides. cut the disks from strips and then change out shear punch to form and form cups. Easier would be to make 2 dies one to cut disks the other to form. With a heavy press a spring loaded cutting sleeve could be fashioned to cut then push disk thru form in 1 pass

[corey012778]

right now, planning on working with wood with metal inserts just to get the feel. already looking at aluminum and pretty much taking the same concept with steel inserts.

ran into another gc build from here that to person used an lee universal decapping pin to do there forming tool. I went on and ordered a brand new one. going to measure before doing any cutting. read reviews and found out It is a good replacement for the franklin depriming tool pin.

[GONRA]

GONRA made 0.003 inch thickness Aluminum GAS CHECK LIKE STRUCTURES
with a custom (read - "HOME MADE") double acting dies for my Corbin CSP-2 press.