Walnut Hills compared to CSP-1?

[AbitNutz]

Anyone have specific knowledge of the differences between these two presses? They don't appear to be all that similar after closer inspection.

[ANeat]

I dont have one yet, still waiting but from my research the Walnut has a larger capacity than the CSP-1

It would be interesting to see a side by side comparison. I know the Walnut hill will do 50 cal bullets where as the CSP I believe specs 458 as the largest.

The CSP may be better compared to the RCE Sea Girt press

[AbitNutz]

The Walnut Hill has its linkage running from the top of the press...sorta like the Redding Ultramag.

[ANeat]

Yea,

Walnut Hill


Sea Girt




CSP-1



CSP-2

[Buckshot]

I took these pictures not too long after I'd gotten my press and dies from RCE, and this was during my first actual use of it. In the right photo you can see the extruded lead from the core froming die. This is WAY too much lead to be bleeding off, but as I said I was learning What I'm leading up to is something that was lacking in the press and swage die instructions.

When you run the ram up with all that leverage that is available, and the lead squirts out of the die like you'd just tromped on a tube of toothpaste, trust me, that press is flexing. After I had swaged up 10-15 slugs I just had to scale some. You know how swaging is supposed to be so uniform, right? I wanted to see, and I was disappointed as weights were varying almost a full grain.

All that variation takes place in the core forming operation where excess lead bleeds off. All I was doing was leaning on that handle, mashing the lead and then ejecting the core. In fact it didn't take me long to recall that it didn't seem like all the slugs were being formed with the same amount of pressure in the final forming die either.

I was disappointed that I'd cast up so many of these too heavy cores, but I sure wasn't going to remelt and recast them. Since I had other things to do I simply decided to run them all slowly through the core forming die and let the press sit for awile and then come back to it and eject the core, and then sqeeze another and let it sit. When you first run the lever down as I said the lead literally squirts out like grease, but it slows and gets slower and slower until you have to really peer at it to see if it's even moving. What you're seeing is the press relaxing, and as the parts try to normalize they're exerting lessening pressure on the lead in the die. Or at least the press normalizes until it's reached equailibrium with the pressure on the lead in the die.

After I'd formed several cores like this (letting the press sit for awile) I took 10 of'em and scaled them. They were all the same or within 1/10th of a grain, which is the accuracy limits of my scale. The secret is to bleed off some lead, but only enough to barely exit the bleed hole in the die. You only want short little segments maybe one to two tenths of an inch long, and not those spaghetti length extrusions I did at first

The key like regular casting with a mould is to be consistent. Press the lever down the same each time and then let the press rest for a 10 count, then eject the core. Another way would be to have a dial indicator reading on the top cross bar. My press is mounted to a 3/8" thick steel plate on the bench. I could very easily attach a 1/2" steel rod vertically behind the press, and have a dial indicator attached to it via an arm. After compressing the core, I could eject it when the dial indicator returns to a certain reading.

I'm not being negative about these presses by any means. For what you pay for one you're getting a very nice tool, but it isn't anyhting like the presses the ammunition manufacturers have. However, if it's operated with thought and consistency you certainly can produce boolits or bullets every bit as fine as the best out there.

..............Buckshot

[AbitNutz]

I've exchanged a few emails with Richard about the Walnut Hill vs the CSP-1. One email was very detailed and I was really surprised he went to all the trouble to explain things to me. Let us just say he was very opinionated and was very unflattering about the CSP-1
As soon as the Walnut Hill is available again, Ill buy one. It seems better and less expensive than the CSP-1

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

the newer ones can also be used to reload ammunition.

Rich

[wonderwolf]

I've exchanged a few emails with Richard about the Walnut Hill vs the CSP-1. One email was very detailed and I was really surprised he went to all the trouble to explain things to me. Let us just say he was very opinionated and was very unflattering about the CSP-1
As soon as the Walnut Hill is available again, Ill buy one. It seems better and less expensive than the CSP-1

You gotta call him and get on a list for the walnut hills press, at least thats what I had to do for my dies and the press, Waited about 9 months and then things started showing up. I like the Walnut hills press because besides my RCBS 50bmg press its the only other press I have that can reload 50-140 and have room left to get a bullet on top of the case.

Richard and his brother don't get along well these days I'm told

[Jim_Fleming]

now you're beginning to read what's not written, and you're also beginning to understand the real reason for the price differences...

And that's exactly all this old swager is going to have to say about this topic, lol!

Richard and his brother don't get along well these days I'm told

[AbitNutz]

You gotta call him and get on a list for the walnut hills press, at least thats what I had to do for my dies and the press, Waited about 9 months and then things started showing up.

Calling him is better than emailing him? I wouldn't have thought that...I guess calling shows real interest....

[AbitNutz]

now you're beginning to read what's not written, and you're also beginning to understand the real reason for the price differences...

And that's exactly all this old swager is going to have to say about this topic, lol!

I don't mean to seem more dense than I already may actually be...but I'm not sure what you're saying.

[wonderwolf]

Calling him is better than emailing him? I wouldn't have thought that...I guess calling shows real interest....

He changed up his website in the past few months. Call him up and just say you have a few Q and would like to place a order if you feel its what you are after.



here you see 50-140 with the proper dies, note I have the world above the case mouth compared to a RCBS press, though I do have to remove the locking ring from the die to get it to the right height but dang thats a lot of clearance if you are looking at using the press for reloading some tall cartridges as well as making bullets.

[AbitNutz]

Oh it's definitely what I'm after....It looks to be superior to the CSP-1 all the way around. Does the press take 1 1/4-12 or 1.5-12 dies?

[ANeat]

Its 1.5-12

The Walnut Hill press has a 1" thick top plate that is threaded 1.5"-12 to accept large reloading dies or special swaging punch holders. The press links that connect the ram to the press attach to the top of the press to avoid any load or spring on the press frame. The 1 1/4" diameter chrome plated ram is threaded 7/8"-14 to accept Walnut Hill dies or reloading adapters. Long life hard bronze bushings in the links and ram carry the swaging force better than bearings due to the greater contact area of the bushing. The ejection system is designed similar to those used on commercial punch presses.

The Walnut Hill press has a dual stroke length so that it can be used to swage bullets or reload ammo. Standard cartridges or the big .50 BMG can be reloaded. A tee slot shellholder adapter is available for standard cartridges or a 7/8"-14 threaded adapter is used with the RCBS .50 shellholder.

[wonderwolf]

My WH came with a standard die insert that is also needed to use the swage dies I purchased with the press.

[Leadsmith]

Buckshot: You say to let the press sit for 10 seconds or so before ejecting the core. Something Richard told me long ago was that he would double swage his cores when he needed high consistency in core weights. I have played with that concept some and found it to be much quicker that a long dwell time and gives very consistent cores.

I have a very early Corbin hydraulic press, before they put pressure cutouts and position sensors on it so it is very basic. My core swage method has evolved to place the slug in the press, run it home, drop the ram down to the bottom, then run it to the top again. Dwell time is only for a second or two each time.

I think the lead tends to stick to the dies, and by cycling the slug out and back into the die gets it moving again and also, the slugs are very consistent in weight before the last swage for weight.

Bob

[Buckshot]

Buckshot: You say to let the press sit for 10 seconds or so before ejecting the core. Something Richard told me long ago was that he would double swage his cores when he needed high consistency in core weights. I have played with that concept some and found it to be much quicker that a long dwell time and gives very consistent cores.
Bob

................Bob, that very well could be. I've never tried it. Lowering the ram would allow the press to fully relax. Then applying pressure the 2nd time would bump the core against the base pin in it's relaxed position which would apply pressure from that position. At least the pressure would be applied for the length of time it took the press to react to the pressure. Whereas letting the core 'sit' compressed may not ever let the press fully return to normal, reglardless how long it simmered I'll have to try that, thanks!

.................Buckshot

[RayinNH]

Yumping Yiminy that 50-140 case looks like a brass water pipe...Ray