Lets make a Swage press

[Daywalker]

I myelf have been watching this thread and studying the plans and everything. I have been talking to lots of people about different things so that I can educate myself to build me a press. I can somewhat understand the prices that people are charging to make and sell these press, however, they are out of the regular everyday Joe's budget. If I were able to build and sell press's, and coming from being broke all the time and not afford to buy much because of the economy, I would definately try to help others out by making them affordable as possible.....

Looking at the materials list, to make one press under 100.00 or right there abouts, that is defintaly worth my wild to get the parts and get to work on one...

I applaud you Aneat for sharing your knowledge and for allowing the plans to be made up and shared with everyone..

[ANeat]

Once again awesome work Aneat!!

With all the info you have given, i think i will draw my press up using Autocad software. This way it hopefully will take all the questions/guesswork out of it. I figure you have been hassled enough! I think between your info and Corbins website i could make a really good masher/reloader!
Thanks again,
BB03

Guys thanks for the kind words..... plans are available, MattM provided them here

http://mattmorgan.org/cb_press_v2.pdf

Ive also add the link for the plans to the first post

[MaxJon]

Just been looking at the corbin website and the dimensions they have on there.
I think the press i will be making will be a cross between these two and Aneats press. For a start i dont need the large ram/die threads, suited to the .50bmg, we are not allowed this cal. down under as far as i know. I also dont see the need for swaging for 12ga. slugs. So basically i think i will make a CSP2/Aneat variant with the CSP1 ram/die threads and travel. May be a bit on the heavy side but who cares! Should be a great project!! This forum is the best!
BB03

[MaxJon]

Then again the bigger internal threads are easier to screwcut, and you can allways make adaptors/reducers. As soon as I finish my current project i will be making at least one of these babies! Cant wait to get started! Dont know why i brought a Rockchucker now, espcially now i have got my head around the linkage/ram travel assembly. Pretty easy when you think about it, with the 180deg. arc of movement/handle travel!!
BB03

[ANeat]

Yes BB you can scale the design up or down to whatever suits your needs. I think there are some other large caliber dies that use the large threads besides the 50bmg. Some are 1.25x12, some are 1.5x12. Or just put the 7/8-14 threads in, you can always remove the top and re-thread if needed.

[Charlie Sometimes]

For a start i dont need the large ram/die threads, suited to the .50bmg, we are not allowed this cal. down under as far as i know. I also dont see the need for swaging for 12ga. slugs. May be a bit on the heavy side but who cares! Should be a great project!! This forum is the best!
BB03

You may discover that you will want the extra size at some future date, why not build it in (if it won't hurt anything) and make it easy on yourself. Your butt can get real sore from kicking yourself!
Not being "allowed" doesn't mean you should not be able to, IF you ever needed the option. That is what freedom is about- choice, and being ready!

[MaxJon]

Yes BB you can scale the design up or down to whatever suits your needs. I think there are some other large caliber dies that use the large threads besides the 50bmg. Some are 1.25x12, some are 1.5x12. Or just put the 7/8-14 threads in, you can always remove the top and re-thread if needed.

Yeah, thanks Aneat!
I think my rockchucker has 1.25x12 with 7/8x14 reducer to suit standard die sets, maybe i will make it the same 1.25x12. As i said cant wait to get started! I will be using your ram and linkage assembly. But would like to use some bearings on the side linkages and would like to have a go at a one piece toggle maybe? I will be printing your plans soon as i get this DAMN printer workin!!!
BB03

[scrapcan]

BB

Keep us posted on your build. It is always interesting to see what one can do when they put their mind to it!

[MaxJon]

Manley JT
I will keep you posted, but it may be a few weeks before i get into it unfortunately!

[MaxJon]

Really? I think that is a long way from realistic for many if not most of us without real schooling in machining and is dismissive of the skills that it takes to get those presses accurate and smooth.
It equates a tool and die man with a lifetime of experience and knowledge with a back yard shed and a delta drill press and a hacksaw equipped tinkerer. I could no more make one of these even with those plans than I could make a model t ford. That is why most of us need the skilled hands and minds of the professional to provide our tooling and instead pursue our own crafts and skill sets.

I applaud the individual that develops not only the plans that make this possible but the hands that make the tools that we need. More suppliers for these tools only helps us all, and if this site can put another guy into a job, then thats one more off the soup lines and providing for himself.
Many of our vendor sponsors are doing just that, filling the voids seen and providing solutions and products to our membership that are willing and waiting to buy the tools and merchandise they offer.

Im with you 45nut if someone can make this with a drill press and hacksaw, they are a better machinist than i am! I have 20yrs experience (mainly CNC). Without blowing my own horn, I would rate myself as above average machinist, and a try hard with Autocad! Saying that it can be made with these minimal tools is like believing that McGuiver can make a welder with a nickel, or 2 cent coin! I see this press as a great project, it reminds me of some of my old trade school projects. Cant wait to get started on a few!!
BB03

[mattm]

Ok, guys. I guess you have to be a master machinist to lay out some holes in some plate and drill them. I did qualify that the ram and top plate would probably have to be jobbed out if you don't have the tools. That is probably the way I would go if I didn't have a lathe and a mill. Looking back I should have also thrown in the welding of the toggle if you don't have a welder.

That being said I have seen some pretty amazing work done with very basic tools like a drill, a hacksaw and files. It just depends on if you have more time than money, and how bad you want something.

I guess my point was that for some people out there don't have the money or expensive tools, they shouldn't give up. Yeah it might not be as pretty as something you buy but it will work. My comments were more intended as encouragement rather diminishing anybody's work or how much effort would be involved if you did it with minimal tools.

matt

[Charlie Sometimes]

mattm-

The first lathe was built from scratch- wood followed by metal, and so on.
They were able to scrape to millionths of an inch back in the 1500's.
Galileo polished glass lenses for telescopes by hand, and discovered PLANETS with those instruments.
They told Columbus the world was FLAT, too- but he listened to Bugs Bunny instead!
The Russians built their MIGs back in the 70's, and saved lots of Rubbles, by not polishing the heads off of rivets in non-critical aerodynamic areas.

Never say NEVER.
Anything in existence can be built given enough time, patience, and ingenuity!
I'm all for the guy who can do it without the fancy equipment, too.
THAT takes SKILL to figure out how to do something with supposedly nothing.
Some times it's called being "unconventional".
There is always more than one path to an objective.

The Masters don't always know everything, nor have they experienced every aspect.
Some HAVE forgotten more than others know, but most of those are dead now.

Don't worry about the insinuations- machinists used to build every tool, or gage they needed, but running anything short of CNC is now becoming lost art, too. People forget, how hard EASY used to be, or vice versa.

Modern equipment has just made things easier and faster to produce is all.

[sprinkintime]

ANEAT, from what I can see the press looks great, this is the first time I have left a message so I do not know if I'm doing it right. I have just one question.
1. On your Top Plate you give no dim. for the slots I think are 7.500 apart center to center and the edge dim. is .750 am I correct? I just ordered all the material for this one it looks like a great project to do. Thanks for the drawings much appreciated. Keep up the good work.
Sprinkintime

[mattm]

Sprinkintime,

You are correct the center to center of the two slots is 7.5". I will fix the drawing. As for the edge dimension do you mean the thickness? If so it is 1".

Matt

[mattm]

Here is the new drawing with the correction noted above. There are a couple of other minor tweaks... The toggle dimensions have changed slightly and I think I added a shoulder to the arm.

matt

[Charlie Sometimes]

Welcome sprinkintime!
You're gonna luv this forum- lots of knowledge and fun to be had here, and an overall bunch of good people too.

Thanks for the updated file post mattm!

[ANeat]

ANEAT, from what I can see the press looks great, this is the first time I have left a message so I do not know if I'm doing it right. I have just one question.
1. On your Top Plate you give no dim. for the slots I think are 7.500 apart center to center and the edge dim. is .750 am I correct? I just ordered all the material for this one it looks like a great project to do. Thanks for the drawings much appreciated. Keep up the good work.
Sprinkintime

You guys lost me a little, The prints show 3.25 from centerline to the slot so the center to center would be 6.5

None of that is super critical, you basicly want the linkage hanging so they will clear everything else and be aligned with the toggle .

Per the print you would have exactly 6" between the toggles; and the base as well as the guide plate are shown as 6" wide.
So obviously you want the space between the toggles a "little" larger, or you will need to trim a "little" off your base plate and guide plate.

[mattm]

Yeah, I guess I shouldn't try to do simple arithmetic at 1 in the morning .

I added the 3.25 dimension to the drawing and some how I wrote back 7.5" instead of 6.5". You are also right about the the base and guide plates. I think I would just hit them with a file or mill off 0.010 so the links don't rub.

Thanks for catching that.

matt

[ANeat]

There are many things like that, for example you dont bore a 1.5 inch hole and expect the 1.5 inch ram to fit. The same with bushing fit.

Dont mill your 1/2 inch slots dead on 1/2 inch and expect the toggle links to slide right in if your 1018 stock is .501 thick. Measure your material and adjust as needed.

Its up to the end user to determine the tolerance that suits them. There are many areas where some planning is required.

[MIBULLETS]

Just curious, are the dimensions and function of this press pretty much like the Walnut Hill press? I wondered because if I could put one of these together would all of the accessories from RCE work on it?