DIY check maker book

[edsmith]

My new improved and enlarged check maker book has been posted here as a PDF, DANNIX has kindly offered to host it. he has posted a link here. I want to thank DANNIX for his time and trouble. without his help I would not beable to post it. use adobe reader to open it, for some reason other readers do not work very well with it. Ed

[Dannix]

Here's the download link. Thanks for taking the time Ed to put this together for all us DIYers here!

Attention: Click on the Download link to the left, not on the advertisement. (Unscrupulous advertisers may call their advertisement "Download" in an attempt to get you to click on it.)
http://ompldr.org/tY3o4Mg (http://ompldr.org/vY3o4Mg)

[Link Redacted]
md5sum: 0d734875607822d30f0609dfa38172f7

Feel free to shoot me a PM or email if the link ever goes down.

------------
Update: As of Dec 03, 2015, DukeInFlorida (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?101816-DIY-check-maker-book&p=3457276&viewfull=1#post3457276) is now hosting a direct link to the PDF here:
http://sebagosales.com/gaschex/Check-Maker1&2.pdf
Thanks, Duke!

[edsmith]

to open the file, download it to your documents, then open it from there with adobe reader. Ed

[longbow]

Ed:

I just downloaded and took a look through. Nice job and thanks for sharing.

One day I might just get industrious and make one!

Doing all the development and putting the book together is a lot of work. It is very generous of you to share with us.

Thanks again.

Longbow

[patsher]

And don't forget to put $3 in an envelope and mail it to Ed! Remember his first post on this subject?

Just my 2 cents.

Pat

[longbow]

PM sent to Ed

[edsmith]

just to clarify on sending money, no money is expected for down loading the book files, they are free just like every thing on this site. it is my way of giving back a little for all that I have gained from everybody here. Ed

[blaser.306]

Just put a similar post in the swapin and selling page ! Being that this gracious offer has been extended, I will send my $3.00 that would have been going to you directly to Willy to help support the site . May be an idea for anyone else who downloads the file/pics as well . After all no site , No pics . Have a great new year . Barclay .

[edsmith]

blaser.306 that is great idea.

[DukeInFlorida]

I visited with Ed at his home last week!

Very knowledgeable guy, and pleasant to work with. I offered $$$ for the two copies that he gave, but he refused.

We discussed some ideas for making the press adapter attach (set screws) to the bottom of the check making die.

[edsmith]

bumping up for the new guys to see

[tjones]

bumping up for the new guys to see

Nice drawings. I have some Freechex III's they seem to have zero tolerances. .0005 or less. At least the don't slip apart easily and worse with oil. Do you have an idea what one could get away with using drills you describe etc.

tj

[3006guns]

Okay, I clicked on the information and received a whole bunch of Yahoo sign up stuff. I went through it, accepting this and accepting that and now I have an additional tool bar at the top of my screen with icons I don't recognize (or want) and I still haven't seen the book! What'd I do??

[edsmith]

3006guns, PM me your e-mail addy and I will send you the files.

[edsmith]

tjones, when I make one, I fit the punch rod to the main body, I fit it so it slips easy, you don't need to keep the tolerances to that close. take some 600 grit emery cloth and polish the punch rod OD untill it slides freeley. I would not try to drill out the main body. when I make one, I just use the drill bit that is closest to the size I need.

[jmsj]

I used Ed's booklet to make PB checkmakers in .30/.32, .357, .44 and .45 calibers last year. With the use of a lathe and Ed's book, it was relatively easy. Ed even reponded to the couple of questions I had.
The checkmakers I made use soda pop cand for feed stock and make a completed check in one pass through the die. They were a fun little shop project.
Thanks Ed.
Good luck, jmsj

[scb]

Okay, I clicked on the information and received a whole bunch of Yahoo sign up stuff. I went through it, accepting this and accepting that and now I have an additional tool bar at the top of my screen with icons I don't recognize (or want) and I still haven't seen the book! What'd I do??

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/27944f123148e39c3.jpg

Click on the "click here" circled in red, not the big green "download" button. Worked for me anyway.

[offshore44]

Outstanding! Thank you.

[cheese1566]

Let's see some pics of the units made!!!

[BossHoss]

:popcorn:

[arjacobson]

Cool- Thats pretty much what I came up with! I went out in the garage in sheer frustration over a year ago and machined my own checkmaker.. Took about two hours to come up with a design and machine my .30 cal set.. It works great with my lee 312-155-2r mold. I'm sure I would have to change some dimensions with other molds though..:groner: Best part was NO waiting- NO excuses-NO drama=NO b.s. Now it looks like I will have to make another one for my .357 mold. NICE work on the post!!! Very helpful as it gave me a few ideas to try..

[pistolman44]

I wish I had these drawings 5 years ago on making gas check maker. Now I got arthuritis creeping in to my hands it's getting a little tough using some tools. I had to stop building 1911's because of fitting the small parts.

[edsmith]

shameless bump

[arjacobson]

Plus one :drinks:

[scrapcan]

I think this should be a sticky.

[tjones]

Yes, but it would likely violate copyright laws.
tj

[edsmith]

There is NO copyright on the freechex, in fact although he claims a trade mark on it, the last time I checked, he does NOT have it trademarked,just claims it.others here can backup that. also my drawings are differant than his tool.I have not used any drawings or photos that he has printed, published or copied.I like charlie, I think he puts out an outstanding tool.I am not trying to take any bussiness from him. any one that knows how to use a lathe can figgure out how to make one. it is no secret. I DO NOT make the tool to sell, nor will I.

[miestro_jerry]

Thank you for the instructions, this is for my personal use and will not be made for sale or barter.

Jerry

[ubetcha]

For the one piece check maker for a loading press,what is used at the upper end at the threads to hold it in place( I may have missed the explanation during the reading)? Also how much pressure is needed on the press arm to punch and form the check? I have several Lee Challenger presses and one Hornady press. I don't want to wind-up bending something

[edsmith]

I use a challenger press for my check makers, you are not going to hurt it.after the check maker is in place on your press, drop a nickle on top of it, then screw in a die untill you compress the check maker.I use a lee sizer die.

[brnomauser]

That's a great book Ed, thanks a lot! Only problem is I'm not seeing the pictures on pages 7,8,9 and 11,12,13 - I only see the labels for what's in it. Have you got any idea why? I've downloaded it three times and all the same. I have a Mac...

[edsmith]

bmomauser, pm me your addy, I will send you the file, try to open it that way,what program are you using to open PDFs with? adobe? Ed

[torpedoman]

did not work for me.clicked everywhere

[tjones]

Pistolman44: kind of hard with the " five years ago" part, this video posted on 10-11-09 was just the beginning of the III era. Vonnieglen here says freechex 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GNCVcD4DmE

tj

[edsmith]

torpedomam, pm me your e-mail addy, and I will send you the pdf file. ed

[edsmith]

any one that can not open the file, pm me your e-mail addy and I will send it to them. ed

[ubetcha]

Ed. Going through your calculations for determining the proper thickness of alumnium for a 44 cal bullet, my son and I have come up with .016 as the material needed.Looking at Amerimax roof flashing charts,they have .0167 material and .014 material.Will .0167 work or should I use .014?

[edsmith]

I think I would use the .0167. try to get a sample of it to try, but I think thats what you will need.

[Newtire]

Here's the download link. Thanks for taking the time Ed to put this together for all us DIYers here!

Attention: Click on the Download link to the left, not on the advertisement. (Unscrupulous advertisers may call their advertisement "Download" in an attempt to get you to click on it.)
http://ompldr.org/tY3o4Mg (http://ompldr.org/vY3o4Mg)

Check-Maker1&2.pdf (http://www.datafilehost.com/download-c7a0815b.html)
md5sum: 0d734875607822d30f0609dfa38172f7

Feel free to shoot me a PM or email if the link ever goes down.I tried to download using the little button on the left and my AVG blocks it and says it's malware. Anyway, here's a screenshot of what AVG says. Must be some conflict somehow I figure.

[OKSaddletramp]

I tried to download using the little button on the left and my AVG blocks it and says it's malware. Anyway, here's a screenshot of what AVG says. Must be some conflict somehow I figure.

Did you UNCHECK the box directly below the download button? If not, it tries to open a "downloader" program. That is probably what AVG objected to.

[pworley1]

Thanks for sharing. A+

[slim1836]

Don't know what went wrong with the check maker a friend (machinist) tried making in .308 for me with this plan, however, the check stays stuck on the end of the punch rod. I had to take it apart and pry the check off which destroys it in the process. I don't have the tool so I can't give any measurements if asked any specifics.

Anybody got any ideas what may have gone wrong? My machinist said he made it to spec. but has since given up. I'm not machinist oriented and no help at all on this subject. Any suggestions I may pass along to him? Sure would hate him to give up on this if a simple modification may fix the problem.

I am using Yonkers 0.017 aluminum coil material.

Hate to have to buy one as I am not well off and other priorities take precedent. If someone has an extra at a decent price, I may be interested as I really hate to have to keep buying Hornady copper checks for my .308 Tikka and M/N rifles.

Slim

[longbow]

I will suggest polishing the forming punch. It probably has some light surface machining marks. It may also require a slight taper to release easily.I made my own design and have used quite thick aluminum gutter which extruded a bit making a slightly longer than normal check. They tended to stick some so I put alight coat of WD40 on the material which helped. Polishing and adding a slight taper solved it.You can do this using a hand drill by chucking the punch in the drill then fine emery cloth of 600 grit held against a flat piece of metal, stroking the end of the punch as it rotates. If polishing doesn't do it then angle the metal/emery a bit to work the punch end more to add a SLIGHT taper. You do not need a lot and do not want the inside of the check at the base too small.If the friend that made it can do the polishing/tapering in a lathe that would be even better.My suggestions anyway.Longbow

[slim1836]

Thanks Longbow, I will try to use the 600 grit w/drill. I just need to get it back first.

Slim

[xacex]

I wish I could do this on my mill. These are great plans, and very detailed. Thank you for sharing your skills in developing these tools.

[FrankG]

After polishing well put a mirror finish on it with buffing wheel and rouge. The checks will slip right off.

[slim1836]

FrankG,

Thanks for the comment, I will try it once I get it back.

Slim

[slim1836]

I did some 600 grit sanding and then polished.
Finally, I got some checks to fall that are usable, however, I can tell more polishing is in order.
Thanks guys for all the comments and support. No more copper checks for me to buy.

Slim

[mrbill2]

Try some thinner material,.017 seems thick.

[slim1836]

Try some thinner material,.017 seems thick.

I used what the math told me to. I believe the Hornady copper checks are 0.017 best I could measure.

Slim

[Metroxfi]

What is the best way to cut the slot in the main body? Y'know, the one that you feed the aluminum check through. I've heard some say to use a hacksaw but does that make a clean enough cut? Or does it even matter if the cut is a bit rough? What else would work, cutoff wheel, metal chopsaw, bandsaw?

[pistol]

Here's the download link. Thanks for taking the time Ed to put this together for all us DIYers here!

Attention: Click on the Download link to the left, not on the advertisement. (Unscrupulous advertisers may call their advertisement "Download" in an attempt to get you to click on it.)
http://ompldr.org/tY3o4Mg (http://ompldr.org/vY3o4Mg)

Check-Maker1&2.pdf (http://www.datafilehost.com/download-c7a0815b.html)
md5sum: 0d734875607822d30f0609dfa38172f7

Feel free to shoot me a PM or email if the link ever goes down.

I downloaded the book and quickly read the first 5 pages: it looks wonderful! But I especially like the lively and humorous way it is written. I do hope that "Ed" is very much still "alive and kicking" five years after the original post: I would like to thank him for the knowledge and for being such a super person, even though I never had the pleasure and honour to meet him personally. My hat off to you, Sir!

[BwBrown]

The red circle option is not available - just the main loader with all the bloat-ware.

[Reg]

Be very careful. I clicked on the so called correct link and am now infected with malware. I suspect the entire site is now infected. Am trying to clean things up with a Fixme Stick but not having much effect. Looks like it is going to have to go into the shop to have it removed.
The malware is named Palikan.

[Retumbo]

The best way I found is to use a dremel cut off wheel. If you make yourself a jig,even out of wood, to hold dremel and check maker it will make it that much easier.

Never had problem with malware from the download.


What is the best way to cut the slot in the main body? Y'know, the one that you feed the aluminum check through. I've heard some say to use a hacksaw but does that make a clean enough cut? Or does it even matter if the cut is a bit rough? What else would work, cutoff wheel, metal chopsaw, bandsaw?

[Handloader109]

I'll email the PDF to anyone who wants it. It is just over 8 mb

[DukeInFlorida]

I have been hosting a few files for the SWAGING section of the forum, and can also host this PDF file for those who want a clean copy.
No virii on my hosting site:

Ed Smith's Book in PDF format



(http://sebagosales.com/gaschex/Check-Maker1&2.pdf)

[DukeInFlorida]

I have been hosting a few files for the SWAGING section of the forum, and can also host this PDF file for those who want a clean copy.
No virii on my hosting site:

Ed Smith's Book in PDF format
(http://sebagosales.com/gaschex/Check-Maker1&2.pdf)

It's 8 megs, but should download fast. This is the original book that Ed created. When I lived in Maine, I once visited Ed's home, and he gave me a printed and bound copy. This is the pdf version of the book he gave me. The download is safe, nothing will attack you.

[10x]

I have been hosting a few files for the SWAGING section of the forum, and can also host this PDF file for those who want a clean copy.
No virii on my hosting site:

Ed Smith's Book in PDF format
(http://sebagosales.com/gaschex/Check-Maker1&2.pdf)

It's 8 megs, but should download fast. This is the original book that Ed created. When I lived in Maine, I once visited Ed's home, and he gave me a printed and bound copy. This is the pdf version of the book he gave me. The download is safe, nothing will attack you.

Thank you very much!

[plus1hdcp]

Thanks Duke

[Retumbo]

Well now, now I will have to go through my scrap metal pile and make another. Maybe a plain base one that fits in my reloading press. I'll let you know how this monkey and a cheap lathe make out.

Has anyone tried to make these out of stainless?

[slim1836]

I had a machinist friend make one for me in .308 a while back using these plans. It turned out fine but would not operate efficiently until I polished the inside using rouge and a shotgun swab. Worked fine after that.

Thanks again for the posting.

Slim

[.455 Webley]

Thanks Duke!

[Dannix]

Thanks, Duke, I've updated post #2 to point to your direct link.