Ever build a case trimmer?

[redneckdan]

has anyone ever made a case trimmer attachment for a drill press? I'm thinking about making something for the little bench top drill press I got from my grandpa. I do have a lee cutter and lock stud. I though about chuckin the lee cutter up in the lathe at work and turning it to 3/8" to fit in the drill chuck, then turning a .30 cal pilot for the cutter. I think I might use the lee case spinner kit, held in a vise as the case holder. I'm forming .300 whisper from .223, I have about a half inch of brass to trim.

[DLCTEX]

It seems to me an easir method would be to turn a die to guage the length, harden it and use a hacksaw, then do a light truing trim to square the mouth.
Just thinking. DALE

[RayinNH]

Dan, I make 7x57 cases from .270 Winchester cases. After running them through the 7x57 sizing die I end up with an overly long neck that needs trimming. I just use a mini tubing cutter to cut some of the excess off, in my case about 5/16" or so. Then I use the Lee case trimmer pilot and cutter...Ray

[melw]

Dan, I make 7x57 cases from .270 Winchester cases. After running them through the 7x57 sizing die I end up with an overly long neck that needs trimming. I just use a mini tubing cutter to cut some of the excess off, in my case about 5/16" or so. Then I use the Lee case trimmer pilot and cutter...Ray

Humm Is it hard to form the brass this way. Do you use a different lube on the cases?
This very intresting. Sorry to barrage you with questions!
Thianks
Mel W.

[montana_charlie]

I have about a half inch of brass to trim.
I agree with those who say to use a different tool to slice off the bulk of the excess, then use a trimmer for final length.

Eating away a half-inch with a trimmer will just wear out your cutter.
CM

[Hackleback]

Size your brass with this (link below) and the cut a bit long with a hack saw. The tops are hardened so a hack sawwill not dammage them. then you only need to trim a small amount. I looked for the Lee "stud" trimmers, but did not see one in 300 whisper. You might be able to take one of the other 308 cal studs and modify to meet your needs. I make 8X57 brass all the time from -06 and 270 using this system.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=757107

[Andy_P]

I bought a mini chop-saw on eBay - $25

I set up a little jig to align the brass and it works like gang-busters. Finish trim with Lee or RCBS.

[Newtire]

I make 8mm from '06 & 270 brass too. After running it thru the 8 x57 sizing die, I chuck it into the Lyman trimmer and enter the pilot into the case neck just enough to line it up & guestimate the amount to cut off with a hacksaw. After I cut it off, I trim and then chmfer deburr. Every once in awhile, I cut one too short but not often enough to make me want to run out & buy a bunch of real expensive 8x57 brass.

[TAWILDCATT]

harbor tool sells a mini cut of saw for$19 to $29 depends on sales price.zip and 1/4 in gone.lyman makes a drill press chuck to trim cases mine is perm.mounted on small drill press.I make 6.5 jap(35 rem)7.7 jap/8.mm x 57(30/06 case)8 mm lebel(348)
Newtire:graf.com has 8 x57 reasonable.
melw: its easy but you need a few tools to make it easy.

[Newtire]

harbor tool sells a mini cut of saw for$19 to $29 depends on sales price.zip and 1/4 in gone.lyman makes a drill press chuck to trim cases mine is perm.mounted on small drill press.I make 6.5 jap(35 rem)7.7 jap/8.mm x 57(30/06 case)8 mm lebel(348)
Newtire:graf.com has 8 x57 reasonable.
melw: its easy but you need a few tools to make it easy.

Thanks for the info on the mini-cutoff TAWILDCATT. I had no idea they made such a thing! Now that's the ticket for cutting off things like cases.

[melw]

harbor tool sells a mini cut of saw for$19 to $29 depends on sales price.zip and 1/4 in gone.lyman makes a drill press chuck to trim cases mine is perm.mounted on small drill press.I make 6.5 jap(35 rem)7.7 jap/8.mm x 57(30/06 case)8 mm lebel(348)
Newtire:graf.com has 8 x57 reasonable.
melw: its easy but you need a few tools to make it easy.

I tried it on some 270 brass and it was no problem.:-D If I find a good deal on some more brass I would do it again.
Mel W.

[trk]

Here's how I do it using a WILSON trimmer. They make an adapter, which I didn't know about, so I just welded a rod on a nut and trued it in the lathe. WORKS WELL, FAST and REPEATABLE.

http://www.hunt101.com/img/457595.jpg

http://www.hunt101.com/img/457596.jpg

http://www.hunt101.com/img/457598.jpg

[HotGuns]

Not quit a drill press, but since you are forming .300 Whisper brass from .223 you ought to look at this. I took an old key cutter that a guy gave me and adapted it to cut brass. I used a .020 slitting disk and made a shell holder that you simply push into the cutter. The whole operation takes about 5 seconds and leaves very llittle if any burr.

The case holder is adjustable, but more impotant is the fact that its reapeatable. A simple twist of a deburring tool and then run into the sizing die and its there.

I had to do something. One night I used my RCBS trimmer and cut about 50 cases and my fingers got blisters on them...it was tedious. Making this trimmer was the best thing I ever did for my 3 Whispers.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/HotGuns/223casetrimmer1.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/HotGuns/apthoneymoon002-1.jpg

[mark348]

i beleive at one point lyman did make a trimmer for the drillpress,,,,i have seen them used and they are nice,,,,don't know if they still produce them tho

[C A Plater]

Forester make a base and cutter for use in a drill press.
http://www.forsterproducts.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=8

[wonderwolf]

I've thought about making one for 50BMG and 20MM Vulcan but need to find 2 scrap carbide end mills to use for the project. I was just going to build a very large version of the lyman trimmer or if I could make the shell plate I would do one like a forster.