How do you mount Freechex on Press ?

[pt4u2nv]

Just aquired a 1 Ton Harbor Freight arbor press and am waiting for my Freechex III. How are you'all mounting the die onto the press ? I have not seen the die yet so havn't had the chance to come up with a game plan yet. I know a few of you are using the HF press so you can save me the effort to figure something out with your tried and true designs. Thanks in advance.

Rick

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Here is a thread with some photos of some members FCIII in a arbor press.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?150117-Freechex-III-question

[tjones]

.... am waiting for my Freechex III.

Rick

From what I read "waiting", are you mounting an original Freechex III or one of the copies some are making for others on this forum? Some seen here are screw down types. My reasoning, it seems most don't need more than a few days to have an actual Freechex in hand from Charlie.-tj

[altheating]

Pt4u2nv
I have the same press as you bought. I used the plate that came with the press. Lower the square press rod down to the plate. Trace around the square rod, draw a line across the corners to find the center. That way you have the exact center of where that square bar hits that base plate. Drill a hole into the plate a bit larger than the size of the checks you are making right where the X is. Once the small hole is drilled, drill a larger hole to accept the Freechex III. Only drill the bigger hole about 2/3 the way through the plate! In the front of that plate drill a hole and thread it for the set screw that will hold the Freechex tool in place. I mounted the press to my bench. I also made a aluminum slide that allows the checks to slide out into a soup can that is attached to the bench front. You can punch out 2500 + per hour once you get the hang of it. I find using some Mica on my strips keeps them from sticking in the die.

[arjacobson]

Easy- use a block of wood-aluminum-steel-etc. drill a hole that will accept the tools bottom. Drill a thru hole for the checks-drill and tap the base to hold the tool. Mount the base to the arbor press 61455

[Ben]

Some of you may have a much better method than mine of mounting a FC III on a H/F 1 ton arbor press..... BUT.....you're welcome to see how I did mine and it works just fine for my application.

I used a walnut block and drilled a hole in it that is so snug that the base of the tool had to be tapped into the hole. ( No chance of " wobble " with a fit this tight ) IMPT ! - If you do this , DO NOT hit the top of the tube with a metal object. I used a soft block of pine and placed it on top of the tube then tapped on the block of wood. This action easily seated my FC III tool into the bottom of the drilled hole in the walnut block.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/876.jpg

The wood block is held securely to the plate with a pair of torque head screws that come from underneath the main plate , completely though the walnut block. This gave me a super strong arrangement to hold the block to the main plate.

With this arrangement, I get zero lateral movement and zero vertical axis shift of the main FC III g/c tool body. The tool stays perfectly positioned under the ram.

As you can see in the photo below the entire base of the g/c tool is embedded in the walnut block of wood. There is a " thru hole " that is about .45 " in dia. on the under side of the walnut block that allows the g/c s to fall through the hole & guides them into a rubber hose that will route all the formed checks into a catch can below my work bench. That catch can can potentially hold well in excess of 4 or 5 K .30 cal. gas checks.

The catch can underneath my bench catches 100% of the checks.

Here are some photos :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/003-39.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/005-26.jpg

This rubber hose that you see below is a piece of scrap garden water hose that I had laying on my bench. Works fine to get all your checks headed through the hole in your bench to the catch can below :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/007-26.jpg

It is very easy to see in the photo below how the rubber hose directs the gas checks though the hole in my loading bench and drops all of them in the " catch can " underneath the bench top.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/009-25.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/016-16.jpg

Here is the " finished product " , .30 cal. gas checks made from Ameri - Max .014" thick aluminum :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/012-19.jpg

[pt4u2nv]

From what I read "waiting", are you mounting an original Freechex III or one of the copies some are making for others on this forum? Some seen here are screw down types. My reasoning, it seems most don't need more than a few days to have an actual Freechex in hand from Charlie.-tj

Not actually waiting for the Freechex but waiting to order it. Although I am "waiting" for one from Pat Green for PB boolits........been 4 weeks now and check has been cashed......just sayn' :(

[Ben]

I did not particularly like using wood blocks to hold the rotating plate on my Harbor Freight , 1 ton, Arbor Press in the proper alignment.

Today I drilled a through hole into the rotating plate and through the base of the arbor press.

This allowed me to drive in a fitted pin. This guarantees zero movement of the rotating plate while I'm punching out gas checks. You'll find this to be a problem with the H/F Arbor press, unless you do this modification.

This rotation must be stopped so that you can feed the metal strips into the FC III tool and use your other hand to operate the handle.

See photos.

Thanks,
Ben

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/001-41.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/003-40.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/004-38.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/005-27.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/006-30.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/007-27.jpg

[cdet69]

Never thought of using the tool upside down. I like you set up so I am going to have to give it a try.

[Ben]

cdet69

Upside down or right side up ? ? ....UUUmmmm ?

It just seemed logical that if the formed g/c's went out the bottom of the tool that the other end would be the top of the tool ? ? ?

I've made many thousands with it set up this way. Works flawlessly.

Ben

[dragon813gt]

As others have said you just need to drill a hole. I drilled the larger hole just deep enough to hold the tool securely.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/Reloading/696CC662-3D69-4313-ABA7-BE4E948059A0-12229-000008409BE57EAB.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/Reloading/E7275A54-A973-4092-A7C2-0733E52AEAF4-12229-0000084082ECDA68.jpg

[GL49]

Is it required that you use an arbor press? I've got an old Herters reloading press, it's built super strong, it's a dinosaur of a press. Would it be suitable for mounting a freechex? Why does everyone use an arbor press, or a drill press as I've seen in some cases?

[yonky]

As others have said you just need to drill a hole. I drilled the larger hole just deep enough to hold the tool securely.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/Reloading/696CC662-3D69-4313-ABA7-BE4E948059A0-12229-000008409BE57EAB.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/Reloading/E7275A54-A973-4092-A7C2-0733E52AEAF4-12229-0000084082ECDA68.jpg
When using coils you might also try running the strip the other way(underneath) sometimes it feeds better.

[yonky]

As others have said you just need to drill a hole. I drilled the larger hole just deep enough to hold the tool securely.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/Reloading/696CC662-3D69-4313-ABA7-BE4E948059A0-12229-000008409BE57EAB.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/Reloading/E7275A54-A973-4092-A7C2-0733E52AEAF4-12229-0000084082ECDA68.jpg
When using coils you might also try running the strip the other way(underneath) sometimes it feeds better.

[dragon813gt]

When using coils you might also try running the strip the other way(underneath) sometimes it feeds better.

This was just temporary. I need to build proper spools for the coils.

[pt4u2nv]

Quite a few great ideas. Knew I could count on you guys to get me on the right course. Thanks

[Ben]

pt4u2nv :

We are hopeful that you got some good ideas from all of this.

Ben

[yonky]

This was just temporary. I need to build proper spools for the coils.
Steve,Thats a nice set up,when i posted mine on you tube most of the coments i received were about the spacing of the holes on the strip!Ionly posted the video to show how much quicker and easier it was to make gc from coiled material. but there you go some folks will always find fault something... you can't please everyone can you? Regarding my coment on running the coil underneath it may slide better through the tool with the edge burr the other way..try it and see.

[dragon813gt]

Thanks for the tip. I was running it that way so it stayed tight on the spool. I had it run under but if I let go of the strip it snapped back and next thing you know.....I had a mess and needed to respool it ;)

I grabbed my wire spool holder that I used at work so was limited on the diameter for the outer part of the spool. I should have time this weekend to build larger diameter ones so if tension is left off the strip doesn't pop outside the spool.

I sent you an email but just wanted to say thanks again for the aluminum. It works a lot better than what I could find locally. I no longer have to clean the Freechex out often like I did before.

[pt4u2nv]

pt4u2nv :

We are hopeful that you got some good ideas from all of this.

Ben

I certainly did....Thanks again

[sirgknight]

First of all, thanks to a forum member (Ben) for giving me the idea for my application. The only wood that I had on hand was pine, but I will use a harder wood (oak, walnut, etc) when I can obtain a few pieces. The FreeChex tool is working flawlessly for me and I really like the way my catch-bin is mounted under the front ledge of my workbench....there is a 3 1/2 inch overhang that allowed me to make a shelf slide for the little bin. It allows me to actually watch the checks fall. This setup is totally unique for me but maybe it will give you another look at what can be done. After making the four different checks it is my opinion that the .016 copper material is a tad too thick for the tool, although the tool does function quite well. It is difficult to maintain the proper positioning of that thickness of material to get a completely round check....just my personal observation. You'll notice that my setup doesn't include using the plate.

[Ben]

Yes, that is nice Glenn ! !

Yes, I believe that I do recognize those bullets !

[fixit156]

First a big thanks you to all who posted their pictures. And explained how they mounted their Freechex III. Just finish setting up mine. I add a hose clamp to the ram so it would stop on the up stroke to prevent the tool from coming apart. Keeps a little pressure on the tool spring. Works great now need to order another one for my 357 GCs which I will mount on the other side
62181

[sirgknight]

looks great....aren't we great at adapting!!!!!!

[ph4570]

My setup. The white stuff is UHMW polyethylene which is easy to work with for this sort of thing. The top part of the tool and press ram are a snug fit into the top plastic part. This keeps the slot centered making material feeding nice. The bottom part is a snug fit as well. This all keeps the top and bottom tool parts perfectly lined up for smooth operation.

62807

The block and pin keep it snug on the press base.

62808