Varieable speed case trimmer/neck turner

[Love Life]

So there I was larger than life....

I was perusing a yard sale today and found a treasure. It was a 1.25 HP 1725 RPM GE electric motor. I paid $5.00, and was happy because it was well maintained and ran like a champ. Now that I have an electric motor to play with I plan to make a variable speed case trimmer/neck turner/who knows.

Why? Because I hate case trimming and have been disappointed with every case trimmer I have owned, including my Gracey. The issue I have is using power adapters you either have to use a super slow electric screw driver, or if you use a drill you have to lube the bejesus out of the cutter shaft to keep it from seizing up in it's cast iron housing if running high speed. I have RCBS trimmers, a lyman trimmer, a Wilson trimmer, and a Gracey. Each has their good points, but each is also lacking. So what to do? I'm going to make my own using the Forster system as the heart. Below are the details:

I plan to get a SS rod turned by a machinist to ensure it is true and made to accept Forster case trimmer tools. I will then mount the shaft in a pillow bearing that will be lapped to ensure snugness and trueness. The pillow bearing will allow the cutter shaft to be turned at high RPM without the worry of seizing up due to heat, thermal expansion, and forgetting to add more lube...

The cutter head section will be stationary. I plan to buy the case holder set up that CH4d uses for their power case trimmer. That way I move the case to the cutter head. I will mount the pillow bearing with shaft, and CH4D Case holder setup to an aluminum base, and use shims to ensure they are as perfectly aligned as humanly and measuring device possible.

Now for the motor and RPM range:
HP: 1.25 HP
RPM: 1725
The motor has a half inch shaft. Using a Drive/input pulley of 2.5 I can hit the following ranges by just swapping out the driven/output pulley and belt:

High Range:
Drive/Input: 2.5 inch OD
Driven/Output: 1.5 inch OD
RPM=2875 Use: Case trimming/chamfering/deburring

Mid Range:
Drive/Input: 2.5 inch OD
Driven/Output: 2.5 inch OD
RPM:1725 Use: Not sure. I'll figure it out

Low Range:
Drive/Input: 2.5 inch OD
Driven/Output: 4 inch OD
RPM:1078 Use: Not sure. I'll figure it out

Low Range 2:
Drive/Input: 2.5 inch OD
Driven/Output: 5 inch OD
RPM:862.5 Use: Neck turning and reaming.

So as you can see I will have a couple RPM ranges to play with, and I can even use the Forster primer pocket cleaners and hold the case by hand.

What do ya'll think. Am I on the right path here? Any input (good and bad)?

[jmorris]

The most effort free trimmer I have ever used is the Dillon mounted on either a 650 or 1050. You can size/deprime and trim 1800 an hour without putting your fingers on a single case. It uses indexable carbine inserts and spins at 4800 rpm.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/trimmer.jpg

My forester I just made an adapter to connect a 12v power window motor to it.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/DSC02033.jpg

[Love Life]

I looked at the Dillon, and it has one HUGE flaw. It does not chamfer and de-bur the case mouth. If it did I would have bought one a long time ago and called it a day. Plus it is a trimmer only.

With what I have in mind I can have a serious case prep station. An all in one that has enough speed for clean an fast cutting on the high end, and enough torque on the low end for other stuff.

I should really quit screwing around and just get a lathe...

[country gent]

I used the collet set up from an RCBS trimmer and made a stand to hold it uprigt. Then I used this in my table top drill press. I simply use a lee trimmer and pilots for trimming and the rebuilt stop on the spindle. I have neck turner heads made for several calibers that use the pilot from the expander die for neck turning.I have a holder made for deburing tools but havent found a really great set up yet. Last time I had a bunch I put the wilson deburring toolin the chuck on my wood lathe and a stool.sat there and did inside reversed tool and did outside.

[jmorris]

I looked at the Dillon, and it has one HUGE flaw. It does not chamfer and de-bur the case mouth.

It doesn't leave a bur unless its time to index the insert but you are correct that it doesn't chamfer. I use J words for my 3 gun rifles and belt fed toys so never had the need to chamfer the cases for them.

[Buckshot]

.............I built a case trimmer (doesn't chamfer inside or out) more or less as an experiment. It does it's job well. I searched E-Bay for small high torque DC motors and there were quite a few. However I took the easy way out. I went to Horror Fright and bought an $18 cordless drill motor. Figured if I'd render it useless merely by taking it apart I wouldn't be out a whole lot. The main problem is the clutch. Take off the clutch and the output shaft won't turn as the clutch assembly provides the lockup. It isn't a wowser for cleanliness of the wiring, but it works and works very well.

http://www.fototime.com/793AA6E6F290181/standard.jpg

Here's the entire unit. I built it out of odds and ends of materials I had on hand so my total cash outlay was the $18 for the donor drillmotor. I retained the original variable speed trigger assembly.

http://www.fototime.com/3D030E1898D974F/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/EA4C9A7F145D5AF/standard.jpg

I made a simple coupling from the clutch to the shaft of the RCBS case trimmer. The shaft the drill's chuck was mounted on was threaded 3/8-24 IIRC.

http://www.fototime.com/3E84A85BD0A3E2C/standard.jpg

The battery merely sits on the bench. I used the drill motor's battery interface to mate with the now remote battery placement. Not very elegant I admit. It has actually worked out so well I bought a second battery just in case. I was contemplating the idea of rigging a very simple cable setup from the trimmer's handle down to a foot pedal deal I could press on to lower the handle. The handle is tensioned to raise and capture the casehead as is. This way my left hand could extract and replace cases while my right hand merely had to move the motor fore and aft.

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

[Dutchman]

It isn't a wowser for cleanliness of the wiring,....

You sweep all that into a nice pile, pack it in a box and send it over to DoctorBill.. He'll figure a way to house all the gobblygook inside a Campbell's tomato soup can, complete with the pistol grip, and attach a joy stick to the top of the can. He'll also finangle a wireless transmitter so you can lean back in your chair and with a few flicks of the finger trim, polish and primer pocket de-crimp military brass without ever setting down your beer.

I am gaining faith that he could do this very thing.

Dutch

[W.R.Buchanan]

Eric: Nice use of the corner rounding endmill! I am a firm believer that if you are going to make something it sholud look nice when you get done..

Your machine looks nice!

Randy