MyCheckmaker

[wistlepig1]

Here is my latest project, 2 check makers for a standard "O" reloading press. I make 2 this week, one is for 30 Cal. and the other is for 35 Cal. (357's). The pictures are of the 35 cal. This design is stolen from others here with the addition of a bottom feed into the primer catcher. The first one took 3 days and the second one took 3 hours. Later I will do a 22 cal. when the cold weather returns to Colorado.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/asset.php?fid=73132&uid=11119&d=1374807989
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/asset.php?fid=73133&uid=11119&d=1374808000
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/asset.php?fid=73131&uid=11119&d=1374807979
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/asset.php?fid=73134&uid=11119&d=1374808012

[Lights]

Nice work!

[RobS]

Now that is pretty slick!!!

[Forrest r]

Nice!!!!

There's nothing better than 1 pull of the handle ='s 1 check.

Only people that strive for perfection to make the best quality bullets possible make their own custom gas check makers.

I like the piece you made for the top of the press, could you take a couple of pictures of it & post them?

[JeffinNZ]

I rather like the base design and the way it spits them out the side. Very nicely done.

[WILCO]

w0w! Nice work.

[tjones]

Humm, stolen from others, ya mean like Chinese....

[Taylor]

Plan on making any for sale?

[wistlepig1]

Forrest r, gave me this info and was very helpful. My checkmaker is a copy of it with 2 exceptions. One I make the shell holder and punch in one piece so it would spite out the formed chex into the spent primer tray and 2 is I make a blank die, 7/8" x 14 to go in the top my press. Once I threaded the blank I used a locking ring from an old die I had. Hope this helps anyone that wants to do there own.

No, I don't plan on selling these, I made them on a hobby Lathe and mill and it's way to time consuming to market. Their are 2 guys on this site that do make and sale a good product. If they wish to use any of my ideas they are welcome to do so and good luck to them. I have stolen so many good items from guys on this site:bigsmyl2:, it's my turn give back!
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/19270735/1972319883/name/Check-Maker1%262.pdf

[wistlepig1]

PS, I checked and the link works but slow, 24 pages in this PDF file. I would suggest just download and print the section on the one set check maker, Martin

[wistlepig1]

Here you go Foresst r, hope this helps. martin

7723277233

[Forrest r]

Thank you for the pic!!!! THAT'S SWEET!!!!

I'm going to have to make a couple of different styles of those to test to see if there's any difference in how the check makers perform.

I was actually using a 7/8-14 threaded body of the check makers to make mine & screwing that into the press.

[LynC2]

:drinks: Well done! Great modification of an design to make it even better. If I didn't already have an arbor press, I would be busy copying it!

[exdxgxe4life]

Well if you ever do decide to start making them, let me know. I'll take one for .44 caliber.

[kayak1]

I would love one in .30 :-)

[Tarkid]

And I'll take one for .357!

[Taylor]

Know absolutely nothing about machine work,sure wish I did,because I would own one.I could make stuff!!

[wistlepig1]

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Pictures 1 and 2 are of the first checks I made today with my updated checkmaker, I colored one with a sharpy and on a 53gr Bantor bullits.

Picture #3 is of the ejector being machined to slide the Checks into the primer tray. Works better that the ones I did for the 30 and 35 cal. Someday I may update them.

Picture #4 is of the Checkmaker, and the first 20 on bullits, now I have to find time to take them out and shoot after some lubing. Wife had both knees replace so I am a homebody for a few weeks!

[n.h.schmidt]

Hi wistlepig
I can see you are thinking on how to build a better mousetrap. Well done. I have a question . The way it all looks, the ram will push the punch into the aluminum before it moves very far. Nearly any press has very poor leverage at the first inch or so of movement. How heavy is the effort to punch the aluminum at this early movement stage of the ram?
Some press rams or the linkage can be modified to get a lot of leverage with just a short movement. I have done so on a couple of my presses that I use for making gas checks.Makes life easier for my old arms.
n.h.schmidt

[wistlepig1]

I am making the check from .009 Al in 22 cal and 35, .014 Al in 35 cal. The punching action on my Rockchuker has no problem with the 22 and 35 cals, the 30 cals require a little more pressure, about the same amount needed to FL resize a 30/06 case. I have an old rockchuker Jr some were and I could dig it out an test it with the Jr. That Jr is a smaller press, so it may show a pressure problem if there is one. Also I was thinking of resharpping the cutters and them heat treating as another improvement. What do you think, is it worth the time. martin

[n.h.schmidt]

Maybe I'm doing the hardening wrong. When I have tried to harden either the punch or the die ,I got a lot of warping. the punch went out of round and the die( the bigger piece with the slot) warped down and mostly closed the slot .They were hard but useless. Now I try to use annealed bolts to make this stuff. Sometimes a useless rifle barrel is used. They are hard but, workable . One of my plain base dies ( a 9mm size) has made over 20,000 gas checks and no noticeable deterioration has happened.
n.h.schmidt

[Forrest r]

I don't know how your heating the metal or what your using to quench it. Here's a thread that another forum member documented how he heat treats the metal parts he makes.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?200792-Swaging-on-the-Cheap-9mm-Case-to-40SW-10mm-JWords

It starts on page 3, post 44 & goes to post 67 where he documents how he does his pieces & parts.

Hope this helps.

[tjones]

Heat treating is a black art. Phoenix or Los Angeles (capitol of heat treating) have shops that specialize in just that. -tj

[wistlepig1]

I have not heat treated any of the three I made (yet) and I didn't think about the warping thing. I have made about 500 each with each one and they still cut pretty good, so I wonder if it's going to be needed??
This winter when I get cabin fever I will redo the first 2 (30 and 35 cal.) and change the base to the "birds mouth" design of the 22 cal. Better design and works like a champ. I don't have a mold for a 243 but if I get a bullit for 243, I think I will see if I can make one for it and then buy a mold. That is a late winter project. Martin

[bstone5]

The check makers I make are used to make checks for plan base pistol bullets.

The check maker is single stroke, it makes a check with each stroke on the maker.

The center cutter for cutting the circular disc is heat treated, the green part.

The material is water Harding tool steel I purchase at the machine tool shop here in Houston.

These check makers have made thousands of checks from cola cans and have never got dull.

[Forrest r]

That's all I heat treat also with my 1 pull of the handle/1 check gc makers (the green colored tube).

Heat treating is not that hard, even heat & a good brine or oil will cut down on the warping. I also like to use annealed hardened steel then just re-heat treat it.

[Stephen Cohen]

I was once told that even heat is easier if you spin part to be heated in drill press then lover it into the oil, sounds good but I worry about my actions when oil catches fire, been a long time since I dirtied myself.

[rcav8r]

Where are you sourcing your springs from?

[rcav8r]

BTW, the correct way to quench a part like the punch, is straight in, small end first. In other words, plunge it vertically.

If you quench it sideways, the part that touches the oil first will cool more rapidly, shrinking as it cools, pulling the uncooled part towards itself, resulting in a warped part.

[bstone5]

I get the springs at a hardware store the springs are too long and I cut off withe a grinding wheel type cutter.

Century Springs sells on the net, I first purchased some from Century Springs but found some later at a local hardware store for about the same price, Century Springs has a minimum order dollar value and I would need to purchase over ten springs to make the minimum order.

The part number I have used from Century Spring was # 27 if I remember right.

[wistlepig1]

Ace Hardware is where I get my springs and I do have to cut them to fit.

[MaxJon]

I like this design better than the others, as the punch is not entering, and exiting the die body. Less chance of wear, with slight misalignment.

[Baffled]

https://leeprecision.com/reconditioned-breech-lock-challenger-press.html
This is considered to be one of the toughest presses made by Lee Precision. If you check the clearance links you may find one of these at a decent price. If you are using one of the cast aluminum 'C' style presses such as I use, you find the frame hole where the ram passes through wears out quickly. If you dismantle the ram from press you can access this hole with a slit dowel rod and sand paper. Once squared back up you can prep a brass tube to fit back in the hole, 0.001 larger than the frame hole. Using a sealed container you can then use dry ice, or one of the coolant sprays used to cool off electrical components. Dowse the brass part liberally, goal is to shrink it 0.001-0.002 in size. Use a heat gun to heat up frame use caution here as aluminum heats and cools fast, not sure if you would need to heat or cool here now that I reflect on on past processes (used to install turbine assy on main shaft). In doing this the purpose is to have the aluminum hole diameter increase while decreasing the brass sleeve. Locking the two parts in a battle of wills if it were trying to get back to original size.

[Shamus]

A2 tool steel works best for punch dies, holds dimensions much better. You can use O1 tool steel and do a fast oil quench, just takes more work and more finesse. You can do the A2 hardening at home with foil bags. The soak time matters, the temp stability matters etc. You need a good metal furnace with an accurate controller. But A2 steel is easier, less clean up, very good durability. It takes practice to harden tools with good results. You really need a quality furnace that will hold temps with good temperature stability. Two are best, one for the hot initial hardening run and one for the tempering soak. But you can get away with just one too, just gotta let it cool down for the second stage.