Derimming Press for BTSniper 22LR cases

[featherhead]

This is the latest rendition of a pneumatic derimming press for 22lr cases. If anyone has derimmed manually, you'll know how convenient an air setup can be.

Here is a photobucket video

http://s136.photobucket.com/user/franketrozzo/media/Untitled.mp4.html

[DukeInFlorida]

Let me be the first to say, Nicely Done!

I found that horizontal was better for me, but your use of the Lee sizer container (Red Plastic Container) seems to have solved your issues.

Looks great, including the custom welded frame. I don't have those fabrication and welding skills, so I used a salvaged RCBS press as the frame.

Nicely done. Thanks for the video. I hope that it will encourage others to also give it a go.

[featherhead]

Thanks Duke, The first thing I noticed when I started derimming by hand was how the cases popped out the top of the die and flew all over. Had to turn the die down on the lathe to remove the knurling so the catch container would slip on.

[DukeInFlorida]

Which is exactly why I turned my machine over on its side, and have a clear plastic tube running off the top of the die, into a bucket. The bucket fills up fast enough. And, I never let any "log jams" at the top of the die. They all blast down the tube, into the bucket.

[Cane_man]

FH that looks awesome, great job! 8-)

the swagers on this site never cease to amaze and inspire...

[featherhead]

It's very likely that I'll put this press up for sale in the next 30 days. I don't really do this for profit. I love to do fabrication and metal construction and like sharing my skills with other like minded reloaders. This seems to be a very needed piece of equipment given the strain and pain associated with derimming on a manual press. SO I'm looking to recoup my costs and recover a reasonable rate for machine and welding time. SO I'm figuring cylinder $100, partner press $75, fittings and valve $50, Shop time includes machining, fitting and welding about 3 hours @ $50 per hour. That comes to $375 plus shipping which is about $1 a pound. I estimate this to weigh about 75 lbs. If anyone is interested please PM me and we can make suitable arrangements.

[303british.com]

As they say, PM inbound.

As I said in my PM, you have a talent. I hope that you have a long, successful hobby career making these. All the best.

[Theditchman]

i got the press today....what pressure do you run this at

[303british.com]

I expect Frank will be along shortly. I'm buying his latest press and he told me in a PM that it was 90 PSI.

[featherhead]

Hey guys, Weirdly enough it took 10 days for the USPS to get that press delivered to Tony. And the tracking did not update until it was out for delivery. But it arrived safe and sound. @Steve, tomorrow I'm going to get a weight on your press so I can calculate an accurate shipping cost and come up with a total. I'll get with you toward the end of the week.

[303british.com]

No problem, Frank. I think we all appreciate what you're doing. Take your time. :)

[sprinkintime]

FH, what is the size of your cylinder 5"?

Thanks; Sprink

[featherhead]

It's a 5" bore with a 2" stroke exerting about 1750 lbs at 90 psi

[Theditchman]

I have set up the machine and am almost ready to try it out ...my RCE dies don't fit (of course) and I am waiting for a set to arrive and am getting a s h it load of 22lr cases ....the machine is well made and runs through its cycle like a champ..a great investment..I will experiment later with a foot pedal and see if it can be adapted to be used with BT.s auto eject system and other dies (I will be carefull and not try to swage my hand..lol)..I will post a pic if I do...its a great machine..get one if you can...Thanks again Frank if u make anything else let me have first dibs

[featherhead]

Hard to believe anyone makes dies that are NOT 7/8"-14tpi ....... I checked their site and cannot find out their thread spec. A foot pedal will work just fine. As for BT dies ...... the derim die absolutelty needs power, but the other dies go much faster by hand. I tried to make the core swage die work on the pneumatic and lead will not bleed out. Switch over to hand press and it bleeds out perfectly. I can't figure out why. There is also no safe way to hold the lead core into the die body when actuating the ram on the pneumatic. But core swaging and core seating on the hand press work great. I do not have the pointing die and have been waiting since January. My understanding is that very little pressure is required for all operations other than derimming and that a consistant pressure on the hand lever will will yield precise results.

I built 2 auto eject brackets, one for a Lee classic with a 1" ram and on for an RCBS with a .800 dia ram. One glaring short coming I noticed right off in BT's video is that the cores fall out, the seated cases fall out, and the pointed tips fall out all over the floor. So I fabricated a base on my ejection bracket with pockets milled to catch the components.

79054

Now the components fall into the catch tray

[Smokin7mm]

RCE Dies are 7/8-14 for both the top and the ram (walnut hill series). What is the ram threaded to on your set up?
Bret

[Theditchman]

I like the auto eject brackets...how much for one of those to fit my machine

[ricklaut]

Hard to believe anyone makes dies that are NOT 7/8"-14tpi ....... I checked their site and cannot find out their thread spec. A foot pedal will work just fine. As for BT dies ...... the derim die absolutelty needs power, but the other dies go much faster by hand. I tried to make the core swage die work on the pneumatic and lead will not bleed out. Switch over to hand press and it bleeds out perfectly. I can't figure out why. There is also no safe way to hold the lead core into the die body when actuating the ram on the pneumatic. But core swaging and core seating on the hand press work great. I do not have the pointing die and have been waiting since January. My understanding is that very little pressure is required for all operations other than derimming and that a consistant pressure on the hand lever will will yield precise results.

I built 2 auto eject brackets, one for a Lee classic with a 1" ram and on for an RCBS with a .800 dia ram. One glaring short coming I noticed right off in BT's video is that the cores fall out, the seated cases fall out, and the pointed tips fall out all over the floor. So I fabricated a base on my ejection bracket with pockets milled to catch the components.

79054

Now the components fall into the catch tray

Thanks for the catch tray idea... I was thinking about how to do this & it gives me a concept to work with. One thing I'd try to add is a way to open the bottom to dump out into a container.

[plus1hdcp]

@Featherhead - very nice work

[supe47]

featherhead- You must have some serious play toys. Beautiful!

[featherhead]

There are 1" milled holes in the corners of the trays, covered with a thin piece of sheet metal. I can pop it up from the bottom and let the components fall out into my hand.

[GunWhoreDer]

What secures the bottom to the Ram?
Very nice by the way.

[featherhead]

Two 5/16 set screws tapped at 45 degree angles on the back of the billet.

[featherhead]

I'm wondering who else out there might be in the market for a pneumatic derimming press. In looking for components, the best deal I can find on a press is the Lee Challenger. The pneumatics and fittings are easily found. It's the cylinders that are difficult to find at the right price. As I browse Ebay, they come up regularly, but I wonder whether to buy them up in advance? If I do, I'll be putting out money but will have them on the shelf ready to go when a request comes in. So that takes me back to whether or not there may be a regular call for presses. I can price them at $375 plus shipping. I use either 5" or 6" bores with 2" or 3" strokes. I always keep steel around to fabricate the frame.

[Theditchman]

Hi ...can u make me a tray and auto eject for the one I bought from you

[featherhead]

Tony, That press is for derimming. What you want to do is slide a Lee sizer container over top the derimming die to catch the derimmed brass as it comes out the top. BTSniper recommends all other operations to be done by hand, because it's the feel, not the force, that produces consistant bullets.

[Theditchman]

ok....cheers...have you ever thought about making a pneumatic press just for reloading ?

[featherhead]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpyUM5bqH0

I think Dillon beat me to the punch

[rasto]

I do not want to be more offtopic as you are so here is my catcher without need additional things to be mounted on the press.

http://img.janforman.com/th/CIMG1207lkq6.JPG (http://img.janforman.com/CIMG1207lkq6.JPG)

http://img.janforman.com/th/CIMG1209auw7.JPG (http://img.janforman.com/CIMG1209auw7.JPG)

[featherhead]

All you need is a hose and you can have a slip n slide.

[Theditchman]

I like it....well done

[supe47]

rasto- Field expediency, use what ya got. I like it.

[rasto]

Supe tell me about that it was in Sarajevo last year.
The bag was from my linen, the box was from my Magnum boots bought in Italien PX .... :bigsmyl2:

[303british.com]

Great idea. I like the fact that it's easy to use, and clean up is a breeze!