Case Prep Power Station Build

[Guardian]

I've got a RCBS Trim Mate that I've used extensively. It works well for chamfering, deburring, flash hole uniforming, and primer pocket cleaning; but it turns too slow for primer pocket uniforming and crimp removal, in my opinion. The Trim Mate is fine for small batches, but I rarely process less than 1,000 cases at the time and sometimes up to 5,000.

I've been using a corded drill for the steps that are too slow with the Trim Mate. This works, but I don't like hanging onto the drill. A zip tie on the trigger minimizes hand fatigue, but makes turning the drill off quickly improbable. The drill is also loud.

My goal is to build or repurpose something that:

is relatively quiet (i.e., I don't need ear plugs to run it for extended periods);
is relatively compact;
can be mounted to the bench;
has a drill chuck mounted horizontally;
is variable speed with an independent on/off switch; and
doesn't cost $400.


I like the Sinclair Power Center (http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading-equipment/case-preparation/case-prep-units/sinclair-power-center-prod33646.aspx?psize=96), but the price tab and fixed RPM eliminate that idea.

I considered removing the power head from a second hand drill press and mounting it horizontally, but it seems that's a bit bulky for the purposes I have.

I will have to purchase or salvage a motor for this project. I know very little about specifying motors, which is the reason for this post. Can someone point me in the right direction for a motor?

I would like the chuck speed to be variable from 0 to 1,000 RPM, which I realize is only achievable through an electronic controller. I think 100 to 1,000 RPM would also be acceptable. Am I better off going the electronic route or varying the pulley size for specific RPM? I expect the latter to be cheaper and the former more compact. Will the electronic controller compromise torque?

Thanks for any help.

[williamwaco]

Can you spell electric drill.

Doesn't even need to be 3/8" a 1/4 inch would do fine.

Mount it in a vice - upside down.


Been doing that for 50 years.

[Guardian]

Can you spell electric drill.

Doesn't even need to be 3/8" a 1/4 inch would do fine.

Mount it in a vice - upside down.


Been doing that for 50 years.

As noted...it's too LOUD, but I appreciate the thought. I also don't like the fact that the drill can't be switched off immediately if necessary. I guess I could put a switch in the cord, but that still doesn't solve the noise issue.

I need the 3/8 in chuck for some items, namely a Little Crow Gunworks WFT.

[MtGun44]

I'd use an electronic speed controller, although it might not be up to what you
need all the way down to 100 rpm. I'll bet you will find that 300-500 rpm will
do what you need. Make sure you get the right type of controller.

Electronic controllers come in various types. For brush-type motors, today most are
pulse-width modulated design, which make a square wave pulsed DC power input which
pretty much gives the normal torque over a reasonable speed range. Basically this
is turning the motor on and off extremely quickly many times a second. The time
that the power is on is the pulse-width, so by changing the width of the pulse (the
on time for the motor) you increase or decrease the rotational speed, but full
voltage is going to the motor during each pulse, so torque is still pretty good.
At very slow speeds torque is still pretty low.

A lot of the noise of drills is cheezy gears and blower - each making a howl. A
larger motor that is belt reduced from motor rpm down to the upper end of
the range you want will be much quieter.

Bill

[kbstenberg]

How about a bench drill press? You could incorporate a dead switch and a speed control.

[r1kk1]

I use a Festool drill where it's very easy to control the speed. Overkill for this application but I use it for a ton of tasks.

Take care

r1kk1

[dudel]

Dremel with a flex shaft?

Stash the motor in a sound dampened box, fix the shaft in a convenient location, use a foot operated variable switch for on/off, set the speed on the Dremel.

[44Vaquero]

A sewing machine motor w/foot pedal and a drill chuck attached would be superior to the Sinclair. It would not cost $400.00 either.

I actually use as motor from an old 3.6 volt cordless screw driver (180 RPM) powered by a dc power supply. It's quite, no speed adjustment though. Cost $12.00 for the power supply.

[Guardian]

A sewing machine motor w/foot pedal and a drill chuck attached would be superior to the Sinclair. It would not cost $400.

Thanks for that idea! Excellent! I never considered looking at a sewing machine and I happen to know where a free one is.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

You might also consider buying a harbour freight drill press and pulling the motor for your purpose. You can reinstall the motor and use it as a drill press when you're not using it for the case prep operations if you mount the motor conveniently in the case prep setup.

[Guardian]

Dave,

I was considering that. I've already got a drill press, but don't want to disassemble it. I have a Ryobi 12-in bench top press which has a lever on the side to adjust speed, rather than having to change belts on the pulleys. Adjusting the lever changes the spacing between the pulley halves attached to the motor.

My main reasons for looking for another option is weight and the bench space the drill press head would take up. Used drill presses are cheap on C-list, so I may just go that route as a first attempt. Worst case, I put it back together and sell it.

Thanks for the contribution.

[gunoil]

l gotta show this from youtube. Gen 1 rcbs trimmer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EeZ6np1XsA

[Guardian]

gunoil,

I tried that same idea with a Lyman trimmer and couldn't get consistent results, so I changed to the the drill press. I'm not suggesting that yours aren't consistent, just that I was going to have to buy tools either way, so I abandoned the lathe trimmers completely.

[catmandu]

A good idea is to aquire a used battery powered variable speed drill. Milwakee, DeWalt, Makita, Sears. I found one that ran in the 12 v to 14 v range. I bought a set of light jumper cables and cut them in half and removed the battery and wired them in directly. I made them for the crash box when I had a jeep. That way I had a handy drill I could run off the winch battery. You could do the same and remove the handle and mount to a block and run it on the bench off of a 12 battery charger. I have a few electric screwdrivers that the batteries died that I plan to use too. Apex tip adapter for reloading brass prep tools can be found. I found one that takes lee primer shellholders and I neck turn that way.

I can say more if I'm not too clear.

Paul in WNY

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Dave,

I was considering that. I've already got a drill press, but don't want to disassemble it. I have a Ryobi 12-in bench top press which has a lever on the side to adjust speed, rather than having to change belts on the pulleys. Adjusting the lever changes the spacing between the pulley halves attached to the motor.

My main reasons for looking for another option is weight and the bench space the drill press head would take up. Used drill presses are cheap on C-list, so I may just go that route as a first attempt. Worst case, I put it back together and sell it.

Thanks for the contribution.

Another thought would be to run a belt off the drill press you already have to a pulley drive that can run your tools. Kind of like what was done in factories in the late 1800's up North. They used a water paddle wheel off a fast running stream with a pulley attached, then ran a belt off that pulley to multiple pulleys and belts throughout the factory. Can look complicated, but really isn't and is a very efficient way to utilize a single power source.

[Gunor]

How about:

http://www.surpluscenter.com/Brands/Bodine-Electric/743-RPM-115-VAC-INLINE-GEARMOTOR.axd

And maybe a dimmer- need to look at load

[Guardian]

Thanks Guys! All the input has led me to a simple solution........a 90 degree drill attachment to put into my drill press. I'll just need to clamp it into a machinist vise on the table and it should be good to go. Dave's comment about redirection of power made me think of that. Some days, I just over complicate life......[smilie=b:

http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=TMT8000&gclid=CKf99f3x3boCFSNp7AodPw4AuA

Gunor, I appreciate the link to the motor. I may still get one of those for another project.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Guardian: another way to go that is absolutely the fastest way to do this type of work is a one of the older Craftsman units that adapts a drill motor to be used as a drill press.

I have had one for many years and what you do is mount the drill motor upside down and run the table down so that the CSK or other tool only protrudes as much as needed to do whatever you need. This give you a hand rest and enables to line the part up on the hole much easier.

Where this benefits you is in the "part handling time department." and in the Ergonomics department. (less effort)

It is easier to pick up a part or cartridge case (such as removing a primer crimp)and put it down onto a turning tool than any other position. You set up so that you pick up the part on the right side of the machine and dump it on the left.

You could do something similar with your drill press and angle head by laying the drill press on it's side and rotating the table 90 degrees (hopefully it has that function) to where the tool protrudes out the hole in the table.

Processing large quantities of parts one by one is all about the set up. The less you handle the part the better off you are.

Also if there are multiple operations involved it is faster and easier to do the multiple operations to each part as opposed to doing one op to everything and then going back and doing another op to the whole batch.

The less you actually handle any given part the better off it will be.

On the multiple operation point "Geargnasher" has a simple fixture he made out of two boards screwed together at 90 degrees, and had several Lee style tools mounted in holes in the vertical board so that he could chuck up a cartridge case in the drill and trim to length, chamfer and deburr, all in one chucking.

It was a simple and very efficient way of doing these operations..

As far as the drill motor making too much noise. I'd suggest a 3/8" Milwaukee Drill motor. They are the best single electric drill motor made. and I have had mine in use for better than 20 years and it still is relatively quiet. It's just made well.

Here's pictures of the set up I once had a screw machine job that required that I break the back edge of a piece of 3/16 aluminum tubing I had cut to length and chamfered on the Screw Machine.

There were 20,000 parts and this is how I did it completely painlessly while the machine was running..

Hope some of this helps.

Randy

[Guardian]

Thanks for the ideas. I really hadn't considered turning the case instead of the tool. I guess I thought that would be more time consuming. I could take a Lyman universal case holder off a trimmer and adapt it to go in the chuck. That gives me a few more things to think about.

I've tried the down vs horizontal on the primer pocket uniforming. For that particular step, horizontal seems to be easier for me. Down seems much better for flash hole deburring.

Thanks for the tips.