Lee zip trim question ??

[hotwheelz]

I just got my lee zip trim seems easy enough but when i use the lee case trimmer it will not go in far enough to do any cutting ? Do you have to deprime before trimming ? If so do you then need to use the zip trim or the drill holder b/c it will trim to much off if you dont ? I tried it by hand and it cut to much off the case but if I chuck it into the zip trim then the shoulder doesnt reach the bottom of the case the pin that goes threw the flash hits on the zip trim. Maybe IM looking at this all wrong could use some help here.

[skeet1]

You need to size & deprime your cases first. Then when you use you Lee trimmer the the pilot pin goes through the flashole and controls the depth of cut when you have the case chucked up in your Zip Trim.

Skeet1

[HeavyMetal]

This is a "dead stop" system! Each "pin" is cut for a specific case. However if your using a 30-30 pin and are trimming 308 case's your in for a surprise!

I'm not a fan of the zip trim preffering a 24 volt cordless drill with the collet chuck. easier on my elbow!

[hotwheelz]

OK thanks I was thinking it stopped on the shoulder not on the base of the pin.

[skeet1]

The way I use my trimmer is to chuck the Lee trimer in the drill press and run it on the slowest speed. I then use the shell holder that comes with it and screw it on the lock stud. The lock stud has a Hex end on it that I hold with one of those screw drivers that used Hex screw driver bits. Then all I have to do is chuck up a case and while the cutter is spinning just slide it up over the pilot (case length gauge). This sound complicated but it is easy and you can trim a lot of cases in a short time.

Skeet1

[mikeyd499]

I chuck the hex-stud on the shell holder into a small battery powered drill. I have a round wooden ball on the trimmer. I start the drill and insert the trimmer guide into the shell. While the shell is still chucked I also chamfer the mouth after trimming. Works pretty well and fairly fast also.

[DLCTEX]

If you don't resize the necks before trimming, the trimmer will wobble and cut out of square. + 1 on using a cordless drill.

[Recluse]

I'm usually a pretty vocal supporter of Lee Precision, but not in this case. This is one of two Lee products I've purchased that I consider a 100% waste of money (the other is the Lee adjustable powder bar for use on the disc system).

I still have the ZipTrim mounted on my bench--at the furtherest end, where it sees very infrequent use. I only use it for the occasional trim/chamfer, polish during a reloading run. When I'm loading long-gun stuff and will be doing a number of cases, I go to Plan B.

Plan B is a $59 drill press from Harbor Freight, with a Lee 3-jaw chuck. Now THIS is a trimming setup. I do like the dead-stop case-trim system devised by Lee, and I have a good number of them. I also like the wooden ball handle case trimmer. Lots less fatigue for my aging digits.

For around $85, I made myself a heavy-duty, easy-to-use case trimming system (drill press plus three-jaw chuck and stud adapter). The advantage to this over a cordless drill, in my opinion, is that the drill press remains stationary, whereas you have to hold the cordless.

Now, I've seen some pretty clever set-ups around here where boolit casters and loaders have developed vices and mounts and braces to hold their cordless drill stationary, and that works well too. I just like the drill press (I use it also for real drill press jobs--so I get double duty out of it) set-up. My press is mounted with large lag bolts on a work table that is mounted to a wall in my reloading shop. It's very stable and doesn't move whatsoever.

Always get good trim and case prep using this system.

:coffee:

[hotwheelz]

Thanks for all the help guys if I am going to stay with the Lee trimmer stuff I will have to modify my reloading process b/c I allways resizes deprime and put new primer in in one continous step but in order to use the lee stuff guess Ill have to reprime later.

[Recluse]

Here are a couple of pics of my casetrimming setup.

http://usera.ImageCave.com/jdkinman/CaseTrimSetup.jpg

http://usera.ImageCave.com/jdkinman/CaseTrimSetup1.jpg

Works well for me and I've got less than $100 invested in it (plus a spare tabletop drill press out of the deal)

:coffee:

[revolver junkie]

ya i use a cordless screw driver to do my case trimming work real well

hey recluse do those 3 jaw chucks work well iv been thinking abot one just for convinence sake

[725]

I use the zip trim as designed. Love the dead stop concept as I get trimmed brass (once the primer is out) as easy as pie and should the cutter not cut, I know overall length is within spec. Cuts square to the mouth, smooth and consistant. Cases cut with the zip trim are mechanically cut to the same length and no worries about adjustable systems working their way off the mark. Flash hole cuttting, champhering are quickly done without rechucking the case somewhere. Only problem I have had happens when the case isn't chucked firmly and it wobbles. And by the way, I really like the above drill press system.