Grinding my own cherry cutter

[zuke]

I've a friend that recently picked up a valve grinder. Would it be possible to use it to make up my own cherry's for cutting different bullet size's?

[Buckshot]

I've a friend that recently picked up a valve grinder. Would it be possible to use it to make up my own cherry's for cutting different bullet size's?

.................I have a vague remembrance of using a valve grinder in High School. I would imagine that where there is a will, there's a way. I'm sure with the right stone in it and a way to hold the blank cherry you could cut the flutes for a cherry. I sure can't tell you how to do it.

What you want for something like that is rigidity, no vibration, and a well dressed stone. I suppose you have a milling machine and a double acting vise?

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

[44man]

I wish you luck!
I am stuck with cutting mine with an end mill on a cheap Smithy. It takes a day and a lot of extra hand filing and sharpening to get one that cuts good. I sure wish I had some kind of tool grinder. Then the steel could be hardened first. I have to harden mine after cutting and have to watch for warpage.
I prevent the thing from warping by chucking it in my drill press and turning at a slow speed with a torch heating it. I put my can of oil right under the cherry and when hot, I stop the drill, open the chuck and let it fall straight into the oil.
The only other way I have found was to harden it first, then anneal and cut it before hardening again but it is a real pain in the butt.
It sure hurts to spend a day making one just to have it warp. Makes good boolits for those bent barrels!

[castalott]

Hi Guys! I would be interested in seeing your completed works.....That is something I have longed to do.....

Dale

[zuke]

Same here! I had access to a milling machine, but that was 2 job's ago...

[trk]

How about a picture or two on how you cut the cherry?

Could you start with a chucking reamer?

[44man]

I'll have to set things up and take pictures

[Frank46]

Zuke. If you have access to a lathe you can turn out a cherry with it mounted between the chuck and live center. And if you are lucky to mave a milling attachment for said lathe there are your flutes. Henry Beverage did a couple articles in either handloader or rifle magazine some years back and this is how he did his 32-40 cherry. I know this is easier said than done, but if you could do a search for those two magazines you might lucky and get the article. The CBA newsletter also had an article about making a double acting vise specifically for molds being cut by the cherry method. Frank

[Frank46]

Zuke, was on ebone looking around and since I had nothing to do did a search for chambering reamers. Well I did get reamers though no chambering reamers. There was a guy who was selling batches of reamers for about $2 each. Think they were carbide tipped. He said you could grind away the carbide section and make your own chambering reamers.
Well almost forgot about it (CRS) until your post. Since a cherry in itself is a reamer why not buy a couple and fool around with them and see howthey work. They're already hardened,
have the center holes in them and cheap enough that if things don't work out you haven't lost anything. What would be helpful in grinding your cherry would be a tool post grinder in a lathe. Just a thought. Frank

[ejjuls]

Heydy Hidy Hoe!

Feeling weird today - happy for some silly reason or another

If you are interested in making your own cherry's or chamber reamers - in my opinion I think this link will answer the majority of your questions. I have saved this info to my hard drive - an one day I will make my own chamber reamer for a wilccat round I cooked up.....

Anyway - gotta run to work - late again it seems

Check out this link and I will check the board on my lunch break

http://personal.geeksnet.com/soderstrom/ReamerMaking/HowImakechamberreamers.htm

Hope this helps
Eric

[slughammer]

Check out this link and I will check the board on my lunch break
http://personal.geeksnet.com/soderstrom/ReamerMaking/HowImakechamberreamers.htm
Hope this helps
Eric

Thanks ejjuls, that was excellent.