Homemade gascheck material thickness

[drumgool]

I have a freechex 2 in 30 caliber . I bought some flashing that was .010" thick but the check come out a little loose . I tried to to find some thicker material but no luck . So I had allready sheared my material in 1/2" strips ,I got some masking tape and taped to the strips & trimed off excess with scissors.Tape goes to the inside. They come out nice and and even and fit snug.

I have not read of any one trying this thought it might help some one who is having trouble finding the right size material . It is a lot quicker than trying to punch two different material thickness of material. I have not shot them yet but I see no reason this woul effect accuracy.

[keebo52]

Sounds like that might work. Please keep us posted on how they shoot. I bought an aluminum "No Trespassing" sign at wally world to try. It mikes at .012 thickness. This aluminum is pretty hard so I've only made a few with this material. I guess I need to anneal it to soften it up a little.

[JeffinNZ]

Do you mean loose on the bullet shank or loose on the forming mandrel?

If loose on the bullet shank pop the mandrel in a drill press and with some fine wet and dry spin a thou or two of the part of the mandrel that forms.

0.010 material should be fine for .30cal but 0.012 may be better. I have found it critical to fill the void complete between bullet shank and barrel groove when using Al.

EG: groove .308 - shank 0.284 = 0.024 divided by 2 = 0.012 material.

[RU shooter]

I found out about the masking tape trick by accident but yes it does work well enough. Jeff is spot on, its crucial to fill the void between shank and sized boolit dia. for consistant accuracy

Tim

[Larry Gibson]

I use .012" brass shim stock. It's great on all of my 8mm molds and .31 molds. I am batting about 50% on my 30 cal moulds for tightness on the shank when sized .311.

Larry Gibson

[Philngruvy]

I also have the .30 free chex II. I am casting 30-30 boolits from a Lee C309-150 F and then resizing to .308. I have been experimenting with Little Friskies cat food cans which have a white coating on the product side. This material makes beautiful gas checks but when I run the boolits with the checks through the resizing die, the gas checks are untouched. All the white coating is still fully intact which leads me to believe that the checks are too small. So I made some checks with the cat food can material doubled with a single layer of beer can on the inside and the resulting check, when run through the resizing die, has the white coating skinned off by the die, indicating to me that it is now the proper diameter. I will test fire these on Sunday and compare to the boolits with no beer can added to them. Doggone it, I love this hobby!!!

[Slow Elk 45/70]

If you can find some of the budweiser aluminum "Bottles", they make fine checks and emptying the product ain't too bad eather.[smilie=1:

[Larry Gibson]

If you can find some of the budweiser aluminum "Bottles", they make fine checks and emptying the product ain't too bad eather.[smilie=1:

I've tried getting the Bud aluminum "bottles" but nobody in any stores knows what I'm talkinga about as all aluminum Bud containers are cans. What does said "bottle" look like? Can you post a picture or give a better description than "bottle".

Larry Gibson

[Philngruvy]

The aluminum bottles are shaped just like the glass bottles. I have seen them in some restaurants but they are not to common in the local stores.

[Vly]

Larry - Here is a link to the aluminum bottle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum_bottle


How do you like the brass shim stock? I have a large quantity in .012 thickness as well. When my check tool from Pat arrives, that is what I will be trying...among other things.

[Larry Gibson]

Larry - Here is a link to the aluminum bottle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum_bottle


How do you like the brass shim stock? I have a large quantity in .012 thickness as well. When my check tool from Pat arrives, that is what I will be trying...among other things.

Vly

Thanks for the picture (even if in Wik). Can't say I've seen any of those "bottles" in any of the stores in this neck o the woods (anyone in western WA aware of them?) I will be looking for them.

I really like the .012" brass shim stock. Easy to cut into strips with paper cutters and easy to make the GCs. I make them while watching TV, surprising how many you can make in and evening sitting in the recliner! I've run comparative tests in 8mm, .30 and .31 and fond no difference in accuracy at 100 yards with velocities in the 1800-1950 fps range between them and Hornady’s and old Lyman's.

On another thread there is a heated debate going on testing and all of the variables (that thread pertains to Lubes but it is applicable to many such "variables). Seems that, as usual on this forum, that "opinion" is winning out over testing, mostly because of "opinion”. I found with several of the "variables" that many get in a nut roll over that my testing shows very little, if any, improvement. GCs are one of those variables that I've found that don't seem to matter. Which brand, flavor or if home made haven't a real repeatable (when properly tested) advantage one way or the other if quality one's are used. This certainly applies to GCs. If there well made and fit they will shoot as accurately as Hornady's or Lyman’s. If they are not well made and don't fit the shank or aren't sized when the bullet is then they probably won't shoot as well. I have made some not so good GCs that fit that description. Proper testing has proven that to me, good home made GCs are just as accurate as factory GCs.

Bottom line; I like the .012” brass shim stock so much I’m thinking of lightly enlargement the GC shank portion of those moulds that are to small for a good fit with GCs formed from the .012” brass shim stock.

Larry Gibson

[cast367]

Larry gibson
Thanks for your mail. But I have not receive your pictures.
Maby can you send please??
Leo367

[Larry Gibson]

Here's a picture of the 8mm tool (I have one for .30/.31 GCs also). I will make a sketch of the inside later today and post.

Larry Gibson

[RayinNH]

So that's where the handle went to my hose connection :roll:.



Larry, does that tool blank and form, just blank or just form. Kinda cool looking...Ray

[Larry Gibson]

So that's where the handle went to my hose connection :roll:.

Larry, does that tool blank and form, just blank or just form. Kinda cool looking...Ray


Ray, was that your faucet......ooops......LOLs:roll:

The tool punches the blank and then forms the GC. The brass strip goes through a slot in the side and a whack with a plastic mallet on the part (blank punch) the faucet handle is on punches the blank. The blank falls down on top of the form chamber. The forming punch is inserted through the blank punch (you can see the rod sticking up out above the faucet handle) and another whack with the mallet forms the GC. The GC and forming punch come out the bottom of the tool. I epoxied a strip of mouse pad onto the forming body and the faucet handle onto the blank punch because the blank punch binds in the hole it’s made through the brass strip. A slight twist action on the faucet handle gets it out easily with rubber pad to grip the tool with.

I generally make the GCs sitting in my easy chair while watching news or a movie. I can make a lot of them easily. I sit a 5 lb block of lead on my left thigh to put the tool on when I whack it. Works easily, I made 1400+/- 8mm GCs in 2 evenings.

Larry Gibson