Press design, construction, and destruction

[BT Sniper]

There is many out there with questions as to what press can be used for making bullets. I have tried a few with some success and some failures. I know there is week points in press design and thought I would share a few examples of designs that worked and those that didn't. I must say that the CH dies I talk a lot about will work as stated when used as they are supposed to in a standard reloading press.

I'll post some pics soon of designs and models that have worked and some that have not soon.

BT SNIPER

[BT Sniper]

Here is a standard RCBS Rochchucker I like how the design supports both sides of the support arms as pointed out with pencil. This is a high stress point and needs the extra support IMO.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1020428.jpg

Here is a home made press I acquired from a friend on a larger scale yet same design. very strong!
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1020429.jpg

Here is my current swaging press a Redding Big Boss cast iron press. Notice the pointed out support arms are only supported on the inside. I can actually bend these bolts over time and ware out the hole it is placed in too. Certainly not as strong of a design.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1020427.jpg

here is a similar design from rcbs that was cast alunimum that I busted with too much pressure. It did serve me well and I made a lot of big 44 cal bullets with it. Had I not got a little (OK a lot!) excessive with the pressure it would still work just fine I'm sure.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1020403.jpg
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1020407.jpg

a bent bolt from my current press with extended use of either grade 5 or 8 I don't know
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1020409.jpg

what was left of an old CH C press. Really didn't stand a chance
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1020408.jpg

Handel roatation piece of a cheap Lee alunimum press. Again it did not stand a chance.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1020413.jpg
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1020414.jpg

Think that about does it for my press experiences. I think the Rockchucker may have a good design and possibly the Lee clasic cast iron press. Know some here use it as well with good results.

I must say that I knew at the time when these presses that they where not going to hold up to what I was trying to do with them which leads us back to use them correctly and most standard reloading presses will work just fine with the CH Swage dies.

Good shooting

BT

[shooterg]

Man, you are good for the press business !

I believe the older RockChuckers make good swaging presses with the solid ram and modified linkage Blackmon sells. A used 'chucker and his mods make a reasonable priced swaging tool.

[trevj]

What does he change on the linkage? Shorten it up for less throw/greater mechanical advantage?

Cheers
Trev

[elk hunter]

BT;

In my experience most reloading presses will make small caliber bullets i.e. 22 to maybe 25 caliber or possibly 30 caliber, but when you get up to 45 caliber the force needed goes way up. Years ago I egged out the ram pivot pin holes on a rockchucker making just a few tubing jacketed bullets for 45-70. I fixed that problem by building a dedicated swaging press. Another problem arises when you try to make the cores from hard lead like linotype or even wheel weights, the pressure goes way up again. In my opinion if you intend to make many jacketed bullets you're better off to buy a dedicated swaging press.

In spite of all the things I had to learn the hard way I have to say swaging is a fascinating aspect of reloading and shooting. And this forum is the one place where someone new can get good answers and help.

[MightyThor]

Having had a fair amount of experience with presses in non-firearm related projects I thing I can say without a doubt that the strongest I have built and the strongest I have used are those that have a direct connection between the ram pivot and the top plate. I believe that the walnut hill is an example of this style where there are arms that drop down from the top plate and the ram pivot is suspended from those arms. The ram guide can be suspended in numerous ways such that little strain is placed on that part of the system. On most other systems I have at one time or another deformed or broken parts of the frame.
We should start a press making project here and see if we can't make our own presses using junk we have already collected.

[ANeat]

We should start a press making project here and see if we can't make our own presses using junk we have already collected.


I think thats a great idea

[d_striker]

Bt-what do you think of this for a swaging press. I have never seen a Lyman like this.

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/for/1495709077.html

anyone know what it is?

[BT Sniper]

Thor,

Is the redding ultra mag press also an example of what you are talking about with the arms attached to the top plate?

[MightyThor]

Thor,

Is the redding ultra mag press also an example of what you are talking about with the arms attached to the top plate?

My recollection is that the redding does attach that way. Have to admit I haven't looked at one in nearly a year.

Just did a google search and confirmed that the Ultra mag is also an example of what I mean.

[BT Sniper]

Yeh, I just google searched too. Checked the RCE sight and they attach in the same style. Obvioulsy for the extra $80 or so I would get the wallnut hill press over the redding ultra mag.

Striker,

I think I have read replies to reccamended presses for swaging and it seems there was talk of an earlier version Lyman that was orange in color that was supposed to be pretty good. That looks like it could be one of them. I am not sure. I'll take a closer look.

It seems that press design is following suit with auto design. The older ones where built better and stronger for the most part.

[Russel Nash]

@ BT Sniper...

:shock:

Man! That's just nuts, what happened to those presses. :veryconfu

Thanks for posting those pics.

[Echo]

Bt-what do you think of this for a swaging press. I have never seen a Lyman like this.

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/for/1495709077.html

anyone know what it is?

Although not doing any swaging these days, I did some in the distant past - and I don't think this design is satisfactory for swaging. It has a simple, as opposed to compound, action, and will not have the power that a Rock Chucker (for example) does. My dos centavos...

[j4570]

RCBS will most likely replace that broken press.

[303Guy]

Thanks for the interesting thread, BT Sniper. I'm planning on building a swage press sometime.8-)

[AbitNutz]

I have been trying to buy an RCE Walnut Hill press for some months. Richard answers on occasion and tells me a few more weeks. If he ever does get some presses done I'll sell my older Corbin. Maybe I'll eBay it before he comes through....it's the holidays don't ya know.

[chrisx1]

I have been trying to buy an RCE Walnut Hill press for some months. Richard answers on occasion and tells me a few more weeks. If he ever does get some presses done I'll sell my older Corbin. Maybe I'll eBay it before he comes through....it's the holidays don't ya know.

I have had a .22 rimfire plus all the dies plus walnut hill press on order from Richard for 2 years plus [smilie=b: - send him an e-mail every 3 mos to make sure I'm still on his list.

That Walnut Hill press looks like the cats meow for swaging to me - as stated in above posts, the linkage is built right.

After 2 years of frustration, I'm ready to build my own. If I thought I could sell some, I'd build a bunch. We have enough machinists on this forum alone to sub out the parts and put together a nice product.

Any interest in such a project/group buy?

Chris

[JIMinPHX]

Now, I'm going to start this off by saying that I don't know jack about swaging.

That being said, about 6 months ago, I fooled around with the idea of figuring it out for myself. After I find the time to do a little more tinkering on my own, I'll probably come back here & look for some advice on the right way to do it, but for now I'm still just experimenting.

I just happened to see the title on this thread from the main forum index & it reminded me of a picture that I had taken a while back. This is it posted below. I thought that you guys might find it interesting. I'm not saying that its a good idea, I just thought that it might be interesting.

It's something that I cobbled together out of scrap material & an $8 jack. It is shown here extruding lead wire with a home-brew reducing die. The gizmo actually worked. That's lead wire squirting out the top of it. The only thing that I would have done differently on the press would be to weld some end caps on the tubing. After some brutal crushing of another type of die set, the ends of the bottom tube caved in.

[BT Sniper]

This is the type of thinking I love to see, inexpensive yet it works. Thanks for sharing. Hope to see you on this side of the board more often.

Good shooting

BT

[Russel Nash]

You're either up real late.... or real early. ^^^

Yeah, I thought it was a really neat idea too.

The catch is for me is all I have got is wheelweights.

Because of your thread here BTSniper, I went to another forum entirely and started to research some very exotic and expensive calibers...with maybe the idea of making pro-jo's for them.

It would be neat if I could get some afficianados to finance my regular pistol bullets by buying the bullets and maybe even the loaded ammo for their high speed firearms.

It's an idea anyway.

[heathydee]

I made this one . The upper and lower pivot points are high tensile steel . I am going to try and swage 30 caliber paper patched boolits when I get around to making a die . The swinging arms are doglegged to give clearance . Primers drop down the center of the ram and then out a port at the back . The stroke is just under 3.75 inches and it full length re-sizes cases easily up to 30-06 length .

[ANeat]

Wow HD thats really nice

[BT Sniper]

I agree nice work. So is the piviot points just welded on to the main body of the press. Do you think under enough fouce they could be broke free? I do not know much about welding just asking? Thanks for posting looks great.

[heathydee]

I agree nice work. So is the piviot points just welded on to the main body of the press. Do you think under enough fouce they could be broke free? I do not know much about welding just asking? Thanks for posting looks great.


No chance of that happening BT . I used to be a welder in a previous life. The problems in welding lie primarily in the distortion that can occur when welds contract . Careful alignment , clamping and tack welding can overcome this . Also pre heating is used when welding dis-similar steels .
As to the pivot points , they are over half inch in diameter and there are two at each end . they could not be sheared off if you put a length of pipe over the handle and heaved . The handle would bend first . It is merely 5/8" bright bar .