one step check maker

[rbuck351]

Ok, so after getting tired of hammers, I made a one step oress operated check maker.http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu350/Buck48_photos/IMG_0051.jpg This in the press ready to use.http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu350/Buck48_photos/IMG_0053.jpg This the set as it would be in the press at the top of the stroke.http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu350/Buck48_photos/IMG_0056.jpg the parts disassembledhttp://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu350/Buck48_photos/IMG_0057.jpgIn the press ready to make a checkhttp://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu350/Buck48_photos/IMG_0058.jpg a gentel bump with your hand on the top of the bolt head and the check falls out the bottom of the diehttp://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu350/Buck48_photos/IMG_0059.jpg a pile of checks with one installed on a lyman 410610

[wistlepig1]

Would you tell me what size the punched disk are. thanks

[geargnasher]

Now THAT'S clever! One of these days I'm gonna have to get me a $%^#$%^& lathe!

Gear

[rbuck351]

The discs are .500 as that was what I had in drills and I didn't want to use a boring bar on that small of hole. I have one of the chinese 7x14 lathes and isn't very sturdy but does a fair job if you take light cuts.

[StarMetal]

Nice idea. Here's mine, feel the strip through the slot, work the ram, gas checks fall finished into the primer tray. Minimum parts on the die, easy to make, but time consuming to do so. If I have strips pre-cut I can chop out gas checks faster then loading cartridges.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg51/starmetal47/CheckDie.jpg

[rbuck351]

starmetal
I really like your design, but with my toy lathe, cutting that much thread would take forever. So I used allthread, but when I went to the 41cal there wasn't enough strength after cutting the slot to prevent the part above the slot from bending. I am assuming you are using a punch similar to the one i made that cuts the disc and then keeps pushing it up into the forming punch. If Lee would make these I would think they could be sold for around $35 and at that price i would probably buy rather than build. It was fun making it though.I see others are working on different ideas but your is the slickest i've seen yet. Pats seemd to take two steps and I thought i'd try to make a one step not knowing it had already been done.

[garandsrus]

Joe,

Can you provide an unassembled picture of what you made along with a few measurements?

Also, how did you cut the slot in the die? From the picture I can't see if the slot is really a slot or if it is cut through on the other side of the die. If the other side of the die is cut, then any slotting cutter should be able to make it.

Thanks,
John

[StarMetal]

The slot isn't cut in from the side, it's a slot in the center of the die itself. Now you can make a slot from the side if you have a separate adjusting four jaw chuck on your lathe so you can drill the bore off center so the slot from the side is through the thinner wall and the thicker wall gives more support.

[mrbill2]

Here's another one. I made mine from a Lee 22 Hornet Necksizing Die body. Saved alot of boring and threading work. Just cut the slot and the die body is done. Enjoy the pictures.

[RayinNH]

Mr. Bill can we get an explanation of the process and maybe see the inside of that die. Charge admission if you have to :smile:...Ray

[garandsrus]

The slot isn't cut in from the side, it's a slot in the center of the die itself. Now you can make a slot from the side if you have a separate adjusting four jaw chuck on your lathe so you can drill the bore off center so the slot from the side is through the thinner wall and the thicker wall gives more support.

Joe,

Thanks... So how did you cut the slot? I have both a mill and lathe available, but lack the creativity and knowledge that experience provides. I am guessing that you cut it in two passes with a slotting saw, one on each side of the die. As long as the depth of cut is correct, the width of the slot will be correct also.

Mr Bill - What does the end of your punch look like that cuts the check and then forms it? I like the hollow base, allowing the check to fall free.

John

[StarMetal]

Joe,

Thanks... So how did you cut the slot? I have both a mill and lathe available, but lack the creativity and knowledge that experience provides. I am guessing that you cut it in two passes with a slotting saw, one on each side of the die. As long as the depth of cut is correct, the width of the slot will be correct also.

Mr Bill - What does the end of your punch look like that cuts the check and then forms it? I like the hollow base, allowing the check to fall free.

John

John pm your way.

[nekshot]

this is starting to tempt me! Mrbill2 am I correct in using a die of correct neck diameter for that diameter gas check. As a rem 8 mag neck die can be used to make 8mm gas checks?

[StarMetal]

this is starting to tempt me! Mrbill2 am I correct in using a die of correct neck diameter for that diameter gas check. As a rem 8 mag neck die can be used to make 8mm gas checks?

The diameter the discs have to be cut is the diameter of the gas check shank, plus two thicknesses of the material it's cut from, plus the height of the cup you want.

[nekshot]

Thanks Star metal, that makes sense. This forum has more smarts and common sense than the white house could ever hope to have! I clearly see a way to use all my old magnum dies and say good by to buying gas checks.

[mrbill2]

John
What makes my die different from others is that my die CUTS the disks as opposed to punching the disks. If you look at the cutting edge you can see that it is not the same height all the way around. If you were to take a ride on the cutting edge you would see that it would be like riding a roller coaster. This means that the cutter starts cutting on the high spots and continues as the cutter moves up to the top of the press stroke and ends it's cutting on the lower parts of the cutting edge. Never having to cut or punch all of the disk at one time. This all translates into much less force needed to make the disk. I hope you can see in the photos what I'm talking about. The first picture is before sharpening and the last two after.

[mrbill2]

Mr. Bill can we get an explanation of the process and maybe see the inside of that die. Charge admission if you have to :smile:...Ray

This is what's inside and in what position the parts are located in the die.

[StarMetal]

Mr Bill,

Nice die and nice job making it. On my die there is just the die body, the ram disc punch, and the top cup form punch. Less parts, less work to make, less to go wrong. I've punched quite a few different materials from soft aluminum, hard aluminum, hard copper, and even plastic and don't see any effort at all in punching discs. Mine punch near the top of the ram stroke too. I harden the disc punch and being a flat faced punch I don't see having to sharpen up the edges. I'm wondering how many check you can make with yours before you have to sharpen that disc cutter. I've made me a set in 22, 6.5, 30, and 8mm. I don't slot the disc punch ram either, my check fall straight through the ram into the primer catch tray.

[RayinNH]

Thanks Mr. Bill. I'll get pictures of my set-up sometime. I've only made .30 cal. so far. I'll just say it involves a 40 ton press. It's a little overkill...Ray

[mrbill2]

Joe
I see we have a different approach, but in the end the results are the same. My idea with my die is to be able to change out three of the parts and be able to make a different size check without having to make a new die for every size check.
Unscrew the top of the die, replace the pin, internal die and cutter and your ready to make another size. On my latest die I have eliminated one of the parts. I have no idea how many checks I can make before the cutting edge is gone, but I would guess quite a few.
Can you post some pictures of your die and the parts? A picture is worth a thousand words, so they say.
Mr. Bill


Mr Bill,

Nice die and nice job making it. On my die there is just the die body, the ram disc punch, and the top cup form punch. Less parts, less work to make, less to go wrong. I've punched quite a few different materials from soft aluminum, hard aluminum, hard copper, and even plastic and don't see any effort at all in punching discs. Mine punch near the top of the ram stroke too. I harden the disc punch and being a flat faced punch I don't see having to sharpen up the edges. I'm wondering how many check you can make with yours before you have to sharpen that disc cutter. I've made me a set in 22, 6.5, 30, and 8mm. I don't slot the disc punch ram either, my check fall straight through the ram into the primer catch tray.

[mrbill2]

With a 40 ton press if the gas checks don't work out you can always punch out some automobile wheels.:bigsmyl2:


Thanks Mr. Bill. I'll get pictures of my set-up sometime. I've only made .30 cal. so far. I'll just say it involves a 40 ton press. It's a little overkill...Ray

[edsmith]

mrbill,that is a great bit of design,.A question if you please,when you cut a check,does the next check you cut push out the first check ? I have been working on a single stroke,but the ejection of the punched check has me trying all kinds of gimmicks,the way you made the cutter solves all kind of problems.great job.

[mrbill2]

Mr. Smith
Yes. You hit the nail on the head That is exactly how she works.

[StarMetal]

Depending on how you design your check maker the checks can get stacked and even slightly damaged if some means isn't provided to eject them. In my dies the nose punch that forms them pushes the check past a mechanism that so to speak ejects them down the hole through the disc cutting ram. I didn't like, at first designing prototypes, the sticking of gas checks on the nose punch. This can happen and is a problem...which I solved. Unless someone gives you exact dimension details and instructions for making them you'll go through a lot of trial and error. You'll do that just trying to get correct fit for for the bullet shank and also the outside diameter of the check to insure it fits many bore dimensions of the particular caliber it's for and also to ensure a tight crimp on the bullet shank.

[rbuck351]

Starmetal
you are quite right. I designed mine with a hollow cutter cup former so I could use a primer arm and pin to push them out of the cup former. But, they stuck on the punch instead. So then I drilled through the former punch and made a knock out pin. I don't know if it makes any real difference but pressing the check into a flat bottom cup die makes a very small tight radius on the bottom edge of the check.

[StarMetal]

Starmetal
you are quite right. I designed mine with a hollow cutter cup former so I could use a primer arm and pin to push them out of the cup former. But, they stuck on the punch instead. So then I drilled through the former punch and made a knock out pin. I don't know if it makes any real difference but pressing the check into a flat bottom cup die makes a very small tight radius on the bottom edge of the check.

My first ever dies were two step. On the form step I did find out, such as you, that the flat bottom cup former cavity did seem to make a better looking gas check.....But I noticed with the system I have now that the luber/sizer makes the check pretty square and good looking. The proof's in the shooting, I've gotten one hole groups using the current system in making my check so I figured no sense in making extra work on the dies.

[rbuck351]

Results are what counts and I should be so good as to get one hole groups. Anyway, this thread has shown that I'm not the only one working on this idea and that there's more than one way to go at this. Thanks everyone for the responses.

[StarMetal]

Results are what counts and I should be so good as to get one hole groups. Anyway, this thread has shown that I'm not the only one working on this idea and that there's more than one way to go at this. Thanks everyone for the responses.


Not just my checks, I've seen one groups from other's checks on here like Patmarlin's for example. Just saying home made checks are as good if not better then factory in many cases. You can expect good result if the check fits the shank and is of proper outside diameter. They don't have to look like Hornady's, but that would be nice for giving yourself a morale booster.

[Curlymaple42]

Hey Joe, can you make me a .500 gas check maker? Don't forget though, you will need to Fedex it to me as we know that the USPS will never get it here!!! :-)

[StarMetal]

Hey Joe, can you make me a .500 gas check maker? Don't forget though, you will need to Fedex it to me as we know that the USPS will never get it here!!! :-)

Boy isn't that the truth about the snail mail. Presumably you want a check for that 50 Beowulf huh?

[JIMinPHX]

I got a one-step gas check maker up & running about a year ago. Details here - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=45542&page=5

After that, I got some requests from people that wanted me to make one for them. I haven't had the time to accommodate them & with Pat Marlin making his gas check maker, I didn't want to come out with a competing product. If you would like to make a few more of your one-step GC makers, then drop me a PM & I'll send you contact info for the people who asked me to make that type of product for them.

Regards,
Jim

[Curlymaple42]

Yes Mr. Joe! Ye are correctamundo!! I am going to start with .458, then .45acp, then .500 cast bullets. Maybe .458 then .500 though as I have a ton of .45acp bullets around. Can't wait for the casting clinic May 22nd! Hey, I have four .22Hornet sizing dies that were C4HD screwups. Would those help to make a gas check maker? C4HD sent them to me to check out their quality when I was trying to get together a group buy on .50Beowulf die sets.