aluminum help please

[gunsbrad]

I have a couple freechex III tools here .44 and .45.

I have .009 aluminum flashing on hand and that is all I can get locally. I would like some .012-.013 and even better .015. Does anyone know of and online source? I would like to try copper too but at its current price I am not sure. Any help would be appreciated.

Brad Hurt

[gunsbrad]

Sorry folks. I just found a link to ace hardware amerimax .014 flashing in another post. I swear I searched around a long while on this site and others last night, and didn't see it. Mind must be slipping.

Anyway I ordered a couple rolls of this stuff. What say you who have used it.

Any Good?

Brad Hurt

[Jim Sheldon]

Sorry folks. I just found a link to ace hardware amerimax .014 flashing in another post. I swear I searched around a long while on this site and others last night, and didn't see it. Mind must be slipping.

Anyway I ordered a couple rolls of this stuff. What say you who have used it.

Any Good?

Brad Hurt

Works really good in my 32 caliber/8mm die. I don't use the Freechex III system here but I see no reason it won't work for that one either. The Amerimax aluminum flashing is apparently softer than some of the other brands and I've found that it punches & forms cleanly without the need for annealing to make it softer.

I did notice that in his eBay ad, the Freechex maker says his dies are optimised for .012 aluminum and smaller so it is possible that might be a factor but I doubt it..

Jim

[Mugs]

Brad
I've used the .014 alum. in 2 30 BR's 1 a 24" rifle and the other a 13" XP. and a 30 carbine TC. I will never buy another 30 cal. Hornady ck.
Mugs
IHMSA 5940L

[Ben]

DITTO ------Mugs remarks ! !

[longbow]

Another pretty common source of aluminum is old gutters.

I had some old gutter laying about out back and decided to try that it is 0.019" thick. I am using my home made hammer punch check maker with no problems. Best of all they seem to shoot well.

Not sure if Pat Marlin's checkmaker or Freechex will handle aluminum that thick though.

Longbow

[JeffinNZ]

I can not find 16 thou material here for my .303 Brit checks so I ply up 12 thou and 4 thou (soda can wall). Thinner material on the inside of the check. Works just great.

[gunsbrad]

i got the Amerimax stuff in yesterday and it seems to work really well. I made up a few in .44 and .45. Haven't shot them yet but they look good.

Brad

[Brother_Love]

I received my 30 cal Checkmaker today. I have the .014" aluminum flashing. It requires a little more pressure to punch out the disc but I have another problem.
The check after being formed sticks on the die. I ruined it trying to get it off. Should I turn down the male area of the die or am I missing something.

Help!!!!:groner:

Malcolm

[Mugs]

Malcom
Measure yours mine is .279. I also turn the disc sheared edge so it is away from the male die, this seems to help sticking.
Mugs

[Brother_Love]

Mugs,
My Checkmaker measures .282". When I use the .009" flashing it works fine, but not with the .014".

Malcolm

[Tom W.]

Cheap as I am, I make the .45 cal. checks and put them on my .44 boolits, too. They work just fine after a trip through the lubrisizer...

[Phil A]

Mugs,
My Checkmaker measures .282". When I use the .009" flashing it works fine, but not with the .014".

Malcolm

My .30 checkmaker measures .2805 and no issue with .014 AL. I had some sticking with the .35 checkmaker until I polished it with 1500 grit micro fine sand paper. - Phil

[30CAL-TEXAN]

Malcolm,

How many checks have you made with your die set?

I am also using the .014 and mine was sticking them at first but I kept at it and after a while I didn't have anymore problems with them sticking on the male side.

Not sure if the dies just worked into a happy place or if I just got a better rythem going but whatever it was worked. I don't really remember how many I had made when it stoped sticking but I have made somewhere around 250 checks total so far.

[skimmerhead]

try Ace hardware or google amerimax, i went to my local ace they were out of stock and i had it the next week, no charge for shipping. .014 thick works perfect with your check maker, i have the same, makes great checks.

skimmerhead

[skimmerhead]

30cal i put a little bullplate on male and female no sticking.

skimmerhead

[Brother_Love]

success!!!!!

Wow! Thanks, The BullPlate lube worked.

Malcolm

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Brother Love....or others with a checkmaker,
the shank of the ejector (ejects the finished check)
is quite rough and doesn't fall back into place after it has ejected the finished check.
I have to jiggle the base or push it down with my finger before inserting a disc
to press another check.

should this be polished ?
Does anyone else have this annoyance ?
Jon

[skimmerhead]

Johnb i used coarse steel wool with coarse valve grinding compond, took a 3 inch drywall screw cut the head off chuck in drill add chunk steel wool and grinding compound and worked it in there till i was satisified. no more trouble.

skimmerhead:castmine:

[Brother_Love]

Well, I got my CheckMaker working like a champ now! I polished every mating, bearing and moving surfaces with valve grinding compound. Honestly, I was ready to sell it after I tried it out of the box but after "tweeking" it works great. At the same time, I understand why Pat does not do the polishing, It would triple the price of the tool.

I am extrmely happy with my CM and already have a pile of 30 caliber checks ready to use.

I will make one other improvement. I am about to fashion a new handle for my press that will allow me to have a more comfortable "down stroke" to punch out the disc. I have welder friend that will help me rig up a CM dedicated handle:bigsmyl2:.

Malcolm[smilie=s:

[skimmerhead]

glad you got it going. don't be afraid to use bullplate on all parts, i coat all moving parts with it and it works great, just a little doesen't take much. bullplate is the best thing since slice bread, i think it's better than ******! i put two drops per cup of coffee in the morning and my wife's been smile'n eversince, my grey hair going away, my back don't hurt no more, i don't need glass'es anymore. now these are only clinical test performded by an idiot, no not try this at home!!!!!!!!!!!!! will post more results as they become available. should you not hear from me soon that means the test failed.

skimmerhead :veryconfu:veryconfu:veryconfu:veryconfu

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Skimmerhead,
Well, I polished the ejector,
it appears it's a little bit bend or machined crookedly.
it does work better, but still have to tap the base to get the ejector to drop.
Jon

[skimmerhead]

JOHNB if its bent or machined crooked it's hard for me to assess, either way there is a fix, if it is bent then you may need the access to a small lathe either way to remedy your problem, if it's only bent i would machine a pin of the inside diamenter - .001 or .002 then bevel and polish one end and use press with some lube and run it thru slowly to straighten. im sure someone smarter and alot more experineced could give you better advice on how to rectify your problem allthough im still at your service if i can help.

skimmerhead

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

My mistake, the ejector is not bent or machined crookedly.

I finally found the problem,
the lower die, when seated into the shell holder receiver of the ram,
it sits slightly crooked because there is a little slop and the spring of the
shell holder receiver holds one side of the lower die crooked.
I put some artists tape on the lower die to shim it up and now works fine.

My plan was to use only Pop can aluminum.
I am having some difficulty in cutting the discs,
after a disk is cut, the aluminum skeleton sticks to the cutter,
then deforms when I lower the ram,
then the aluminum skeleton jams in the upper die.
I polished the cutter, didn't help.
any suggestions ?
Jon

PS, also, when cutting popcan discs, some get a burr or maybe better discribed as some aluminum is pulled instead of cut, seems to happen if I don't get the aluminum strip perfectly cut..I mean the strip is a little narrow, so the cutter is just kissing the edge.

[.30/30 Guy]

JonB - Try putting some case lube on the side of the cutting ram. This helps, but wears off quite quickly. Also, when you feel resistance when lowering the cutter reverse direction a little. Use a down, up, down movement of the cutting ram.

[Bob J]

Another pretty common source of aluminum is old gutters.

I had some old gutter laying about out back and decided to try that it is 0.019" thick. I am using my home made hammer punch check maker with no problems. Best of all they seem to shoot well.

Not sure if Pat Marlin's checkmaker or Freechex will handle aluminum that thick though.

Longbow

Can't speak for Pat's but I have been using .020 aluminum for my S&W500 checks using a Freechex III.... Have made maybe 2000 so far without a problem....[smilie=s:

[beagle]

Malcom...I'm looking at that as well. I'm using a RCBS Rockchucker and intend to dig up my old priming arm and try that with an adapter to eject the check. That part of the operation is kind of awkward to me too./beagle


Well, I got my CheckMaker working like a champ now! I polished every mating, bearing and moving surfaces with valve grinding compound. Honestly, I was ready to sell it after I tried it out of the box but after "tweeking" it works great. At the same time, I understand why Pat does not do the polishing, It would triple the price of the tool.

I am extrmely happy with my CM and already have a pile of 30 caliber checks ready to use.

I will make one other improvement. I am about to fashion a new handle for my press that will allow me to have a more comfortable "down stroke" to punch out the disc. I have welder friend that will help me rig up a CM dedicated handle:bigsmyl2:.

Malcolm[smilie=s:

[PatMarlin]

If you guys are having some problems with your dies PM me.

Everything I'm reading here should not be happening and I am happy to fix the problem. I'm still fine tuning my machining, and trying to perfect the finish here and it's just part of the process.

There are bound to be some bad parts get out, and I work daily to improve checks so this won't happen.

I'll be glad to swap out your dies if you have an issue. Plus I need the feedback to know if there are some problem parts getting out so I can make sure they don't leave here.