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Thread: Easy to build gas checkmaker

  1. #181
    Boolit Buddy dimaprok's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 0verkill View Post
    Never saw them in the stores, but they had them on their website. Some of the descriptions were terrible, very eBay-ish. First one I saw said metal lathe but was a mill from what my uneducated eyes could tell, clicked on one that looked like a lathe but it said only for softer metals like aluminum and copper. Had some more, I'll try to find a link. I've had decent luck with some of the Hyper Tough stuff they carry, the rotary tools don't last as long as a Dremel, but for the price I can buy 3 that will outlast one Dremel. Always wanted a lathe but it may be one of those eternal wish list items, I'd have to pawn stuff to pay shipping on a real one.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/VEVOR-7-x...dingMethod=wpa
    So Walmart is trying to compete with Amazon and what they have online is not only what they carry in stores, its the stuff they sell from different partners / vendors. I strongly recommend you go with at least 7x14 lathe as from what I recall the similar model from Harbor Freight had very short bed, it wasn't just 2" that you would gain there was something else limiting that I forgot. I got mine from Grizzly because luckily we have location in WA that's 1.5 hours away and the store is very impressive full of machines and tools and I didn't have to pay for shipping or wait, just arrived and picked up. The other thing my lathe had was lever activated camover for tail stock and it's very handy. The 3" chuck that came with lathe was garbage and I wish I bought replacement sooner. I ended up getting a 4" for cheap and I couldn't believe how well it held runout compare to stock one. I could easily get .001 repeatability. Even with 14" bed I still always struggled with it being too short as actual distance between chuck and tailstock drill chuck is a lot shorter. Also the fact that they advertise 19mm about 3/4" through spindle it was in fact smaller. There was also issue with plastic threading gears breaking because how crudely machine was made in China, I broke gears and got replacements, until I found other issues like brackets that hold leadscrew don't even have ball bearings!!! I mean those things are so cheap that you can buy it under a dollar online and it was binding and breaking and the banjo for changing gears was also made so poorly, I had my uncle help me tune up everything, it was a learning curve. Once I got my Southbend, I never looked back, Grizzly still occupying space and I need to sell it.

  2. #182
    Boolit Buddy BC17A's Avatar
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    I finally went down the 223 rabbit hole. Started with the 55 grain Lee mold and finished a check maker die a few days ago. This one was definitely the most challenging as it's tiny but works well. I changed the dimensions a bit and use .008" material which crimps on the boolit very well. Best part is I rolled and annealed 25 pennies and punched out around 500 checks. Now to start reading all about cast boolit loads for the AR-15.

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  3. #183
    Boolit Buddy
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    Outstanding job BC. Can I ask what kind of roller do you have to use on the pennies? What a great idea. I have made a couple of the check makers myself and agree the 22 is difficult.

  4. #184
    Boolit Buddy BC17A's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by plus1hdcp View Post
    Outstanding job BC. Can I ask what kind of roller do you have to use on the pennies? What a great idea. I have made a couple of the check makers myself and agree the 22 is difficult.
    Back up to page 9 post #162 in this thread to see the roller I have. I believe I ordered it from Amazon. Also, pennies minted in 1982 or earlier have the most copper and after annealing work just as good as soft copper sheets.

  5. #185
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by BC17A View Post
    Back up to page 9 post #162 in this thread to see the roller I have. I believe I ordered it from Amazon. Also, pennies minted in 1982 or earlier have the most copper and after annealing work just as good as soft copper sheets.
    I remember reading that when you posted but forgot. Thanks

  6. #186
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    OK!, i have made my cutter , the only problem i am having is getting the GC to go up the punch. I am using the heat & air duct i took out from our trailer last summer (yea sucked), runs about .014+, makes nice GC's, but like i said they get stuck , if i click 4 in a row i have to take the punch out of the press and use a punch & hammer to get them out. Sooo, what have i got wrong? Loading for .311 & .313 .

    coffee time. Hootmix.

  7. #187
    Boolit Master

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    The usual problem of checks sticking in the die is short-stroking the press. After the check is formed the punch must travel upward into the die until the skirt on the check is above the counterbore in the die. At that point the skirt springs outward and catches the lip in the die. Then when the punch is retracted the check is stripped off the punch and is left free floating in the counterbore. Make sure your press is adjusted so the punch has sufficient travel to accomplish this.

    good luck

  8. #188
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    Idz, Thank you for the reply, i am using a old Herters #3 ( 35lbs) press and it lets me make a complete stroke, i am testing w/ .009-.0105 alum. and heat & air duct (as stated above) I think i see (now) where i need to go back and "counter bore", the GC's pull off the forming pin, they just won't go on up the throat of the punch to the top. I will let you know, first i have to make a boring bar. I really like the .014 it makes good looking GC's.

    coffee's ready, Hootmix.

  9. #189
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    Idz, made a small boring cutter to counter bore with, made several lite cuts and now the GC's float to the top, THANK you for the info. The .009 is really too thin for this cutter, will have to make one for the .009-.010 alum. What about a crimper, before the bullets are sized & lubed?

    coffee's ready, Hootmix.

  10. #190
    Boolit Master

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    Glad it works now. If you use thinner material you may have to reduce the clearance between the punch and die.

  11. #191
    Boolit Buddy dimaprok's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hootmix View Post
    Idz, made a small boring cutter to counter bore with, made several lite cuts and now the GC's float to the top, THANK you for the info. The .009 is really too thin for this cutter, will have to make one for the .009-.010 alum. What about a crimper, before the bullets are sized & lubed?

    coffee's ready, Hootmix.
    Yes .010 is too thin. Do the math .010 + .284 + .010 = .304 and your bullet diameter is .311 - .312. You need .014 sheet.

    Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

  12. #192
    Boolit Buddy dimaprok's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BC17A View Post
    I finally went down the 223 rabbit hole. Started with the 55 grain Lee mold and finished a check maker die a few days ago. This one was definitely the most challenging as it's tiny but works well. I changed the dimensions a bit and use .008" material which crimps on the boolit very well. Best part is I rolled and annealed 25 pennies and punched out around 500 checks. Now to start reading all about cast boolit loads for the AR-15.

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    That is fascinating, sizing pennies down to .008! I know about the copper pennies versus newer Zinc, I wonder how the Zink would react to being sized? You can't really anneal it as it would melt easy with a torch but Zinc is naturally self lubricating.

    How many times did you anneal copper pennies in between sizing steps? I actually got me a roller too thanks to your earlier post. A friend if my father who was jeweler passed away and his son was selling his equipment so I ended up with roller by trading some 9mm ammo that I made, my cost was maybe $70

    Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

  13. #193
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    dimaprok, i happen to make 2 punches (3 actually first 1 will fit 44-45 bullets, there is a difference in 5/16 & 11/16 "). This gas checking is a new ball game for me and i know it shows, but everyone here sure likes to help. I'v been reading all the post's trying to see what problems others have had,,, good reading, interesting, zinc,??

    Thank you, coffee's ready, Hootmix.

  14. #194
    Boolit Bub
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    1st of all, thank you Idz for the plans. I finally got around to making ones for .30 and 35 cal. Right now I have .010" thick aluminum flashing. And I believe that will be okay for at least the 35.
    I'm looking for .017", either aluminum or copper to try for 30 cal.
    I found this at Home Depot, it's suppose to be .016".
    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sandell-...0820/202090786
    Has anyone used it? Or have any source for .016-.017"?
    TIA

  15. #195
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    Quote Originally Posted by kcofohio View Post
    1st of all, thank you Idz for the plans. I finally got around to making ones for .30 and 35 cal. Right now I have .010" thick aluminum flashing. And I believe that will be okay for at least the 35.
    I'm looking for .017", either aluminum or copper to try for 30 cal.
    I found this at Home Depot, it's suppose to be .016".
    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sandell-...0820/202090786
    Has anyone used it? Or have any source for .016-.017"?
    TIA

    I use and find Amerimax 4" x 50 ft aluminum flashing at 0.14" to be the best solution for my checks. There are many others using same. You can find it at Ace Hardware. Link is: https://www.acehardware.com/departme...shings/5171798
    Mustang

    "In the beginning... the patriot is a scarce man, and brave and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain.

  16. #196
    Boolit Buddy
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    MUSTANG, i am using old heat& air duct from under our house trailer (reinsulated under trailer last year), it mics. at .015- .017, annealed, using on .30 cal. for 311291 & 311248, might give it a try. My trailer is a 14'x80', got plenty of alum.

    coffee's ready, Hootmix.

  17. #197
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by MUSTANG View Post
    I use and find Amerimax 4" x 50 ft aluminum flashing at 0.14" to be the best solution for my checks. There are many others using same. You can find it at Ace Hardware. Link is: https://www.acehardware.com/departme...shings/5171798
    Thanks, I will swing into our local Ace and check it out.

  18. #198
    Boolit Mold
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    Hi
    Cant get it to download

  19. #199
    Boolit Master Retumbo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RCC View Post
    Hi
    Cant get it to download
    What?

  20. #200
    Boolit Buddy BC17A's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dimaprok View Post
    That is fascinating, sizing pennies down to .008! I know about the copper pennies versus newer Zinc, I wonder how the Zink would react to being sized? You can't really anneal it as it would melt easy with a torch but Zinc is naturally self lubricating.

    How many times did you anneal copper pennies in between sizing steps? I actually got me a roller too thanks to your earlier post. A friend if my father who was jeweler passed away and his son was selling his equipment so I ended up with roller by trading some 9mm ammo that I made, my cost was maybe $70
    Sorry for the late reply, I missed this one.

    When I size pennies I don't anneal them at all until they're at the finished thickness. Though I only thin down about .002" at a time. I suppose to speed up the process you could squeeze them more per roll but that would probably require a few annealing steps in between to keep them from cracking. I tested a few newer pennies with high zinc and things got ugly before I had any success. Old pennies are still abundant. I have a SiL that has probably more than ten thousand she'd collected over the decades. She said next time I visit she'd be glad so swap some out for bills.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check