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Thread: Lets make a Swage press

  1. #81
    Boolit Bub
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    Larry Blackmon

    A Neat:

    Had an e-mail from him this AM about a de-rimming pin.

    Didn't say anything about not taking new business.

    Jim

  2. #82
    Boolit Master
    ANeat's Avatar
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    Ok back to the press.

    Earlier someone had asked about how I drilled the toggle, Ive been working on press #2 and tried to get a few more pics.

    Here is my setup for drilling the pivot points on the toggle. Set up vertical and and tram everything in so you know its straight.

    Edge finder off a surface and you can move over to the pivot point and drill away.

    I do one side then flip it and do the same thing again.


  3. #83
    Boolit Master
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    The next area that I kind of fumbled thru earlier was the toggle length. I had originaly purchased 18" long pieces that really could have been longer.

    After putting everything together on #2 I think I discovered my original error. After a trial assembly I ended up with 18" center to center on the pivot holes

    Now this isnt really a critical dimension, it basicly determins where the toggle hangs in relation to the press.

    On my first press the toggle was uncomfortably close to the base when full up.




    I made it work but it wasnt as originally planned.

    Here is my trial assembly, the top of the ram is finished but the ram length is yet to be deternimed and after that the lower pivot drilled.
    I have the toggle rotated 180 degrees to check for clearance.




    A little more clearance on the botom.




    After that I drilled the lower pivot holes at 18" center to center, then re-assembled to get the general area where I want the pivot pin to for the ram to be located.




    Thats it for now, hopefully I can get some more accomplished in the next few days
    Last edited by ANeat; 03-09-2010 at 05:58 PM.

  4. #84
    Boolit Mold
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    ANeat,

    Can you please explain how you determine the proper length for the ram? I don't have dies yet so I hope you don't tell me I need them to make my calculations.

    This weekend, I welded up my toggle. Welding inside the space where the toggle links attach was a challenge. Now, I'm waiting on parts from Enco and Speedmetals.

    Thanks again for starting this thread, sharing your pictures, and taking the time to help all of us.

  5. #85
    Boolit Master
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    Doug its good to hear youre working on one as well. Yes on the welding I was hoping to be able to tig weld mine but there was no way to get between those pieces so I arc welded it.

    On the ram length when you get to the point Im at in the above pic you set the guide where you want it. I just used this pic of the Might Mite as a rough guide but it will give you the basic idea.



    The press has two sroke travels, depending on the setting of the ram pin. In the long stroke (reloading) mode, the space between the lower side of the head, and the top of the ram plate, is 9.5 inches with the ram down (A in photo) and 3.5 inches with the ram up (B in photo). With the press set for the short stroke or swaging mode, dimension A is 8 inches and dimension B is 5-1/8 inches (in the photo).

    Just remember the Mighty might is 12 1/2 inches between the base and the top. Youre going to have some adjustment with the top punch so the final dimension isnt super critical.

    On mine in the pic I have it at about 8" of space between the guide and top (in reloading mode) but that isnt set in stone.

    After that I just eye-balled where the centerline of the pivot point is for the reloading mode.

    You can see in the bottom pic I have a black line on the ram, that is my tennative position for the lower pivot.

    Hopefully all this makes sense, its tough to explain some of this thru pics and typing.
    Last edited by ANeat; 03-09-2010 at 11:47 PM.

  6. #86
    Boolit Buddy Daywalker's Avatar
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    Man, why did I not pay more attention in school and actually go to college?? I am just totally blown away with your work Aneat. I do have a question. Not know the cost of the steel and everything, and not sure if it is appropriate to ask, I am curious, not counting your labor and time which I can imagine if worked out is way up there and worth every bit of it, what would be the cost of building this press??

    If you do not wish to release that information, I completely understand lol

  7. #87
    Boolit Master
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    Daywalker anytime you make something like this, especially just one or two pieces, it will be more time consuming.

    That being said, if I had to make them for a living I think something around $500.00 would be a realistic target.
    You would get a press that isnt too far from a Corbin Mega mite at about 1/2 the price.

    Richard Corbins Walnut Hill at $399.00 still seems like a bargain after putting the work into these.

    As for the material, I have the majority of the materials listed in this thread (somewhere)

    Ordering from one of the internet based metal shops and paying the shipping its probably about $200.00 in materials.
    If a guy had a local metal shop that could supply the material without having to pay shipping you would save quite a bit off that.

    I started this thread to hopefully help out guys like myself who were wanting to get swaging.
    Quite a few of us hammered out a lot of the details in another thread, this is just my version of what I thought would work.

    Its been a fun and interesting project without a doubt but Ill be glad when its done and I can make some bullets

  8. #88
    Boolit Buddy Daywalker's Avatar
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    Sometimes, even if it does cost a bit more to make yourself, there is nothing like the feeling of acomplishment. I remember the first time i reloaded my first round, that was a great feeling. Then shooting it for the first time and everything goes great, another great feeling. Then casting my very first bullet. And loading and shooting it. Now to be able to sit back and say ok, this is the bullet I made myself, this is the press that I built all myself. Yes everything except maybe the jacket, I made myself. That is priceless in itself

  9. #89
    Boolit Mold
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    That makes perfect sense. Thanks ANeat. I also appreciate you including the information on the Mighty Mite. I shouldn't have a problem now. I'm excited to get this thing done.

  10. #90
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    [QUOTE=ANeat;836331]
    Ordering from one of the internet based metal shops and paying the shipping its probably about $200.00 in materials.
    If a guy had a local metal shop that could supply the material without having to pay shipping you would save quite a bit off that.
    [QUOTE]

    .............Funny thing you should mention that. I was needing some 12L14. I've normally gone to Klure & Harris in Riverside, CA for structural stuff but they also carry other stuff. They're about 30 miles round trip. I called and they didn't have any. Checking a couple other places in the Yellow Pages that I wasn't familiar with gave me the idea that all anyone carried around here was hot and cold rolled stuff. Box, tubes, flats, sheets and etc. There are a LOT of ornamental steel outfits around, due to the latino population

    The last place in the listings before it turned into Stock & Bond Brokers was Cal-Mesa in Yucaipa, Ca. It's kind of a small bedroom community at the east end of the valley, but I figured what the heck and gave them a call. I asked if they had any 12L14 and the guy said sure, what did I need? I asked if they had an 7/8" bar and he said "Sure do". Eureka! I did check On-Line Metals and 7/8" 12' long bars were $34 each and estimated shipping on 2 of'em would be another $34.

    I asked the guy how much they were and he said $34 each. I said I only had a pickup and he said they would cut them in half for me, no charge. Getting better by the minute! When I to their place (4.2 miles from my driveway) in the lobby on the phone was James, the guy I'd talked to. We talked a minute or two and he gave me my will call reciept and said to see Carlos out in the building to my left as I went out the door. He also said it was okay if I 'milled around' a bit too

    I found Carlos and gave him the paper and said James said it was okay if I milled around a bit to see what they had. Carlos said he'd show me so we walked around and he pointed out where they kept all the tool steels like the S and D series steels, the various 41 and 43 series stuff, 8620, 1045, and then the leaded steels 41L40, 11L44, 12L14, and then the low carbon A36 and such. The other 2 buildings were sheet, box, pierced, expanded ornamental & angle, and then aluminum and cast iron was in the last one!!!!!!!!

    I think I was in heaven Unlike K&H where I'd been going before who toss all the drops and rems into large wooden boxes, this place marks them with a paint pen and they put them into short racks in front of the long racks the full length pieces are in. At K&H they simply sell rems by the pound and really don't know what anything is. At Cal-Mesa they sell the rems by the pound also (different prices for different types) and it's nice to know WHAT you're buying!

    Making that last phone call sure paid off, and they sure seem like nice folks to boot.

    ..............Buckshot
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  11. #91
    Boolit Buddy uncleskippy's Avatar
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    Buckshot,

    Sounds like you found your gold mine. I just need to find a place lit that
    Skip

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  12. #92
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    Quote Originally Posted by ANeat View Post
    Doug its good to hear youre working on one as well. Yes on the welding I was hoping to be able to tig weld mine but there was no way to get between those pieces so I arc welded it.

    Just wondering why you welded the toggles. Wouldn't it been easier to just use larger stock and mill them from one piece. Not Knocking your work as it looks very nice. I wish I had the equipment, mill, lathe (and a place to put them) to do that kind of work.

    Bret

  13. #93
    Boolit Master
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    Bret the welded toggle is a LOT faster/easier than milling one out from a solid hunk, way faster.

    Also a lot less expensive, I did a quick check, a 3 x 5 x 12 piece of 1018 is 51lbs and $105.00 The price really ratchets up fast when you get into the thicker stuff.

    It may be doable if a person was really into cranking on the handles or had a CNC setup but for what little welding is required its not to bad

  14. #94
    Boolit Master
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    Buckshot it does sound like you found a great place. Its probably better for me that Im not that close to a place like that

  15. #95
    Boolit Master
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    The stroke in reloading mode is longer than the stroke in swaging mode, Yes??????
    Paul G.
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  16. #96
    Boolit Master
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    Yes the reloading mode on my setup has approx a 6" stroke while the swage mode has 3" stroke

  17. #97
    Boolit Bub
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    I tried to make one, but I realized I had nothing but popsickle sticks and duct tape.

    You guys are awesome!

  18. #98
    Boolit Bub ronterry's Avatar
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    All hells no!!! You one upped me! Time to build that flux capacitor - beeatch...
    Great job Adam - as ussual.
    The only master engineering plan I had, was making aluminum *ildos on my lathe right now???
    --------------
    Ron

  19. #99
    Boolit Master
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    Aluminum what??

    Go with what you know I guess

  20. #100
    Boolit Bub ronterry's Avatar
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    Ever heard of "Follow the money"? It worked for the girls gone wild dude???? j/k

    Check your inbox...
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    Ron

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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