Some pretty bad reviews of PW drives after people get some experence with them, and over $1,000 with accessories.
Talked to tech at Automation Direct and looked at some VFD units/motors,
I think this is the last piece of the puzzle.
Through a gear reduction box, I'll increase torque while reducing speed, and can still keep the motor turning fast enough it doesn't heat up.
Lonjevity of the motor is a consideration, so keeping it turning fast enough to self cool is a consideration, and gear reduction boxes are cheap, and will give me back the power lost to single phase current.
Talked to a systems engineer that clued me into keeping the motor turning at closer to its top speed for cooling, and I agree.
Already have two or three gear reduction boxes laying around, so its no big deal...
Also lets me turn the motor 90* to the press, getting it from under foot or having it stick out behind the press, so its going to make things easier to operate/gives me more of my bench top back.
Got a chance to work with a Dillon 1050, don't think its enough press for large or hard .30 cal rifle brass, might have just been wear on the press.
Older .308 & .30-06 brass weren't very uniform,
I think the brass was just whipping the press, which is the issue I have with the XL650, larger/older/thicker brass just whips the press instead of the press whipping the brass...
So back to building a press that whips the brass every time...
This is getting expensive, but no where as expensive as the $29,000 for a Camdex machine, or the 7 months to two years leade time to get one!
(There is also the issue of $2,000 caliber changes with Camdex)
Its looking like the entire press is going to come in around $3,000,
Good motor, speed control about $500,
Added electronics about $300,
About $1,500 for the precision ground metal stock,
About $200 for tooling.
This thing *Should* do things Camdex doesn't,
Like CUT (Trim) the military crimp away, instead of swage and leave that primer snag point in the primer pocket mouth,
Its going to cut/uniform primer pocket size/depth,
Its going to trim to length from the DATUM point on the case shoulder, and do an inside & outside case taper cut.
I'm also using MUCH less expensive common size dies, instead of a $2,000 set of propritary dies.
Nothing quite like NON-Propritary wear/tools when you can!
If a press hasn't got enough to spit out SAAMI specification cases (or what ever you set the dies to produce),
What's the point?
Its much more simple to just buy a press that won't do the job than to build one that won't do the job,
So I guess I have to build one that WILL do the job....
Actually been wanting a Camdex for years, been rolling the ideas around in my head about building one for about 5 years after finding out Camdex swages instead of cutting primer pockets, and they don't offer a trimming option,
Finally getting off my butt and moving forward.
Should have done it 8 years ago, about the first annual "Obama's comming for your guns!" shortages,
Could have made real money selling ready to load brass.
That's my life, a day late & a dollar short!