DIY CASE Prep

N

Nathan

New member
Surely somebody has looked into this... am I heading the right direction?

I started looking into a DIY case annealer....I think I've found a design to emulate!


So then I started thinking...I need to get something to power my WFT ASAP because. Have 1000 LC brass on the way....hmmm. Then I saw my wife tossing a working 250W mixer in the trash! Yep, it works. So, it will be torn apart and tested by tomorrow afternoon, I hope....kind of noisy, but I have hope.
Need:
Enclosure
Rubber feet
Display type Speed control (looks like I should be thinking 400-800 rpm)
Power adapter (110V AC to 12 or 24V DC) (might rob from mixer)
 
That looks like a very interesting setup!

How does one know when the brass is "done" annealing? Is it purely by change of color?
 
Nathan:
I started looking into a DIY case annealer....I think I've found a design to emulate!
Click to expand...
I found a step by step set of instructions with a parts list on the 68forums.com site. It is very similar to the one you list but it has a feeder with a hopper so that once you have it set you just stand back and watch it.

It is also important to test with Tempilaq every so often after initial setup. About every 50 rounds I will send a painted test case back through to confirm I am not overheating.

LBussy asked:
How does one know when the brass is "done" annealing? Is it purely by change of color?
Click to expand...

TEMPILAQ TL060 Temperature Indicating Liquid at 700 degrees painted on the inside of the case mouth and just behind the shoulder on the case. Also get the 800 degree to mark the opposite side because you don't want to overheat. Optimal is 725 degrees give or take 25 degrees. Get the liquid as the chalk sticks do not work well on brass.

If you do overheat they will split at the case opening when you run it through the sizer. After I size I check with a case guide, clean/ream the primer pocket, and trim as necessary. Then I throw them back in the tumbler to polish them back up and get rid of the case lube before I reload. I typically do batches of 300.
 
Are these once-fired?
Click to expand...
Yes they are. That is why case trimming is a higher priority than case annealing. The purpose of case anealing is to keep my 300 wsm in check because they tend to wear our cases quick!
 
Oh, so the mixer motor is to power the trimmer? I get ya now. You said you'd have it town down by yesterday - learn anything?

On the annealer, I had some thoughts on that last night. The biggest change I think I would make is power the feed and the roller from the same motor to eliminate any issues in syncing the two speeds. Simpler that way I think. Having a belt or chain drive might cost some, but eliminating a motor and speed control may make it a wash.
 
Here is a speed control if that mixer motor is DC if it is AC I am not aware of any cost effective digital readout speed control. My recommendation is just drop 15 dollars on a compact DC gearmotor

digital PWM speed control for DC motors

https://www.amazon.com/uniquegoods-...=1515015652&sr=8-22&keywords=dc+speed+control

BTW that is not RPM displayed on the readout, but it can be used to set the annealing time in a repeatable fashion. On RPM think a lot lower, never timed mine but it is less than 30 RPM in operation. Think 30 - 50 RPM gear motors instead. They are can be had for less than 15 US dollars

https://www.amazon.com/Nextrox-30RP...m3om7chrv38nb_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&s=automotive


I was headed down the same road as you but after fighting with the feed and positioning for 2 days I bought a Anealeez then modded it with the speed control from the link. It works fine but if I had a do over I would get the Giraud instead and do the same speed control mod.

my unit

https://imgur.com/a/qGwJx
 
Last edited:
Simpler yet for Trimming.

1. If you have a vice, good to go, if not get one (see below)

2. Drill: Cordless or corded, corded better, no batteries to change.
Turn drill upside down and gently clamp in vice.
Install WFT in drill.
Turn Drill on and latch onto high speed.
Get a stool or one of those short Kitchen step types.
Arrange brass in easy to reach location
Good to town on brass, you are almost a production line with this setup.
Feed from the front, can use both hands and sitting down, it does not get much better than that (more so if you have back issues)

You have the equivalent of a Gerard Motorize trimmer that cost about $500.

In the future, consider a Gerard Trim Trimmer that does chamfer, deburr and trim all in one. With large quantities of brass saves a lot of work.

Just hunting brass of under 100 cases or so, the WFT is a good trimmer.
 
I'm trying the AC motor for cost....I'm in about $35 now.

If I have to GO DC, I'm out a few bucks, but I can move to that for another $25 or so....
 
Good luck and post a picture when you get it up and running. I had a thought after my last post, you can use a cheap optical tachometer to set the speed if you want. I love to DIY as much as I can but getting the feed right drove me nuts on that project. It is obviously do able just judging from the videos of DIY machines on Youtube

here is the one I was trying to make, it has a parts list in the comments section

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0xE-6bSwME
 
I've trimmed thousands of cases using a Forster trimmer and cordless drill. Thousands more using a LEE trimmer and cordless drill while sitting at my desk watching cars drive by the office window.
No fabrication required.
 
Yep, other than looking at the back of one work bench (grin)

Clamp upside down in a vice leaves both hands free. Granted its easier on the back and the hands hurt these days so any saving in both areas is an appreciated bonus.

I can use a stool or a one step foot stool to sit on, comfy, both hands free

I can easy process 300 rounds in 30 minutes.
 
I have a drill clamped up...works ok...speed control sucks....noise sucks worse.


Finally died.

So far I've:

Harvested a 1/4" shaft Oyster AC motor w/ 1/4" output

Bought:
AC speed control
Aluminum enclosure
Feet rubbers
On/off/momentary on switch....I think momentary will be std mode
1/2"-3/8" rigid coupling.....chuck w/ 6mm sleeve on the slow boat, if rigid works.
Wire pigtail couplers
 
Corded drill is the one I use.

Not sure why you need speed control, lock it on high and away you go.

Decent drill is not cheap, but lasts forever. Still use it for hard projects over the cordless.

Granted mine is an old one, have had it for 30 years (Milwaukee)

Zero speed drop.

Think mine runs at 1200 rpm but will have to check.
 
Speed control helps with noise and getting the feed speed right. This effects smoothness of cut and tool life...but mostly noise!
 
guess I am confused, in your first post I thought you were making a case annealer, now it seems you are making a case trimmer

BTW RC Milwaukee drills are bullet proof, I bought a corded 1/2 inch back in 1989 and it is still working. Almost 30 years :)
 
guess I am confused, in your first post I thought you were making a case annealer, now it seems you are making a case trimmer
Click to expand...

It is confusing! I'm making a case trimmer motor first.

Milwaukee Drills are great. A bit noisy for this task. Also, a benefit of a component build for a case trimmer is that if something goes bad, just the something can be replaced with a garage sale part!
 
Noise seems odd, I have ear muffs (x3), ear plugs in the shop.

No shop to work in?

If I need to I can make things work with the best.

Given my choice, I prefer to buy something that works for the job and if possible multi use.

The bonus of a drill is its designed as a relatively low speed high torque device. It won't bog down.

Most light duty tools go like crazy speed wise but have low torque.

My Milwaukee 850 rpm, more than adequate. The cordless I was using goes 1500, that is more than fast enough.
 
Noise seems odd, I have ear muffs (x3), ear plugs in the shop.

No shop to work in?
Click to expand...

I reload in a reloading room. I have those things, but would rather relax and do case prep listening to a podcast....or just in peace without full PPE.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top