Motorised case preperation station

[TobyH]

Well I've decided to give it a matt finish rather than clear as there were some marks on it. I used a naff sand blaster (diy b&q crap jobbie!) but it did the job. Still waiting for the action to arrive before going any further, though will be getting some bolts etc for it. fit is pretty good and alot more comfy than standard. If it doesn't work out I'll try it again and change it to fit better though it should be ok.

got my dad to keep an eye out for a small lathe, really miss not being able to use my old works machines (miller/driller, lathe, tig/mig welder, plasma cutter!), alot of things that can be whipped up in short time with a lathe!

[rox]

how many stages would you trust to a machine?

I don't really consider it 'trusted to a machine', but I use a knackered old bench drill press at approx 200 rpm for:

Inside neck clean.
...with PB brush.
Primer pocket clean
...with RCBS brush.
Trim to Length
...with Lee pilot tool - cutter mounted in chuck (but also use a Gracey sometimes).

Looking for a suitable tool to motorise the outside neck clean if U/S doesn’t quite do the job.

Bob.

[Ovenpaa]

Looking for a suitable tool to motorise the outside neck clean if U/S doesn’t quite do the job.

U/S Ultrasonic? I use a worn out kitchen scourer/sponge by hand this can be quite tedious after the 100th case, occasionally I use a SincInt case holder attachment which locks the case in a quick release drive in a low speed drill, this is however time consuming as you have to lock/unlock the cases each time so I am thinking along the lines of a tube with a scotch-brite cloth insert, it needs to be gentle on cases and easily replaced as a consumable.

[rox]

U/S Ultrasonic?

Yes - I had one concoction which cleaned the necks quite well (eventually) but had no effect on the inside. Another cleaned the inside brilliantly (and quickly) but leaves the residue on the necks. Unfortunately they wouldn't mix.

I am thinking along the lines of a tube with a scotch-brite cloth insert

I tried something similar, even with a PB brush down the middle to do the inside and outside at the same time. Couldn't get the pressure right and keep it right for any length of time though. I was also disconcerted at the amount of brass that scotchbrite seemed to remove, even by hand, but maybe it's just a case of finding the right grade.

Maybe something like the photo below would work - I'm going to get a set in different grades. If it works then maybe a cut-down die could be used to align the case against the wheel and easily spin it (i.e. exposing the neck and half the shoulder, plus half an inch at the case head to grip).

Bob.

[Ovenpaa]

I have some very stiff 20mm thick scotch brite pads, I do wonder if I could cut doughnut shaped sections and push them as an interference fit into a cup that was spun up and push the case neck into the hole, it may be too aggressive an approach and I have no idea how that cleaning medium or brass will last but I have a few hundred cases scrap cases I can try with.

[Dangermouse]

As I sat preparing 300 new cases yesterday I realised a motorised station would be a nice touch, help prevent RSI and speed things up.

I was aware of the Hornady unit but as I have just purchased (still waiting for delivery) a very nice case trimmer, I was not going to buy that unit, never mind the £$300 price.

Also aware of the single unit that Hornady do, but the thought of only doing one task at a time, then re cycling through all the cases again, does not appeal.

This unit from Lyman appears to tick all my boxes, with almost £50 worth of parts with it, the unit could be a good option. The only problem I foresee is that unlike Hornady, Lyman often makes two separate models 110v/220v with the later being more expensive.
We will see,

EDIT From the Lyman site
$149.95 Case Prep Xpress 115V $156.00 Case Prep Xpress 230V



New Lyman Case Prep Centre — Versatile, Affordable
At SHOT Show 2011,
Lyman unveiled its new Case Prep Xpress, an all-in-one case prep center that chamfers necks (inside and out), cleans and uniforms primer pockets, brushes the inside of case-necks, and uniforms flash holes. The unit can also ream out the crimps on military brass. However, the Lyman Case Prep Xpress does NOT trim cases.

The Lyman Case Press Xpress comes with all the necessary tools and attachments (listed below), so you don’t have to purchase extra accessories. The five, gear-driven heads on the unit are driven by a high torque, low-speed motor ideal for case prep operations. Lyman’s Case Prep Xpress features handy storage areas for accessories, a removable brass shavings dump pan, and a handy clean-up brush.

The Case Prep Xpress will retail for under $120.00, making it much less expensive than the larger Hornady Case Prep Center, which runs about $330.00. The Hornady unit is beefier, and will trim cases. However, we think the compact Lyman unit makes sense for guys who already have a good case trimming solution, such as a Forster or Wilson Case trimmer.

Lyman Case Prep Xpress Includes:
Inside Deburr (VLD) Tool
Outside Deburr Tool
Flash Hole Uniformer
Primer Pocket Uniformer (Large & Small)
Primer Pocket Reamer (Large & Small)
Primer Pocket Cleaner (Large & Small)
Case Neck Brushes (25, 30, 38 & 45 Cal)
Case Neck Lube (Mica)
Removable Brass Shavings Dump Pan
Clean-up Brush

Case Prep Xpress $101.71 at Midsouth
The Lyman Case Prep Xpress should start shipping in February. The best current price we found was at Midsouth Shooters Supply, which sells the Lyman unit for $101.71.

[Ovenpaa]

That looks to tick a lot of boxes. As the PSU is a seperate item you may well be able to source one in the UK if needed however I suspect the cheapest option would be to get the 240v option when you buy the station, also safer from a warranty viewpoint

Apparently my motor arrived today so that is going to be an interesting project for me :)

[Dangermouse]

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0157810223 $105 for the 230v, mid south will ship to the UK.

[Ovenpaa]

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0157810223 $105 for the 230v, mid south will ship to the UK.

At that price I do wonder why I am building one.

[Dangermouse]

I agree, especially as you are getting a box of bits with it.

I mentioned the DIY idea to my sparky at work, he went a bit misty eyed and said "yea it would work, how about using a light dimmer switch to control the speed"
Might be an idea?

Anyway, do you old boys not have a record player sat in the corner that you could adapt?

Will ping Sinclair's an email to see if they have any plans for stocking the Lyman unit,

DM