[Rendrog18]

Well, some of you may have read my first post (My time for an 1100 - CNCzone.com-The Largest Machinist Community on the net!) and in there, my first project on the machine (http://www.cnczone.com/forums/tormac...ml#post1104392). I was just learning everything about the CAD software, CAM software, and the mill all at that time. I got the soft jaws made and they are reversible so you can have a step or no step and they have come in handy. Also probably saved a drill bit when a drilling cycle went too deep, if they were steel, im sure it would have been snapped.

Since then ive progressed quite a bit, I think, and things are becoming much easier. I just finished my second big project on the machine tonight. I modeled and machined a Dillon Precision tool head for a reloading press. The original (Dillon Precision: Reloaders, Reloading Equipment, Bullet Reloading, Bullet Reloaders) is $22.95 plus shipping and is made from cast aluminum. I can buy enough material for 3 of them for $23.

Well at any rate, I measured the original one that came with the press and modeled it.


Then I moved to SprutCAM and started creating the machining operations. Moved to the machine and tested on a few pieces of wood and then stepped up to aluminum when I was happy with the program. And here is the result.




Progress has been a little slow. I graduated college and then got a temporary job working 9 hr days on a normal week and any where from 12-16 hr days on heavy weeks so that cut into my learning time. Then at the beginning of August I started a new job/career with Pennsylvania DOT working in the CADD Support group. So the transition to a new career has also been slowing things down. I think the mad rush of paperwork is now slowing down and I'm beginning to get settled in so hopefully I can continue to pick things back up with the machine and find a little work on the side with it.

Thanks for looking, and any comments on the tool head would be appreciated!

[tbaker2500]

Looks great, man! Good work, great progress.
Something to consider on your next project, is to do a surface pass over the material, which gets rid of extrusion marks and gives you a perfectly flat surface. Taking off 10 to 20 thou is all that's needed to make a top finish as great as the rest of your surfaces.
Thanks for sharing!

[Rendrog18]

Thanks for the suggestion! The surface was/is a little rough and I probably could have gotten away with cutting it to make it cleaner and not affect the strength of it, but I didn't want to take it below 1" because I had made the model depth and the machining operations based on a 1" stock. It is for personal use, but if I ever find some time to make a few extra to sell, I'd def consider dropping 5 to 10 thou off to clean it up.

[MFchief]

Looks like you have a 550B! LOL
That's the same press I have and more toolheads is definetly on my project to-do list.

Nice job.

Terry

[Rendrog18]

Sure do, they are great! We had been talking about purchasing more in the past, but we needed at least 5 more, so you're looking at $115 plus shipping. Now with the machine we'll end up with 5 extra for a total of maybe $30

[Gerry Sweetland]

looks nice Rendrog!
I had a 550B as well, but that was quite some time ago, don't shoot anymore. Wouldn't mind getting back into it some day.
Gerry

[jid2]

Nice part - I also have a Dillon RL550B, great little loader, just ran 100 rounds through it last night. That's a nice type of part to gain skills with as well, how did you tap the holes for the dies?

It's funny how my view of time vs money is the total opposite. I say to myself I could never build one of those parts for $22 - as I always factor in my time and pay myself about the same as I make in my day job. For me I have so many projects and ideas for new things that I can rarely justify building something I can just go out and buy. But that's a swift that is kinda new for me in the past few years. When we had no kids I built everything myself. Now with three kids I have zero "real" free-time. It's all stolen from sleep or kids napping etc.

[WOTDesigns]

an alternative to removing material for a nice finish is just use some scotch bright pad on it ad it is right now. 1 minute to a beautiful finish right from raw extrusion. I finish most flat parts like that with 10 seconds in the belt sander with 240 grit. leavesa great finish too.

[tbaker2500]

an alternative to removing material for a nice finish is just use some scotch bright pad on it ad it is right now. 1 minute to a beautiful finish right from raw extrusion. I finish most flat parts like that with 10 seconds in the belt sander with 240 grit. leavesa great finish too.

Good point. It's amazing the number of things which can be done in a few seconds by hand that are hard to do on the CNC.

[WOTDesigns]

Exactly. Being that I do mostly production I do everything I can by hand. An example is another thread about breaking 2-56 taps in a T/C head... I tapped 300 2-56 threads 2 weeks ago by hand, sitting in my la-z-boy drinking a beer and watching Modern Marvels while the machine did things I cant do by hand. Much more efficient.

For 90% of the threads I tap (as much as I hate posting it since people who have no clue say its bad) are of machine with an irwin 3/8" socket drive tap holder on my cordless drill. #10 up to 3/8" doesn't break a sweat. Through holes I use spiral point, blind spiral flute plug and chase it with spiral point bottoming. I've maybe broken 3 taps in the last 2000 holes. The trick is that the 3/8" drive adapter has some wiggle room to act as a universal joint in the irwin tap holder which lets the tap follow the path of least resistance... which is strait.

Another neat (but kind of spendy) trick to save time on finishing is to use a 3M Scotch-Bright 3" High Performance Flap Brush like (prt#048011-14781) held in a hand held drill to finish part surfaces on small parts. Very fast and last forever. The course ones are AMAZING for deburring too. Better than a scotch bright 1x30 belt on my little belt sander because it won't round off the edges more than the flats.

[tbaker2500]

I've been wondering about that for tapping. I do roll tapping in aluminum of #10 and 1/4-20, and I bet I'd put less stress on the tap with that sort of system than a t-handle sometimes.

[B-RAD]

Agree with Irwin tap holders, I use them in my DeWalt Impact, so far never broken one..... In aluminum! As for the Dillion holder, thats sweet, I personally use a CO-AX with Comp Dies... But I'm more quality over quantity. For now... Prairie Dogging is slowly changing my mind to a dillon... It's hard to feed my Custom Ar-15 with a single stage...

[miljnor]

I do a lot of precision reloading and 1 thing about truing up the top surface while your machining the threads is that the surface will be true to the threaded holes and thus the ammo will benefit from your extra care! out at 1000yards EVERYTHING matters.

just a thought...you might be using them for pistol dies then whatever goes!

[Rendrog18]

Jid, I used a standard tap for the holes. Placed the machine on the center of the hole, put a drill chuck in with a socket driver, put a socket on the driver and then on the tap. Used the machine to preload the tap a little and turned it a few times to get it started in square. Then finished it up with the tap handle.

Made a second tool head last thursday night and had some fitment issues. The rib around the center ended up being about 8 thousands too big. I'm not sure yet if this was a fixture, setup, or machine/controller issue yet. I'll be making another one and attempting to fix the one that is too large. I will see if the next one comes out to size or over sized again.

As far as the die holders being square to the press, and the top being square to the hole, etc. I do not believe it would cause that much discrepancy while reloading. The factory tool head is more sloppy than the ones I am making. I'm sure it can cause some error but we are not doing much long range shooting. As a side note, 308 ammo I loaded before on it was holding a sub 8" group out of a semi FN FAL 20" barrel at 800 yards. I believe that to be pretty accurate. Most of our reloading is bulk, for use in machine guns and/or pistols. If we need to do something more accurate, we have a single stage press and there are other factors that can bring accuracy in with not considering squareness of the lock nut(interfacing with the surface) and the hole in the holder.

I do appreciate everyone's contribution and suggestions as well! Thank you all again. I can't let everyone here know how much I appreciate and enjoy this community.

Starting to consider a cool 4th axis project or some sort of billet card holder with our logo on it for business cards at the gun shows. Also starting to think I may be getting close to being ready to start publishing for some business. Though I'm not 100% sure where I need to look to find something. Does the expression still hold, If I build it, will they(the customers) come?

[jrm850]

... As a side note, 308 ammo I loaded before on it was holding a sub 8" group out of a semi FN FAL 20" barrel at 800 yards. I believe that to be pretty accurate.

If you have a FAL that is sub minute at 800 you should put it in a safe That is very impressive! My 6BR bench rifle has shot .069" at a hundred but if there is any wind variation at all, I can't keep it under 8" at 600 consistantly. If I had a fast enough twist to shoot the 105grs it would probably be a little easier.
I built rifles for many years and have seen enough amazing rifles and shooters to know that it happens but I personally just don't have the talent. Color me green with envy!

[B-RAD]

I'm at .105 with a cooper .223, that's some good shooting!

[Rendrog18]

We load/shoot 168 grain bullets with a little extra in the case. Minimal seat depth to get exactly at or a little over on the overall length and no crimp. Oh and it doesn't hurt to run the neck thru the sizing die twice then trim it if need be.

It is a Shilen match grade barrel, certainly not a standard FAL barrel by any means. It is a wonderful rifle to shoot, with the exception of the trigger, it is a bit heavy.

Still no new progress. Haven't thought of anything new to start or had time to set up and cut any more tool heads.

[Rendrog18]

Maybe I didn't explain myself quite right. I am by no means guessing at the OAL. We set it to the maximum or a little longer. Keeping a minimal distance between the bullet and the lands can increase accuracy. The bullet should be fairly straight in the case. Giving it less time between the case and the lands gives less room for error to arise. Problem being that the case neck is never the same thickness. The thicker metal will hold the bullet harder than the thinner side. Thus, the bullet will "tip" out of the neck and enter the lands at an angle, which then causes the bullet to wobble once it leaves the barrel. Getting the bullet as close to, or resting just at, the lands will reduce this error as it cannot tip/tilt, as much or at all if it is in contact with the lands. An old trick is to smoke the bullet. Then carefully place it in the chamber and close the bolt. Keep increasing the OAL until you see the soot from the smoke start to be scratched off from contacting the lands. Generally this is a bench rifle practice and is not feasible or realistic with a semi auto as it will cause loading issues. This is why we don't go crazy with our OAL and maybe only go a few thou over spec.