gas check alumimun

Home Hardware stocks a roll of aluminum flashing for about $16. It's about 13 thou thick and works well for my .30 and .38 calibres. Since the local HH is just over 200 yards away, I don'the bother looking elsewhere. I got into making checks because some of the Hornady checks won't fit the shanks of some other moulds like NOE. You have to be sure that your check maker will make a check that will fit your bullet. Blaser 303 wants to know your shank diameter before he makes you one. If you'd like, I can send you a piece to try.

Thats where I bought mine.....mic's out at .014 on my roll...perfect size.
 
my local hh is at the end of the world and it is hard to find the right size here. the only stuff they have is .010 but one of the workers is going to have a look for me. I will find the right stuff in a matter of time.
 
This is a copy and paste that i got from one of the CGNs member when i was in your situation, it worked for me and should work for you.


Go to Lowes and have them order a roll of Amerimax , through their Canadian supplier Euramax.
Open the pdf and on the right side click on "Roll Valley Flashing" order what ever you want under the 0.014" column....I got the 68106 6" x 50'.
http://www.amerimax.com/ca/catalog.html

Had an order for copper sheet since July no happy ending yet
 
I am going to see if euramax will do mail for a roll of 68108. I got a 170 ft roll from England and got 4700 checks from. that cost me 51$ cdn but was worth it as my maker works perfect.
 
I am going to see if euramax will do mail for a roll of 68108. I got a 170 ft roll from England and got 4700 checks from. that cost me 51$ cdn but was worth it as my maker works perfect.

Euramax will only ship 4 coils at $125 per coil to a dealer. I have been waiting since July for Euromax to ship.
 
Home hardware has aluminum coil stock that is 0.014". Use a knife and straight edge to score it, and fold on the score to cut it into strips
 
If you live in Alberta there are many companies that supply aluminum sheeting for pipelines.

Most of it is between .015-.016” thick. When I realised this , I procured about 50, full brand new sheets of this material. It works great!
 
If you live in Alberta there are many companies that supply aluminum sheeting for pipelines.

Most of it is between .015-.016” thick. When I realised this , I procured about 50, full brand new sheets of this material. It works great!

A sheet being how big?

M
 
I just used some aluminum edging for house siding. It measured out at .014-.016. A friend had it stashed away behind his shed from a job long ago. There wasn't much there but I got quite a few checks out of it. I just used my vise to flatten it out before cutting it into strips.

It might be worth looking up your local siding businesses and asking them if you can pick up their scraps.
 
one problem with aluminium is the formation of oxide IIRC. If it forms on the gas check, it can cause issues as it is harder than steel. I have no experience in such things, but have done some reading in preparation of casting projectiles for my old Enfield .303

If any more knowledgeable person can confirm or deny this I would be interested :) It is the reason I have avoided aluminium as a material for gas checks in my preparations. (I also haven't quite decided on which tool to make them, or whether I will just build one)
 
one problem with aluminium is the formation of oxide IIRC. If it forms on the gas check, it can cause issues as it is harder than steel. I have no experience in such things, but have done some reading in preparation of casting projectiles for my old Enfield .303

If any more knowledgeable person can confirm or deny this I would be interested :) It is the reason I have avoided aluminium as a material for gas checks in my preparations. (I also haven't quite decided on which tool to make them, or whether I will just build one)

Use epoxy coated aluminium flashing - no oxides and powder coat..
 
thanks! so are you saying to powder coat the bullet afterwards? Or are you saying that there is no oxide or powder coat residue on the flasing? Sorry about the semantics game, but lets just assume that you are talking to a dummy (lol.. me)

My thought is that any coating on the flashing may be stripped off during the stress of the gas-check forming process.. is this not the case? Perhaps the coating is flexible enough to withstand the bending?

Thank you for the insight.. I like to always be learning.

Quote Originally Posted by bobbynewmark View Post
one problem with aluminium is the formation of oxide IIRC. If it forms on the gas check, it can cause issues as it is harder than steel. I have no experience in such things, but have done some reading in preparation of casting projectiles for my old Enfield .303

If any more knowledgeable person can confirm or deny this I would be interested It is the reason I have avoided aluminium as a material for gas checks in my preparations. (I also haven't quite decided on which tool to make them, or whether I will just build one)
Use epoxy coated aluminium flashing - no oxides and powder coat..
 
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gawd.. I hit reply instead of 'reply with quote'.. then tried to fix it and buggered it again.. My bad, I am middle aged with fat fingers :)
 
gawd.. I hit reply instead of 'reply with quote'.. then tried to fix it and buggered it again.. My bad, I am middle aged with fat fingers :)

I recall women who said " I just washed my hair and now I can't do a thing with it!"

Well, due to a wish to comply with hygene standards I wash my hands many times a day and It is becoming hard to do anything with them....
 
thanks! so are you saying to powder coat the bullet afterwards? Or are you saying that there is no oxide or powder coat residue on the flasing? Sorry about the semantics game, but lets just assume that you are talking to a dummy (lol.. me)

My thought is that any coating on the flashing may be stripped off during the stress of the gas-check forming process.. is this not the case? Perhaps the coating is flexible enough to withstand the bending?

Thank you for the insight.. I like to always be learning.

Quote Originally Posted by bobbynewmark View Post
one problem with aluminium is the formation of oxide IIRC. If it forms on the gas check, it can cause issues as it is harder than steel. I have no experience in such things, but have done some reading in preparation of casting projectiles for my old Enfield .303

If any more knowledgeable person can confirm or deny this I would be interested It is the reason I have avoided aluminium as a material for gas checks in my preparations. (I also haven't quite decided on which tool to make them, or whether I will just build one)
Use epoxy coated aluminium flashing - no oxides and powder coat..

I have made several thousand gas checks from the Freechex IIi tool using powder coated aluminium (0.014") The powder coat is tough stuff. It stays on the aluminium while being pushed through the die, and it is not damaged by resizing.
You can put your gas checks on the bullets before you powder coat them, or after.
I have done both - as long as the bullet is 0.001" or more over bore diameter accuracy really doesn't change. (The last issue of hand loader suggested two coats of powder coat may increase group size. There were not enough details on how he did the two coats and whether or not he ran the bullets through a sizer die, or possibly some other variable was at play. Most articles about casting (Mike Venturino excluded) in the gun mags only touch the surface of casting and cast bullet shooting.

The Pat Marlins gas check maker works - but it is not as slick as the freechex unit. Too bad Charlie Darnell faces some challenges in supply and sales. .

If you do make your own check maker, the slot in the die for the strip of flashing can be tailored to the thickness of the material you use.

The shank of the bullet where the check crimps on is usually 0.014" of an inch smaller than bullet diameter.
The real issue folks in rural places face is getting gas check material at a reasonable price.

I make a 0.225" gas check for a 37 grain NOE bullet. A $120 coil of aluminium or copper may out last my grandchildren and it is way more gas checks than I can ever get enough lead to cast the bullets for.
 
I agree with 10x as it is a hard job to find the right size and good price material for gas check in rural areas. I have a possible source for material and time will tell if I can get it.
 
Thanks for the info . Every little bit helps. I have everything I need to cast except gas checks and a source of tin (very scarce it seems).
 
I ordered a roll of 8x50 ft from kent and got the roll the other day for 67.00. it is the .014 metal and it works perfect. the roll should last me a very long time. thanks for all the info.
 
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