Power Case Prep Options

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justsomeguy

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So, after doing up 500 rnds on my RCBS Trim Mate today I'm not as enamored with it as I was when doing small batches of 25-50!

About every 3rd case got hung up on the primer pocket uniformer to the point it would power out, need to be shut off and wiggle it back and forth to get it off...annoying time waster! I've been advised to put a bit of case lube on the blades but am worried the impact will be on the primers. Ended up using the SS brush instead but it's not getting the pockets clean. For that particular issue I'm considering drinking the stainless Kool Aid.

On top of that chamfer & deburing is a pain with the heads turning so slowly.

I've done some research into options, have heard good and bad about several, just wondering what guys are using for speed and power? I wouldn't say money is no option, but with a wife, 2 kids, hectic job, etc. time is limited and I'm willing to pay for time savings.

Thanks.
 
Bought a Giraud trimmer last year, absolutely the best investment I made for case prep. It trims,inside and outside chamfers all in one step. I can easily trim 20 cases per minute. I use my drill press for primer pocket cleaning on lowest speed still has lots of torque and do 20 per minute here as well.
 
Hornady LNL case prep center all the way. I found it more powerful, faster, and had better ergonomics (horizontal tools) than my old RCBS unit. And the case trimmer works for anything, but only with Hornady shellholders. I had to get a new Hornady shellholder for everything I load, because the hole in the center of the RCBS shellholders was to small to work with the case trimmer.

When you get going, it takes about 20 seconds to trim, chamfer, deburr, clean/cut primer pocket, and deburr the flashole.
 
Whoosie!

justsomeguy said:
So, after doing up 500 rnds on my RCBS Trim Mate today I'm not as enamored with it as I was when doing small batches of 25-50!

About every 3rd case got hung up on the primer pocket uniformer to the point it would power out, need to be shut off and wiggle it back and forth to get it off...annoying time waster! I've been advised to put a bit of case lube on the blades but am worried the impact will be on the primers. Ended up using the SS brush instead but it's not getting the pockets clean. For that particular issue I'm considering drinking the stainless Kool Aid.

On top of that chamfer & deburing is a pain with the heads turning so slowly.

I've done some research into options, have heard good and bad about several, just wondering what guys are using for speed and power? I wouldn't say money is no option, but with a wife, 2 kids, hectic job, etc. time is limited and I'm willing to pay for time savings.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
Browse down the page a bit to the "Worlds Finest Trimmer" thread and have a look... A small drill press is also a big help with case prep tools that you can chuck into a drill.
 
How much are you deburring that you think it is slow?

Takes about 1/2 a second for each of the outside and inside deburr/chamfer for me, and that's with a large ridge from trimming.
 
There is NOTHING faster than a Giraud that will trim, and inside & outside chamfer a case. NOTHING.
Guys with the Hornady/RCBS or whatever 'case prep center' and that mis-nomer of an abortion called 'the worlds best trimmer' take notes.

Buy once, die happy.
 
justsomeguy said:
So, after doing up 500 rnds on my RCBS Trim Mate today I'm not as enamored with it as I was when doing small batches of 25-50!

About every 3rd case got hung up on the primer pocket uniformer to the point it would power out, need to be shut off and wiggle it back and forth to get it off...annoying time waster! I've been advised to put a bit of case lube on the blades but am worried the impact will be on the primers. Ended up using the SS brush instead but it's not getting the pockets clean. For that particular issue I'm considering drinking the stainless Kool Aid.

On top of that chamfer & deburing is a pain with the heads turning so slowly.

I've done some research into options, have heard good and bad about several, just wondering what guys are using for speed and power? I wouldn't say money is no option, but with a wife, 2 kids, hectic job, etc. time is limited and I'm willing to pay for time savings.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I drank the Kool Aid and I'm glad I did.

Once you try it once you will never go back to using walnut/corn cob media.
 
beltfed said:
There is NOTHING faster than a Giraud that will trim, and inside & outside chamfer a case. NOTHING.
Guys with the Hornady/RCBS or whatever 'case prep center' and that mis-nomer of an abortion called 'the worlds best trimmer' take notes.

Buy once, die happy.
Click to expand...

So you are not doing any primer pocket work? FS
 
ahlsy said:
Hornady LNL case prep center all the way. I found it more powerful, faster, and had better ergonomics (horizontal tools) than my old RCBS unit. And the case trimmer works for anything, but only with Hornady shellholders. I had to get a new Hornady shellholder for everything I load, because the hole in the center of the RCBS shellholders was to small to work with the case trimmer.

When you get going, it takes about 20 seconds to trim, chamfer, deburr, clean/cut primer pocket, and deburr the flashole.
Click to expand...

I have the hornady machine and I do agree it is a great piece of gear, but not quite as fast as you think it is. Not saying you couldn't do a few pieces in 20 seconds, just not a batch of 100. FS
 
I have a Gracey power trimmer. Works like an electric pencil sharpener. Trims to length, chamfers inside and out in about 2 seconds per case. Cheaper than a Giraud.

I don't clean primer pockets as a rule unless they are really crudded up or there is a piece of media stuck in the flash hole.
 
Fassteel said:
So you are not doing any primer pocket work? FS
Click to expand...

As Maynard above. With exceptions, I've never been convinced of it actually doing anything other than making things look pretty.

The Gracy is a decent machine and arguably as fast as the Garaud, but the Garaud is tha better product by a good margin, imho.
 
I do most of my case prep on a Canadian Tire drill press. I chuck the tool in and do batches, then change tool. I also use the Lee zip trim to trim, chamfer and debur flash hole when needed.
 
I use a Giraud for trimming.

I've looked at the RCBS unit for the other operations and found it to be a bit slow and underpowered. So, I decided to build my own. Got a couple of surplus geared motors with 1/4" hex hollow shaft and got some 8-32 threaded hex stand-offs.

Motors looks similar to this (but with a hex hole in the shaft):
popup_image_resize.asp


You put one of these in it:
R30-1011302.jpg


Put a washer on each side, a screw on the back end and thread your tool into the front side. Secure it to something and power it form a 12V supply.

Got the motors at Princess Auto for $1 each (wheeled and dealed), the power supply was $10, and the stand-offs are $0.10 ea.

If the motor has a regular shaft, just get a round stand-off of the same diameter and a shaft coupler.
 
For a large volume of cases, you cannot beat a Dillon 650 + Case feeder + Dillon 1200.

If you use a sizing die on the last station you will almost totally swage the burr of the case mouth. Tumble in SSteel will peen off the rest and clean the primer pockets.

GC
 
Zeb said:
Got pics of the finished unit? How did you attach the motor to the base?
Click to expand...

Just secured them to 2x4s with some wood screws... ain't nothing to look at, but it works. All that you need to do is hold the motors somehow, it doesn't need to be pretty or complicated.
 
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