Thinking of building a hydraulic swage press

My freind Sparky 11 has multiple hydrolic presses to make bullets all manual and very efficent
if your in the Ottawa area I could introduce you, He's back from florida in may

I know he swagges 1"X3" slugs to as small as lead wire for 22 cores
he makes 45-70 up to 600 gr
He might even be willing to sell a unit or help you build one

Supermag
 
SUPERMAG said:
My freind Sparky 11 has multiple hydrolic presses to make bullets all manual and very efficent
if your in the Ottawa area I could introduce you, He's back from florida in may

I know he swagges 1"X3" slugs to as small as lead wire for 22 cores
he makes 45-70 up to 600 gr
He might even be willing to sell a unit or help you build one

Supermag
Click to expand...

I'm In Vancouver.
But would like to talk with him.
 
cet, this brings up another question to rumrunner, which is, do you wish to go straight to a direct action press, or would converting a hand or hand type press over to operate off hydraulics or pneumatics be a way worth considering?

cet, if you wander across the web to the castboolits forum, there is a pretty active group of swagers there, of varying technology levels, and in the stickies at the top of the page is a pretty good series of posts about making a swaging press.
There are a couple other forums out there that have some swaging/bullet making info,but the castboolits site is quite active. I mentioned the Saubier Small Caliber forum, IIRC there is some on the Accurate Reloading Forums as well. Without a doubt there are a few swagers hanging in the various bench rest forums too, but I have not homed in on any steady traffic in my wanderings of the web.

Essentially a larger, beefier version of the type of press used for reloading, with additional linkages used to eject the formed bullet from the dies. Which is why I ask about the prospect of simply building that style and converting it over to the motive force of choice.

Cannot recall if Corbin shows pictures of his hydraulic press on his site or not. There are a few pictures of it in one of the books I have. A frame for the press, a hydraulic cylinder, a hydraulic power unit, and controls buried out of sight in a box cabinet. Not much to see in the pictures. I have not seen any pictures of the innards of one of the Corbin presses.


Cheers
Trev
 
Thanks Trev, informative answers, as usal.

RUMRUNNER64: I'm going to start with some preliminary construction, I'll post some pics when
I have something to offer (I'll revive this thread, keep an eye open).

Cheers to both.
 
I stuffed the words Hydraulic Bullet swaging press into Google, and came up with a link to the Corbin site about the hydraulic presses.

I had not realized that there was as much info there as I found.

http://www.corbins.com/images/chpwire.gif is the controls circuit diagram, complete with interlocks, sequencing, and a timer to control dwell. Lots more info there too.

The Corbin unit is using a two stage hydraulic pump. These two stage units are dead nuts common, used a lot on wood splitters. Check Princess Auto online to see what is available through them.

Like electronics or no, it looks like there is going to have to be a learning curve there, or you are going to have to team up with someone and split the workload between skill sets.

Cheers
Trev
 
trevj said:
I stuffed the words Hydraulic Bullet swaging press into Google, and came up with a link to the Corbin site about the hydraulic presses.

I had not realized that there was as much info there as I found.

http://www.corbins.com/images/chpwire.gif is the controls circuit diagram, complete with interlocks, sequencing, and a timer to control dwell. Lots more info there too.

The Corbin unit is using a two stage hydraulic pump. These two stage units are dead nuts common, used a lot on wood splitters. Check Princess Auto online to see what is available through them.

Like electronics or no, it looks like there is going to have to be a learning curve there, or you are going to have to team up with someone and split the workload between skill sets.

Cheers
Trev
Click to expand...

Several year ago, I started bouncing this stuff off of trev (I have been lucky to have been able to work with/around him). He set me kind of straight (sort of like now) and gave me all kinds of advice as to where to take it. I now have a lathe and will be attempting to make the dies for swaging this summer. Machinery is NOT my background, but I have lots of books he has recommended since I started hanging around him. Good books that have helped me immensely.

All that aside, I have looked into this heavily simply due to the fact that I wanted to be able to produce bullets for ME should sources become extinct in the future. Otherwise I can continue to cast. The goal is more the challenge than a finished bullet.


Not to turn the thread, but, I gave up the idea of drawing my own brass years ago, even though I was successful in making disks into closed-end tubes, but the TIME was incredible. Needed to set that aside. I am afraid that once I start this and achieve a decent product, it, too will be set aside in favour of the next one. Prove I can do it, equipment available is sufficient, move on to the next project.


ETA: WRT the PDLs that trev was mentioning, I saw my first raspberry before Christmas built in a losenge tin. When I was told what it was and could do, I was literally freaked. I am also sure that someone with the knowledge could write something for an Android app to do just what you want, hook up to the phone via USB and away you go. Not me, but someone...smart...

Until then, 50 ton press, pump it up, count to whatever, release, do it again... will be my method. I am no engineer, but I DID stay at a Holiday Inn Express last time in Calgary... :)
 
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Hey Rook, how's things?

Was looking around the Corbin site that the circuit diagram came from, and there ARE pictures there that show all the hydraulic guts of the simple presses.

Says that the press has a 6 inch stroke. Looked like a 3 1/2 or so inch diameter piston, double acting (pressure to pull the dies apart).

There is a two stage pump, a pressure regulator that bleeds off flow and allows it back to the reservoir, there is a solenoid operated valve to run the cylinder, and a few other basic components visible in the different shots there.

Apparently not a bunch of concern over the 'secrets' getting out, if that is anything to go by.

Cheers
Trev
 
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