Neck Turning problem....New info

bryan

bryan

Bryan Armatys
Sorry to get back to this so soon, but..........
I borrowed a Pumpkin neck turner from a friend, and within 10 cases I tore the neck off another one:mad:
So, It may not be the turner..........maybe it's the speed? I use a variable speed drill and try to keep the speed a bit low (I don't just pull the trigger and let 'er rip)
Another thing is that the case holder I use (K&M) causes the case to wobble in the drill if I tighten it enough to prevent the shell holder and case from spinning in the holder. Is there a better way to hold the case?, or should I just go to cutting in 2 passes.
Thanks
Bryan
 
bryan said:
Sorry to get back to this so soon, but..........
I borrowed a Pumpkin neck turner from a friend, and within 10 cases I tore the neck off another one:mad:
So, It may not be the turner..........maybe it's the speed? I use a variable speed drill and try to keep the speed a bit low (I don't just pull the trigger and let 'er rip)
Another thing is that the case holder I use (K&M) causes the case to wobble in the drill if I tighten it enough to prevent the shell holder and case from spinning in the holder. Is there a better way to hold the case?, or should I just go to cutting in 2 passes.
Thanks
Bryan
Click to expand...

"Lee" 3 jaw, continuous tightening, case holder is one of the most unique, best value, and cherished pieces of gun equipment that I own. Keeps the case perfectly centered and never looses grip...............you can spend more but cannot find any better.....................Don
 
Lube

Don: I have used a mix of mobil 1 and STP, as well as Hornady Unique and Imperial case lube. I've also tried Bill Niemi's proprietary bullet swaging lube.
I just have to think the feed rate or speed is critical here, but have not found it.
All help is appreciated
Bryan
By the way, did you get the PM?
 
Bryan ...

bryan said:
I borrowed a Pumpkin neck turner from a friend, and within 10 cases I tore the neck off another one. It may not be the turner maybe it's the speed? I use a variable speed drill and try to keep the speed a bit low. Another thing is that the case holder I use (K&M) causes the case to wobble in the drill if I tighten it enough to prevent the shell holder and case from spinning in the holder. Is there a better way to hold the case or should I just go to cutting in 2 passes? Thanks Bryan
Click to expand...

I use both the K&M neck turner and the K&M Shell Holder and tighten the holder so the case does not spin in the holder, just as you do. I use a power drill set on low speed. I let the Neck Turner wobble in my hand per instructions from both Gene Beggs AND Ken Markle (K&M) as I turn the necks. The wobble comes from the play in the power drill. The worst thing someone could do is to place the turner in a vice. The wobble has no effect on the neck turning since there is a nice fit between the mandrel and the case neck. I lube with Redding Imperial Sizing Die Wax. Just a very small amount on the mandrel and inside the case neck. The whole idea is to go slow. Let the turner pull the neck inward as the case is turning. If it doesn't feel like it's being pulled into the cutting blade you can exert a little inward force to help it. Again, go slow. This is not a race to the finish line. Making two in and out passes on the mandrel on your final cut will smooth things up and should put you right on your predetermined number. Hope this helps.:)
 
Don ...

Don said:
"Lee" 3 jaw, continuous tightening, case holder is one of the most unique, best value, and cherished pieces of gun equipment that I own. Keeps the case perfectly centered and never looses grip ... you can spend more but cannot find any better...Don
Click to expand...

I'm glad you found the Lee 3 jaw acceptable. Maybe I never learned to use mine properly. I found it always chewed up my case heads (left nicks and burrs on the edges) and made them hard to insert and extract from the case holder on my press. I eventually gave it away. Once I went to the K&M case holder all my problems disappeared.:)
 
I have the Sinclair case holder. Sometimes I use the Lee 3 jaw universal.
I use the 3 jaw for case trimming. 308 and 223. Works fine.
Imperial wax. But, I use a Black and Decker battery screwdriver. 4 AA. I think it does 300 rpm. I also have 2 turners. And make 2 cuts. 1 pass each.
300 cases. None buggered.
Tim
 
abintx said:
I'm glad you found the Lee 3 jaw acceptable. Maybe I never learned to use mine properly. I found it always chewed up my case heads (left nicks and burrs on the edges) and made them hard to insert and extract from the case holder on my press. I eventually gave it away. Once I went to the K&M case holder all my problems disappeared.:)
Click to expand...

I bought one of the Lee universal holders years ago and never got it to work to my liking. I have heard many good reports so maybe I'll pull it out and give it another try. The K&M holder is what I normally use.
 
I use the K&M holder and I bought a openn end wrench and sawed it off short to have a quick way to tighten the case holder. Never have a prob with cases coming loose or off center. But I'm still a nube.
:rolleyes:
 
Using the Pumpkin

Bryan I have a pumpkin and I make 4 passes. I take about .004, .004, .004, then the last cut I take the remaining to achieve my size I require.
I have the pumpkin motorized turner and it turns slow compared to a lathe but does a fine job.
I think some use a lathe and are able to make one pass but I don't have a lathe.
One of the things to remember is to make sure all your cases are trimmed to one length so you don't go to far into the pumpkin thus running into the neck shoulder junction.
Hope this helps.
Centerfire
 
I use a Punkin Turner as well, and the only time I had that problem tearing up a case neck was my Expander Mandrel was not quite big enough. Got one a bit biger and the problem went away. For lube I use Imperial size die wax.
 
cwood3 said:
I use the K&M holder and I bought a openn end wrench and sawed it off short to have a quick way to tighten the case holder.
Click to expand...
Shoulda thunk a that! I just got rid of the blisters on my thumb screwing the bugger by hand on a couple of hundred cases I was cleaning with a crazy cloth.
 
John Kielly said:
Shoulda thunk a that! I just got rid of the blisters on my thumb screwing the bugger by hand on a couple of hundred cases I was cleaning with a crazy cloth.
Click to expand...

Thats what the hole that is drilled in the side of the flat lands is for..........I insert I believe is a 1/8" allen x 2" long............Don
 
Don said:
Thats what the hole that is drilled in the side of the flat lands is for..........I insert I believe is a 1/8" allen x 2" long............Don
Click to expand...
Saw it, used it, but the drill doesn't stop with the hole in line too often, therefore it is an interesting device but about next to useless. I can grab the sod wherever she stops & I figure with six sides, it'll be within 30 degrees of perfect for a spanner every time when I switch over to that. Heck, if I use a ring spanner, maybe I can leave her hanging on the shank of the holder. I've got enough tediously slow loading processes already to go looking for a piddlin' little hole.
 
I have several of the case holders

listed above but find that all of them slip if the turning speed isn't pretty close to just right and I think a slightly larger expander mandrill would help me out some.

I have a motor like the one Francis spoke of which he assembled for me. :D ( Thanks Francis) I finally got around to using it just before I left ( Am in Florida for a month or so). It seems to be the PERFECT speed for turning necks. It even allows one pass with a Pumpkin with a heavy cut on brand x cases ; good stuff. I do plan to get a Pumpkin expander though. I have been using a Sinclair and think it is a bit smallish for the Pumpkin. ;)
 
"Catchy" places in the case mouth

Like Butch, I had a box of brass that was "bad". I reduced the number of failures by deburring the cases before turning but some of them still failed about mid neck.

NOT THE TURNER!
 
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