Got the 21st Century Concentricity Gauge today. Very high quality, but the wheel stopped working after 15-20 rounds being checked. Case lube a likely culprit as I don't tumble after loading, just wipe with a towel. Suspect the cases will need to be cleaned better after resizing for this tool to work. Ball bearings are smooth as they can be. Wheel turns smoothly but case doesn't. Case lube I'm almost certain. It's a very high quality feeling tool.
UPDATE: wheel working fine now, day after posting. Heard from John at 21st overnight. It was excess case lube. Wheel works great now, nothing changed. Case lube must have dried over night. I need to find a more effective way to get case lube off. Gauge works great. High end stuff.
Surprised no instructions came with it. Guess most folks buying high end stuff like this don't require them. I'm not sure how to set the indicator up. Little set screw and infinite ways to angle it. Doubt I'm using this tool to its potential. Which is apparent. But the numbers below were checked, then double checked not using wheel, and remained the same more or less. +/- half thou fluctuation.
Big question, how far off the brass should I have this little ball indicator? I am off the brass far enough to have another ball indicator between mine and the brass. What I mean, I have the indicator ball touching the bullet with pressure, what distance from the case mouth should this ball be? Pic below.
Anyway, I pretty much suck as it turns out. Been reading all you guys talking about 1-2 thou of runout. Hah. I will list below my first findings. Uniformed, trimmed within 0.001" on Forster, primer pockets shiny, wt sorted Lapua, with 77 SMK gently seated using the 180 turn advice I got here after half seating. Redding Deluxe 3 die set. Shoulder set back 0.005" per my new Hornady headspace gauge. Rock Chucker. Talked to the bullets. Played music. I was quite proud of them yesterday when I made them. Time to start playing golf I guess. What's the use, love golf too, and suck at it as well. Ha ha.
What do these numbers mean? What should I be doing differently?
My variation in thou...
7
3.5
6
6
3.5
3
2.5
6.5
2.5
7
4.5
3
4
3
4
3
4.5
3
3
2.5
1.5
4
3.5
1
3
6
5
Dan
UPDATE: wheel working fine now, day after posting. Heard from John at 21st overnight. It was excess case lube. Wheel works great now, nothing changed. Case lube must have dried over night. I need to find a more effective way to get case lube off. Gauge works great. High end stuff.
Surprised no instructions came with it. Guess most folks buying high end stuff like this don't require them. I'm not sure how to set the indicator up. Little set screw and infinite ways to angle it. Doubt I'm using this tool to its potential. Which is apparent. But the numbers below were checked, then double checked not using wheel, and remained the same more or less. +/- half thou fluctuation.
Big question, how far off the brass should I have this little ball indicator? I am off the brass far enough to have another ball indicator between mine and the brass. What I mean, I have the indicator ball touching the bullet with pressure, what distance from the case mouth should this ball be? Pic below.
Anyway, I pretty much suck as it turns out. Been reading all you guys talking about 1-2 thou of runout. Hah. I will list below my first findings. Uniformed, trimmed within 0.001" on Forster, primer pockets shiny, wt sorted Lapua, with 77 SMK gently seated using the 180 turn advice I got here after half seating. Redding Deluxe 3 die set. Shoulder set back 0.005" per my new Hornady headspace gauge. Rock Chucker. Talked to the bullets. Played music. I was quite proud of them yesterday when I made them. Time to start playing golf I guess. What's the use, love golf too, and suck at it as well. Ha ha.
What do these numbers mean? What should I be doing differently?
My variation in thou...
7
3.5
6
6
3.5
3
2.5
6.5
2.5
7
4.5
3
4
3
4
3
4.5
3
3
2.5
1.5
4
3.5
1
3
6
5

Dan