Turn Your FX-120i into a Prometheus

[effendude]

I also throw short from the measure, put the pan on the scale and let it trickle up to the target charge while I am moving the funnel to the next case. I have two matched pans but have not found the need to use the second pan. As soon as I move the Saturn funnel to the next case, the charge is ready to dump. If the phone doesn't ring, or my mind doesn't wander and I forget to move the funnel, I am a powder charging ninja with both hands in continuous motion!

Scott

 

[jlow]

The way to avoid a double charge or a no charge for that matter is to put a bullet on top of the case as soon as you put in powder and after you move the funnel to the next case. The nice thing about this is then the round is now ready for seating.

 

[effendude]

The way to avoid a double charge or a no charge for that matter is to put a bullet on top of the case as soon as you put in powder and after you move the funnel to the next case. The nice thing about this is then the round is now ready for seating.

I used to seat each bullet before charging the next case. I still have some cartridges that I seat on the Forster which is on a different bench. I also try to minimize vibrations when the scale is in use. My new approach works well, and as a safety measure, I always flashlight all cases before seating just to ensure a charge.

Scott

 

[jlow]

I used to seat each bullet before charging the next case. I still have some cartridges that I seat on the Forster which is on a different bench. I also try to minimize vibrations when the scale is in use. My new approach works well, and as a safety measure, I always flashlight all cases before seating just to ensure a charge.

Scott

Scott, I don’t actually seat the bullet as that disturbs the powder weighting process too much. The cases are all sitting on an RCBS reloading tray, I just move the funnel off the case that I just charged and cap that case with a bullet. Bullet being a boat tail will just sit on top without being seated.

 

[J-rod]

I also drop a bullet on the just charged case now...had a boo boo once where on the last of 50 rounds I spilt powder due to a double charge....for safety purposes I dumped out all of the just charged cases, ugh!
I recently made a shelf and screwed it to the wall to keep my scale and trickler isolated. Looking to try to seat a bullet now without disturbing scale

 

[BR7.62]

really happy w/ this purchase. i dont mind sitting down to reload 50 rounds at all. my scores last weekend and groups were the best ive gotten from the bench and the ground.
hate to even mention this as its a small thing but rather than black for the part the pan sits on white or some light color would make it easy to see a kernel of powder that might have got spilled onto it.

 

[spclark]

...rather than black for the part the pan sits on white or some light color would make it easy to see a kernel of powder that might have got spilled onto it.

Mine's grey? They likely are whatever feedstock Adam had access to when he wants to run a batch. My stand's also grey.

So far (150 Palma rounds loaded) I've seen no need to bother with pan base. Weighs within +/- 1 mg Benchmark. Be running H4350 in a few minutes, see if anything changes.

 

[jlow]

Mine's grey? They likely are whatever feedstock Adam had access to when he wants to run a batch. My stand's also grey.

So far (150 Palma rounds loaded) I've seen no need to bother with pan base. Weighs within +/- 1 mg Benchmark. Be running H4350 in a few minutes, see if anything changes.

It's a super simple fix with spray white paint if you want it white but like spclark, I don't use the pan base because that allows me more room between the trickler tube and balance so that it is easier to put it in and take it out without hitting the trickler tube and causing a few extra bits of powder to fall.

 

[spclark]

H4350 seems to need a different 'ramp' set by the slider.

Overall it's more finicky than Benchmark but, compared to running it on my former devices, a VAST improvement.

A friend will be ordering one soon for his self, curious how 2000 MR works, being almost a ball powder. I'd think splendidly!

(Anybody try pistol stuff yet, with something like Bullseye or Clays? Big, light flakes rather than grains?)

 

[jlow]

I've done TAC which is a ball powder and it works fine. Never done pistol stuff as I just throw those.

 

[1lnbrdg]

I threw 50 charges of MR2K and didn't have over ,14 +/- variation for the whole 50 rounds. Should flow well with Adam's setup.

 

[Budget]

hi there ,
i too have mine and it is great ,thanks for the great service adam.
whilst the bearing mod on the trickler sounds great,i have just polished the inside of the trickler body with metal polish on a jag.polished the trickler tube and placed it on a non slip matt and it runs smooth and is as quite as a church mouse.
i have also drilled a small hole in the back of the draft shield and fed the trickler tube in from behind,it enables the pan to be in the middle and so much easier to operate.
paul

 

[Jb6101]

Hello everyone. New to the forum. I have followed this thread from the beginning.

Has anyone tried the Autotrickler for the Sartorius 64? I am seriously considering it.

I am currently bulk dispensing 0.2 low with a Hornady Auto Charge and using an Omega trickler to finish on the Sartorius. It works great but I like neat things and the Autotrickler is defiantly neat.

Thanks in advance.

 

[rardoin]

Hello everyone. New to the forum. I have followed this thread from the beginning.

Has anyone tried the Autotrickler for the Sartorius 64? I am seriously considering it.

I am currently bulk dispensing 0.2 low with a Hornady Auto Charge and using an Omega trickler to finish on the Sartorius. It works great but I like neat things and the Autotrickler is defiantly neat.

Thanks in advance.

I have the same set-up. I have the Autotrickler on order. I think there are posts further up in this thread concerning the Sart. E-64 and user's experience with the Autotrickler.

 

[flatlander]

Finished installing the miniature ball bearings in my trickler a couple of days ago, then let the 609 retaining compound cure for a full 24hrs before using it. Had some issues with IMR 4451 sticking/jamming the trickler's tube before doing the bearing mod, but was able to load 50rds of 6.5x47 yesterday morning w/o any such issue. The trickler runs considerably smoother now than it did before mounting the tube in the bearings. Only issue I had was that the tube wouldn't fit into the bearings' race - had to chuck the tube into an old Atlas lathe and work it down by spinning it with 220 grit sandpaper, then polishing it further with 400 wet/dry. Also followed advice from another member here by inserting a rolled-up foam ear plug in the backside of the tube to prevent powder from back-filling into the green knob & taking a lot of extra effort to empty after a charging session. Makes it a lot easier to empty the trickler!

 

[josh cox]

I have purchased a pair of RC Helicopter bearings, 5/16(ID) by 1/2 (OD) by 5/32 depth bearings, hopefully they will work.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/371702886611?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[BR7.62]

ive been thinking about just turning some delrin on the lathe to make bushings. any thoughts?
getting some shine where where the friction is no gualing or anything, probably be fine to leave alone...

 

[spclark]

Delrin ought to work fine. As you use your auto-trickler w/o bushings the aluminum / aluminum contact ought to get a little lube from whatever coating on your propellant gets embedded.

When I clean my hopper / tube I notice some grains tend to stick around those bearings so I suspect there's some lube working out of the bearings during use. More I use it the fewer grains I'm finding. Kernels stuck 'up the pipe' though take some patience in dislodging.

I use three powders mostly, doubt a few grains of one in amongst a load of another won't be too disruptive, but care taken during switchover's a good idea.

 

[memilanuk]

I use three powders mostly, doubt a few grains of one in amongst a load of another won't be too disruptive, but care taken during switchover's a good idea.

Just thinking out loud here... would it be that hard to get a spare trickler (or two), and use different fasteners to attach them to the motor/base for a quick-detach setup? Not strictly necessary, of course, but neither is having a separate Dillon APM for each tool head on a 550/650 - but you see plenty of folks who decide that the money is worth the time spent changing over and resetting everything.

 

[spclark]

Just thinking out loud here... would it be that hard to get a spare trickler (or two)....

No, but taking your out loud thought a little further, I don't think it'd be that hard to 're-engineer' an RCBS trickler's inner tube not only to reduce amount of residual propellant but also maybe make it more efficient?

My thinking is this: obtain (hobby shop, McMaster if need be) a short section of 5/16" OD tubing (brass I think'd be fine) to replace the supplied aluminum piece.

Drill the feeder hole close to the output end then plug the upstream side with epoxy. Drill a new spacer indexing pin hole, swap out new tube for OEM, remount all the other bits & go to it.

Solves two issues: tendency for feed to become less efficient when hopper runs low, reduces volume available for retained powder in feed tube.

Now I need to figure a way to add volume to hopper. I think Adam's working on this too, maybe with that 3D printer he's using? (Wish I had access to one....)