A question on neck turning

[260AckImp]

I feed both runs slowly. I use Lee "white stuff" and Imperial sizing wax.

Thanks Bill, should have my turner tomorrow. Ill report back with some photos of my first attempts.

Thanks to everyone for your advice/info, greatly appreciated

 

[Bill Norris]

I'm sure you will do fine. Just take your time. Don't rush it. I find the slower I feed the necks under the cutter the smoother the surface will be.

 

[nmkid]

Back when I was neck turning up to 100 cases at a session I would get an empty, plastic, butter/margarine container and fill it with ice. When I would feel the turner getting warm I would dump it in the ice and it would cool off rather quickly.

 

[ebb]

The first pass will leave some ridges, but a second pass very slow will clean up every thing. The depth to end at the shoulder is also important so as not to leave a donut after firing the first time.

 

[ebb]

Bill is right lube on the mandrel is also important.

 

[Tod Hendricks]

If your building heat during cutting your neck is too tight on the turning mandrel. Either get a larger expand mandrel or smaller turning mandrel or sand down the turning mandrel (not an option for carbide).

I prefer two separate cuts for the most consistent result. I actually use the same cutter for both cuts. After the first, roughing cut I expand the neck again in the same expand mandrel as the first time, cut with the same tool at the same setting and it will take a nice smooth couple tens off. I also run the drill faster on the second cut.

You would be amazed how far you can cut into a shoulder and 20 firings later never have any issues with necks falling off shoulders.

Use lube in the neck, anneal afterwards for lube be gone.

 

[Ray123]

You know I agree to some level that some people should learn to use tools like this some have no business touching them!!! I am a supervisor at a very large machine shop, that makes CV joints for automotive industry, NDI, IMO and I see this everyday most people can't even master a set of micrometers correctly, turning necks like your doing takes a lot of skill most people don't possess let alone having access to that kind of machinery or tooling, IMO if you know how to use a hand neck turning set up you can still achieve your goal, also my Wilson trimmer has tooling to do inside neck turning or reaming, it may not quite precise as a lathe set up with a boring bar, but it will get the job done if need be! also, the way your doing this is very time consuming even tho it's probably the most precise.

I tend to agree, most have not been exposed to machine tools...but are handloaders and shooters. And ya don't have to be a machinist to learn some basics...they used to teach metal shop and have college classes back in the day..
I grew up in the rare metals capital...started a union apprenticeship in 1974. Areo Jet closed down we got some of there tool makers they had a 6 year apprenticesship, ours was over 4 yrs.
Very dangerous work, zirconium fires sometimes 2 a day. Some of the most talented machinist in the world. We built parts out of rare metals to refuel nuclear reactors, weapons grade and commercial, submarines, missile cones, cluster bombs. I made my own contributions to the cause, working with Siemens engineers, and refueling the N-reactor at Hanford I came up with a new design to pull the spent fuel rods from the reactor that was failing during refueling. Got a nice bonus and 1.375 million parts to make.
The companies own all your ideas it's in the contract. Companies make millions from the ideas of machinist they employ. That's just one example.
As the nuclear field collapsed, computer and robotics increased....back to college for programming, a new age has arrived.
Everyone at a CNC mill or lathe was was very talented, reading a micrometer, was a non issue. Everyone could program and run a variety of CNC tools. The slogan was, "excellence in manufacturing". You were working with the best, any mistakes could get you fired ...no clause dismissal. So I've learned a lot over the years, and what seems easy to me is difficult for others and I understand that...but just want to instill a do it yourself approach, so much is possible and you're only limited to your imagination. I believe many could do the basics, if they only made the effort.
But even my son who is a white collar dude, but plays either motorcycles, he bought a lathe...i gave him thousands in tooling...called me said, dad I can't figure out how to hold these parts...I gave him a diagram...finally I said, "send them to me I'll do it for ya." So the parts are done and he'll drive 600 miles to pick them up. That's why I'd like to start a blue collar apprenticeship programs early in Jr high... We can't do anything as a nation, and many don't want to learn. ...I guess s robot will do it for us in the near future....as they are already big participants in manufacturing...We had them before I retired...and they work.

 

[Ray123]

So right after the cold War...we "acquired" a big Russian submarine...we used the giant titanium ribs that make up the skeleton, for scrap, to melt down...
The Russian sub titanium was contained... too many impurities, and contaminated the whole melt...a costly mistake. The remainder of the gigantic titanium ribs was left standing for quite some time...before disappearing.

 

[Dave M.]

I shoot a 260AI and have recently necked down some 308 brass to 260 ready for fireforming. Ive discovered that after necking down to 260 my loaded neck diameter is .296 to .297 and my chamber is a .298 neck. I like to have .004" clearance as a minimum and would even rather .005 to .006 of clearance.

My question is how much are you able turn off a neck in 1 pass? Would I be able to turn off the .002" in one pass or do you turn down in a couple of passes taking smaller cuts each time?

I have a Sinclair Deluxe 1500 neck turner coming in the mail.

You can turn off .002” in one pass easily. I suggest if you want a really nice neck turning finish start by turn 1.5 thou off all of them (rough cut) and then adjust the cutter depth for the final 1/2 thou skim cut and go much slower. Finally, turn the neck in between your fingers while holding some fine steel wool. Beautiful finish and super accurate wall thickness.
Dave

 

[Dave M.]

On the first pass do you feed the case a bit faster so it doesnt remove the full amount of brass? And then on the second pass when you feed it slower it removes the full amount set on the neck turner?

I also forgot to ask what lube everyone uses on their mandrels? I only got Imperial Wax for the time being

I switched to hobo oil as the mandrel lube and it works awesome.

 

[Ruger15151]

If your building heat during cutting your neck is too tight on the turning mandrel. Either get a larger expand mandrel or smaller turning mandrel or sand down the turning mandrel (not an option for carbide).

I prefer two separate cuts for the most consistent result. I actually use the same cutter for both cuts. After the first, roughing cut I expand the neck again in the same expand mandrel as the first time, cut with the same tool at the same setting and it will take a nice smooth couple tens off. I also run the drill faster on the second cut.

You would be amazed how far you can cut into a shoulder and 20 firings later never have any issues with necks falling off shoulders.

Use lube in the neck, anneal afterwards for lube be gone.

How many firings are you getting out of your 284 Win brass before you retire it? With new Lapua 284 Win being unobtainable for the near future, I am wondering if I need to limit my shooting before I have to retire what I have now.

 

[Tod Hendricks]

How many firings are you getting out of your 284 Win brass before you retire it? With new Lapua 284 Win being unobtainable for the near future, I am wondering if I need to limit my shooting before I have to retire what I have now.

I will stop shooting a lot of brass in important matches when it gets around 15 firings, only because I can, it’s still functioning fine. I’ve gotten over 20 with no issues, just stop using it.

 

[Ruger15151]

I will stop shooting a lot of brass in important matches when it gets around 15 firings, only because I can, it’s still functioning fine. I’ve gotten over 20 with no issues, just stop using it.

To get that kind of brass life, do you fire-form at reduced loads or do you just load new brass with your competition load and just shoot it?

 

[Tod Hendricks]

To get that kind of brass life, do you fire-form at reduced loads or do you just load new brass with your competition load and just shoot it?

I fireform with a normal load, not reduced.

i suspect the key to longer brass life is keeping the base from getting fat. My chambers are .501 @ .200” line and I size the base to .4995”, it’s a fine line for clickers. If you don’t have custom dies, the Redding small base body die is pretty good.

 

[jackieschmidt]

You know I agree to some level that some people should learn to use tools like this some have no business touching them!!! I am a supervisor at a very large machine shop, that makes CV joints for automotive industry, NDI, IMO and I see this everyday most people can't even master a set of micrometers correctly, turning necks like your doing takes a lot of skill most people don't possess let alone having access to that kind of machinery or tooling, IMO if you know how to use a hand neck turning set up you can still achieve your goal, also my Wilson trimmer has tooling to do inside neck turning or reaming, it may not quite precise as a lathe set up with a boring bar, but it will get the job done if need be! also, the way your doing this is very time consuming even tho it's probably the most precise.

If you have a lathe, there is always this option.

 

[Uncle Ed]

neck turning

Tech Line & Tips (FAQs)​

Concentricity Problems​

a.k.a Neck Runout With Bottleneck Cases

Redding Reloading Equipment

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We have conducted many tests over the years on the various factors contributing to concentricity problems with bottleneck cases. We have repeatedly found a definite correlation between the uniformity of the brass (or lack of it) and the resulting concentricity of the neck to the body of the case.

An interesting experiment also revealed that neck turning of brass that was intentionally sorted as non-uniform, showed little or no concentricity improvement when used in standard S.A.A.M.I. spec chambers. Conversely brass that was sorted and selected for uniformity remained uniform and concentric with or without a neck turning operation.