Any type of power tools or mini lathe for neck turning

[Ironworker]

Any mini lathe or power equipment set up tools for neck turning out there ?

 

[memilanuk]

If you dig around on the net there are a few people who have set up various lathes (not many mini-lathes, though) for the task - search @ benchrest.com's forum for 'single point neck turning' or some variation thereon.

Forster makes some bits that seemed like they should work in a drill press combined w/ their base... but I'm not impressed w/ their neck turner (very coarse adjustments).

Holland and Sinclair both have had devices that amount to a geared-down motor w/ a chuck of some sort sticking out of a box - both rather spendy for such a simple device.

Most people end up with a cordless drill (Dewalt 18v in my case) and an adapter/driver to hold the case, and holding the cutter in their hand. Set the speed on 'low' and feather the trigger...

 

[65joe]

Try here www.benchrite.com

 

[dennisinaz]

I just chuck the case holder in the 3-jaw on my lathe and feed the K&M turner in by hand. I put a drop or two of cutting oil on the tool post and use my finger to lube each case before turning. I run my lathe at 100 RPM. I use the same set up for removing donuts- U use a 1/4" chucking reamer that I hold by hand and slide in, turn on a slight angle and shave it off..

 

[memilanuk]

Dennis,

Full-sized lathe or mini-lathe?

That link to benchrite.com kind of illustrates my point... for $425 + S&H for a one-trick pony I think I'd rather spend another $100-200 and get a mini-lathe that is at least capable of doing *something* else.

In the mean time I think I'm going to make a holder for my Dewalt outta some plywood scraps to take abit of the load off my wrists...

Monte

 

[artbosco]

Any mini lathe for neck turning out there?

The best Mini Lathe is right here: http://www.kmshooting.com/catalog/neck-turner-tools/micro-adjustable-neck-turner-with-standard-pilot_power-adapter_and-shell-holder.html . $67.50

Suggested power tool: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100634089&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 . $29.97

Total: $97.47 Economically Correct.

 

[dennisinaz]

Any mini lathe for neck turning out there?

The best Mini Lathe is right here: http://www.kmshooting.com/catalog/neck-turner-tools/micro-adjustable-neck-turner-with-standard-pilot_power-adapter_and-shell-holder.html .

Suggested power tool: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100634089&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 .

Nardini 1440.

 

[dennisinaz]

Nardini 1440

That would be great but the cheapest I've seen for one was well over $3,000. One in really good shape was $5K plus. Ron Hoehn would turn a lot of brass at that price. I'd still like to have one. I'd also like to have an Eva Longoria. Probably couldn't use either one properly but I'd give it one heck of a try.

That's pretty good ;D

My point is, you can use a full-size lathe just as easy as a mini. The full size will have a larger footprint but rare is the case where a lathe is too big however the opposite is often the case!

Just look around long enough and something will turn up. As long as the bearings are in good shape and the parts are there, you can make it work. Don't buy something with worn out ways and broken gears but those are easy enough to check on.

 

[epmn]

When I have to neck turn I use a lathe. I put a piece of steel in the three jaw and then turn about .75" of it to the size of the bullet. I made a little fixture that fits in a drill chuck in the tailstock. The fixture has a case holder that is allowed to rotate. I put the case in the holder and then push it onto the piece of steel. After that set the speed up to 300 rpm and a .018" feed and let it cut. My lathe is an 11x26 but I suspect that a mini lathe would do the job as well.

epmn

 

[jonbearman]

Gracey makes a neck turner that can be converted to a trimmer as well.

 

[memilanuk]

No, the trimmer and the neck 'shaver' have nothing in common other than maybe the motor and the piece of wood for the base - there is no 'conversion'.

The neck shaver isn't something I'd recommend unless you a) like fiddling with things *a lot* and b) have a lot of old brass that you don't mind ruining while setting it up. Got one, tried it, eventually sold it and went back to K&M.

 

[Ironworker]

I checked out the K&M stuff. They have an option of a "Carbide Cutter" . Does that just mean it will keep its edge longer ? Is it worth the extra $25 bucks ? I love my carbide pistol dies.

 

[dennisinaz]

The carbide cutter is simply a mandrel with cutting flutes on the end to remove a donut should you have one in your neck. Carbide is typically smoother but wearing out a mandrel is something that has never crossed my mind. There is NO heat involved and you are running soft brass over it- I don't think you can wear a tool steel one out either.

They polish up nicely too. I use a little 1000 grit wet/dry with a drop of tool cool on it and then a piece of leather with 3000 grit diamond lapping compound. They get as slick as can be and just the slightest amount of lube works then. Carbide would be nice, but where I am feeding it into a moving case on my lathe, I worry that the flutes would scar up the inside of the neck.

 

[coyoteklr]

micromark carries the 7 x 14 microlux and is considered the best mini lathe in that size range and is suprizingly good at doing work bigger than you think......it also reads in inches rather than mm and has steel gears rather than plastic.....
Little machine shop dot com gives a comparison of this lathe and three others including the grizzly.... price is in the 650 range...... i believe....

 

[Forum Boss]

21st Century Shooting has recently finished prototyping on a device that combines the 21st C neck-turning tool with a case-holder and hand crank. Here is the "near-production" version.

More info: http://www.21stcenturyshooting.com

 

[Jonathan Zimmerman]

There was a "do it yourself" thread a while back that I saw. I ended up going that route and am almost finished. It was a fun project. I need to make an adapter yet on the lathe for the drill chuck. The 21st Century Shooting tool is much more simple, if I would have gone that route I would already be turning necks! I always underestimate projects for myself, but will have about 5 hours of time and $150 in this one. Jonathan

 

[357Mag]

Ironman -

Howdy !

Best one out there ( IMHO ) is produced by " benchrite.com "

Check it out.

Regards,
357Mag

 

[DougMH]

Any mini lathe or power equipment set up tools for neck turning out there ?

I very, very lightly chuck the case in my electric drill and do the neck turning at high speed. My DeWalt drill has a brake on it so when I release the trigger, the inertia loosens the chuck and the case falls out right in my hand. Concentricity check with my Forster Co-ax dial indicator show the drill chuck causes no permanent change to the case.

For what it's worth.

 

[Tozguy]

If you already have the seperate parts you can do this:

 

[Tondar15]

I see that most of the case holders are setup as 1/4" hex shaft for use in power screwdrivers. Does anyone make one that is just a 1/4" shank for use in a collet? I have one of Foredom's machines that would be perfect for neck turning if only I could get my case holder driver to adapt to the collet

http://www.foredom.net/