Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide? Clarified the Question

[SmokinJoe]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

Who is making carbide Expander Mandrels? This thread is about expander mandrels. I agree with the OT posts that carbide turning mandrels are the way to go, though I've never had much luck with the K&M donut cutter style, just their regular carbide turning mandrel.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

Joe you dont like threading the inside of your case necks with that donut cutter?

 

[Jay Christopherson]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

Who is making carbide Expander Mandrels? This thread is about expander mandrels. I agree with the OT posts that carbide turning mandrels are the way to go, though I've never had much luck with the K&M donut cutter style, just their regular carbide turning mandrel.

Some people might be mistaking TiN coated expander mandrels for carbide (?). For turning, I'm in the carbide camp.

EDIT: Did not know about PMA tool, thanks for the heads up JRS.

 

[JRS]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

Who is making carbide Expander Mandrels? This thread is about expander mandrels. I agree with the OT posts that carbide turning mandrels are the way to go, though I've never had much luck with the K&M donut cutter style, just their regular carbide turning mandrel.

PMA Tool makes carbide expander mandrels, Joe. Due to the wording of the question by the OP, we don't really know whether he is asking about the expander, or, turning mandrel.

 

[ShootDots]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

Who is making carbide Expander Mandrels? This thread is about expander mandrels. I agree with the OT posts that carbide turning mandrels are the way to go, though I've never had much luck with the K&M donut cutter style, just their regular carbide turning mandrel.

PMA Tools makes them.. They are excellent!

 

[AckleymanII]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

Take a look at the drill here listed on ebay. This drill has the speed control in the trigger, will get down to 15 rpm if you need slow speed.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-Electric-IMPACT-HAMMER-DRILL-Variable-Speed-and-Reversible-with-Level-NEW-/141749008716?hash=item2100e6394c

This type of drill will do a fantastic job on turning necks, cheap and very fast in turning necks. I mention using a drill because many of my fellow shooters have arthritis in their fingers and hands which results in a lot of pain from turning case necks. You can check the pawn shops if you have those near you for adjustable speed drills.

No doubt this is a nice inexpensive drill. Size wise it's over-kill unless neck turning 20mm cannon brass 8)


Cordless screwdrivers are the ticket with their gear recuction, compact size, and longevity if you get a good one.

You can put the 1/2" variable speed drill in a bench vise and leave it running, setting the trigger at the RPM that you like. The drill will give you the flexibility to turn at more than one speed and never run out of torque. I also use the same drill with a 12" 1/4" drill bit extension used with various drum sanders to open up the barrel channels on stocks. So the same $40 tool has multiple purposes, in addition you don't have to buy new batteries in 5 years.

I have a mikita cordless screwdriver, the speed was too fast, bought another Milwaukee cordless screw driver, it was too fast also. The wife claimed the red one as hers, the Mikita is in the shop and still gets used. Batteries are about gone in the Makita, and they are $32 each not to mention the charger if/when it burns up.

 

[JBO]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

Once you use carbide you wont go back. It will leave a much better finish inside the neck, wont gall the brass, and requires less or no lube. It will also create less heat which will keep your necks from getting thicker. Set it in ice water or on a cool pad to regulate the temp or by the time your done the necks will be .0001-.0002" thicker than when you began.

+1
you can get it done with regular steel, but carbide is so much better to work with.

+2

 

[Dos XX]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

I use the PMA carbide expanding and turning mandrels. I like to get the expanding mandrel and the turning mandrel from the same place. No scientific basis for that opinion, but I do it.

Also, the PMA turning lube is really good stuff.

 

[JRS]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

I'm waiting for someone to make them from ceramic

 

[muddy72]

Re: Expander Mandrels: Stainless or Carbide?

Whoa! I really didn't expect to get so much talk on the subject but I really appreciate everybody's attention!

My net access has been limited today and it looks like I need to clarify my question:

I use a PMA Model A Neck Turner with their carbide neck turning mandrels and prefer the carbide for the turning process.

I've got stainless neck expanding mandrels from PMA and they serve their purpose. I'm about to order my 2 mandrels for a new caliber and I'm considering the carbide neck expanding mandrel from PMA. I'd like to make 1 order and upgrade my few neck expanding mandrels to carbide. My question: For the neck expanding process is it worth spending the money on carbide?

 

[AckleymanII]

OK, tell us the price!

$XYZ vs $abc

another issue, how much neck turning are you planning on?

 

[muddy72]

Stainless $9

Carbide $57

Neck up expanders for making 6ppc or 30br are $10 and $66

As for how much brass will I turn, that depends on where this hobby takes me!

 

[noload]

NO

 

[JRS]

If you enjoy and want the best, and money is not a concern, do it

 

[amlevin]

If you enjoy and want the best, and money is not a concern, do it

Sometimes when money IS a concern it makes more sense to "Buy Once".

How many of us have tools and equipment in storage or have sold/given away that we purchased because it was a better "deal" than the item we ended up buying anyway.

Kind of like scopes. How many have a box of cheap scopes we purchased early in our hobby because we couldn't see the value in buying a more expensive one of better quality and durability.

 

[savagedasher]

If you enjoy and want the best, and money is not a concern, do it

Sometimes when money IS a concern it makes more sense to "Buy Once".

How many of us have tools and equipment in storage or have sold/given away that we purchased because it was a better "deal" than the item we ended up buying anyway.

Kind of like scopes. How many have a box of cheap scopes we purchased early in our hobby because we couldn't see the value in buying a more expensive one of better quality and durability.

;D My thought on quality is. In a life time 99% of the shooters here would never ware out a stainless. For the price of one carbide you can buy 6 other sizes.
I totally agree on scopes. Larry

 

[dennisinaz]

I neck turn using my lathe- it goes down to 25 RPM but I usually use 100 or a little more to get better finish. If you use a good lube, a hard steel mandrel works just fine. I prefer tool steel over stainless. It will not gall.

I do like carbide but when you are loading for so many calibers, it just isn't possible to spend hundreds on mandrels.

Carbide isn't always better. Have you ever tried using a carbide chamber reamer? You better put on your big boy pants because you have to run the lathe pretty fast. Carbide can't get as sharp as good steel so you have to speed it up to shear the metal you are cutting. For hardness and high polish, however, carbide is without peer.

 

[SmokinJoe]

Will give a little different slant on this, and BTW, thanks for the info on PMA carbide expanders. I have used Don Neilson, K&M and older style Sinclair over the years. I have pretty much settled on K&M because of cost & their outstanding service. It also helped that the K&M 30 cal expander was just about perfect to work with the Pumpkin turner. If I was just starting out today, I might go with PMA; they have excellent stuff that is well designed & good customer service. Gotten a little OT here. What I wanted to say was that if you have an expander mandrel - turning mandrel mismatch, it is much more cost effective to have K&M make you a couple custom sized mandrels to find the size that works best. After you find that size have PMA make you a carbide mandrel expander to the perfect size you need. I have to say, thogh, that I have almost no problem with the K&M tool steel mandrels.

Hey Dusty, the threading isn't so much of a problem, but I can't seem to keep the pitch consistent

 

[JRS]

If you'll take advantage of hBN, the use of SS mandrels becomes a nonissue.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

If you'll take advantage of hBN, the use of SS mandrels becomes a nonissue.

I have a bunch of hBN from when I thought I might try it on bullets, but I never considered using it on a mandrel. What are you doing?