Neck turning

[dawe11]

What is the ideal rpm for turning brass?

Dale

 

[ballistic64]

Not sure what the ideal speed is,but I use a craftsman cordless screwdriver set on the lower speed setting of about 180 rpm and lube the ID of the neck and mandrel with imperial.

 

[Preacher]

The slower the better for heat reasons, or speed it up and keep em cool....

 

[Rust]

Do the rough cut at higher speeds to save time, then do the fine cleanup cut at slower speed. Experiment on some junk brass.

 

[marchx]

Guys, do I need a lathe to consistently neck turn? I compared the tools and Hornady, 21st century offer a lathe.
Will I get repeatable results using a KM neck turning tool in one hand and case in a cordless drill in another? It seems to me as lacking stability. Is it enough for neck turning for precision shooting?

 

[jackieschmidt]

As with anything concerning machine work, (neck turning is machine work), the most important thing to consider s the results of your efforts.

The best way for an individuals to check your necks is with a ball micrometer. If they come out to be consistent in wall thickness, and the case with a seated bullet has the correct clearance in your chamber, then everything else becomes a moot point.

That is, untill you throw the speed in which you can accomplish your goals is thrown into th equation. The vast majority of neck turning “lathes” and other devices are designed to increase the speed at which one can turn necks. If used properly, results are good. If not used properly, you can produce a big mes.

It is hard to beat the quality of necks produced with a simple handheld turner. Benchrest Shooters did it it for decades. But it is very labor intensive, and attention to detail is paramount.

I always keep a set of ball mic’s in my loading box. I get to check a lot of necks. As a machinist, I check everything. Suffice o say that many shooters who are turning necks need to troubleshoot their procedures.

 

[Tokay444]

It’ll never be fast enough in any of the commercially available neck turning systems. On a carbide insert, the ideal SFM for brass is around 1700. For a .266” OD, that’s over 24,000 rpm.

 

[boltfluter]

What is the ideal rpm for turning brass?

Dale

Pretty much anything rpm wise that is not done with your wrist!! I do mine on my lathe at 900 rpm.

Paul

 

[marchx]

Ok, how big is the potential to mess it up if you never turned a neck before and you are using a KM tool and a cordless drill?

 

[Preacher]

I've been turning with a K&M for years, set it up right and you will have no problems turning necks.
A good drill, a good neck mic, and patience will do you good..

 

[JFrank]

Ok, how big is the potential to mess it up if you never turned a neck before and you are using a KM tool and a cordless drill?

K&M or I like PMA with the micro adjust will do just fine, I also use a ball mic on a stand

 

[jackieschmidt]

It’ll never be fast enough in any of the commercially available neck turning systems. On a carbide insert, the ideal SFM for brass is around 1700. For a .266” OD, that’s over 24,000 rpm.

What the vast majority of shooters who turn necks are doing has little to do with SFP cutting speeds. They are simply trying to achieve a good smooth finish with the correct wall thickness.

I turn my necks on this EE Monarch. But it would be unrealistic to suggest this to the vast majority of shooters.

 

[DaveTooley]

Feed rate is or may be more important that RPM's. Consistency is the key to case to case uniformity.

 

[Tokay444]

What the vast majority of shooters who turn necks are doing has little to do with SFP cutting speeds. They are simply trying to achieve a good smooth finish with the correct wall thickness.

I turn my necks on this EE Monarch. But it would be unrealistic to suggest this to the vast majority of shooters.

And the best, most consistent surface finish comes at an SFM where the tool is happy, and the appropriate feed rate for the nose radius on that tool.

 

[marchx]

Feed rate is or may be more important that RPM's. Consistency is the key to case to case uniformity.

I have a great chance to f...it up. But this is a cost of not having a mentor.

 

[DaveTooley]

I have a great chance to f...it up. But this is a cost of not having a mentor.

You don't have to be new at this to screw it up. That's why I have a drawer full of neck turners set for specific reamers. I have several of the Ferris Pindell design that TJ Jackson made. Probably the finest turner I have ever used.

 

[Straightshooter1]

Guys, do I need a lathe to consistently neck turn?

No.

I compared the tools and Hornady, 21st century offer a lathe.
Will I get repeatable results using a KM neck turning tool in one hand and case in a cordless drill in another?

Yes.

It seems to me as lacking stability. Is it enough for neck turning for precision shooting?

The pilot provides the stability as it relates to the neck and the results are certainly good enough for precision shooting.

Often, when a case in mounted in a case holder at the base, the base's axis will be out of alignment with the neck's axis resulting in what some refer to as a wobble. Hand holding allows the pilot to be a stable guild as the tool wobbles in the hand. So, that wobble is a good thing with this kind hand held of setup.

 

[marchx]

You don't have to be new at this to screw it up. That's why I have a drawer full of neck turners set for specific reamers. I have several of the Ferris Pindell design that TJ Jackson made. Probably the finest turner I have ever used.

What I miss at this forum is a newbie section. We have best shooters on the planet here however no sticky threads for newbies on reloading topics. Articles on accurateahooter are not enough. I did not come across a thread here or youtube video on what you have to be careful about while e.g. turning necks.

 

[Straightshooter1]

What I miss at this forum is a newbie section. We have best shooters on the planet here however no sticky threads for newbies on reloading topics. Articles on accurateahooter are not enough. I did not come across a thread here or youtube video on what you have to be careful about while e.g. turning necks.

One DOES have to be careful about a couple of primary things: having the neck sized to fit correctly onto the pilot so as to not induce too much heat when turning which can cause the process to lock up and damage the inside of the neck; cutting too far into the shoulder and/or at the wrong angle will result in the separation of the neck when the cartridge is fired.

 

[PracticalTactical]

One DOES have to be careful about a couple of primary things: having the neck sized to fit correctly onto the pilot so as to not induce too much heat when turning which can cause the process to lock up and damage the inside of the neck; cutting too far into the shoulder and/or at the wrong angle will result in the separation of the neck when the cartridge is fired.

The stress of neck turning affects how well the brass fits on the mandrel, and the amount of stress depends upon how much material is being removed. After turning the inside diameter will be larger than when you start.

When I'm prepping competition brass I use two neck turning tools, one for roughing and one for just a light finishing pass. The finishing tool has a mandrel that is 0.0005" larger than the one I use for roughing. This compensates for the growth that occurs during roughing and results in more consistent wall thickness.