Cartidge Case Jig - Need Expert Advice

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stoneman

stoneman

Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
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481
Location
Waterbury, VT, USA.
I've made a few cartridge pens using antler and brass/nickel tubed casings from Gary Max but would like to start making my own so I can use a varied caliber choice as well as drilling and using actual bullets for nibs. I already own a slew of reloading equipment, so tumbling the brass and seating the nib bullet is no problem. I have a Jet mini lathe and recently picked up an MT2 drill chuck from Bill at A.S. to hold the drill bit.

My question is - what type of collet/grip mechanism do I need to hold the casing itself (and the bullet) during drilling? I've seen a few posts from time to time where members made wooden or pvc collars with cross slits to hold the casing itself, but I am new to all this and have no idea what lathe accessory is suited to do the job of holding the collar. Anyone with advice, please chime in. Speak like you were addressing a lathe idiot (you are). What is the accessory, where is a good place to get it and what is the general choice range (from "this will just barely do the job" to "you might want to use it for future projects so you might consider...".

Thanks in advance.
 
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Steve, I put together 100 50 cal kits a while back. I pre drilled all the bullets which was a total of 300 repatitions in all. I used the beall collet chuck or the equivalent chuck from 800watt on e-bay. i only messed up one bullet. you can make the acrylic/wood sleeve for other bullet sizes to fit the collet chuck as well. there is more than one way to skin a cat though adn i am pretty sure this one is the expensive route. read the articles on bullet pens for some more ideas.
 
Steve,
If you want to get into making cartridge pens, especially varied calibers as you said, then I would highly recommend the Beall collet chuck. It's a wonderful tool that can be used for ALOT more than cartridge pens.
Having said that, you can do the same thing with regular drill chucks but you'll need two of them, and the one that holds the cartridge will need to be at least a 5/8". A 30/06 is just about 1/2" so a 1/2" chuck won't leave any room for the wooden collet.
If you have a drill press you might be able to use that chuck for one of them.
Like Tommy said, read my article on the home page AND read Don Wards article in the library.
If you still have questions, feel free to PM me and I'll try to help you out. GOOD LUCK!
 
When I first started drilling rifle cases and bullets on the lathe, I used homemade wood collets in a scroll chuck. They worked, but not all that well. I later bought a Beall collet chuck set. That was much better, but didn't come with enough collets. So, I bought a 13-collet set off eBay (from 800watt) and they are great. The collet chuck holds brass and bullets securely without marring. A cheap set of center bits from Harbor Freight enables me to drill with excellent concentricity.

Good luck and have fun,
Eric
 
I also tried homemade wood collets and hated them. After a while, I got sick and tired of trying to make them work, so I trashed them. Unfortunately, I had several cartridge pens to make, so I had to find another solution, fast.

I didn't have time to buy a collet chuck set online, so I popped down to Woodcraft and picked up their Turners Collet Chuck set. They work great.

BTW, I only drill the bullet on the lathe. I find it easier to drill the brass using the drill press using a drill press vise fitted with soft jaws.
 
I bought the Penn State collet chuck, and the 18-collet set from 800watt. I filled in the gaps (I think there were three) in the collet set from elsewhere.

I have had problems holding some cartridge cases (for cleaning and buffing on the lathe) if they have an excessive taper. They tend to skew off the centerline if there is any lateral pressure applied. I suppose turning some sort of tapered insert out of wood would work, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
 
Bob,
I only use 25/06 cartridges for the simple reason that they fit a standard 7mm mandrel PERFECTLY. I drill a letter "I" hole in the primer end for a 7mm tube and solder it in. Then I just slide that puppy on a pen mandrel and polish away.
If you use other calibers I suppose you could make some bushings for each caliber to fit the bullet end.
 
Thanks for all the info folks. I like the looks of the Beall and think I'll order one as soon as I figure out which sets of collets I need for the calibers I expect to try. I appreciate the suggestions.
 
Originally posted by stoneman

I like the looks of the Beall and think I'll order one as soon as I figure out which sets of collets I need for the calibers I expect to try.
Click to expand...
For 30 caliber (0.308) bullets, I use a 5/16" collet. For 308Win and 30-06Spg cases, I use a 15/32" collet. 3/8" and 1/2" (respectively) can be made to work, but you've got to really crank down on the collets to get them to hold.

I don't recall offhand the collets I use for .338 caliber bullets and for 300WinMag/338WinMag cases but I could look and see.

What calibers are you specifically interested in?

Regards,
Eric
 
Eric,
To start out with, 308 & 30-06. Over time I may wish to include 257 Roberts (based on the 7MM Mauser case), 270 Win and 25-06. The 257 & 25-06 use .257 dia bullets and the 270 is .277 diameter bullet. Both the 270 and 25-06 are necked down 30-06 cases, so I assume the case holder would be the same as the 30-06. The 257 Roberts case is coincidentally about the same diameter at the rim (.467-.468) as the 06. If I understand the Beall collet correctly it with clamp down to about .040" under the stated size - is this correct?
So it seems I would need a 15/32" (or possibly 1/2") collet for all the cases I am considering. Plus a 5/16" collet for the .308 bullets and a 9/32" collet for the .277 and .257 bullets. Does that sound about right? At a later date, I might also have a passing interest in the .300 Savage and might consider how I think the rimmed 30-30 might look (though I am leary of what a rimmed case would look like).
Do you happen to know if the "oddball" sizes like 15/32" are different in price that the "standard" 3/8" and 1/2" collets?
I'm about ready to order - I guess direct from the Beall website? Or are there any other places to buy (with any specific advantages)?
Thanks for you help.
 
Rick,
Is your collet chuck a Beall?
Do you have any problems with having to really crank down the 1/2" collet to hold the case securely?
Does the 1/4" collet open up the extra .007" without problems to hold the bullets without marring them?
Forgive what are probably stupid questions on my part - I just want to be sure I get the sizes that will work best.

Thanks.
 
Yes, it's a Beall. I only use the 1/2" collet for drilling the primer end so there's only about 1/4" exposed and no I don't have to really crank it for a 25/06 casing. The 1/4" collet is snug but not a problem for the .25 caliber stuff. I sand all my bullets with 600 wet/dry(used dry), MM using the first four lowest grits and then buff on a dedicated copper wheel, so any marks are erased in the process.
I put the bullet in the collet about 1/4" and leave the rest sticking out. I sand and MM with the Beall on the lathe and remove it and hold it by hand to do the buffing. It makes a great holder for buffing by hand.
 
In general, I feel that ER-32 collets have about 1/16" good gripping adjustment. A set of collets in 1/16" increments will cover the entire range. That said, I do use some in-between sizes, just because I don't have to tighten down as much when the nominal size is closer.

I originally bought the Beall collet chuck with a set of collets in 1/8" increments. I quickly discovered that 1/8" was too big and bought another set (13-piece) in 1/32" increments (with a few holes). I recommend buying collets (and other lathe accesories such as live centers and drill chucks) from 800Watt on eBay.

The PSI collet chuck is knurled and doesn't require wrenches to tighten. I considered buying it to try out, but I've become accustomed to the Beall.

Here are some measurements and collet sizes for various calibers:

308 Winchester and 30-06 Springfield:
Bullet: 0.308", use 5/16" collet.
Case: 0.457", use 15/32" (best) or 1/2" collet.

257 Roberts:
Bullet: 0.257", use 1/4" (tight fit) or 9/32" collet.
Case: 0.4731", use 1/2" collet.

270 Winchester:
Bullet: 0.277", use 9/32" (best) or 5/16" collet.
Case: 0.473", use 1/2" collet.

25-06 Remington:
Bullet: 0.257, use 1/4" (tight fit) or 9/32" collet.
Case: 0.473", use 1/2" collet.

300 Savage:
Bullet: 0.308", use 5/16" collet.
Case: 0.473", use 1/2" collet.

30-30 Winchester:
Bullet: 0.308", use 5/16" collet.
Case: 0.4215" (rim is 0.506"), use 7/16" collet.

I hope that helps,
Eric
 
Originally posted by Aderhammer

has anyone tried a 7mm rem magnum?
Click to expand...
Yes, I've done both 7mm-08 Rem and 7mm RemMag. Note that 7mm RemMag takes a 0.284" bullet, not 0.270" (aka 7mm). Personally, I think these bullets are a bit narrow to hold, so I prefer a 30 caliber cartridge. But, the customer wanted to use the caliber and brand he shoots, so I disassembled his ammunition to make the pens. Also, I did cut-case pens with hidden clips, so I didn't drill the case heads. Had I wanted to, however, I would have used the following collets:

7mm-08 Bullet: 0.270". Collet: 9/32" (or 7mm) - 5/16" might work.
7mm-08 case: 0.473". Collet: 15/32" or 1/2"

7mmRemMag Bullet: 0.284" Collet: 9/32" or 5/16".
7mmRemMag case: 0.5131" (before the belt). Collet: 17/32 - 9/16" might work.

Regards,
Eric
 
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