drilling cartridge pen

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george

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Joined
Jan 17, 2006
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458
Location
Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Hello !

I was trying to make my first cartridge pen today.I have read several tutorials, but came to big problem quite at the start. I have one old lathe, without possiblity of using tail-stock as a drilling device. So I have tried to drill cartridge and bullet point on normal boring machine and normal V drilling vise (it works great for blanks), but it did not work quite well.
The hole was out of the center ( I have purchased quite quality metal drills). Vice also damage the cartridge, if it is squeezed too much. I have used slow RPM and light touch, but it is no good.

Do you suggest I wait with cartridge pens until I have a lathe with tail-stock drilling (like on most of tutorial) ? Is there another way to drill this pieces ?

Thank you all in advance, George
 
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George, most cartridges are tapered and that makes it tough to hold and drill. Turn a wood round the same o.d. as the cartridge head and drill hole in center the same size as cartridge neck. With this collar on neck you will be gripping on collar and cartridge head, so cartridge will be straight up and down and the heavier brass on the head will take more pressure without distorting. Make sure old primer is removed before drilling. You can use a slender punch and punch it out using a wood block with hole slightly larger than primer for primer to punch in to. Speed up your drill and use light touch drilling. A slow turning drill has more tendency to grab. A drop or two of light oil on drill helps. I did a LOT of casings this way before I got my metal lathe. It worked for me and should for you. Hope this helps. Keep us informed on your progress.
 
This will not help your entire list of problems, but use a center bit to start the hole. you an get them at littlemachineshop.com
 
Thank you all for good ideas. Yes, I know that some sell prepared cartridge, but I would really prefer to make them by myself. At least try to.

Thanks for idea regarding punching out the primer. It really makes the biggest problem. But on internet it said "Be carefull with LIVE primer".
Since I am no expert - does empty, alredy used (fired) cartridge still have LIVE primer, or does "he dies" when the bullet is fired ? Should I knocked it out from inside or outside ?

I guess one of the major problem was little hole on the used primer, which took the drill out of the center. And by primer gone, it should be better.

I use European pen kit, and must shorten the long 7 mm tube; perhaps some idea on what is maximum lenght that is still OK to cut of - and that pen would still be Ok when assambled ?

Thank you all again, this web site is soooo great.
 
It is difficult to drill a concentric hole on a drill press. I never did get satisfactory results on cases and bullets until I started drilling on the lathe, using a collet chuck and center bits.

Regards,
Eric
 
In order to get acceptable results drilling the brass off-lathe, I use a wooden collet that I made in about five minutes held in a set of soft jaws in a drill press vise. It works great.

There is no acceptable alternative to drilling the bullets on the lathe, in my opinion.
 
george said:
I am no expert - does empty, alredy used (fired) cartridge still have LIVE primer, or does "he dies" when the bullet is fired ? Should I knocked it out from inside or outside ?
Click to expand...


Yeah, a primer with a dent in it, in an empty shell will be a dead primer. I say that, but with my luck the shell was a dud, the guy took the bullet out, left a live dented primer. I have to say that because miracles do happen and your chance of coming across such is probably less likely than being hit by lightning, but for all tents and porpoises, yes it's a dead primer.

Yes, you'll want to punch the primer out from the inside. I'm guessing a thin punch would do the job, but never have had to do it. Oh, and it will make it easier to center up the hole, fo shizzle.
 
Since you are using fired cases the primer is no longer live. Knock out the primer and the bit will center on the primer hole.

To hold it in the vise first turn a block of wood to about 3/4" diameter as long as the rifle case. Then drill out the center of the block using a bit that is as close as possible to the size of the rifle case. Next take the drilled out wood sleeve and cut one saw kerf on one side of it. You will cut all the way from the outside to the inside of the sleeve where it looks like the letter "C" with just the saw kerf as the opening on the "C"

Now take the rifle case and insert it in the wood sleeve and tighten it in the vise, if your drill bit size is close enough the vise should close in the saw kerf and act like a collet to hold the rifle case. If the case still spins you can try to widen the saw kerf or you will need to find a smaller drill bit size and start all over. Or another option would be to wrap the case with one layer of tape to increase the size of the rifle case.

Marvin
 
When I was using my drill press to drill cartridges, used a wooden block in my vise to help hold the brass.

I cut a block of hard maple, approximate 1.25" x 1.25" x 2.5" long. I drilled a a center hole the length of the block the same diameter as the cartridge.

I then cut the block, diagonally (cutting the hole in half). I lined the hole with a pice of 200 grit adhessive sand paper (Porter Cable sells in rolls for detail sanders). I sandwiched the cartridge in the to halves of the maple then clamped in my vise.

Tim
 
I have drilled hundreds of casings this way with very few (less than ten) off center holes. And no damage what so ever to the casing. Just make sure the table is square to the bit, and your hole in your hand vise is square to the bit also. No need of any fancy vises or fixtures. This is a picture of my first hand vise. Since then I have built another which uses a stronger hinge which fits the design as it should!!:biggrin:

2008-12-02_130439_DRILL.jpg
 
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