Expanding and neck turning

[Swarovski1]

I started my first batch for myself.not confident at all.expanding easy enough.with lube I took more force than I expected.setting up the neck turner and getting cutting was ok.getting it to cut into the shoulder by 25 thousandths was fiddly.i did the first 5 or 6 by hand then put the shell holder in my cordless to speed up the process.i was very careful not to mess up the new brass.ive only got digital calipers to measure neck wall thickness.all measured ok.same as the first ones spud did for me.fingers crossed all is good.

[Big Al]

The obvious thing to do here is practise on some old brass if you have any, it could save you spoiling your new stuff.

 

When it comes to cutting into the shoulder I find it quite easy if you apply some force to tilt the cutter blade into the neck, it doesn't take much to do this and means you can set your depth stop to cut only the neck and just touch the shoulder, the extra little tilt you apply at the end then cuts into the neck/shoulder junction far enough.

 

I find it so much easier in practise than it is to explain Im afraid

[Swarovski1]

Ok Big Al thanks.

Funny enough I sort of found that out for myself.first few left a minute ridge where it cut into the shoulder a few thousandths too much.i backed the mandrel out fraction at a time until that stopped happening.i did have the odd one do it but I think that's down to the brass varying in length a fraction.ive got about 20 left to do tonite then resize em.chamfer in and out.uniform pockets and give a tumble for an hour or so to get all the lube off.i do towel dry them after the resize but like to make sure all lube is gone.

[andybrock]

Ok Big Al thanks.

Funny enough I sort of found that out for myself.first few left a minute ridge where it cut into the shoulder a few thousandths too much.i backed the mandrel out fraction at a time until that stopped happening.i did have the odd one do it but I think that's down to the brass varying in length a fraction.ive got about 20 left to do tonite then resize em.chamfer in and out.uniform pockets and give a tumble for an hour or so to get all the lube off.i do towel dry them after the resize but like to make sure all lube is gone.

Its very important to trim your brass to the same length before you start neck turning, this will stop the cutter stopping short or cutting too deep into the shoulder.

 

http://www.6mmbr.com/neckturningbasics.html

[Swarovski1]

New brass is usually way short of the Lee trimmers I use so can't do much about that.i span in wire wool when they were still in the shell holder in the cordless screw driver. Them edges will flatten with my proof loads

[Edinburgh Rifles]

file down the spike on the lee trimmer to give the cartridge length you want (be aware this is non reversible!)

new brass shouldn't be too much shorter than the SAMMI length to the Lee Cutters

[Swarovski1]

The end of the spike wears down quick enough as it is and also the base inside the shell holder that the spike goes against also wears a hole.ive got a couple that are worn several thousandths.wore them out on 308 brass prep.i happened to check case length and checked data info to find both the worn parts were making my cases trim several thow to short.