How to avoid carpal tunnel when chamfer/deburring?

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That'll work, but if you are using it for 2k cases I have two suggestions; one, don't. And second, once when I was faced with a huge, tedious task, an old feller told me "there's only one way to eat an elephant, that's one bite at a time". Meaning, when faced with working on 2 thousand parts, just do a little at a time (unless you need to do them all at once, nah!). I would do enough cases until I tired of the task, 200, 100, or even 50 at a time if need be.

Personally no matter how many I need to deburr/chamfer, I'd choose a different tool. One that can be chucked in a drill. I use the Lyman ID and OD chamfering tools chucked in my drill and just push a case against the tool for 1/2 second...
 
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RCBS Trimmate or the Lyman version, will give you relief. I had trouble with my hands cramping up and I switched to the RCBS prep station and it was money well spent. I think the Lyman is a better design, but I chose the RCBS because it takes up less room on the shelf.
 
Some parts of brass prep just suck.

My solution is 2 part for the high volume brass prep:

1. Throw money at it by automating whatever's possible ie, TrimIt2 in a drill press for rifle brass and the RCBS Prep Station.
2. Do it in small batches, over time.

This time of year; post hunting season, weather sucks, grounds to soft to work etc. is my volume brass prep time. So I spread it out over time. Luckily my bench is big enough to support some "works in progress" so I just leave the stuff set up and will work 50-100 pieces at a time while taking a break from some other project.
 
I made a mount that holds a yard sale electric drill so the chuck faces me. The mount is C-clamped to the bench when it's needed, and the deburring tool is mounted in a sleeve I made to hold it. Brownell's sells the sleeve for a lot of money, but if you have access to a lathe, and some scrap aluminum round stock, you can make your own.

I also use it for cleaning primer pockets, using brushes I made myself. In doing either task, I can go through 1,000 .38's in about 45 minutes, holding several at a time and just touching them to the tool, whichever it may be.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
I made a mount that holds a yard sale electric drill so the chuck faces me. The mount is C-clamped to the bench when it's needed, and the deburring tool is mounted in a sleeve I made to hold it. Brownell's sells the sleeve for a lot of money, but if you have access to a lathe, and some scrap aluminum round stock, you can make your own.

I also use it for cleaning primer pockets, using brushes I made myself. In doing either task, I can go through 1,000 .38's in about 45 minutes, holding several at a time and just touching them to the tool, whichever it may be.

Hope this helps.

Fred
I can't imagine I can make my own with the tools I have, but what's your sleeve look like?
 
I have a RCBS Trim Mate---I use a standard pliers with a piece of sandpaper(about 1/2" x 2") in the pliers mouth & place the cartridge inside the sandpaper. This keeps the cartridge from moving & your fingers from pain. I have no more finger pain.
 
half inch drill......


Oh....if you already have the drills anyway, real easy to c-clamp to a bench and twist tie (like a bread bag wire tie) the triggers to desired speed (or wide open), and then you just hold the brass in fingers and go from one bit to the next. Cheaper (even if you went out & bought a pair of cheapie corded HF 1/2" drills), ergonomically adjustable to you, and fast as any prep station.
 
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I have one of these

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012832133/lee-chamfer-and-deburring-tool

And a couple thousand trimmed .38 Special brass. Not having a good time so far. Ideas?
STOP needlessly trimming 38 special brass......I have brass I have had for decades in 38; don't how many have been loading umpteen times. As someone with some of the "ITIS" brothers (Arthur, Burt and Tendon)creeping into my life (and my right shoulder), the LAST thing I want is to introduce more aggravation and pain, especially doing an unnecessary task.......
 
Electricity is your friend. Whether it be AC or DC. A half inch cordless drill or a case prep station would work great. A shooting buddy wired a sewing machine pedal up to a Harbor Freight drill press for turning case necks. Another buddy wired a sewing machine control to a portable drill and rigged a clamp to hold it. I always thought a mini lathe would be a nice tool to own.

Like a few others posted, do a few at a time.
 
any one of the automatic ones will make your life easier, I have a frankford arsenal. I try to do everything in batches.

1. Decap and wet tumble to clean brass
2. Size a ton of brass and throw it in the vibratory tumbler to get the lube off.
3. Trim cases that need to be trimmed (I am using a LE Wilson manual crank trimmer with a micrometer) This is the most painful operation.
4. Chamfer and Debur on the Frankford Arsenal https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/6...LY22uLKun22GKDY0gztY1fuY6GEGul9EaAuAAEALw_wcB
5. Prime on the RCBS bench primer.
6. Drop powder and seat bullets.


For rifle cases this whole process will be done step by step for a few hundred cases (max 500) I dont tend to keep more than a few hundred precision rounds made at a time. Although now that I have a load I like for 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 win I will do up to about 500 each then shoot through them and then do it all over again.
 
STOP needlessly trimming 38 special brass......I have brass I have had for decades in 38; don't how many have been loading umpteen times. As someone with some of the "ITIS" brothers (Arthur, Burt and Tendon)creeping into my life (and my right shoulder), the LAST thing I want is to introduce more aggravation and pain, especially doing an unnecessary task.......
Well sir I agreed with you for years but in attempting to get a consistent case length and crimp on WC bullets I decided to trim all my brass. So the damage is done and your advice, while relevant, is untimely. ;)
 
Giraud or at least TrimPro II with 3 way cutter.
I have the 3-way cutter for .30 caliber and it's awesome. The more I do this by hand the more I realize just how awesome it is.

If I were smart I would have just bought another 3way head adjusted for .36 before I got all gung ho and trimmed them all with a standard cutter. But I'm not.
 
Well sir I agreed with you for years but in attempting to get a consistent case length and crimp on WC bullets I decided to trim all my brass. So the damage is done and your advice, while relevant, is untimely. ;)
I just loaded 300 Hornady swaged 148 HBWC today. Mixed brands of brass in a big tub; just reached in and grabber one and put in the LNL AP and went to town. All of the came out the same......:thumbup:
 
Frankford arsenal case and trim prep center. Not the best for trimming but it works as long as the case has a shoulder. Everything in one package.
 
just loaded 300 Hornady swaged 148 HBWC today. Mixed brands of brass in a big tub; just reached in and grabber one and put in the LNL AP and went to town. All of the came out the same......
I guess it depends on what your definition of "same" is. And like I said, they're already trimmed... so....
 
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