Forster Co-Ax

[dh1633pm]

I have a CO-AX. I modified one of the side plates to give me more finger room. I also made a handle using a pool ball and 3/4 inch stainless steel. About 4.5 inches does it right. The pool ball allows for a nice grip with my large hands. Anyone interested, I have some spare steel rod and pool balls.

 

[Clark]

dh1633pm,
When I got a co-ax I was impressed with Clarance Purdie's 1969 patent.
I made new jaws, jawholder housing, housing screws, wear plate, a handle...

Only my housing and screws were an improvement. I could not improve jaws, wear plate, or handle.

I thought about those side bars, but only to make them to tune the presses so dies adjusted with a ring are adjusted the same on the other co-ax press.

Now you have inspired me to match presses and get more hand room at the same time. My new mill [1969 Bridgeport] came without scratches and just made a few microwave modules. One of the modules is on Mars now. As soon as I get rid of this Christmas stuff.....

 

[JimKirk]

Clark.... always wanted to take one of your remade jaw holders .... and add two flat headed countersunk screws up through a wear plate ... one set up with the large jaws and one setup with the small jaws .... change the whole unit out as a "unit" and not have to worry about the springs at all... tiny screws would hold it "together" as a unit ...

I purchased an extra set of jaws way back long ago ... so all I need is two of your jaw holders and another wear plate and a few screws ....

 

[Clark]

I started out with flat head retaining screws.

I think once the springs were captive, I forgot about doing that anymore.

The guy I sent the drawings to.... er rough sketches with dimensions, did not do the screws. He is CNC. If you want to swap from large jaws to small jaws fast while blindfolded, you will want screws knurled on one end and pointed on the other. The holder housing is better to be heavier than Forster's so it cannot be bent while pulling out a stuck case from a die, so the tall knurled screws have an interference problem with the upper press. The housing needs two fillister screw countersinks to make the tall screws fit.

Today the neighbor came over and made an R2D2 restraining bolt. I helped drill and tap. Just 3 more days and I can make your clearance arms.

 

[JimKirk]

Clark ... I probably need clarify what I was saying ....

I'm talking about attaching the wear plate to the jaw holder with tiny flat machine screws 8-32/6-?? size ... something flush with the bottom of the wear plate ...

Really making two self contained jaw units ... one small jaw... one large jaw ...

No swapping jaws in the holder ... just swapping out different holder units ....

Someone some where did this with a Forster holder ... but yours has more "meat" in which to place screws....

 

[Clark]

Here I clamped the jaws and jaw spring between the wear plate and jaw holder housing with a single flat head 4-40 screw.

I was running two of these to swap.
One had the large jaws pointing in.
The other had the small jaws pointing in.

 

[JimKirk]

That is it !!!

 

[jgh4445]

Dang. Am I gonna need to mod this before I even get started? I did see a you tube video where a young guy was machining jaws and jaw holders for the co ax out of heavy aluminum or stainless that would not warp or bend as he called it. He was powder coating them and charging $35 for them. Didn't understand what he was doing or why, but now, having read this, I'm beginning to get the picture.

 

[Clark]

I think it is like Harleys.
They love them so much they must modify them.

I really like my co-ax presses.

I know a guy with 150 rentals in Seattle, always going to some remote country to shoot big game. He has two side by side co-ax presses. I thought that must be so he never changes jaws. So I made the my jaws swap faster. Then I got two presses and thought about making a jaw housing with captive springs. Then I made 10 on a manual lathe and sold them on the internet. Then on another forum I ran into a retired machinist that made his own jaw holder with captive springs way back when.

I ordered:
1/4" {A} x 5" {B} 1018 Steel Flat, Cold Finished-24" from Speedy Metals.
I am going to make some dog leg shaped links like DH1633PM

 

[9mmepiphany]

...or you could just buy these from Inline Fabrication

http://inlinefabrication.com/collections/forster-co-ax

 

[Tamitch]

As I read this thread most if not all of you own a Forster Co Ax press. Most of you use it for rifle reloading and a small portion use it for pistol. This is what concerns me I only reload three pistol calibers; such as: 44 Mag, 45 ACP and 45 AR. In the years past I have owned a RCBS RC, RCBS Partner single stage presses. I have a brand new in the box Forster Co Ax press with the short handle and several other options for the press. Did I over buy? Would I be happier with something else? At this point the only other press that interests me is the Redding T-7 turret press. I am open for suggestions.

 

[JimKirk]

I load everything I own on the Co-Ax from the .380 ACP to 44 Mag., from .223 Rem to 30/06 .... is it no speed demon .... but I am in reloading for relaxation/quite time as much as anything .... I believe I am at twenty two plus different cartridges ... been reloading with the Co-Ax since about the '80s .... other presses since 1969 ...

My Co-Ax is a Bonanza Brand ... Forster purchased it later....