GW Staar
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Part 4: There's a Pretty Easy Way to add a Stop Switch to Hornady’s Pistol Bullet Feeder
Adding a stop switch so it will turn off when the tubes are full of bullets is one of the really needful features missing on that product. My first attempt used a micro-switch and it worked, yes, but I never found a switch with the quality to work equally well with all sizes of bullets.
When I discovered the inductive proximity switch (reading one of the many "Cake Pan" annealer threads), I thought it might just work......then someone beat me to it and showed me how! Inductive proximity switches sense any metal passing in front of it and I knew I found a better answer to the need.
The mandatory feature to keep from the older micro-switch design, was a design such that the system can be easily converted to any caliber in a couple of minutes.
The picture below shows the switch and fittings I used for the universal assembly used for all calibers:
The $7.68 proximity switch I found at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUYT748/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, plus I used a 1/2" CPVC Tee, and 2 1/2" CPVC couplers. (from home depot) One coupler I used whole the other I cut in half, all CPVC parts were drilled out first (opened up) with a 5/8” twist drill. I painted the fittings TruValue satin black before I mounted everything.
The picture below shows where the Proximity switch goes. I first drilled out the cross of the Tee all the way through with a 5/8" drill, so the tubing could slide through it, then drilled the leg of the Tee, 3/4" and sanded as needed to be able to thread the switch inside.
I did not tap threads inside, I just softened the CPVC with liquid plastic model cement and screwed the switch in. It made its own threads. (the yellow end is against the outside surface of the tubing. it's very tight, so no reason to glue ... and yes, once dry, it can be unscrewed and re-screwed over and over .... I tested that.
The next step is to figure out how to attach the Tee and Switch to the collator, in such a way as it can be used for any pistol caliber without having to take it apart for each change-over.
The next picture shows how I did that. I used 1/32” thin-wall clear tubing that comes in sizes that telescope into each other. So 1/2” OD slides into 9/16” OD that slides into 5/8” OD. This project uses mostly 5/8” OD tubing.
(The black gate hinge in the pictures is not a part used, except as a model to illustrate the hole through the collator body's side). The picture below shows the 5 parts that make up the unchanging universal base of the switching and bullet dropping system. The 5 universal parts are as follows, from left to right:
1. half of a CPVC coupler
2. 2 1/8" long 5/8” OD thin-wall tubing glued halfway into the coupler. Goes through the collator side, inside to outside.
3. Slid tight over it is the hose washer 5/8”ID, against the outside wall, used as a “keeper” to fasten/tighten the tubing to the collator.
4. The ½” CPVC Tee drilled out 5/8” across the top and ¾” drilled out in the vertical leg, then pushed onto part 2 until part 2 is past the leg
5. The Proximity Switch “screwed” into the leg of the Tee using liquid plastic model glue to soften the Tee. It is screwed in against to touching the clear part 2.
This "universal" assembly is shown below, using these 5 parts. Extra in the picture is the short clear tube glued to the 1/2 coupler on the right which is only for .45 Cal. Shown also are the spring tube on each end.
Note the slit in the one tube. It's a tight fit and I cut the slit with a Dremel to make it slide in easier, because it has to go in completely across the leg of the Tee. The slit needs to go to the top or sides, away from the protruding switch at the bottom.
Assembled! The universal parts common to every caliber. Installed once.
Everything else is caliber specific. Picture below is everything, the universal parts and the caliber specific parts for .45ACP. (and of course the collator symbolized by the token gate hinge)
45ACP Parts, and note the .45 Hornady bullet receiver top of the spring tube top left.
Parts specific to .45 caliber:
1) Hornady bullet receiver pressed into a 6" length of the Hornady .45 cal. flex springtube.(top-left)
2) 5/8" long 5/8clear glued half way into a half 1/2" coupler.
3) Hornady .45 cal. flex springtube 6-7/8" long
4) Full 1/2" coupler into 5/8 clear thin-wall tube 3-1/4" long (slit with a dremel at bottom 1/2" long)
Cut lower spring and tube last….Yours may need to be a different length depending whether you use a Hornady die or a Mr. Bullet Feeder Die.
In the picture below, notice that the clear part that is fastened to the collator, has to be long enough to cover the leg of the Tee where the switch is screwed in…..that is important for switch performance.
.40 S&W Parts Below:
Now to change the collator for .40 caliber, a clear plastic part needs to be made that goes inside the switch. Pictured Below.
It is a 3-1/4” long piece of 9/16” OD clear thin-wall, with a 1-5/8” long piece of ½” OD clear thin-wall glued inside. It needs to be glued with super glue, when placed 1” from one end leaving 5/8” on the other end.
The easiest way to glue it is to drill a single 1/8” hole in the outer 9/16” piece in the center, then placing the inner piece correctly, just drop a few drops of super glue into the little hole and capillary action will glue the pieces together.
Picture shows the dried glue....no it ain't pretty, but it doesn't show when it's placed inside the Universal switch assembly.
Notice when the .40 spring tube slides in from inside the collator it "stops" at that inside glued piece. And at the bottom, the clear insert protrudes a quarter inch or so and the bottom spring tube also stops at the other end of the same inside-glued piece of tubing. NO couplers used!
Though you now you have 2 thicknesses of plastic tube inside the tee......the switch doesn't even notice. Detects just fine.
The Hornady .40SW spring tube has to be cut in two pieces too. Top piece is 7 1/2" long inside the collator then pressed into the Hornady bullet receiver and slides loose into the switch assembly.
The bottom spring tube is 7-1/8" long, but again check your own setup....cut last.
Final note. I did check three thicknesses of clear plastic tube in the switch assembly....thinking that might be necessary for 9mm.....(one more glued tube inside) and it still detected just fine, that's a hint of how to handle a smaller caliber.)
Adding a stop switch so it will turn off when the tubes are full of bullets is one of the really needful features missing on that product. My first attempt used a micro-switch and it worked, yes, but I never found a switch with the quality to work equally well with all sizes of bullets.
When I discovered the inductive proximity switch (reading one of the many "Cake Pan" annealer threads), I thought it might just work......then someone beat me to it and showed me how! Inductive proximity switches sense any metal passing in front of it and I knew I found a better answer to the need.
The mandatory feature to keep from the older micro-switch design, was a design such that the system can be easily converted to any caliber in a couple of minutes.
The picture below shows the switch and fittings I used for the universal assembly used for all calibers:
The $7.68 proximity switch I found at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUYT748/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, plus I used a 1/2" CPVC Tee, and 2 1/2" CPVC couplers. (from home depot) One coupler I used whole the other I cut in half, all CPVC parts were drilled out first (opened up) with a 5/8” twist drill. I painted the fittings TruValue satin black before I mounted everything.
The picture below shows where the Proximity switch goes. I first drilled out the cross of the Tee all the way through with a 5/8" drill, so the tubing could slide through it, then drilled the leg of the Tee, 3/4" and sanded as needed to be able to thread the switch inside.
I did not tap threads inside, I just softened the CPVC with liquid plastic model cement and screwed the switch in. It made its own threads. (the yellow end is against the outside surface of the tubing. it's very tight, so no reason to glue ... and yes, once dry, it can be unscrewed and re-screwed over and over .... I tested that.
The next step is to figure out how to attach the Tee and Switch to the collator, in such a way as it can be used for any pistol caliber without having to take it apart for each change-over.
The next picture shows how I did that. I used 1/32” thin-wall clear tubing that comes in sizes that telescope into each other. So 1/2” OD slides into 9/16” OD that slides into 5/8” OD. This project uses mostly 5/8” OD tubing.
(The black gate hinge in the pictures is not a part used, except as a model to illustrate the hole through the collator body's side). The picture below shows the 5 parts that make up the unchanging universal base of the switching and bullet dropping system. The 5 universal parts are as follows, from left to right:
1. half of a CPVC coupler
2. 2 1/8" long 5/8” OD thin-wall tubing glued halfway into the coupler. Goes through the collator side, inside to outside.
3. Slid tight over it is the hose washer 5/8”ID, against the outside wall, used as a “keeper” to fasten/tighten the tubing to the collator.
4. The ½” CPVC Tee drilled out 5/8” across the top and ¾” drilled out in the vertical leg, then pushed onto part 2 until part 2 is past the leg
5. The Proximity Switch “screwed” into the leg of the Tee using liquid plastic model glue to soften the Tee. It is screwed in against to touching the clear part 2.
This "universal" assembly is shown below, using these 5 parts. Extra in the picture is the short clear tube glued to the 1/2 coupler on the right which is only for .45 Cal. Shown also are the spring tube on each end.
Note the slit in the one tube. It's a tight fit and I cut the slit with a Dremel to make it slide in easier, because it has to go in completely across the leg of the Tee. The slit needs to go to the top or sides, away from the protruding switch at the bottom.
Assembled! The universal parts common to every caliber. Installed once.
Everything else is caliber specific. Picture below is everything, the universal parts and the caliber specific parts for .45ACP. (and of course the collator symbolized by the token gate hinge)
45ACP Parts, and note the .45 Hornady bullet receiver top of the spring tube top left.
Parts specific to .45 caliber:
1) Hornady bullet receiver pressed into a 6" length of the Hornady .45 cal. flex springtube.(top-left)
2) 5/8" long 5/8clear glued half way into a half 1/2" coupler.
3) Hornady .45 cal. flex springtube 6-7/8" long
4) Full 1/2" coupler into 5/8 clear thin-wall tube 3-1/4" long (slit with a dremel at bottom 1/2" long)
Cut lower spring and tube last….Yours may need to be a different length depending whether you use a Hornady die or a Mr. Bullet Feeder Die.
In the picture below, notice that the clear part that is fastened to the collator, has to be long enough to cover the leg of the Tee where the switch is screwed in…..that is important for switch performance.
.40 S&W Parts Below:
Now to change the collator for .40 caliber, a clear plastic part needs to be made that goes inside the switch. Pictured Below.
It is a 3-1/4” long piece of 9/16” OD clear thin-wall, with a 1-5/8” long piece of ½” OD clear thin-wall glued inside. It needs to be glued with super glue, when placed 1” from one end leaving 5/8” on the other end.
The easiest way to glue it is to drill a single 1/8” hole in the outer 9/16” piece in the center, then placing the inner piece correctly, just drop a few drops of super glue into the little hole and capillary action will glue the pieces together.
Picture shows the dried glue....no it ain't pretty, but it doesn't show when it's placed inside the Universal switch assembly.
Notice when the .40 spring tube slides in from inside the collator it "stops" at that inside glued piece. And at the bottom, the clear insert protrudes a quarter inch or so and the bottom spring tube also stops at the other end of the same inside-glued piece of tubing. NO couplers used!
Though you now you have 2 thicknesses of plastic tube inside the tee......the switch doesn't even notice. Detects just fine.
The Hornady .40SW spring tube has to be cut in two pieces too. Top piece is 7 1/2" long inside the collator then pressed into the Hornady bullet receiver and slides loose into the switch assembly.
The bottom spring tube is 7-1/8" long, but again check your own setup....cut last.
Final note. I did check three thicknesses of clear plastic tube in the switch assembly....thinking that might be necessary for 9mm.....(one more glued tube inside) and it still detected just fine, that's a hint of how to handle a smaller caliber.)
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