Mini drill press for trimming brass
- Thread starter irishlad
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AJC1
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AJC1
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BJung
Member
Yes. I use a Harbor Freight mini-drill press and a Forster Power trimmer. To keep the blade from throwing your brass, you need to center the cutter guide on the Power Trimmer before clamping the power trimmer body to the drill press. For a more consistent cut, I adjust the depth nut on the press and for a certain amount of pressure I get a close to perfect case OAL. For more precise cut, I trim and measure and then trim more until I get my desired length. The best use for this tool has been for trimming resized 30-06 brass to 7.7x58 brass and for trimming 9x19 brass to 9x18 Makarov brass. It's good for volume trimming. The other trimmer sounds good but I've never used it and can't afford it.
mcb
Member
Yeah about the same size it's a South Bend 10k. I learned to run a lathe on a South Bend Heavy 10, so when this was listed locally I jumped on it. It's a lighter built machine but the controls are basically the same. So far I am really enjoying it.
fastattack
Member
I use a full size drill press (set to a slower speed) with the WFT. It works fine, but I do wear leather gloves and am respectful of the power of the machine.
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irishlad
Contributing Member
Just ordered one from Amazon. $115
Charlie98
Member
That's not a bad idea. For the cost, it would be hard to go wrong... unless it just wouldn't work.
BTW... if you look at the product description... it says it's 'solar powered.'
ETA: My original thought was to have the drill facing UP, not down... like a normal drill press.
sksshooter
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AJC1
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What does the machinist Handbook say....
sksshooter
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Not a machinest so have no clue just stating what is touted as the best is operating at or reccomends. I dont own one but would like to. And from what experience i do have, i have found that soft course grain metal cuts better at a higher speed.
AJC1
Member
An experience does have value, but it's pretty well known that brass and copper is best worked at a lower surface feet per minute. Because the size of the neck is small that speed could be very high, but don't confuse that with a machine built with a motor at a price point that gets the job done. Would a 4 pole motor cost more maybe but that would be my choice. I don't like chatter that my Lyman gives me at full speed but it's DC so it's easy to slow down.
GeoDudeFlorida
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I cut brass at 650rpm and don’t have a power table so I’m guesstimating about 1-1/2”/minutes feed when I trim cases. I also cut dry using plain old high-speed steel tooling. It works.
AJC1
Member
I haven't tried it but wd40 works so well on aluminum I'm bound to give it a try. Those new misting lubricant are cool but I don't want popcorn lung.
GeoDudeFlorida
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If you want a good lubricant for longer cuts use mineral oil. All you need is something to keep the chips moving and keep them from sticking to the cutting surface. Mineral oil doesn’t smoke or stink.
AJC1
Member
The high sulfur drilling oil smell never grew on me... maybe something like pledge would be more pleasant
PWC
Member
I have always used the Lee hand trimmer which is easy enough to adapt to hand drill or bench drill press. I have never done more than 200 cases at a sitting. years ago I used only by hand, then by drill press. Mount the lock stud / shell holder in a drill press vice and the cutter with the case length guage in the jaws. Lower the platform. Slide a deprimed case in the shell holder and lock it down so it won't turn. Lower the cutter / guage into the case and align everything. Lock the vise down and check that the cutter alignment can be lowered and raised without interference.
If you are trimming 30-06 the drill press platform will be lowered waaaay down. Shorter cases not so much. I use the lowest speed and a motor controller to lower the speed even more. The cutter works best at lower speeds. You will have to champher and deburr after trimming.
If you are semi-handi and If you want to use a hand drill and your hand / fingers get tired of holding the cutter, you can make a holder kind of like the commercial jar lid openers......use straight grain wood, (no plywood or MDF) drill the appropriate size hole just smaller than the case.
If you are trimming 30-06 the drill press platform will be lowered waaaay down. Shorter cases not so much. I use the lowest speed and a motor controller to lower the speed even more. The cutter works best at lower speeds. You will have to champher and deburr after trimming.
If you are semi-handi and If you want to use a hand drill and your hand / fingers get tired of holding the cutter, you can make a holder kind of like the commercial jar lid openers......use straight grain wood, (no plywood or MDF) drill the appropriate size hole just smaller than the case.
dredd
Member
Those little table top presses are great.
I can't remember the suggested RPM for the WFT's. You can email them.
You won't like them spinning too fast or slow.
My old piece of junk is a 5 speed and I have it set pretty close to their suggested range.
You will like trimming brass on it.
Blue68f100
Member
600 - 800 rpm is what I use for trimming brass. I use my lathe to spin the cutting head and feed the brass using a pair of mechanics gloves to hold on to the brass. The gripping fingers pads helps keep the brass from spinning in your hand without a death grip.
Chuck R.
Member
Mine's done well for 3 or 4 years now, and that's doing a 2-3 thousand in .223 a year in prep for match season. I only use it for .223 and .300AAC, the other stuff gets trimmed on my Forster. If you look close, most of the 8-10" drill presses look remarkably similar, I suspect coming from the same plant in China, or at least the motors are. This little 8" get's pretty positive reviews.
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irishlad
Contributing Member
They do get good reviews. Mine should be here Wednesday.
Do you lower the trimmer to the brass or lift the brass into the trimmer? Thanks
I raise the brass into the trimmer. I hold the brass in a double nitrile gloved hand for grip. Keeps the brass secure from spinning.
Take breaks if you have a lot to do!
jmorris
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