Playing with a photo switch and powder measure.

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I see what you did there!

Sort of. I had to watch the vid twice to take not of the light alert. Might I suggest a little more discussion on the video or perhaps some note as to the significance of the light - the beam moves an imperceptible amount but obviously the light is indicative the scale is that sensitive, would be nice.

Edited to note- I get the sensitivity, but with this proof, how do you/we put this into practical practice?
 
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It was not enclosed so breath from talking was making it move, why the video was shot from that angle too.

I was just curious what it would take to get one kernel accuracy. The promeythous 2 powder gets that accuracy but costs $3000 or so to lease it for 25 years and that is a little out of my budget for something I don't need.

This is a video of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6scLPhkT-8w

I was thinking a micro version of this bowl feeder would work as a single kernel trickler with at least two switches on the beam so it doesn't take forever, a high/low speed setup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzOCuRowOJk

I imagine the hard part being the powder dump.
 
Ingenious!
Soon as you get that perfected.

You can measure how many angels can dance on a pin head.

That's been a pressing question humanity has been asking for century's.

More so then one granule of powder getting away from you and falling in your scale pan.

rc
 
No, I guess not. :D

Personally I never worried about stuff like that though.
Got more important things to worry about most of the time.

Rc
 
What are you demonstrating? The sensitivity of your beam scale, or the sensitivity of the photo-electrics?

Try a flake of Unique? A granule of 2400?
 
As I said in post #3 it is not something I need really as I have sub MOA (at the ranges I shoot) using even powder measures and not even scales and tricklers.

Reading a bit about long range precision rifle shooting and how folks like David Tubb use powder measures that will throw charge weights to a single kernel. I simply wanted to know how hard that was to do. Many of the long range and benchrest folks spend a LOT more on scales and measures than most and my test above shows that a $13 switch and good scale can repeat a given load weight to a single kernel.

When I finish my railgun build I'll test to the kernel loads with the ones I use now and see how much difference there really is.

Not the first time I have been accused of having too much time on my hands. Don't expect everyone to get something out of every project I have, well except me.
 
^+1 - Now not only do I see what you did there, I have a clearer understanding. :D
 
This one has been waiting on me awhile so after lunch I made a very simple trickler made from UHMW, .25" stainless tubing and a bit of aluminum.

I threaded the bottom of the "trickler housing" and it will be mounted to a base plate.
IMG_20160110_151617_395_zps51oyj4lb.jpg

The base plate will also be large enough to mount the motor, have room for the scale.

IMG_20160110_151418_323_zpsxkwsjheo.jpg

Also an RCBS measure to throw the main charge and mounts for at least one, likely two photo electric switches like the one in the OP to control the trickler.
 
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OK, so the plan is for two switches to control motor speed. One switch will be a stop and another will take the motor from one speed to another as the charge weight is approached. How are you going to control the motor speed? I have seen several renditions of doing this and they all work. The question becomes when making a charge how accurately do we want it to be? Most guys throwing a charge are happy with +/- 0.1 grain on average for rifle like 223 Remington or 308 Winchester. Pretty cool how you have it working. :)

Ron
 
I used the same gear motor that I use on my annealing machines, because it was what I had. So would likely use the same PWM speed control as well. It might not need another switch if I just had it running a bit slower, it was running at full speed in the video.

Throwing an "under" charge that's close will eliminate it from having to trickle the entire charge, like the RCBS chargemaster does. Also according to this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PckYE6K6sYY the chargemaster throws charges +\ .1, what I have seems to work +/- a single kernel of powder (a few hundredths of a grain) well under the two tenths of a grain the $350 machine can do.

In any case, I too dont have a "need" for it, see post #3. Just playing around. Guess I need to get back on the "rail gun" project now.
 
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OK, I was curious and PWM answers my question. No, need or not, playing around with stuff like this is fun and just plain interesting. Keep posting and keep the thread active, really cool stuff.

Ron
 
Cool idea. Probably no need for one, but now "want" is starting to itch. :scrutiny:
 
Sick totally sick and I mean that in a GOOD way.

Can I come over and hang out in your workshop? Such cool stuff.

Your a genius!:D
 
I'm not a good reloader......least not one who "trickles".....I use the tip of my knife the way I've done for more than 40 years. I wanted a trickler.....just never sprung for one.:rolleyes:

So now our resident super inventer has made another fun & noisy toy.:) (amazing how noisy the camera's mic makes something that isn't really that bad in real life isn't it?)

So now I have a question all you tricklers probably already know. What's inside the tube? An auger of some sort? I may have to make me one of these. Looks simple & Intriguing. But first I have to start shooting again....none in 3 stupid months:(

Could you source for me the proximity sensor.....that's a lot smaller than the last one I bought. Neat stuff.....as usual.
 
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So jmorris or GW can one of you guys make me a auto index RCBS turret press? I like Turret press's and the only auto is the LEE

How about the RCBS or the Redding why can't they make it auto index??. If you guys can design all this cool stuff, this should be easy!:)
 
So now I have a question all you tricklers probably already know. What's inside the tube? An auger of some sort?

Could you source for me the proximity sensor.....that's a lot smaller than the last one I bought. Neat stuff.....as usual.
Click to expand...

To be honest I ever trickled a charge before Sunday myself. It's just 1/4" tube with a notch in it made with a small round file.

This is the sensor in the last video

http://www.automationdirect.com/adc...ectangular/8X26.5mm_-a-_12X27mm/APS4-12S-E2-D

However I have a few more of these on the way, what I am going to use.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331726933030?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
 
The RCBS trickler is a 1/4" hollow aluminum tube with a hole the size of the inside diameter drilled in the side of it.

jmorris You could make the fast fill with another sensor and a second motorized auger inside another tube/reservoir to fill almost to to weight fast and trickle up from there.
 
Rule3 said:
So jmorris or GW can one of you guys make me a auto index RCBS turret press? I like Turret press's and the only auto is the LEE

How about the RCBS or the Redding why can't they make it auto index??. If you guys can design all this cool stuff, this should be easy!:)
Click to expand...

Not me....that's way above my skill level. I design and build buildings for a living, jmorris is the professional machinist.....

I've never been converted to auto turrets, but then I haven't owned or tried one either so what do I know?:rolleyes:

The planned procedure at my house now-a-days is to batch depriming, tumbling, & case prep, and no more. When I work up loads now I use brass previously batch-deprimed on my Summit Press then prepped.....then I use my Rock Chucker to size it, bench primer primes it, Uniflow mounted just behind charges it, then back to the Summit to seat it. Buts that's only a dozen loads at a time, not much of a batch. Once I find a load I like, it gets loaded on the Pro 2000 progressive.....I'm too tired (or lazy) these days to do it slower ways.......and you can't trickle on a progressive that I know about, so it's a good thing I haven't needed to......still....Jmorris's toy is tempting....I'd impress my bench rest fanatic friend!

Jmorris, those sensors are neat...not too expensive either!.....I'd have preferred to have the first one over the big round cylindrical one you can see mounted below the bullet supply tube on my Hornady Bullet feeder. But it works.....so no complaints. Notice, Rule3, that my projects are more simple....they don't require a skilled machinist, just an account at Home Depot for plumbing parts and the internet to find the electronic toys to stuff in them!:D

IMG_2561.gif
 
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If yours works I wouldn't mess with it, not like you need the room to work at the collator height.

The automation direct sensor might not be a good choice for that application it has to be pretty close to the object to trigger.

I had to use a different one to control a Dillon collator for my Loadmaster project, but it turned out being the easiest to mount anyway.

IMG_20151218_163101_158_zpsw7s94ehz.jpg
 
I would not get excited about anyone winning matches and setting records weighing powder to the individual kernel, ball or flake.

Some people doing as well weigh charges to a 1/10th grain spread; that's several powder kernels, balls or flakes.

There's a greater spread in primer fire and heat output across a given lot than what a single unit of powder causes to change either pressure or velocity.
 
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