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Posted: 2/19/2010 3:03:51 PM EDT
Thought I would share a few pics of the case feeder I put together. Just finished it recently... The most challenging part of the project was finding a blue 5 gallon bucket to match my press  . Gear motor from ebay, some aluminum, HDPE and polycarbonate, a few electric components from radio shack and I am in business. I guess it didn't hurt to have a machine shop at my disposal either....
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Very Nice.
We've seen a few people here lately making their own case feeders, So we know it's possible! Now I'm waiting to see them for sale! Many of us don't have the knowledge, resources, time, experience, etc to make our own. Even better would be to see some home made bullet feeders! As overpriced as the case feeders are, the bullet feeders out there are even worse! They are soo overpriced almost no one buys them! Someone makes a bullet feeder under $250 they will make ALOT of $$$ -Masta |
Simple solutions to complex problems...
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| Same principle the factory built one uses, its taking advantage of the location of the center of gravity of the casing. As is passes over the drop hole, if it comes in primer end first it will immediately drop primer side down into the tube. If it passes over the hole neck end first, the neck end of the casing will actually pass by the hole, until the primer end hits the edge, at which time it will also drop into the tube primer down. Its simple but effective. |
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Originally Posted By mtime7: What was total cost? Can You give instructions and parts list? check this thread out, he gives some good info. he told me that he was going to make a how to, but im sure hes just busy http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=6&f=42&t=285647 |
Please refrain from using logic. It bewilders the left and makes them angry.
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Originally Posted By mtime7:
What was total cost? Can You give instructions and parts list? I haven't added up the parts cost, but if I was to just take the parts at face value that I used I would have to guess maybe 50-70 dollars in materials?? Certainly not as inexpensive as the youtube link that was posted.... he's definitely got bragging rights if he made that for less than 10 bucks! I don't have a material list written up either but if anyone wants to know where I found a specific part I'd be happy to share. The motor came from ebay, I think I paid around 20 dollars shipped... but its very heavy duty. 7 dollars for a bucket, 3 dollars for a switch, 7 dollars for some Acrylic tube, and probebly 20-25 dollars in misc. materials. I am sort of a perfectionist, there are alot of things I probably could have "free handed", but having CNC machines, and lathes etc available, made some of these parts quick and easy to make. Frankly, I'm more impressed with the guys that can widdle something like this out with a pocket knife, and have it function just as well as something that came off a machine... but thats not who I am. Also in case there are any CAD guys here interested, I have a 3D AutoCad model of it with all the parts. Thanks for the comments. |
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Originally Posted By Mike_Mills:
How much did it cost? How long did it take to design and fabricate? Which machine tools were required for the fabrication? Cost as stated above.. probably 60-70 in materials. Im not counting my time, and I personally put a pretty high value on that. With having a family and a 2 year old, I don't have alot of spare time, so this project has sort of been in the works for a few months. I worked on it an hour here and an hour there, till I was done. As far as tools I used... mainly a manual lathe and a small cnc mill. I cut the base of the feeder out of 1/2" HDPE in a band saw, then turned it in a lathe to get my desired diameter to fit the bucket I cut in half. From there I stuck that disk in the mill, found its center and drilled and milled for the mounting of the motor and other bracketry. The feed plate I cut in the mill also, from 1/4" lexan, and then cut a star wheel agitator deal out of 1/8" HDPE and bolted it to the face of the lexan feed plate. I also took that a step farther and simliar to how a Dillon has an overload clutch, I made a simple friction clutch pinching the feed plate so that in case I get a jam, the clutch slips and I don't stall the motor and take teeth out of the gearbox. The center of the friction clutch I broached with a 1/2" hex broach, and then made an adapter that set screws on to the motor shaft out of 1/2 hex stock in order to drive the feed wheel. This way the feed wheel just sets down over the hex on the end of the motor shaft and is easy to change to another feed wheel (pistol etc). The drop chute I made on the lathe from a piece of round plastic, and cut a tapered funnel on one end, and a counterbore on the other end to accept the acrylic tube I bought on ebay for the que. The other misc. parts were mainly done in a mill. Like I said, I did this because I am fortunate enought to have these things available to me, but if I was to make it without, I think with a little creativity a guy could do it. I know often times if Im making something that I don't care about precision, I will sometimes draw a template in CAD, print it 1:1 scale, and just use that as my pattern for locating holes, or cutting the shape of the part in a band saw etc. Thanks again for the comments. |
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Originally Posted By USMC223:
Great job! But I have to ask, In picture 2 is that a primed piece of brass near the loading tube and motor? Kind of acting like a wire guide?  Thats funny when I first read this it took me a minute to figure out what the heck you were talking about. I think what your talking about is a knurled brass nut I picked up at the hardware store that is essentially part of a pinch clamp that holds the microswitch in the desired position. Depending on what your running through this, you can adjust the miscroswitch so the switch functions as needed. The switch basically is mounted on a single fastener, and can pivot. Once you find the right position, tighten up the knurled brass nut to pinch and hold it there. On another note, my original plan was to make a non contact sensor to control the motor with an LED and a photo-resistor. I wanted someting simple that would elimiate the need for fiddling with a micro swtich, but I sort of gave up on that. I spent 7 bucks on an electronics kit that had a relay and a photo cell, and after I soldered it together, I think I had a bad relay. I quickly scrapped the idea and went to Radio Shack and bought a 3 dollar micro switch and went this route. I just thought it was going to be simple and easy to have an LED casting a beam across the drop tube, and as soon as a casing blocked te light, the motor would stop. If I would have had more time, I probabably would have trouble-shot the cause and fixed it, but at that point I just wanted the thing done so I could use it. |
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NICE!
I have a large supply of 1/2" & 1" HDPE. I love that stuff. Here's a few things I've done with it. Receiver block and vice faces. 
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"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." <
machinist and highly agitated observer
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machinist and highly agitated observer
Joined:
Jul 2006
Posts:
17606
EE: 100% (9)
TX, USA
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Originally Posted By ontheback:
How are you feeding the cases into the shellplate with the home built setup? The press looks like a Dillon 650 to me, which means it already has the feed mechanism built in. |
Originally post by 2theLeft: If done right, there is no taste, because it goes right down the throat..
IM me to find out about SSA's poor customer service
IM me to find out about SSA's poor customer service
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Originally Posted By machinisttx:
Originally Posted By ontheback:
How are you feeding the cases into the shellplate with the home built setup? The press looks like a Dillon 650 to me, which means it already has the feed mechanism built in. I wanted to make one up for an LNL AP. I guess that will be the hardest part, if even possible. |
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Originally Posted By ontheback:
Originally Posted By machinisttx:
Originally Posted By ontheback:
How are you feeding the cases into the shellplate with the home built setup? The press looks like a Dillon 650 to me, which means it already has the feed mechanism built in. I wanted to make one up for an LNL AP. I guess that will be the hardest part, if even possible. It would be hard to make on for the LNL. You might be able to buy just that assembly. I don't own one I've used a LNL w/ case feeder a good bit. The mechanism that feeds the cases into the shell plate works well but the hopper is finicky. This hopper might be an improvement. |
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." <
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