Homemade ball press
- Thread starter 1066
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Panzerschwein
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Looks like a damn good ball press. Sturdy.
Blackpowdershooter44
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I like it! Looks very strong, how'd you make it?
The black casting started life as a cheap Chinese toggle clamp. LIKE THIS The base is 4" x 6" x 1/2" aluminium. The two vertical bars are 1/2" stainless steel 8" tall.
The brass tip of the ram can be changed for smaller calibres and the whole head can be raised or lowered to suit the cylinder. The ram has compound linkage and can easily seat oversized balls.
I made a new ram and reamed out the casting to give a smooth sliding fit. I made it up in my home shop, just a small old lathe and a Chinese hobby mill.
Just starting on a small arbour press now.
Blackpowdershooter44
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Thanks for the detailed response, 1066.
Armored farmer
Member
Nice. Well done.
Farmall1066?
Farmall1066?
No, not a tractor. - I live about a long rifle shot away from the original 1066 battle sight
Armored farmer
Member
Ok
That's a nice press. I sure enjoy my '58s
That's a nice press. I sure enjoy my '58s
Dog Soldier
member
These are very handy devices. I have used the Powder Valley C&B loader for many years.
Have knurling tool - Will travel
Got to have a bit of bling. Here's a couple of concentricity gauges I recently made.
whughett
Member
The black casting started life as a cheap Chinese toggle clamp. LIKE THIS The base is 4" x 6" x 1/2" aluminium. The two vertical bars are 1/2" stainless steel 8" tall.
The brass tip of the ram can be changed for smaller calibres and the whole head can be raised or lowered to suit the cylinder. The ram has compound linkage and can easily seat oversized balls.
I made a new ram and reamed out the casting to give a smooth sliding fit. I made it up in my home shop, just a small old lathe and a Chinese hobby mill.
Just starting on a small arbour press now.
You taking orders?
Hastings, England for those who were wondering .No, not a tractor. - I live about a long rifle shot away from the original 1066 battle sight
Unfortunately I'm struggling to keep up with other projects I'm involved in - However, if I get chance I'll make small run but couldn't begin to give you any timescale.
Allan
Correct
Should, of course, been battle site. Must have been thinking about my old Lee Enfield when I wrote battle sight.There's still a few shooters here, hanging on with our fingertips on our damp overcrowded island.
I'm pleased with the way it came out and it works very well - Using the existing toggle clamp takes a lot of the work out.
Originally the clamp was fairly sloppy so I made another ram but it's not really necessary. When I removed the old ram, I replaced the riveted pin with a 4mm bolt, a spring wave washer and a Nyloc nut. Now the ram won't fall under it's own weight and feels smooth to use.
If I was to make another one I wouldn't set the vertical legs so near the rear of the base. I would move them about a inch forward and fit a third central vertical at the back. Although the press, as it is, is quite sturdy, a third pillar, even a thin 1/4" rod would make the press rock solid.
BCRider
Member
The use of that toggle to make the project easier is a stroke of brilliance.
The real star here though is your concentricity gauge. That is just lovely work all around and a wonderful setup using the bearings and the contact wheel to do the spinning while holding down at the same time.
The real star here though is your concentricity gauge. That is just lovely work all around and a wonderful setup using the bearings and the contact wheel to do the spinning while holding down at the same time.
Thank you Gary - No, not a machinist or engineer of any kind, just a self taught hobby scratcher.
BCRider ..Thanks for the encouragement.
On the concentricity gauge with the wooden base, the metal surface is stainless steel grade 430 which is magnetic. There is a strong disc magnet in the base of the wheel stand and also in the base of the dial gauge housing, this means that they can be placed in any position on the surface to take any measurement. The bearing blocks also have magnets in the base so can be slid anywhere along the machined slot or easily removed. Measures from .22lr - .50 BMG.
BCRider
Member
I was just looking at your concentricity gauges again. If I may there's one possible improvement I can see to the design. As it sits now the bearings might shift where they support the cartridge if the taper ends up sitting on the "flat" of the bearings. That might introduce some slight error. What I'm thinking is to either add crowned "wheels" pressed onto the bearings or to figure out a way to drive the outer races with a rubber idler while grinding away some slight taper angles until there's a more narrow ring face to ride against the cases.
The point in all this being to ensure that there's a consistent line of contact regardless of the casing's geometry.
OH HANG ON! Something just came to me. Swap out the bearings for FLANGED bearings and you get that ideal narrow line of contact with very little effort. HOWZATT!
The point in all this being to ensure that there's a consistent line of contact regardless of the casing's geometry.
OH HANG ON! Something just came to me. Swap out the bearings for FLANGED bearings and you get that ideal narrow line of contact with very little effort. HOWZATT!
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