RCBS Case Feeder...they said it can't be done

[Striker Fired]

I have some air cylinders(smallish ones ) and with speed control fittings it could be set up to whatever speed you want.A simple on/off micro switch to tell the air valve(normaly closed) when the ram is down(open). Bingo ,that wil work.I'll try to scrounge up what I have and take some pics.
Here are the pics of that air cylinder and valves.All that is needed the is poly air lines and to mount the switch under the ram so it engages just as the ram is down.AS soon as the ram starts moving up the cylinder retracts and lets another empty drop down.Switch setup similar to my powder alarm.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

GW,

My experience is just a bunch of numbers. I do the same thing over and over again. You experiment. I just use the tool. To me the press is a means to burn off frustration from work. It gives me something to really concentrate on and that is what I like about reloading. Scientific enough to be interesting and lots to consider but not as precise as say building precision models where I could get frustrated.

After the day like today, where I was dealing with 7 projects in 5 countries and trying to keep it all working, sitting at the Pro2000 sounds like a lot of fun cranking out another 1000 357 Magnums!

 

[Tilos]

Has anyone considered bead chain drive for linear transmission??
It seems it could use the ram motion to power the brass feeder.

http://www.raymortool.com/SprocketPages/Price List.htm

http://servolink.com/default.asp

http://www.ebay.com/sch/rich2270ard...&_odkw=&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3911.c0.m270.l1313

just askin'
Tilos

 

[GW Staar]

I have some air cylinders(smallish ones ) and with speed control fittings it could be set up to whatever speed you want.A simple on/off micro switch to tell the air valve(normaly closed) when the ram is down(open). Bingo ,that wil work.I'll try to scrounge up what I have and take some pics.
Here are the pics of that air cylinder and valves.All that is needed the is poly air lines and to mount the switch under the ram so it engages just as the ram is down.AS soon as the ram starts moving up the cylinder retracts and lets another empty drop down.Switch setup similar to my powder alarm.

Those look interesting. Do you sell that stuff? Been looking for micro-switches like that...better quality ones than radio shack. I need to replace the cheap one I have on my bullet feeder. Also how about describing what we're looking at. (the other pieces) How big...how much money? Air supply is that thing that looks like a shock absorber?

Has anyone considered bead chain drive for linear transmission??
It seems it could use the ram motion to power the brass feeder.

http://www.raymortool.com/SprocketPages/Price List.htm

http://servolink.com/default.asp

http://www.ebay.com/sch/rich2270ard...&_odkw=&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3911.c0.m270.l1313

just askin'
Tilos

I am wondering how long bead chains could last in this application? Lee uses bead chain on their progressives, and they seem to be a weak link that requires replacement a little more often than I would like. The concept and the versatility of that chain is awesome though....and I may come back to look at that possibility, if I can't do it with steel rods and ball pivots.

The Servolink website was interesting......absolutely not even one picture on the whole site! Incredible in this day! Obviously you have to already know what you're doing when you go there....unfortunately, I don't. But thanks for the ball chain option idea!

GW,

My experience is just a bunch of numbers. I do the same thing over and over again. You experiment. I just use the tool. To me the press is a means to burn off frustration from work. It gives me something to really concentrate on and that is what I like about reloading. Scientific enough to be interesting and lots to consider but not as precise as say building precision models where I could get frustrated.

After the day like today, where I was dealing with 7 projects in 5 countries and trying to keep it all working, sitting at the Pro2000 sounds like a lot of fun cranking out another 1000 357 Magnums!

Ha ha!, Experience is a bunch of ammo on the shelf...I'm always out or close to it!!! That's supposed to be why we reload...to prevent that. I get sidetracked too easy. I DO hear ya about the stress relief. I can get it tinkering or reloading, either one, and when that doesn't do it for me, I build a model airplane (the cheap plastic ones). With this little project I may be having to concentrate just a tad more than I wanted.

A little update on my case feeder project....I just doubled the speed of it by cutting 3" long slots on each side of the slide, drilled a hole through the UHMW case shuttle from slot to slot, and stuck a rod through. Now I have a set motion that my human solenoid can ram back and forth without having to think how far. (I'll stick a picture of that here later today when I get back home....this is fun...really)

I visited my local RC Airplane shop, and got them all excited about getting a new customer, anxious to start a new hobby money pit. They were more than a little disappointed when I told them what I was going to use the Dubro ball-pivot pins and rods for. Oh well....talk about an expensive hobby...this one's cheap in comparison.

I was impressed by the extreme range of motion those little puppies were capable of. Now that my case shuttle is restrained, I can analyze a little better what my options are. I may need to go back and get the next bigger size though....the good part is that they are pretty cheap as far as parts go.

 

[Striker Fired]

GW : the top piece is a standard air cylinder about 1.5"dia x 5" long with a 3 " stroke or close to it.The other pieces are normally closed electric /air valves, the 90degree fittings are flow control valves,so you set how fast the cylinder moves(shuttle inserts a case) ,one for forward -one for reverse. It could be set up so with the ram at "home"(your shuttle away from press) it sits there until you bottom the press out(like when your seating a primer),the switch opens one air valve and the shuttle loads a case,as soon as you move the press(done priming) the other valve opens and the shuttle retract back to "home" posistion. Ready for the next case to be primed and repeat. You'll need about 90psi air and a 110 volt supply.

To save some monkeying around getting it set up to automatically feed,it would be easy enough to do just a button.Press the button in,it feeds a case,release the button ,the shuttle retracts to home.

I'm in the process of doing this to my LNL,now that you've put it in my mind

 

[cfullgraf]

GW Star,

It has been a while, like 11-12 years, since I was working with pneumatics, but we had all sorts of small cylinders (1/2" to 3/4" diameter range) on packaging equipment.

There are flow controls to control the velocity of the cylinder and solenoid valves to control the cylinder.

I know large cylinders can be made in custom lengths and strokes. I do not remember about small cylinders.

I am sure an internet search would turn up something.

To add...

Check out

http://www.bimba.com/

We used lots of Bimba cylinders. It is a start.

 

[GT1]

I was impressed by the extreme range of motion those little puppies were capable of. Now that my case shuttle is restrained, I can analyze a little better what my options are. I may need to go back and get the next bigger size though....the good part is that they are pretty cheap as far as parts go.

What was always impressive to me is the larger sized ones can hold a 20lb load and not let go. The 'giant' size planes weigh that much or twice that and at 80mph with full deflection on the surfaces they routinely see that kind of load.

Anyway, back to the press stuff.

Here are some cool pneumatic cylinders:
http://www.zorotools.com/s/cn-Pneumatic Cylinders/c-6587/
The place has all the stuff that is required, lines, switching, etc. The only thing is the $ starts going up.

 

[GW Staar]

I'm in the process of doing this to my LNL,now that you've put it in my mind

You will share pictures of your project....right?
90# pressure needed, huh. That means you get to listen to a compressor all the time.....fine if you pipe lines in from another room.

Do you sell that stuff? or where's your source?

GW Star,

It has been a while, like 11-12 years, since I was working with pneumatics, but we had all sorts of small cylinders (1/2" to 3/4" diameter range) on packaging equipment.

There are flow controls to control the velocity of the cylinder and solenoid valves to control the cylinder.
.
.
Check out http://www.bimba.com/
We used lots of Bimba cylinders. It is a start.

This is really cool stuff and would make things pretty much foolproof. Which is why they use it on production lines. But it may be a little too much overkill and expensive for what I need......on the other hand it may turn out to be the "only" good way as well. Will keep this in mind if the easy cheap stuff fizzles....thanks for the ideas guys.

 

[Striker Fired]

I can get them through work(the one in the picture is a take off from a scrapped project) I have another around here. I believe I paid $25 for this one. One of the places we get or air supplies from is this placehttp://www.aircylindersdirect.com/ they don't show prices though.

The problem with air is, as you said,listening to a compressor but the right cylinder would keep volume down so the compressor would'nt run very much, unless you have a small tank. My compressor is in the garage and my reloading bench in the house , but last year I burried an airline to the house in the basement so I can just run a 3/8 plastic line up in the wall and put a junction box(a coaxial cable faceplate)so I just can plug right in and turn on the valve.

I started work on my case shuttle today using nylon 6, it's a pretty easy setup on the LNL,because of the bracket already there.

The other option I am even looking at is thishttp://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DORMEYER-Laundry-Solenoid-4X317?cm_sp=IO-_-IDP-_-RR_VTV70300505&cm_vc=IDPRRZ1

 

[Tilos]

GW Staar:

Thanks for reading and responding to my post about bead chain drive.
The advantage that I see is the ability to change from vertical to horizontal with 2 pulleys/sprockets.
It uses bead chain that's designed differently than "pull chain" and even comes in nylon.

Tilos