Building my own Swaging Press

[csdilligaf]

Its time I get on the slug band wagon! I've always been pellet guy, just love them. But seeing the accuracy potential I have got to try it. Being a Prototype shop owner I tend to make what ever I can so I'm happy with the quality of it. I'm starting with an RCBS Rebel press and making the modifications to convert it to a swaging press. And its made in the USA!
First thing is to modify the leverage ratio by moving the two pivot pins on the lever knuckle closer. This press is heavy duty and can easily handle swaging. Then I slot the Ram shaft so it will have a place for the ejector pin to bottom out against. Then thread the end for a die to connect too and bore the ejector pin hole in the end. Next up I'll make the dies!

 

[Ca_Varminter]

Chip.... You are a Sick Puppy!!!!!!
I like my CSP-1 from Corbin.......
So you think the Cast Body of the Rebel will handle the stress of Swaging???
I know Corbins make the Special set of swaging dies for use with reloading presses....
But he states the limited strength of a reloading press limits the versatility in Swaging!!

So are you doing tool and die stuff??
Last we talk you mention something about helping someone work on some dies......
Are you going to make 2-die set that will work in the CSP-1???

Take Care!!!
Stuart

 

[csdilligaf]

Stuart this Rebel press is one stout puppy! But we'll see right? The slugpress is made of 7075 alum and this is larger with 3.4 square inches area of casting between the two legs. 3.4 inches X 40,000 psi is 136,000 so I hope that is enough. I dont think I want to get into the die making side of things. I just like making stuff for me to experiment with. I would like to see some close up pics or video of the Corbin dies and how they connect to the press and assemble though. This is my own design with the screw on dies and do not know what they do.

 

[Ca_Varminter]

Well Chip, I will see what I can gather for You to use as Reference!!!
BTW, I love the CNC machining Videos you are Doing!!!
Way Too Cool!!!

 

[csdilligaf]

OK I could not wait to finish a slug die. Just had to crush something!

 

[csdilligaf]

And Stuart I did find a video of how to swap dies on the Corbin. Looks like they thread in by way of a female thread on the ram and the ejector is put in beneath it. So pretty much the same way.

 

[Engg.Ken]

Exciting project. I was thinking of doing something for RBCS press systems through our GMI engg. team but I am not confident of the homogenization of material when its cast. your calculations are spot on @130K PSI. It may work. Its an interesting build.

 

[csdilligaf]

I was reading a thread on Cast Boolits forum about building a swaging press for 12 gauge slugs. They used 1" case hardend linear rod. I would think that the Corbin is similar. The thing about the DIY on Cast Boolits was that they tapped the rods with what looks like a 1/2-13 Grade 5 bolt. I think the Corbin thread the rod and uses a nut. I would think the DIY version has all its load put on those two Grade 5 bolts. I love to build things and thought about doing more along that style of press but the RCBS Rebel is small and easy. If those Grade 5 bolts can handle a 12 gauge slug I'm confident the Rebel can handle some only .22" dia.

 

[sb327]

That rcbs is plenty stout and should last just fine. I really like these type of builds. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.

Dave

 

[Ca_Varminter]

Hey csdilligaf

Sorry for the delay...Family duties calls
So here is what the Corbin's Swage dies for the S-press is all about..
First is the Top External Punch holder...This hold the Base form External punch in all operations..
It consists of the Body, punch lock nut and securing ring.

Next are the various External Base Punches. I have a dish base, cup base, and rebated boat-tail base-punches

Here is the external Punch holder install in the csp-1 press. It is screwed in the top of the press..

Next is the Core forming Die and Internal core punch..

The Core die has a bleed hole. This allows excess lead to bleed off...this how the weight of the slug is controlled
Here is the position of the bleed hole in correlation to the internal core punch..

So the Internal core form punch is dropped into the Ram. Then the Core Form die is the screwed in the ram.

So here is the full setup to form the hollow cores...
Btw, the raw lead cores you start with, should be at least 5 grains heavier than the desired weight!
This insures there is enough lead to be fully ejected when the core is formed..
The weight of the formed hollow cores is the desired Final weight of the Finished Slug!
So to adjust the weight of your cores.
You will wind the external punch hold down to decrease weight....up to increase the weight.......

A quick video of forming the core....

Now comes the Point forming operations...
The same Top external Base Forming Punch is used here..The same one you used in forming the hollow cores!!!
You will be using a point forming die and an internal ejector pin punch.
There are 2 styles of internal ejector punches used.... Straight profile for the 2-step process
The tapered profile for the Single step Process(more on this later)

There is also a bleed hole in the Point Forming die(used for the single step process)

So the internal ejector punch goes in the ram.. With the Point forming die screwed into the ram...
Here is the complete setup for point forming.

Another Video... Point Forming operation..

Raw core, Formed hollow core, and completed Point formed Slug

 

[Ca_Varminter]

So the above post was about making slug in a 2-Step process....
But as I hinted.. there is a quicker Single step method of making a hollow point slug.
The difference is the cavity for the hollow point is a lot smaller....

Due to this the slug is shorter for the same weight range!

You can use any of the External Top Base forming Punches.
The Point Forming die and the internal tapered tip ejector punch will be used
The Point Forming die has a bleed hole....
So the weight of the slug can be set, with the excess lead bleeding off.
Here is a video of this process..

 

[csdilligaf]

Wow that sure is a nice set up. Lots of options. Really nice quality stuff too. Thanks for the run down.

 

[GeneT]

I've swaged in Rock Chuckers before, and once upon a time I started building the swage press from Cast Boolits (I ended up sacrificing it to "the move" which demanded a lot of sacrifice...). A few years back I spoke with a guy that does serious (voluminous) swaging of PB rifle bullets on a Rock Chucker and he mentioned that he builds up the pin areas. If he mentioned details, I don't recall what they were, but you can expect the press to wear with the heavy use. Then again, those of us "of a certain age" know that RCBS originally meant "Rock Chuck Bullet Swage"...

GsT

 

[csdilligaf]

"Rock Chuck Bullet Swage"

Well I'm old enough but that is still news to me! Its really working well so far. Working on the dies and have wire on the way.

 

[Ca_Varminter]

 

[Ezana4CE]

@csdilligaf Any updates on the dies?

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

Still got my RC of 20 years. Resized a few thousand 300 win mags and still tight as the day I got it. I now use it for resizing slugs with the NOE dies. Keeping it properly lube helps.

 

[csdilligaf]

Any updates on the dies?

No not yet I got side tracked turning a moderator on the lathe and figuring out which barrel I'm going to use and design the slugs for. But I'm making progress.

 

[Bandito]

Captivating subject. B.

 

[Coxworkshop]

Its time I get on the slug band wagon! I've always been pellet guy, just love them. But seeing the accuracy potential I have got to try it. Being a Prototype shop owner I tend to make what ever I can so I'm happy with the quality of it. I'm starting with an RCBS Rebel press and making the modifications to convert it to a swaging press. And its made in the USA!
First thing is to modify the leverage ratio by moving the two pivot pins on the lever knuckle closer. This press is heavy duty and can easily handle swaging. Then I slot the Ram shaft so it will have a place for the ejector pin to bottom out against. Then thread the end for a die to connect too and bore the ejector pin hole in the end. Next up I'll make the dies!

I've been working on a similar project with a very old Rock Chucker I had laying around. Moving the pivots closer to each other on that knuckle is genius.

I'm still dialing in how to get a good polish on my dies so in the mean time I need just a little bit more pressure to get good full formed slugs. I can do it in my bench vise but couldn't quite get it on the press. I was even considering putting a cheater bar on the press to get just a bit more leverage. I'm sure that would have ended poorly. As soon as I read your post the simplicity and elegance of changing the pivot distance really smacked me in the face. Man why didn't I think of that.

Thanks for the share!