Easy mechanized deburr and chamfer

dennisf · Mar 8, 2010

I have been trying to figure out how to do the inside ream and outside chamfer for some now other than by hand. I have thought to get a case prep center and always stop after looking. It would be nice to get the reamer and chamfer replacements part to use in a drill.
I have an older bench mount pistol grip type of drill motor from the 50's. This was designed for the home handyman as a drill or snapped into the frame, a bench mount for home projects. It has low rpms and a terrible chuck, but it works. I have been chucking up the reamer easy enough but still doing the outside chamfer by hand. I purchased a used deburr tool at a show with intentions of modifying it to work in the drill. No go. To hard of steel to drill thru on my drill press.
As I kicked around ideas, I decided to take the neck/shoulder reamer out of the adapter that I use on .223 brass. The Possum Hollow from Midway.
The standard deburr tool will fit in that Possum Hollow adapter that I bought with the neck reamer. You loosen up the allan set screw and slide the deburr tool into the adapter and run all the insides first, flip the deburr tool in the adapter and do the outsides. It cleans them up as fast as you can handle the brass.

I also run a primer pocket cleaning brush on a short stem for cleaning primer pockets. I made a small shaft (not really needed) and use the same drill to clean them. Oddly enough, this does not bend the wires in the tool like hand cleaning does.

elsie · Mar 9, 2010

Something like this?

RCBS Trim Mate

elsie

CXD Arms · Mar 10, 2010

elsie said:
Something like this?

RCBS Trim Mate

elsie

I use the RCBS Trim Mate as well as the individual cutters and brushes in a desktop lathe by chucking the cutter or brush in it and turning at a slow speed.

For quantity, I would you put the primer pocket brush or chamfer/debur in a drill press and do each operation with all of the brass before moving onto the next step. Midwayusa.com sells the individual prep tools and this saves on getting the Trim Mate.

The other reason I like doing one operation at a time is that I get more consistent results doing one step to all of the brass cases instead of each step on one case at a time.

Pnutz · Mar 10, 2010

If your doing volume rifle brass, Just get a Dillon Trimmer and Trim die. You can size and trim all in one press stroke. and in most cases do not have to chamfer or deburr if you are using boat tail bullets. I love mine for .308, .223 and .300 whisper.

CXD Arms · Mar 10, 2010

Pnutz said:
If your doing volume rifle brass, Just get a Dillon Trimmer and Trim die. You can size and trim all in one press stroke. and in most cases do not have to chamfer or deburr if you are using boat tail bullets. I love mine for .308, .223 and .300 whisper.

I think the OP was only talking about deburring and chamfering, though I use the Dillon trimmer for .223 and .308 as well. I was only talking about the primer pocket cleaning/uniforming as well as deburring or chamferring. I do like the dillon trimmer because I can use my normal rifle die backed out a few thousandths to smooth the neck.

My setup for processing/reloading rifle plinking rounds is this:

1. Hornady LNL with RCBS lube die in first station, Dillon trimmer in second.

2. Tumble clean and swage (with Dillon swager) if needed.

3. Load; Lee sizing die in first station but backed out to only smooth neck. Prime, seat, crimp etc.

With this method I can trim and size several hundred an hour only stopping to refill the lube die.

I only use my lathe or RCBS Trim mate for specific tasks such as flash hole reaming, primer pocket cleaning/uniforming, etc. and this is only for initial brass prep or for hunting/match loads.