doloho7907
Plastic
- Joined
- May 24, 2020
I am a hobbyist craftsman and ammunition reloader and hoping this is the right place to ask questions and get some help. I am interested in building an automated ammunition press capable of loading multiple calibers and am seeking some advice. I have a background in woodworking and computer programming, but am a novice with metal work and machine automation. No, I don't need to mass produce ammunition, but am attempting this to both satisfy my desire to build and to learn. I realize that this is a very ambitious project and am ok with failing but not ok with not trying. If you're still with me on this and have some tips, below is the design I have in mind. Ideally, I am looking for suggestions on how to build, design, and common machines and parts that I could repurposed for this build.
Here is an example commercial grade product that does what I am ultimately trying to do, but I have a few differences I would like to build YouTube. Side note, this product even used sells for way outside of what I can afford.
Step one of my build is to create a press that simply goes up and down with the capability of setting stroke length (which may not be possible as mentioned in the "third part" below) and speed. It needs to be able to apply pressure similar to a human pressing down on a lever of a single stage hand loader press. The press would be attached to a "tool head" which essentially just has threaded holes at each station to receive the various reloading dies and sensor checks. Not a requirement, but it'd be nice if the tool head could be disconnected from the press so that different tool heads with different calibers could be swapped in. Any advice on design of this system or possibly a common existing machine I could recycle and repurposed for this?
The next step would be the base ratchet station system. In the video, the press stations are in a straight line. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that a circular sled on a saw tooth ratchet would be an easier design to build. It would ratchet one station per stroke. Plates with attached shellholders would fit inside the ratcheting sled. This way, plates could be dropped in and swapped out from the sled to load different calibers. Any tips on building this and linking it up to the above mentioned press mechanism?
The third part of the build would be a camshaft or something similar under the above mentioned sled. Some of the stations require a tool to be push up from the bottom of the brass while the tool in the press above holds the brass in place. Again this camshaft would have to be linked into the above mechanism so it runs in sync. I think the best way would be to link the above press in a crank and camshaft configuration. Possibly this camshaft could also link to and drive the station ratcheting system. One problem I see with this design would be that the press would have to always operate at the same stroke length as variable stroke lengths would require the crank to be adjusted and timed. I would appreciate help designing this mechanism as well.
The tools that fit into the various stations such as the dies and powder drop, are all standard reloading tools that can be purchased online so I don't have to build those. Finally, I would like to incorporate some sensors and computerize it. The programming side of this I am familiar with, but the whole machine would need to be able to take input from a computer. For example, the speed at which it runs or the ability to stop if a sensor finds a problem.
There is much more, but these are just the basic main movements of the machine. Looking forward to your advice. Thanks.
Here is an example commercial grade product that does what I am ultimately trying to do, but I have a few differences I would like to build YouTube. Side note, this product even used sells for way outside of what I can afford.
Step one of my build is to create a press that simply goes up and down with the capability of setting stroke length (which may not be possible as mentioned in the "third part" below) and speed. It needs to be able to apply pressure similar to a human pressing down on a lever of a single stage hand loader press. The press would be attached to a "tool head" which essentially just has threaded holes at each station to receive the various reloading dies and sensor checks. Not a requirement, but it'd be nice if the tool head could be disconnected from the press so that different tool heads with different calibers could be swapped in. Any advice on design of this system or possibly a common existing machine I could recycle and repurposed for this?
The next step would be the base ratchet station system. In the video, the press stations are in a straight line. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that a circular sled on a saw tooth ratchet would be an easier design to build. It would ratchet one station per stroke. Plates with attached shellholders would fit inside the ratcheting sled. This way, plates could be dropped in and swapped out from the sled to load different calibers. Any tips on building this and linking it up to the above mentioned press mechanism?
The third part of the build would be a camshaft or something similar under the above mentioned sled. Some of the stations require a tool to be push up from the bottom of the brass while the tool in the press above holds the brass in place. Again this camshaft would have to be linked into the above mechanism so it runs in sync. I think the best way would be to link the above press in a crank and camshaft configuration. Possibly this camshaft could also link to and drive the station ratcheting system. One problem I see with this design would be that the press would have to always operate at the same stroke length as variable stroke lengths would require the crank to be adjusted and timed. I would appreciate help designing this mechanism as well.
The tools that fit into the various stations such as the dies and powder drop, are all standard reloading tools that can be purchased online so I don't have to build those. Finally, I would like to incorporate some sensors and computerize it. The programming side of this I am familiar with, but the whole machine would need to be able to take input from a computer. For example, the speed at which it runs or the ability to stop if a sensor finds a problem.
There is much more, but these are just the basic main movements of the machine. Looking forward to your advice. Thanks.