Freechex II gas check maker

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  • Last Post 31 October 2008
JeffinNZ posted this 01 September 2008

Team.

Charlie has sent me an evaluation task. This is his new innovation.

Left to right:

15 thou brass 19 thou alum 2 ply 10 thou Cu/4.2 thou soda can 2 ply 11 thou litho plate/4.2 thou soda can 11 thou litho plate 3 ply 4.2 thou soda can recovered 11 thou litho plate


Cheers from New Zealand

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CB posted this 02 September 2008

That looks pretty slick.

I have a couple of questions though...

First the forming mandrel, I take it the first punch cuts and leaves the round cutout in the punch, correct? If so then the second punch then forms the check, then does the second punch have a step cut in the bottom with the rest of the second punch the same OD as the ID of the first punch to center the second punch?

Second, is the punch designed for the specific thickness of the material?

How do they stay on, does this provide for a sharp edge to dig into the base of the bullet? Or is it similar to the old Lyman gas checks?

Gotta give Charlie credit here, at least he is working diligently on a problem facing all cast bullet shooters! Good Job Charlie!

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JeffinNZ posted this 02 September 2008

Hi Jeff.

Yes, the hollow punch stays in place and the forming mandrel passes through it.  Actually the forming mandrel will pass all the way through and out the bottom if allowed on this protype and I have suggested the Mr Charles that the mandrel required a 'head' of some form.

The 'slit' for the check material is 0.055 inch and I have punched out 0.019 alum and 0.015 brass without problem.  Charlie has punched out 2 x 0.010 brass. 

The forming mandrel is doctored to the size of the bullet shank so the checks are a 'snug' slip on fit.  They are like the old Lyman checks and don't crimp on.

Cheers from New Zealand

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Mark Wackerfield posted this 03 September 2008

Hi;

          Early this July I drove up to see Charles Darnall after all I don't live that very far away. Several weeks earlier I had bought one of his 30-caliber “Free Checkâ€? gas check making tools on Ebay. I had brought along some of my 7mm cast bullets. I had hoped to inspire him to make the tool for me making gas 7mm checks.

        When I was making 30 caliber gas checks. I was having some trouble putting in the sheared sheet metal disk into the entranceway in to the gas check forming tooling. When I cut the sheet metal disk with my punch.

I was getting a roughness that was snagging on the entranceway in to the gas check forming tooling through. Maybe I should have used a better end cut wooden block to punch my sheet metal on.

         I got the chance to relate to him that there are those who make very fine press mounted wad punches. However these wad punch tools were very costly. Oh how I know, how costly. After all was about to buy one, however now I will not have to shell out that kind big of money.

         Charlie “said well Mark when you spend money to buy some thing that's high quality it usually lasts for a long time and you get what you pay for.â€?

         Three cheers for Charles Darnall he has engineered one fine tool to shear sheet metal disks with high quality clean cut edges.  

My shooting with Charles Darnell's “Free Checkâ€? gas check making tools gas checks. I have bought a sheet metal a roll of .012 thick “valley aluminumâ€? for making my gas checks.

My first shooting this July with my new 1940's Remington 03 A3 provided target groups. My load for Lyman bullet # 311291 @ 169gr a round nose gas checked bullet with 13.5 grains Red Dot. The bullet was cast at .313 DIA. I loaded it in full-length sized Remington 30 06 brass.  This load returned 5 shots in side of 2 3/4 inches at 100 yards on a windy day. All of this work was done with Hornady Gas Checks

My second shooting early this August provided; With the same Remington 03 A3 and same load yielded a return of 5 shots in side of 2 1/4 inches at 100 yards. All of my cast bullets for this second shooting were made using gas checks with Charles Darnell's “Free Checkâ€? gas check making tools.

I have BSA Martini that I have chambered in 30x30 Winchester. My load for Lyman bullet # 311291 @ 169 grain round nose gas checked bullet loaded with 8.5grains Red Dot. The bullet was cast at .314 DIA then sized to .313 DIA. This should give about 1360 FPS.

         My second shooting early this August provided; Showed a return of 5 shots in side of 3 1/8 inches at 100 yards. My load for the same BSA Martini and Lyman bullet #311291  is with Unique at 9.2 grains loaded. I use 9.2 grains of Unique to keep the cast bullet speed down to about 1360 FPS. Remember all of my cast bullets for this second shooting were using gas checks made with Charles Darnell's “Free Checkâ€? gas check making tools.

My over all impression of Charles Darnell's “Free Checkâ€? gas check making tools are. These tools can make a gas checks that shall perform as well or excide the performance of other pre manufactured gas checks on the market today. This tool does deliver a high quality gas check that you can make your self. I'm really pleased with the tools Charlie has offered me.

Mark Wakefield

 

 

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JeffinNZ posted this 03 September 2008

Good to hear from you Mark.

He makes a tool that does what it should and it cheap to boot.  Not real fast in production rate terms but if you want fast and cheap you will be well out of luck. 

Cheers from New Zealand

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Mark Wackerfield posted this 04 September 2008

Hi, Jeff;               Do you have a good source for lithographic plates?

Or .012 thick “Al” of some kind I have some .012 thick “Al” in a roll that's 6 in. wide by 50 feet long.

         I'm going to start the search for .012 , .020 sheet copper or brass. My gas checks at this time are only .012 thick and work just fine.

I loved your photo work, I just droool! Write and send more. I read and re read your every word. Mark

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JeffinNZ posted this 04 September 2008

As luck would have it I have a client in the publishing business who gave me 13 square feet of 0.0118 (0.3mm) litho plate.  I can get more as required but the piece I have will make 12000 checks so..........................

Cheers from New Zealand

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codarnall posted this 23 September 2008

JeffinNZ indicates that he has seen little wear on the shearing edge of the his FREECHEX prototype he's been diligent in reviewing for all involved.  His version is made entirely  of tool steel and has very close tolerances inorder to keep the material in nearly total shear.  Three times McMaster-Carr has delivered broken 6” 1/32” high speed cut off wheels in the form of dust.  I am unsure if the anvil really needs to be hardend talking to Jeff.  Warping is a problem, when heat treating, anyone with an input is welcome. Two thou is enough slop to “smear” soft thin brass or copper rather than cut cleanly.  Aluminum never seems a problem.  Shooters have used everything and so everything is tested. http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ecodarnall>http://home.earthlink.net/~codarnall is a mov file that shows a properly functioning  44/.429 in  Version II.

Charlie

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CB posted this 22 October 2008

Jeff,

Just put an offer in on one of these in 30 cal. Is it working out for you?

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JeffinNZ posted this 23 October 2008

Absolutely.  Great little gadget.  Real happy.

Cheers from New Zealand

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CB posted this 23 October 2008

From what I understand from the manufacturing standpoint, if you harden a metal, if spec'ed out correctly, may require a bit of finish grinding to true and finish.

It would be interested to make a version of this that would work in a rock chucker press...

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JeffinNZ posted this 23 October 2008

There is a group buy for something along those lines on Cast Boolits.  Thing is the process appears to be very long winded and I am far from convinced that the finished product will be square enough in the base to give good results.  Charlie recommends and I found out the hard way that the checks have to be formed on a hard, flat surface to square them up.

I have no commented as such on the other board for fear of sparking some sort of war. 

Cheers from New Zealand

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CB posted this 24 October 2008

A friend has one that is in a rock chucker and I have seen it work.. Never thought to ask if the checks came out square using this method.

Yeah things over there can be a bit caustic at times with some of the members. A lot of very opinionated but good people over there. I check in from time to time and in fact a contributor or something like that. Heck I cant remember...

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pschmidlkofer posted this 24 October 2008

I recently purchased one of these off of the auction site. Primarily due to JeffinNZ posting. I have a 7.7 Jap that I'm hoping this will work on. Anything I can do to reduce the cost of shooting this old baby! I'm not looking to make it a dead on shooter or anything, although it already shoots pretty darn good. Thanks again Jeff!

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codarnall posted this 31 October 2008

the geometry of a standard loading press is all wrong for check making, an arbor press makes a little more sense.  The yoke lengths RCBS A2 or A4 (mine) give rise to a combination  sine and cosines of the lever angle to give incredible caming forces at the end of the swing.  Any 7/8 14 die would have to be very long, longer the a 300WM die to make sense at the top of the die for cutting etc.  20 degress of arc give rise to 1/8 movement at the endpoint.  Long story short been there done that.  7/8 material is about 25 bucks too.  I'm not saying it can't be done, I'll leave it for others.  Competition never hurt anything !

Charlie

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