# Brass



## dlane (Jul 12, 2015)

Milling 50 bmg brass shell casings for bottle openers , getting a bad finish at end of cut.
Using 9/32 2 flute mill ,holding them in 5c collet holder with thin leather wrapping shell
clamped in the vice at 45deg. Milled in one pass , seems to work ok except the mark left behind when comming out , any suggestions ?.




	

		
			
		

		
	
 The mark is on the exit side
Thanks
Derrick
Ps. The avatar is 29 dodge going to show


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## Tony Wells (Jul 12, 2015)

If you can stand to widen the slot a few thousandths, move over and run back through.


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## Terrywerm (Jul 12, 2015)

Might have to go to a smaller end mill and make multiple passes if you cannot stand to widen the slot a bit. Looks to me like the casing is moving a bit in your setup, so it is possible that the problem may occur even with multiple passes, but I doubt it.


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## T Bredehoft (Jul 12, 2015)

dlane said:


> Ps. The avatar is 29 dodge going to show



What, not driving it?  (It appears to be on a trailer)


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## brino (Jul 12, 2015)

Nice close-up shots, it's like being there!
That will definitely help getting useful answers.

What RPM and feed?

-brino


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## PatMiles (Jul 12, 2015)

Sharp 4 flute endmill, faster speed, slower feed?


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## ELHEAD (Jul 13, 2015)

T Bredehoft said:


> What, not driving it?  (It appears to be on a trailer)


Trailer queen?


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## dlane (Jul 13, 2015)

Next time I'll try a smaller end mill and two passes , or a four flute at higher speed . These casings have a taper to them so the collet try's to hold on the front , I might try to taper a e collet for them also
These were kind of a rush job I cleaned them up with a file.
Thanks 
Derrick 
The car isn't registered or finished yet 
It dose run


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## T Bredehoft (Jul 13, 2015)

dlane said:


> The car isn't registered or finished yet
> It does run



So long as you plan to drive it , Trailer Queens are the domain of the idle rich. Nobody here qualifies. We're not idle.


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## royesses (Jul 13, 2015)

T Bredehoft said:


> So long as you plan to drive it , Trailer Queens are the domain of the idle rich. Nobody here qualifies. We're not idle.


And not rich, speaking for me only.


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## Bill C. (Jul 13, 2015)

dlane said:


> Next time I'll try a smaller end mill and two passes , or a four flute at higher speed . These casings have a taper to them so the collet try's to hold on the front , I might try to taper a e collet for them also
> These were kind of a rush job I cleaned them up with a file.
> Thanks
> Derrick
> ...



I going to say touch them up with a small jeweler flat file.  I never looked messed with cartridges so I didn't know they were tapered.  Makes sense they would be for faster chamber loading and ejecting. 

 My uncle make lighters out of brass and cartridges for officers during WWII


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## Bill C. (Jul 13, 2015)

Are they selling well?


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## dlane (Jul 13, 2015)

Mostly make 50bmg wrighting pens out of them, also all 30 cal casings. They do sell good on line and at shows
Thanks
Derrick


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## ELHEAD (Jul 13, 2015)

Maybe another post for the Dodge (work-in-progress).


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## Wreck™Wreck (Jul 13, 2015)

The machine and the endmill are flexing, when the tool passes through the end of the cut, the tool is unloaded on the leading edge, it springs back and leaves an artifact in its wake which is what you are seeing (one side climb milling the other side is conventional milling) Either slow the feed down too a crawl or do  2 passes, rough and finish. 

It only takes .0005" difference to make a line visible to the human eye on the part.


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## dlane (Jul 17, 2015)

The manual 5c collet closer I used has a hard plastic/rubber collar that closes the collet, I have a feeling that is what caused movment or the leather , any one take apart a collet closer like this one and remove plastic collar ? Or are they not removable. 
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
 It would be nice to have it solid sometimes, or should I find one that has no plastic ?. Is this what is called a floating 5c collet closer?.  Also might try a tapered e5c collet with the shell casing taper,  what you think?.
Thanks
Derrick


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## brino (Jul 17, 2015)

Derrick,

I have seen several different types, but never one with a plastic collar.
I would be suspicious about it too, it seems counter-productive to a tight grip.

-brino


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## RJSakowski (Jul 17, 2015)

dlane said:


> .  Also might try a tapered e5c collet with the shell casing taper,  what you think?.
> Thanks
> Derrick


Derick,

How about this?  Purchase an emergency (machinable) 5C collet; they're available in steel, brass, and nylon.  Machine a taper to match your case.  You will have good fit over the entire case wall rather than a ring contact.

Bob


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## JimDawson (Jul 17, 2015)

I'be never seen one with a plastic bushing either.  I can't believe it would hold well.


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## Terrywerm (Jul 18, 2015)

I'm not so sure that the plastic bushing is the problem. In use, the bushing is in compression evenly all the way around as it forces the collet to close. It also allows the collet to release easily without sticking when you open the closer. Granted, I've never seen one with a plastic bushing either, but there are a lot of things in this world that I've not seen.  I would be more concerned about the grip that a straight standard collet will make on a tapered casing. It will allow the casing to rock a bit when pressure is applied. I would think the best solution would be to use an e-collet and bore the inside, tapered to match the taper on the casings. That would provide the sturdy grip and hold that is required. Additionally, using a smaller end mill and making a rough pass followed by two finish passes, one on each side, would be the way to go.


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## dlane (Jul 18, 2015)

Thanks for the replies,  In this pic I had it set up to drill 30cal brass  " a brass tube gets glued in the casing"  it works good for that. I guess I'll be looking for one that is solid. I have a 5c collet indexer but it is to large for what I'm doing.
This collet closer was clamped in mill vice at 45deg for the bottle openers. I do have some e collets I'll taper one next time I have lathe going, would that be done with collet closed in the spindle and a boring bar ?.
Derrick


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## uncle harry (Jul 18, 2015)

royesses said:


> And not rich, speaking for me only.




We all are rich for the value of help from this forum.


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## dlane (Aug 1, 2015)

Here is the setup , the E collet is tapered to fit caseing, This run I'm using a 1/4" ball two flute "don't have ball 4 flute"
They are turning out ok with two passes.
Thanks for all the advice 
Derrick


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## Tony Wells (Aug 1, 2015)

I'd be tempted to try a slotting cutter on an arbor rather than an end mill. Cost more, true, but would not have the same problem.


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## dlane (Aug 1, 2015)

Would that be a 1/4" thick slotting cutter, I have some slotting cutters but not that thick ?. This time I used a ball mill for  the round corner affect ,  with two passes they are turning out good ,besides I like loading them in front of the cutter anyhow so I have to make two passes ,2nd pass I'm taking.010 off 
Thanks


Tony Wells said:


> I'd be tempted to try a slotting cutter on an arbor rather than an end mill. Cost more, true, but would not have the same problem.


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## Tony Wells (Aug 1, 2015)

I was thinking full width, one pass. But if you're happy with the ball nose, go for it. A full radius slotting cutter is available, but naturally, cost goes up.


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## dlane (Aug 1, 2015)

Thanks , mabey I'm confused I thought of a slotting cutter as a small saw blade with an arbor thru it, is that a spline cutter  / slot cutter ? , I have a bunch of them but all are thinner.
Or is there a different type cutter I haven't seen yet ?.
Thanks
Derrick


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## dlane (Aug 22, 2015)

I'm gona ware out my poor mill with these and 30cal caseing, it would be nice to cut 5-8 with one pass
I'm thinking make aluminum fixture 
Any suggestions 
Thanks


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## Bill Gruby (Aug 22, 2015)

Sounds like a plan to me. If the repetition is that often a Fixture is long overdue.

 "Billy G"


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## dlane (Aug 30, 2015)

Started a fixture, it holds four caseings , still need to put a couple 1/4-28 allens to lock the rotation then dowell pin it at the rite angle ,it will be held in a descent x-y travel vice going to try it on a DP with threaded chuck , as I don't want to do these on mill anymore , have a new four flute ball mill 
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
 they are only brass I'm thinking it should work , what you think ?.


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## dlane (Aug 31, 2015)

Should work the three smaller holes are there if I need to attach a plate to back instead of rotating mount. The corner holes are alignment dowell pins ,the two allens clamp the caseings ,
These are 30/06 it will work on any 30/06 based caseings., Ok tried it out x slide vice and fixture work good on mill, not so good on drill press kinda ruff cutting , going to try to rigitize drill press, any suggestions ?.
Thanks


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## dlane (Sep 14, 2015)

More brass
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
 ànd aluminum


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## Bill C. (Sep 14, 2015)

dlane said:


> Thanks , mabey I'm confused I thought of a slotting cutter as a small saw blade with an arbor thru it, is that a spline cutter  / slot cutter ? , I have a bunch of them but all are thinner.
> Or is there a different type cutter I haven't seen yet ?.
> Thanks
> Derrick



It is a saw mounted in a arbor. I mean a slotting saw, comes in different thickness. I think any over a 1/4 inch thick  are milling cutters.  In my experience they sing when they cut.  I like your fixtures.


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