My case trimmer

[ThreeHundredBlackout]

I haven't had a good brass trimmer for blk until now, the other day i was given a forster classic case trimmer with a few collets and pilots. Before taking it home i already knew it was too long to trim blk ( the classic is the longer one for large cartriges) so i took it home and decided i needed to plan the mods needed.
I marked the center of the rail 3/4" to move the collet holder toward the cutter and drilled it the next day. I thought now all i need is the collet, but upon receiving the collet i realized it was for the smaller model........hm what to do now?......so after learning they don't make that size collet for my trimmer i decided to take an existing collet and make the correct step in it for the 223 case head....but should i do it in the lathe or in the mill i pondered. with a little thinking it was easier to set it up in the lathe. So i grabbed a 3/4" piece of aluminum center drilled it, drilled an undersized hole in it, bored it to final dimensions with a step for the rear of the collet with a boring bar, turned a few thousandths off the od to true it up and then made about a .125" plunge with the parting tool but left it attached to a couple inches of stock and slit it on the band saw, then back to the lathe; i took 4 small shims i made and placed them in the collet to keep it from closing when in the lathe, put my newly made half shells on the collet and placed it back into the 3/4" collet on the lathe and made the step with a boring bar.
Took it home and put it in the trimmer.........works great for holding the brass...........

Only one problem now.......time to take about 3 thou off the 30 cal pilot od to match my polished down neck expander ball so it will line up and go in and out the necks with ease instead of getting stock in a case neck and almost not come out.........

That said i might stop crimping now as i now know how very tight my neck tension holds........enough to pull the pilot out of the cutter and too hard to pull from brass with pliers.

Lesson if they don't make it and you have access to the tools.......make your own and have fun doing it.