Hey guys,

I am using a lee case trimmer for my .44 mag. I have the cutter w/ the wooden ball grip, and use a dewalt cardless drill to spin the cases. After I did a batch the other day, the cases were not spinning correctly, and therefore put wavey trim lines on my cases. This has now made my crimper give un-even crimps. On the same case, I would get to heavy of a crimp on the parts where it was high, and a good crimp on the parts that are low.

What do you guys do to make your lee trimmers trim straight? Is there a way I can square up the cases that are trimmed like this? Help!

thanks,
vanbuzen9

vanbuzen9
It sounds like you don’t have the lock stud and shell holder tightened down enough. When you are holding the drill and spinning a case, look to see if it wobbles. Check to make sure that the shell holder is tight and fitted tight to the lock stud . It could be that when you start to spin the case it is working loose. If done right, the Lee case trimmer is one of the best on the market at keeping things squared up. It is even better then my new Lyman Acculine trimmer.

30-30 Man

If done right, the Lee case trimmer is one of the best on the market at keeping things squared up. It is even better then my new Lyman Acculine trimmer.
30-30 Man

I agree and good advice.
When you put a case in the case trimmer give the trigger on your drill a nudge and ensure the case spins true. If the case wobbles stop and re-set it on the shell holder. You will get the technique down rather quickly.
On some cases a burr inside the case at the flash hole can give you a problem with the pin on the case gage. I have not had the problem with the .44's though.
I would retrim all of the cases that look wavey to take off any high spots. There is not much else you can do with the Lee trimmer. If you know someone with a conventional case trimmer you could shorten them to take out the uneven spots. This may not be necassary for average shooting. You would prefer an even crimp but for averae plinking loads you may not see the difference. Using ball powders it could affect ignition. If you are using Lee dies the newer (with the last ten or fifteen years) seat dies apply both a roll crimp and a taper crimp.

I concur. The problem is not with the trimmer...it is with the improvised "lathe". Either the shellholder is not chucked into the drill properly (or not tightened as it should be)....or the drill has an off-centre chuck...which is possible. This is why I use my Lee case trimmer only in the "manual" format. I lock the shellholder unit into a small set of vice-grips...and use hand power for the cutting. It always works perfectly this way.

I use a drill press with the case trimmer chucked in it for cleaning cases that won't clean up in the tumbler, but, for trimming just use it by hand. It's pretty hard to mess up that way.

For cleaning a little steel wool does a great job. I don't think I've ever trimmed my 44 cases. Even at max loads your not talking about much pressure and unlike the 60,000 plus psi of a rifle have never had a case stretching problem with revolver brass.

Yeah I run the cutter in a drill press. Trouble is you can't do that with most hand drills as you need a half inch chuck. But it will cut a lot smoother, and be a much faster process.

Thanks guys, for all your help. I guess I will forgo the cordless drill and re-do them by hand.

thanks,
vanbuzen9

I use a drill press with the case trimmer chucked in it for cleaning cases that won't clean up in the tumbler, but, for trimming just use it by hand. It's pretty hard to mess up that way.

For cleaning a little steel wool does a great job. .

I chuck mine up in a cordless drill and I use a Scotch Brite pad to clean the cases......excellent results.

One other possibility is your running your drill to fast. Use a slower speed and see if that helps if the above suggestions don't help.

wHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU SPIN THE CASES i ALWAYS STICK THE CUTTER IN THE DRILL AND SPIN THE CUTTER . IF YOU SPIN THE CASE INSTEAD OF THE CUTTER IT WILL WORK LOSE AND GIVE YOU AN UNEVEN TRIM . MAYBE i JUST DIDNT UNDERSTAND BUT, THAT IS WHAT i DO .

Someone already mentioned too much speed. I have better results turning the case/shellholder with a power screwdriver- about 140 rpm IIRC. Occasionally I have a case work loose, but it only takes a second to tighten it again. I don't recall ever trimming a case crooked. With the case and shellholder still in the screwdriver, I grab the chamfer/debur tool and do that quickly as well.

Shoot straight,
Doug

wHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU SPIN THE CASES i ALWAYS STICK THE CUTTER IN THE DRILL AND SPIN THE CUTTER . IF YOU SPIN THE CASE INSTEAD OF THE CUTTER IT WILL WORK LOSE AND GIVE YOU AN UNEVEN TRIM . MAYBE i JUST DIDNT UNDERSTAND BUT, THAT IS WHAT i DO .

It will work fine if you flip the switch on your variable speed reversing drill to spin the other direction.

454 Hunter, has the right idea, I've cut down a cutter so it would chuck up in a 3/8th cordless. Else I use my 1/2 compact corded drill. Both variable speed, but it don't seem to make any difference neither can go fast enough to chatter.
the other end I use a discarded 3/8th drill chuck to hold it and it works fine. Spinning the case is frustating to say the least. When I use that function it is when I need to clean up a stained case with some 000 steel wool. Never back up a cutter it will dull the cutting edge.