A better way to use the Lee case trimmer
Lee reloading equipment is noted for an innovative approach to low cost reloading. I’m very happy with their primer tool and their case trimmer is outstanding. I have an RCBS trimmer but it is seldom used because the Lee trimmer is so quick and easy. There is nothing to set up, nothing to adjust or misadjust, simply select the proper shell holder and case length gage and start trimming. Turning the trimmer by hand can be a bit slow, tiresome and hard on the fingers but with a drill press or hand drill it is fast and painless. Lee recognized the advantage of turning their hand tool into a power tool but they went about it bassackward. They had the notion of turning the case and shell holder in a drill, bad idea. If the case slips slightly off center of the shell holder it oscillates wildly making it impossible to work with. Even if all goes well it requires waiting for the drill to stop spinning before removing the trimmed case and inserting a new one, very slow. It makes much more sense to spin the cutter and hold the shell holder stationary.
To accomplish that I have attached the case lock stud to an large wooden drawer pull with two sides flattened for easy handling. I can chuck the cutter in my drill press on low speed and just let it run non-stop through the whole trimming operation. If you don’t have a drill press a cordless hand drill works fine too, though you may have to reduce the diameter of the upper end of the cutter to fit a 3/8” chuck.
The first photo shows a cutter ground down to a 3/8” chuck, another cutter shortened and with a crank brazed on for easy hand turning, which is nearly as quick and easy as a power drill, then an unmodified cutter. Next is the shell holder lock stud I have adapted of easy holding while trimming with my drill press and an unmodified lock stud.
The last photo shows the trimmer at work.
A better way to use the Lee case trimmer
Lee reloading equipment is noted for an innovative approach to low cost reloading. I’m very happy with their primer tool and their case trimmer is outstanding. I have an RCBS trimmer but it is seldom used because the Lee trimmer is so quick and easy. There is nothing to set up, nothing to adjust or misadjust, simply select the proper shell holder and case length gage and start trimming. Turning the trimmer by hand can be a bit slow, tiresome and hard on the fingers but with a drill press or hand drill it is fast and painless. Lee recognized the advantage of turning their hand tool into a power tool but they went about it bassackward. They had the notion of turning the case and shell holder in a drill, bad idea. If the case slips slightly off center of the shell holder it oscillates wildly making it impossible to work with. Even if all goes well it requires waiting for the drill to stop spinning before removing the trimmed case and inserting a new one, very slow. It makes much more sense to spin the cutter and hold the shell holder stationary.
To accomplish that I have attached the case lock stud to an large wooden drawer pull with two sides flattened for easy handling. I can chuck the cutter in my drill press on low speed and just let it run non-stop through the whole trimming operation. If you don’t have a drill press a cordless hand drill works fine too, though you may have to reduce the diameter of the upper end of the cutter to fit a 3/8” chuck.
The first photo shows a cutter ground down to a 3/8” chuck, another cutter shortened and with a crank brazed on for easy hand turning, which is nearly as quick and easy as a power drill, then an unmodified cutter. Next is the shell holder lock stud I have adapted of easy holding while trimming with my drill press and an unmodified lock stud.
The last photo shows the trimmer at work.
