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Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Has anyone tried to make a DIY auto drive?


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Just watching some videos, and it looks like an auto drive could be put together fairly simply.  I've built a belt grinder with a 3 phase motor and VFD, and something similar to control a 1050 doesn't seem any more difficult.

 

I did a search here and didn't come up with anything.

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I would agree that it would probably be easy to make one, but it would essentially be a motor attached to the press. Without any of the digital safety features, jam/stop protection, it would just start smashing everything into everything if something went wrong.

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11 hours ago, jschweg said:

I would agree that it would probably be easy to make one, but it would essentially be a motor attached to the press. Without any of the digital safety features, jam/stop protection, it would just start smashing everything into everything if something went wrong.

 

 

True, just kicking around ideas.  I'm not interested in crazy speed, and I don't need to start it up and leave the room.  Just trying to save wear and tear on my hands and elbows.

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I think you could model it off the old ponsness Warren autodrives and get some ideas. Just a good DC motor with a brake function and variable speed would work. And hook it up to a foot pedal to turn it on and off that's the way a friend of mines ammoload machines are set up. I'd like to do something like that to my dillon's 1000's.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have built drives for both Case Pro and 1050. I would not say it is entirely simple, there are some nice gotchas there.  Still, not too complicated. 

 

It is not hard to add sensors - I have an overload sensor, bullet sensor and primers sensors - the three main reasons to stop the machine.  My drive stops very gently in case of something going wrong, without breaking any parts.  I borrowed the basic idea from PW, and their connecting rod, but made some improvement in other areas. 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't want to speak for jmorris, but since he is not yet answering - the video shows the PW drive, which normally comes with single phase, single speed motor, with brake.  I don't know if his is modified.

 

It is trivial job to put a 90W 3ph motor in place - they have identical dimensions... just make sure you get the one with the brake.  They can be found on ebay for well under $100.  A VFD controller you can find for $50 or so, if you want a 120V unit.

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You can certainly make the speed be controlled by the pedal, but I personally don't see any value in that.

 

Dead Man pedal has more utility, but only on those machines that do not stop gracefully.  I am not sure how jmorris senses overload, but in my case the machine is very delicate, I set the limit just above what is required for normal operation.  So it may stop on some difficult cases, no big deal.

 

Problem with that pedal is that you are chained to the machine.  With soft overload you can be doing other things in the meantime - loading primer tubes, boxing the ammo, etc. 

Edited by Foxbat
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The ammo loads run the deadman pedal. But I do see your benefit in being able to do other things.

You can certainly make the speed be controlled by the pedal, but I personally don't see any value in that.
 
Dead Man pedal has more utility, but only on those machines that do not stop gracefully.  I am not sure how jmorris senses overload, but in my case the machine is very delicate, I set the limit just above what is required for normal operation.  So it may stop on some difficult cases, no big deal.
 
Problem with that pedal is that you are chained to the machine.  With soft overload you can be doing other things in the meantime - loading primer tubes, boxing the ammo, etc. 


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On 8/18/2018 at 2:56 PM, jmorris said:

 

Yep, it’s been a few years but posted this video here somewhere back then.

 

On 8/8/2018 at 9:38 AM, Foxbat said:

I have built drives for both Case Pro and 1050. I would not say it is entirely simple, there are some nice gotchas there.  Still, not too complicated. 

 

It is not hard to add sensors - I have an overload sensor, bullet sensor and primers sensors - the three main reasons to stop the machine.  My drive stops very gently in case of something going wrong, without breaking any parts.  I borrowed the basic idea from PW, and their connecting rod, but made some improvement in other areas. 

 

 

Beautiful...

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  • 1 month later...
On 8/8/2018 at 9:38 AM, Foxbat said:

I have built drives for both Case Pro and 1050. I would not say it is entirely simple, there are some nice gotchas there.  Still, not too complicated. 

 

It is not hard to add sensors - I have an overload sensor, bullet sensor and primers sensors - the three main reasons to stop the machine.  My drive stops very gently in case of something going wrong, without breaking any parts.  I borrowed the basic idea from PW, and their connecting rod, but made some improvement in other areas. 

 

 

What type and size motor did you use?

 

@Foxbat

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Oriental Motors 5IK90GU, with electronic brake (important) and with 60:1 gear head 5GU60KA.  They also have the KB gear head, but it has smaller diameter shaft - I prefer the fatter one.

Edited by Foxbat
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  • 1 year later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/22/2018 at 9:35 AM, jmorris said:

This one is a 3 ph motor using an Automation Direct GS series VFD, so it can run off 110ac.

 

 

I was going to say that looks like Craig's lower half. I guess you purchased those parts and put the rest together?

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The old RLs just need the base cut to allow the bearing to rotate through and then you can just add a gear to the drive shaft and a motor. Angus did that years ago. Rumor was the 1050 was designed to have that done in the beginning or at least as an option. Not sure if that is true, but it's what I was told by a few people

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4 hours ago, slavex said:

The old RLs just need the base cut to allow the bearing to rotate through and then you can just add a gear to the drive shaft and a motor. Angus did that years ago. Rumor was the 1050 was designed to have that done in the beginning or at least as an option. Not sure if that is true, but it's what I was told by a few people

I have an old RL but I attached an ammobot to it. I would't dream of chopping my frame. Piece of history.

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