roll crimp ?

[Paul Harm]

Has anyone tried to roll crimp with a Mec press ? They sell a start crimp for roll crimping - so why wouldn't the final crimp work ? A friend claimed he roll crimped with his - but I never saw one so I'm not sure what they looked like. Paul

[mike covington]

To roll crimp the crimp tool/head would need to spin at say 200-300 RPMs...per my experience. Don't see how this would work on a MEC.

I have MEC Sizemasters and use the first three stations for loads I roll. The roll crimp is done on a large floor drill press, with the crimp tool chucked, separate from the loaders.

Mike

[Paul Harm]

Well I was messing around today - noticed my old Lee Loader [ hand ] had instructions for fold or roll crimps. So I ground the ribs off a 6 point plastic star crimp and did about 6 shells in my Mec. After a little adjusting - the start crimp just a little bend enough for the final crimp to catch - everything worked great. Real nice looking shells. It's always been in the back of my mind that if that Lee loader was suppose to do roll crimps, why couldn't it be done with a Mec ? Well it can. Now, anyone have a fix for those plastic start crimpers that get loose and fall off if they're removed a couple of times ? Paul

[Dave Suponski]

How about some pictures of what you did Paul?

[Paul Harm]

Wish I knew how. Maybe I could email you some and you could post them? I'd first have to figger out how to take pictures with my phone. Ask around today. Paul

[Dave Suponski]

Paul,You can email them to me at ctdoubles@aol.com

[Rich Anderson]

Paul just ask Mark to take and post the pictures. How's the shell bags coming?

[Paul Harm]

Rich, have to tell the wife, I forgot. I'm going to have to turn down the plunger diamiter on the final crimp so papers can also be done. I believe this will also help with the plastic shells. Paul

[charlie cleveland]

i too want to see the pictures of the crimps when you get them posted.. be able to roll crimp on the loader would sure save a lot of time especially for the volume shooters.. charlie

[Paul Harm]

I found the 3/8" from top of shot to top of shell a bit too much - a lot rolled over. Or it may be because the diameter of the punch is too large - it makes a really tight fold. Either way, I have a second punch that has a plug added on to make the punch thicker [ at one time I was loading 2" shells ]. Because my roll crimp shells made by spinning the end are thicker; I was having trouble with the Mec. So I'm going to turn down the diameter from .640 to .550 [ what a paper shell measures inside when roll crimped with the drill press ]. Maybe it'll also work with the plastic shells. Paul

[Paul Harm]

Never could get the papers to work. Went back to the plastic and they only worked with a deep roll crimp. Maybe play with it more sometime latter. Paul