trimming shells
 

I've normally used a single edge razor stuck in a dowel to trim shells. Over on another forum it was suggested to use what plumbers use to cut plastic pipe to cut shells. It's made of plastic like a pliers with a cutting blade. Cost at HD was under 10$. I scratch a line on the shell, insert a dowel to keep the shell from deforming, and squeeze the handle a little and rotate squeezing again. If I squeeze too hard the dowel gets marked up quite a bit, but it seems easier especially if you're cutting shells down to 2" or so. Just thought I'd throw a idea out there. Paul

Use a harder dowel, like oak or aluminum.

I use a radial arm saw with a fine blade and a homemade jig.

Ron, that looks ideal. When I'm not too lazy, and have a number of shells to cut, I go out to the shop and cut them on a bandsaw. Bill, you got me thinking, maybe a nylon dowel.

Do you guys thin (skiver) the hull walls after you trim them?

I don't and I've never used the BPI brass crimp starter. The plastic Mec one works just fine.

Edger did a right fine job making his version of a trimmer.

Same here on both counts .

I don't have all those power tools. I clamp a sharp kitchen knife, edge barely exposed, in my Parker 107 vise and roll the shells, with a hard aluminum dowel inside, over the knife, no power tools needed. All I need is a kitchen knife, a dowel for eights and one for tens, and a 132 pound vise.

This trimmer works great. Trims 10 ga to 20 ga. Adjustable for any length.

Shortcut Shotshell Cutter I

The website does not work anymore.

swansisland@tds.net

Don't know who made these. Works with any drill or screwdriver.

I made a jig out of an oak 2x4 . Bored a hole thru it for 10 gauge hull then cut a slot thru it for the blade to cut the shell and it has support for the piece coming off .

Earlier I had made the same sort of thing but without the support for the piece being removed and it worked okay but it slung the waste all over the place and made it more tattered looking . This slot jig with support for the waste cuts out the flying waste and cuts a lot cleaner .

I have the hole bored tight enough that I need to use a wooden dowel to punch the finished hull back out .

Oh yeah I do the cutting with a band saw .