polish pilots on case trimmers? - The Firearms Forum

soundguy · 07-12-2012, 02:09 PM

anyone here polish the pilots ontheir case trimmers?

I have a rcbs case trimmer.. comes with a handfull of pilots. the pilots have a michined finish, and while not rough, they are not polished.

I took a lil 800 paper and ran across the pilot while it was turning, and finished up with some rubbing compound.. brings them to a bright polish finish. i swear they go in and out of case mouths like glass. before, there were a few that were tight enough to take pressure to insert / remove...

312shooter · 07-12-2012, 04:50 PM

Sounds like a good idea, tuning for smooth operation will reduce wear on other parts of the trimmer, maybe I'll give it a try, if you dont charge royalties for your idea

soundguy · 07-12-2012, 05:03 PM

i just did it so it would be smoother for the insides of the rifle brass case mouths. easier insertion.. less wear.
30 seconds with some 800 and then 30 more with some rubbing compound and it brought them to a polish.

I figure that has to be better?

public domain idea

Alpo · 07-12-2012, 05:33 PM

Don't you just love words that are spelled the same but mean different things.

I read that as Polish (as in "from Poland") pilots (as in "guys that drive airplanes") and was thinking this was an ethnic joke.

soundguy · 07-12-2012, 06:16 PM

woops!

so a polish pilot walks into a bar........ you think he'd have seen it. ( Ba-bump bump )

Bindernut · 07-12-2012, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alpo

I read that as Polish (as in "from Poland") pilots (as in "guys that drive airplanes") and was thinking this was an ethnic joke.

So where is polishshooter anyway?

That's what I read at first too! LOL

But yeah, I've polished up the pilots for my Lyman case trimmer too (and also a couple of my Lee trim studs that were a bit rough). Started doing that after I turned down one of the larger unused Lyman spares into a 5mm pilot for trimming .204 cases. It polished up so nicely I decided to hit the rest of em with some 1200-grit polish too.

Just be careful that you don't polish them down too far otherwise the pilot will get sloppy in the case mouth and can cause chatter marks on the mouth. Don't ask me how I know that......

soundguy · 07-13-2012, 05:13 PM

yep.. just a few seconds with some carbide paper and polish compound. just enough to take the mill marks down and brighten the shine up. I have 2 sets of pilots.. and my .00x caliper can't tell the difference between t he polished and un polished one. so it's less than .001 being taken down..

07-12-2012, 02:09 PM	#1
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,469	polish pilots on case trimmers? anyone here polish the pilots ontheir case trimmers? I have a rcbs case trimmer.. comes with a handfull of pilots. the pilots have a michined finish, and while not rough, they are not polished. I took a lil 800 paper and ran across the pilot while it was turning, and finished up with some rubbing compound.. brings them to a bright polish finish. i swear they go in and out of case mouths like glass. before, there were a few that were tight enough to take pressure to insert / remove... -->

07-12-2012, 04:50 PM	#2
312shooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Las Vegas NV Posts: 1,148	Re: polish pilots on case trimmers? Sounds like a good idea, tuning for smooth operation will reduce wear on other parts of the trimmer, maybe I'll give it a try, if you dont charge royalties for your idea __________________ "Democracy is based on citizenship- perhaps the greatest gift the United States has given to the world- Power is vested in the people themselves, and government flows from the people" James M Henslin

07-12-2012, 05:03 PM	#3
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,469	Re: polish pilots on case trimmers? i just did it so it would be smoother for the insides of the rifle brass case mouths. easier insertion.. less wear. 30 seconds with some 800 and then 30 more with some rubbing compound and it brought them to a polish. I figure that has to be better? public domain idea

07-12-2012, 05:33 PM	#4
Alpo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Florida Posts: 8,664	Re: polish pilots on case trimmers? Don't you just love words that are spelled the same but mean different things. I read that as Polish (as in "from Poland") pilots (as in "guys that drive airplanes") and was thinking this was an ethnic joke. __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with catsup - George of Lod, Year of Our Lord 297 I always take precautions. Beware the Evil Bullet Fairies.

07-12-2012, 06:16 PM	#5
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,469	Re: polish pilots on case trimmers? woops! so a polish pilot walks into a bar........ you think he'd have seen it. ( Ba-bump bump )

07-13-2012, 05:13 PM	#7
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,469	Re: polish pilots on case trimmers? yep.. just a few seconds with some carbide paper and polish compound. just enough to take the mill marks down and brighten the shine up. I have 2 sets of pilots.. and my .00x caliper can't tell the difference between t he polished and un polished one. so it's less than .001 being taken down..