Foster case trimmer pilot

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Has anybody made a pilot for a Foster case trimmer? It looks like a fairly simple piece to turn on a lathe. Have ordered one but it will not be here for a couple weeks.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is a new caliber for me. Am prepping a batch of brass for son-in-law.
 
What is the thread on the stud of a Forster pilot? Could you turn a field-point from an arrow in the drill-press?

My apologies for my ignorance of pilots, but I tried three different brands of trimmers using pilots in the mid-eighties before I realized that L. E. Wilson was still making trimmers and bought myself one. I bailed on pilots a long time ago and don't even remember if they are threaded at all.
 
Thanks Jeff. The Foster pilot is not threaded, just .187 straight for half an inch then .260 for a quarter inch with a bevel.

L. E. Wilson is actually my preferred case trimmer. None of my Wilson shell holders fit the 6.5 Creedmoor. I do have one on order.
Wilson.jpg
 
Well, there has to be a way to improvise.

I have a field-point I "bubba'd" to work as a neck expander for a Linda Lovelace rifle in 7.62x39 once. The point is .312" now, but it was 8-21 threads with a .195" shoulder between the threads and the body of the field-point.

You could chuck the front end up in the drill-press and work it to your .187" shank, then turn it around and turn down the field-point to what you wish. Pain in the neck, but quicker than waiting for one to ship, maybe?
 
Jeff H said:
Well, there has to be a way to improvise.

I have a field-point I "bubba'd" to work as a neck expander for a Linda Lovelace rifle in 7.62x39 once. The point is .312" now, but it was 8-21 threads with a .195" shoulder between the threads and the body of the field-point.

You could chuck the front end up in the drill-press and work it to your .187" shank, then turn it around and turn down the field-point to what you wish. Pain in the neck, but quicker than waiting for one to ship, maybe?
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Made one on son's lathe. Is like shooting squirrels with an elephant rifle, but it works.
Trim.jpg
 
Makes my method look like killing squirrels with a Molatov Cocktail with roofing nails duct-taped to the outside of it!;)

Looks great!
 
Lare to the party but in a pinch, anneal a bigger one and file/polish to size in a drill motor and then reharden and draw, polish again. I made a few out of bolts before getting a lathe.
 
The lathe I used is the one my son uses to make his line of custom fly reels. Located in our basement, it would be a challenge to move. My modest reloading bench occupies a small corner of a rod and reel fabrication shop.
 
beagle said:
A lathe is nice but I have several that have been made with an electric drill and a flat file and have worked for thousands of rounds. Just takes time and patience and the right size common bolt. /beagle
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Used the drill press and a flat file to finish the pilot. Good to have the right tools at hand.
 
Made many such pilots with a drill or a drill press and a selection of files. Custom expander and case mouth flare tools, etc.

I always find a donor drill bit that is close to the major diameter of what I need, cut the right length off the shank, file down the small diameters, then turn it around and file down the big end to what's needed. Just working with brass nothing harder is really needed but I have put some heat to things and quenched in oil.

I do sorely miss the couple maintenance jobs I've had over the years with access to the lathes and mills for govt work on the lunch hour.

My big drill press kinda sorta works as a small project mill with an XY vise but a bench top lathe is on my short list of "gotta haves someday".....
 
Roy said:
Made many such pilots with a drill or a drill press and a selection of files. Custom expander and case mouth flare tools, etc.

I always find a donor drill bit that is close to the major diameter of what I need, cut the right length off the shank, file down the small diameters, then turn it around and file down the big end to what's needed. Just working with brass nothing harder is really needed but I have put some heat to things and quenched in oil.

I do sorely miss the couple maintenance jobs I've had over the years with access to the lathes and mills for govt work on the lunch hour.

My big drill press kinda sorta works as a small project mill with an XY vise but a bench top lathe is on my short list of "gotta haves someday".....
Click to expand...
Thirty years ago I bought a HF 7x10 inch Mini Lathe so my high school age son could make some parts for a hybrid fuel rocket motor he had designed. He now has a larger lathe that he uses to make a series of custom fly fishing reels. I still have the Mini Lathe; it is a very useful tool for a reloader.
 
PED1945 said:
Thirty years ago I bought a HF 7x10 inch Mini Lathe so my high school age son could make some parts for a hybrid fuel rocket motor he had designed. He now has a larger lathe that he uses to make a series of custom fly fishing reels. I still have the Mini Lathe; it is a very useful tool for a reloader.
Click to expand...
You have no idea how many nuts, bolts, screws, etc., I've needed to modify for a project to come out right over the years. The reloading bench aside, just having the metal lathe capabilities in the work shop would be solid gold, even on a mini scale.
 
7x14 Grizzly. With the steady fitted with a bearing and inboard spider and the outer spindle nut replaced with an outboard spider, it can do a lot of things like theading and crowning the muzzle end of a 24" bull barrel that wouldn't fit through the 3/4" spindle bore. You can do a lot with a little if'n ya get creative and have patience.

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