Home made caps

[tgfrench]

I went to a craft store and bought some .005 copper sheets (on a roll.) I also set up the punch with an arbor press so I get consistent pressure and depth to the punch. Now i get usable caps. My only problem to date is drying out and losing the priming mixture from the caps if they are not carefully handled. I keep them in a primer tray with individual holes, which helps, but if they are jarred, they lose content. Clearly this is a tool for emergency use, not to make a large supply of caps for regular use (imho).

ADK Bigfoot

How are you preparing the metal. Are you cleaning oils off the copper? Maybe scratch the inner surface with 80 grit sand paper. I clean the aluminum sheets with sand paper and alcohol before pressing. I have no issues.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

If a good binder is used the crumble and fall out of the mixture will stop. Hairspray isn't the best but WILL work. The acetone and Duco Cement.works really well and is foolproof . Lately I have been using a pinch of fast pistol powder (700X) and acetone mixture as a binder. Nothing ever falls out and may even make it more powerful. The arbor press is a great idea.I have rigged my die to a drill press and later to a reloading press. both worked well and gives 600 cup production rate.More if I was a faster person.

 

[TDM]

Good to know. I had thought about trying to rig the dye to my reloading press but haven't fooled with it yet.

 

[mjpchief]

Found some .0055 copper. Perfect. Cut 24 caps and they all came out perfect. Shouldn’t ever run out of caps now.

 

[TDM]

Found some .0055 copper. Perfect. Cut 24 caps and they all came out perfect. Shouldn’t ever run out of caps now.

Where were able to find that?

 

[mjpchief]

Where were able to find that?

Local machine shop.

 

[TDM]

Thanks.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Understand your answer and the safety factor. Even if I could mix more compound at once it would make it easier. Going by the instruction you mix enough compound to make about 10 caps. I guess if a guy knew how much of each part you were mixing together you could mix a bigger batch each time. The little scoups supplied with the kit don’t make for fast production. Guess I don’t need to be in a hurry anyway.

I understand the tediousness of the little scoops and such. I'm not saying you should do this, but this is what I do.
I double or triple the number of scoops I put in an old pill bottle and mix it up. There is enough mix to make 50+ caps. I have other tricks for making them but will leave that for another time.

 

[tgfrench]

Imo if you are only getting 10 caps a batch, you are using too much primer in each cap.

 

[jim mencken]

what is the ratio of acetate and duco cement??

 

[user 34300]

Ace hardware should have this:
https://ksmetals.com/products/brs4x10-005I used to use pop cans with the Forrester tool.

Duco is thick nitrocellulose lacquer. Nitrocellulose lacquer would also be a good choice. You can thin either with acetone. The nitrocellulose can not hurt and may give a little extra kick. At very least it will burn an not plug the cone.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I seem to recall folks using 2-3 drops of duco to a tablespoon of acetone.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Has anyone tried to use a spam can? It's a bit thicker than a beer can.

 

[Muzzle57]

what is the ratio of acetate and duco cement??

I used about 7 oz of acetone and put a tube of duco in the jar and mixed it up. I use an eye dropper to seal the caps.

 

[TDM]

I used about 7 oz of acetone and put a tube of duco in the jar and mixed it up. I use an eye dropper to seal the caps.

Is that a 1oz tube of Duco? A 7 to 1 mix?

 

[Muzzle57]

Is that a 1oz tube of Duco? A 7 to 1 mix?

Yeah, got it mixed in a 8 oz Mason jar.

 

[TDM]

Yeah, got it mixed in a 8 oz Mason jar.

Thanks!

 

[BackDraft]

Has anyone tried to use a spam can? It's a bit thicker than a beer can.

Since no one in the house, but me, likes Spam, I buy singles in the pouches. Betting those wouldn’t make very durable caps!

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Spam is ok with me. Are the cans steel or aluminum?. You couldn't get many cups from any one spam can. Maybe 20 and that's a lot of work for so little. Better to double up the pop cans .That is cheap and easily found.

 

[CWKNOX]

I went to a craft store and bought some .005 copper sheets (on a roll.) I also set up the punch with an arbor press so I get consistent pressure and depth to the punch. Now i get usable caps. My only problem to date is drying out and losing the priming mixture from the caps if they are not carefully handled. I keep them in a primer tray with individual holes, which helps, but if they are jarred, they lose content. Clearly this is a tool for emergency use, not to make a large supply of caps for regular use (imho).

ADK Bigfoot

I have no issue with the compound coming out or loose. I use 200 proof denatured alcohol and pack tightly after a 5 minute wait, dry in the oven for 20 minutes than mist with extra hold hair spray than back in oven for 5 minutes. Works for me, no misfires yet.