Home made caps

[mjpchief]

Received a cap maker for Christmas and have already made about 50 caps. So far they are working fine but was wondering about production procedures of these caps. The kit comes with a compound that you mix together for the caps. What I was wondering about is there are 4 parts that you mix together to get the compound. These 4 parts come in 4 different bags and mixing these parts together can be kind of tedious. Are these 4 parts measured out equally in these bags. Could a guy just mix all the bags together at once and just use what’s needed out of a common container when needed. Probably not necessary but would make mixing a lot easier if the 4 separate bags are measured out to be used up at the same time over time? Hope I made myself understandable in this question.

 

[Felonious]

I wouldn't.

By nature, priming compound is shock sensitive. I don't think I would want a large bag of that stuff mixed up anywhere around my house. There's a reason it comes separate. It just seems like an accident waiting to happen.

Check on Amazon for "small anti-static measuring spoons". They make weighing small amounts of powder much easier.

 

[mjpchief]

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.

 

[64Springer]

Did you weigh the bags? A common kitchen scale has ounces and grams built into it.

If every bag weighs the same, you can combine all the bags together.

Or a fourth from every bag. Or an eighth from every bag. And so on.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Mixing up all the bag contents at one time is a real bad idea. Only mix up what you are going to use at one time. For more simply us more scoops .Like instead of two scoops of the white stuff use four and so on.This is powerful stuff. Some of us have been down this road for a while.There is a lot of information on this forum to keep you reading for a long time about this. The cups loaded as per instructions are way overloaded. Construct a scoop to reduce the amount of powder used in each cup. For instance I use a scoop that will give me 20 portions from a single batch. This works nicely for my revolvers. Also read up on binders to keep the powders in the cups and not crumble and fall out.

 

[mjpchief]

Thanks for the answers. Probably would help if I made a scoop for loading the caps. Trying to figure out when the little scoop is 1/3 full is a pain. I think a scoop small enough to put correct amount in cap when scoop is level full would be a lot easier.

 

[64Springer]

How liquid/malleable/soft/runny is your compound?

Seems to me that a plastic syringe would be the perfect applicator for what you're doing.

 

[Muzzle57]

Thanks for the answers. Probably would help if I made a scoop for loading the caps. Trying to figure out when the little scoop is 1/3 full is a pain. I think a scoop small enough to put correct amount in cap when scoop is level full would be a lot easier.

I made a scoop out of a large baking toothpick, a little piece of card stock paper and a piece of 1/8” shrink tube 1.5mm long. Glued it all together and it works fine. I’ve loaded 200’ish #11 caps. I don’t use the little white bag of stuff. I seal mine with acetone and duco cement glue mix recipe i found on this site.

 

[longcruise]

Did you weigh the bags? A common kitchen scale has ounces and grams built into it.

If every bag weighs the same, you can combine all the bags together.

Or a fourth from every bag. Or an eighth from every bag. And so on.

It could be that the weight and volume don't match.

 

[new2bp]

Lee sells fixed volume dippers in .1cc and larger sizes (whole kit is every .3cc from .1 to 2.something)

If instructions are "one third scoop of each.." or similar then ANY fixed volume scoop of an appropriate size.

Why the small batches in the instructions? Now, it has been a while since I've taken a chemistry class, but some things may be "safe"-ish to mix at smaller volumes but unsafe at larger ones. Additionally, should something happen you want the smallest possible "oops *boom*" to happen. Finally, from what I understand of the primer kit and its process you can't really store mixed but not used compound.

 

[Reno]

Mix what you can use. Until mixing keep them separate. There is a reason they are separated.

 

[nhmoose]

I will bet they want you to make small amounts at a time so when not if it explodes you will not lose a body part.

Kinda why we do not allow Tannerite at my gun club cause there are idiots out there just waiting to screw up.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Back in the day they used fulminate of mercury for priming compound. I have heard that ships carrying it as cargo blew up and went down with fair regularity. Read The Fine Manual. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. Keep all your extremities attached and your eyes functional. You think maybe that there is a reason that they don't mix the primer for you and ship that?

 

[TDM]

Received a cap maker for Christmas and have already made about 50 caps. So far they are working fine but was wondering about production procedures of these caps. The kit comes with a compound that you mix together for the caps. What I was wondering about is there are 4 parts that you mix together to get the compound. These 4 parts come in 4 different bags and mixing these parts together can be kind of tedious. Are these 4 parts measured out equally in these bags. Could a guy just mix all the bags together at once and just use what’s needed out of a common container when needed. Probably not necessary but would make mixing a lot easier if the 4 separate bags are measured out to be used up at the same time over time? Hope I made myself understandable in this question.

Please follow the good advice given on this. The priming compound is very volatile when mixed, it has to be in order to work. Compared to the mixed priming compound, fooling with black powder is like fooling with sand.

 

[NorthFork]

Just follow the darn instructions provided please. This is why we cannot have nice things.

 

[CWKNOX]

I wouldn't.

By nature, priming compound is shock sensitive. I don't think I would want a large bag of that stuff mixed up anywhere around my house. There's a reason it comes separate. It just seems like an accident waiting to happen.

Check on Amazon for "smal l anti-static measuring spoons". They make weighing small amounts of powder much easier.

What Felonious said. Very dangerous compound when mixed. I had a full tube of rifle primers go off in a progressive reloader very explosive experience.

 

[mjpchief]

Will mix only small batches as needed. You don’t know if you don’t ask. So far I’ve made 40. That will hold me for a while. Have tried 4 so far and they all went bang. More fun for muzzle loading. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[TDM]

You did good by asking, that’s the right thing to do. Kudos for making your own!

 

[mjpchief]

How liquid/malleable/soft/runny is your compound?

Seems to me that a plastic syringe would be the perfect applicator for what you're doing.

My mixture is dry when putting in caps. I add the acetone after compound is in the caps. Am I missing something here.

 

[Gtrubicon]

My mixture is dry when putting in caps. I add the acetone after compound is in the caps. Am I missing something here.

That’s how I do it. i also s made a simple tool to add the primer compound to the cap. I soldered a paper clip to a spent small pistol primer that I removed the anvil for my scoop. It works very well, very consistent in volume.