Sectioning Cartridges

[ovenpaa]

Does anyone have any experience of sectioning cartridges? I have been meaning to try it for a while and am just pondering over how to hold the cartridge during machining. My plan was to pull a bullet, empty the powder, replace the bullet and the pop it in the mill and machine away around 50%. The problem is how to hold it in place, I had considered something like of dental plaster as it can be cleaned off afterwards however I am not convinced and the last thing I need is something flying across the workshop...

Thoughts anyone?

[hitchphil]

pop a primer with a match or wash one out & fit it to an empty case, fill case with black epoxy resin & seat a bullet. Cure clean then set in clear epoxy resin, warm cure & bake hard cure. Machine ~2/5ths then lap with finer & finer carbide (wheels are best) to 1200 then 5 micron plaster nap then 1 micron.

[Dark Skies]

How about silver-soldering a piece of suitably sized bar along the length so that the workpiece can be clamped in place whilst being machined. Afterwards simply heat the piece until the solder melts and the support drops off - then buff up.

[WelshShooter]

Try potting it in resin and then mill back through the resin. You should get a nice clean cut if you move in small increments.

[ovenpaa]

Potting it in an epoxy/resin sound good however it means the cartridge would end up in a block and I have seen pictures of sectioned cartridges that are not filled internally other than powder and the exterior is clean. Equally I am not convinced about soldering as it would leave a residue when removed.

[kevinww]

How about filling it with wax, cut it them melt the wax.