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Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

J

Jeremybj

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 13, 2011
643
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Council Bluffs, Iowa
Hello everyone,

I have been having this issue for a long time now and it is finally bothering me enough to ask. I use the Lee case trimmer that just attaches to the drill and you screw on the length guide to the cutter head. with my cases, a rather large lip is being left on the outside of the cases. It happens with ALL of the calibers I trim with it. I thought the cutter head was just dull so I bought a new one, that didn't solve the problem. Next I thought it was from me pressing too hard, so I used less force, that didn't solve the problem either. After using the deburring tool I can usually get the lip off of the case, but it takes a lot of time and sometimes won't come off. Anyone know why this is happening or can recommend a cheapish alternative product to trim the cases?

Here is the product in question:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=476992
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

you need a chamfering tool. They make tool for both inside and out.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Yeah, I use a chamfering/deburring tool(RCBS) after I trim, but it takes a LOT of work to get the lip off of the case, and sometimes it doesn't come smooth like it should.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Buy a three way cutter head for the trimmer like rcbs makes for their trimmers
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

that lee cutter is junk , it will chew up your cases , you need a better one. I guess you get what you pay for.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

That happens with my Lee trimmers as well, just use your chamfer tool, the more you cut, the more you will have to chamfer/debur.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

My Lee does this too, no biggie, leave the case in the holder, chamfer using the drill, I usually go just long enough to slowly pull and release the trigger, and look at the case, if it still looks flared its usually that there's a small brass ring you can push off with a fingernail, at least thats my experience.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jeremybj</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yeah, I use a chamfering/deburring tool(RCBS) after I trim, but it takes a LOT of work to get the lip off of the case, and sometimes it doesn't come smooth like it should. </div></div>

Welcome to the world of Reloading, if it were easy, and fast, everyone would do it..........

You can save yourself a little bit of agravation and purchase a better trimming unit; and then learn what is the minimum amount you need to trim.

The Lee trimmer you have is an all or nothing proposition...chances are you are trimming a lot more than is necessary creating a much larger burr; and can accomplish much less burr simply by being able to control the amount that is cut yourself. If you are running a bolt gun chances are you only need a very minimal cut, every once in a while....worst case scenario.

You can also try squirting a little spray lube on the cutter head, and cutting at a slower speed, with your Lee trimmer, but I'm making no promises. I lube the cut with my Redding Case Lathe, which also keeps the brass from galling on the cutter pilot, and suffer a lot less of a burr than you apparently do.

Keep in mind that instant gratification is rare in Reloading, there's a lot of work involved....some of it is necessary, some of it can be reduced to some degree, but most of it can never be completely avoided.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

As stated, get a better cutter. Also, don't go overboard on the chamfering. You dont want to chamfer so much that you have a knife like edge on the mouth of the case. The chamfer is just to knock the burs down and create a smooth face on the mouth. To much chamfer can lead to neck tension issues.

After you chamfer, if you want to go a step further, take some 0000 steel wool and polish the mouth a bit. You can polish the inside of the neck too, but they may all be more than your in for right now.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Thanks for the advice guys. I know reloading isn't fast or easy, but I thought it was a little much on that step. I might try the techniques you guys recommended for starters, if that doesn't work, I'm going to get a new trimmer like the RCBS or the Hornady case prep station. I know the RCBS trimmer is solid, any1 used the LNL prep station before?
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

I use the Lee trimmers with great success on 5 different rifle cartridges. They are dirt simple to use and you can't screw things up unless you shortened the pin that hits the anvil to give the proper length. It sounds like you are getting excessive stretching in your cases if you are getting a noticible "lip" on the trim step? A slight flair or burrs is expected but a lip sounds like something else is wrong. Are you loading too hot and getting excessive case stretch? Does your gun have a generous chamber? If yes, you may not want to FL size the brass all the way down to avert excessive brass stretching. You may be headed for case head separation.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Sorry I should have clarified, I neck size my cases. It is a noticeable lip, not a slight burr. Like I said, it is frustrating, it may be time for an equipment upgrade.....
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

my question to you is,are you useing the right length gauge.you said that it happens to all your brass that you trim for.so I took it that you use the same length gauge for different cal's.

I too use the Lee case trimming tools.but I have never had the trouble you are talking about.and I too neck size with a Lee collet die.the only time I have to trim is after I anneal and bump the shoulders back.

one other thing you can do.if you will just screw in the length then trim and neasure a case you can adjust the toll this way.this will allow the gauge to trim less off the case.just need to keep adjusting it till you get the lenght af the case you want it to be.but if the length gsuge is not cutting enough off you can fine tune it by takeing some off the pin of the gauge,by sanding it really soft with 320 gritt sand papper.but thats when the gauge is screwed all the way in the cutter.

but there is nothing wrong with the Lee trimming tools.they are fast and ready to use.nothing to set up,unless you want the case to be a different length for some reason.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Can you post a picture of the problem?
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Yeah, I am out of town until Friday, but I will post some pics. I am going to try badeyes solution as well....
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

I never had that issue with a Wilson:

Case-Trimmer-+frame.gif
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

You are neck sizing only and you need to trim your cases? That is an awful lot of growth.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

I neck size after the first reload, so on the second time around, they usually don't give me any trouble. But I do buy quite a bit of new brass and full length size, and that is where it seems like im taking ribbons off....
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

I have a Lyman trimmer, and I have the exact same problem. The fat burr left after trimming is a serious bitch to get off; the inside/outside chamfering tool barely handles it. I've resorted to chucking my cases in a drill, and using a file to get rid of it.

Here is a list of my attempts at fixing the issue, and their relative success on a scale if 1-10 ( 10 being great)

1. Anneal cases before trim - 3
2. Trim ONLY as much as is necessary - 5
3. Don't trim at all - 6 (now you have no control over case length)
4. Replace cutter head on trimmer - 1
5. Replace chamfer tool - 1
6. Try different lubes for the cutter - 1
7. Vary amount of force on cutter - 1

There is, in my mind, only one true solution:

Giraud trimmer

Yep, they're pricey as hell, but at this point I'm already ~$150-200 deep in a trimming system and I've got nothing to show for it, literally. Trimming is worse than going to the dentist, so I rarely trim at all. What can I sell my trimming setup for? Probably $25 or so. Buy a Giraud, trim every firing because its easy and a joy to operate, have perfect trim length and chamfers every time with zero effort, and then sell it when you're done with it for 90%+ what you spent on it in the first place.

I wish I had bought a Giraud in the first place instead of screwing around with the POS "system" I have now.

I suggest you save up till you can swing the $$. If you absolutely can't swing it, at least buy something better with a 3-way cutter.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

I've used RCBS, Forster and Wilson trimmers all without any issues...unless I go too fast.

Don't use the power trimmer feature, just use the hand crank. With the power feed, you'll have a tendency to rush the job.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

I use the Lee system for low-volume case trimming and like it pretty well. It is fool proof.

But I experience the same thing you do - in addition to the burr, you get a little lip that you can feel with your fingernail. After you chamfer the burr away, you still feel the lip. Keep chamfering.

I suggest you keep a supply of new cutters - they're cheap. These dull quickly. Also, I suggest you slow down your cutting process - slow down the drill speed and use less pressure so you cut more slowly. You'll have less burr and less lip.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jeremybj</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the advice guys. I know reloading isn't fast or easy, but I thought it was a little much on that step. I might try the techniques you guys recommended for starters, if that doesn't work, I'm going to get a new trimmer like the RCBS or the Hornady case prep station. I know the RCBS trimmer is solid, any1 used the LNL prep station before? </div></div>

I personally use a Forster trimmer with the handle removed and the end chucked into a small drill just to speed things up.

It cuts very uniformly and leaves VERY little burrs on the inside or outside of the case mouth. Just go lightly, evenly, and make sure the cutter is SHARP.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Virtually ALL case trimmers 'leave a burr' even if the cutter is razor sharp, that's why they sell de-burring tools. Lee's trimmer system is no worse than others for burring and, by it's shear simplicity, is a great tool for both consistancy and speed. Pushing, trying to cut too fast, makes all of them worse about that but nothing can stop the thin edges, inside and our, from curling away from the cut.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: badeyes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Try chamfering/deburring before you trim. That should alleviate the problem. Let us know if that helps. </div></div>

That won't help at all, its the trimming process that creates the flattened brass which forms a burr in a ring around the mouth. If he chamfered and deburred first then trimmed he would have to do it again.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Two options 1) Giraud, 2) RCBS Power Trimmer with 3 way cutter head. Both will trim and deburr at once.

Pros and cons, Giraud is more expensive but much faster, $425. one caliber +$75 per additional caliber. RCBS easy to set up less expensive $270 comes with flat blade, $41 per 3 way trimmer. ($311 with one 3 way. Less since both are on sale at Midway.) RCBS about 3 cases a minute, Giraud 20 to 30. If you have the cash go Giraud. I went RCBS and three heads for savings, I trim brass for about a week once a year a year in front of the TV. (Do your self a favor if you buy the RCBS and buy a trimmer head in each caliber you load. It's faster and easier than resetting the cutter head each time.)
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Well since I'm not the only one that has that issue, I will just stick with it and try to slow down a little when trimming. I will hopefully upgrade my trimmer around Christmas time. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

Typically the fat burr on the outside is a sign of a dull cutter. Frankly IMO, that's what you will get from the Lee trimmer, even with a new cutter head. There are good reasons that trimmer is cheaper than anything else on the market.

I tried the Lee trimmer many years ago. In addition to the big burrs, I had a worse problem. The center pin that sets your trim length started digging a pit in the anvil - the flat piece on the shell-holder side that the pin indexes on. The deeper the pit, the more my cases were over-trimmed. I bought a new shell-holder piece but the same thing happened after just a couple hundred rounds. Basically, every single case I trimmed was a different length once that pit got started, and they were all too short. It's a flaw in the design and there is nothing you can do to fix it.

Look at your shell-holder and see if you can spot a little pit or dent centered under the spot where the primer hole would be. If you see one, you need to junk the shell-holder.

Throw that Lee trimmer as far as you can and get a quality trimmer. If you can't afford a quality trimmer right now, you can keep buying shell-holders, but you're just throwing good money after bad. Sorry to say that but I've been there and learned that lesson the hard way myself.
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

"There are good reasons (Lee's) trimmer is cheaper than anything else on the market."

Yeah... it's quite simple and inexpensive to make! Effective too.

I have two hand lathe trimmers and several Lee trimmers. Most of the time I use the Lee's because they are so simple, quick to use and give great consistancy IF we stop cutting when the case is done and don't keep jamming and turning the pilot into the lock stud; I can't imagine pushing so hard on the cutter that I would bore a hole in the face of the lock stud!

Replacing a Lee trimmer cutter is about 1/4th the cost of replacing a cutter on my other trimmers and the Lees cut and last just as well. ??


 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

scrap the lee cutter, its a total POS...i was using the forster original case trimer but have now been spoiled with a giraud
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

"scrap the lee cutter, its a total POS...have now been spoiled with a giraud"

Interesting appraisal, obviously from someone with great insight on the relitive merits of different trimmers. Now, just for the OP's useful infomation, would you please give him a price comparison between Lee's "POS" cutters and your "giraud", I mean, just so he will know where you're coming from, you know??
 
Re: Lip after trimming with Lee case trimmer

I agree Fuzzball the Lee cutter is really a great tool to use.have one for all my cal's of choice.
 
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