Custom Sizing Dies
- Thread starter gman
- Start date
Don't need all the details because every relationship is going to be a little different.
Will go out on a limb and say that I am a professional equipment,"sneaker inner".Professional because it is a paying gig.IOW's...if wifey doesn't know what comes into the shop,she is therefore not entitled to any profits of said equipment leaving.*See opening comments on relationships.34 years of bliss speaking however.
Back when I was still under amateur status,and may have been one of a few...brilliant ideas,all things considered to get me bumped up to Pro level was,how our first BP(Bridgeport) got,or maybe stated magically,appeared.
Me-"Guess what honey bunny"...
Wifey-"OMG,what have you done now"?tap,tap,tap
Me-"Seriously,Hunter(#3 son),found this really nice milling machine and wants me to check it out for him"..?I told him,at 13 years old that it was a large responsibility,and though he had the money...is this something you are sure you want to do?He said he was ready if I could find the time to help him with it?
Wife-"you better help with it...where did he find it?
Will go out on a limb and say that I am a professional equipment,"sneaker inner".Professional because it is a paying gig.IOW's...if wifey doesn't know what comes into the shop,she is therefore not entitled to any profits of said equipment leaving.*See opening comments on relationships.34 years of bliss speaking however.
Back when I was still under amateur status,and may have been one of a few...brilliant ideas,all things considered to get me bumped up to Pro level was,how our first BP(Bridgeport) got,or maybe stated magically,appeared.
Me-"Guess what honey bunny"...
Wifey-"OMG,what have you done now"?tap,tap,tap
Me-"Seriously,Hunter(#3 son),found this really nice milling machine and wants me to check it out for him"..?I told him,at 13 years old that it was a large responsibility,and though he had the money...is this something you are sure you want to do?He said he was ready if I could find the time to help him with it?
Wife-"you better help with it...where did he find it?
So,what seems to be the problem making sizing dies?Snag a pce of drill rod,chuck it up,punch hole through,ream/hone to you hearts content.
Punch lube holes,or not as this can be a second op(sizing lube in 2 different ops).Turn a male follower,and go hopefully,win local matches with your "perfect" boolits.
Is it completely based on lack of tooling?
I "need" (wife joke's..."we're here all week"),a .226,no lube hole sized.And they aren't exactly growing on trees around here.
Punch lube holes,or not as this can be a second op(sizing lube in 2 different ops).Turn a male follower,and go hopefully,win local matches with your "perfect" boolits.
Is it completely based on lack of tooling?
I "need" (wife joke's..."we're here all week"),a .226,no lube hole sized.And they aren't exactly growing on trees around here.
Lack of tooling, and proper equipment, is a big factor for most. Until I bought a lathe I would have never tried making a bullet size die.
Even after getting the lathe it took some trial and error to figure out how to get reliable, repeatable results.
I have learned many thing. I learned that undersized bodies on Star dies may lead to lube leakage. A wrap of tape fixes that. I learned that drilling the lube cross holes before drilling the bore isn't a good idea. It seems that drill bits like to pilot off the point and when the point hits those cross holes the drill gets wonky.
Even after getting the lathe it took some trial and error to figure out how to get reliable, repeatable results.
I have learned many thing. I learned that undersized bodies on Star dies may lead to lube leakage. A wrap of tape fixes that. I learned that drilling the lube cross holes before drilling the bore isn't a good idea. It seems that drill bits like to pilot off the point and when the point hits those cross holes the drill gets wonky.
Winelover
North Central Arkansas
FWIW...Track of the Wolf offers H&I style sizing dies in sizes not offered by Lyman or RCBS. They are more expensive than Buckshot's but......
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Search.aspx?search=H& I sizing dies
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Search.aspx?search=H& I sizing dies
RBHarter
West Central AR
Ammohead has taken up the sizers, he received a few tools this weekend ftf from Rick that are particular for the sizers .
Bruce is capable and I think will make nice tools once he has the tools set up . He is making a move shortly and has been only making his own "servicable" tools with an occasional tool for a buddy kind of stuff . I think he's done a dozen or so for sale but we didn't get to talk much at NCBS last weekend.
Bruce is capable and I think will make nice tools once he has the tools set up . He is making a move shortly and has been only making his own "servicable" tools with an occasional tool for a buddy kind of stuff . I think he's done a dozen or so for sale but we didn't get to talk much at NCBS last weekend.
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
Has anyone used acro barrel laps to lap out your existing size dies? Just read about these on the CB site.
http://acrolaps.com/index_009.htm
http://acrolaps.com/index_009.htm
Kevin Stenberg
Well-Known Member
Sandman do you have a link to the post?
yodogsandman
Well-Known Member
Stonecrusher
Active Member
The barrel laps are what I use all the time. They work great to open up H&I dies or if you want to open the neck are in a full length sizing die. I know a lot of people use sandpaper wrapped around a dowel but in my experience that methodd wallows out both ends of the hole more than I like. It still happens with a lap but to a much lesser extent. Depending on how much I need to remove I start with 220 or 320 silicon carbiide lapping compound and keep it wet with a thin oil. When I have about .0005" left I will switch to 500 grit then a lick or two with some 800grit. For a final polish that makes pushing the bullet or case through I use Simichrome on a cleaning patch and cleaning rod loop. Spin it fast with a drill and it really shines it up.
Easiest way to use the lap is to chuck in a lathe and hold the die in your hand to guide it in and out. The lap will follow existing hole and will leave a round hole. If you don't have a lathe, an electric drill does as good a job.
Much harder to write about than to do. I prefer to check my size with an intramic if I have one available. But they are pricey. A set of small hole gages work just about as well and allow you to monitor your progress. Always check final size with whatever you are sizing in the die.
Easiest way to use the lap is to chuck in a lathe and hold the die in your hand to guide it in and out. The lap will follow existing hole and will leave a round hole. If you don't have a lathe, an electric drill does as good a job.
Much harder to write about than to do. I prefer to check my size with an intramic if I have one available. But they are pricey. A set of small hole gages work just about as well and allow you to monitor your progress. Always check final size with whatever you are sizing in the die.
Stonecrusher
Active Member
Yeah JW, I do my Lee push thru dies the same way, but usually there is only a sizing area about 1/8" long, and they are soft. Usually only takes 15 minutes or so. Taking .002"-.003"out of a hardened H&I or .008", maybe more, out of the neck area of a full length sizer takes much longer. Loading more grit on the lap is quicker than rewrapping abrasive paper and is more accurate to boot.
