Finishing a Lee style sizer

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Jim was asking about how we finish a Lee type sizer blank from Keith. Seeing that I have 10 on hand and I needed to make a sizer for Waco I figured it was time for a few videos.

First let me state that the quality of these blanks is amazing. Clean threads, no sharp edges, and the steel cuts so nice. Great product Keith, as usual.

I started by using a threaded sleeve and die lock ring to hold by the threads in my chuck. No thread damage and I can easily back bore. I used 2 steps to get to a hole just under 1/2”.


This shows a better view, sorta, of the sleeve I use to hold the threads. This isn’t the most concentric but for this operation it is good enough.

 
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Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Now I have a hole above the sizing portion that will let the bullets easily rise to the top. Now I need to drill the hole to remove the majority of the metal from the sizing portion. I used a .397 bit for this, leaves me plenty of metal to get a good, clean hole when I am done.

 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Now we begin the process of cleaning up the rough hole and inching up on final size.
I am using the home ground boring bar. Lots of flex in this tool but the finish it gives makes that easy to ignore and work around. Just can’t take heavy cuts, generally .003 per side or less.

 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I mentioned tool flex, this shows how much there can be with this tool. This is a spring pass following a .002 cut. The tool was not moved, the material removed is solely from the flex in the tool.
Doesn’t look like much material but with a sizer like this it can be the difference between good and scrap.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Here is the time consuming part. Final polishing to size. I didn’t edit the video to show what is involved. This is all in real time. When I get close I spray some WD40 on the paper towel to get the oil and grit out of the die to give a true feel on the pin gauge.

 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
This is the top of the die after I did a check by sizing a bullet and measuring with a mic. Notice the ring down in the die? That is where the sizing portion end and the back bore begins. Makes it so much easier to push bullets thru when they easily slide thru the top 2/3 of the die.
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THis set of pin gauges, minus .0002, are critical to this kind of work. No better way to check progress and know when to stop.
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I was shooting for a .433 sizer for Walter and his Marlin 44 mag. I think this is close enough, right Walter?
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KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
Great job! From now on when someone asks about finishing up a die I will send them a link to this thread.
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
Brad
Those are super cool videos! Thanks for posting them.
If I had tools like that my wife would never see me (Of course unless I cut myself)
Beautiful job
Jim
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I screwed up and forgot to get video of things like cutting the taper at the opening.
This was a good project and went the way they all should. Sadly there are days where it just isn’t going right so I quit and go in the hoise
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
If anyone wants other videos let me know. We need to get Ian a GoPro too.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Brad
Those are super cool videos! Thanks for posting them.
If I had tools like that my wife would never see me (Of course unless I cut myself)
Beautiful job
Jim
Jim, wouldn’t that be a win/win situation?
My wife figures she knows where I am, I’m happy, and out of her hair.
 

Gary

SE Kansas
Got my Die blanks today, great workmanhip. Thanks to Keith. One thing I need help with now is what Pin Gauges to buy.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Mine are a set from CDCO tools. A .251 to .500 set, 125 pins,is around 100 bucks. Shipping is maybe 25 more as they are heavy.
Buy a set like that, take care of them, and never need any more.

Perfect for checking cylinder throats too.
 

Chandler

Member
Thanks Brad. Nice work. I looked for pin gauges a few weeks ago and was disheartened at what I found. Single gauges on ebay for up to $10. That set you showed is affordable and very passdownable too.