Nose sizer

[Brad]

Waco was in need of a nose sizer and I was in need of a project.
Using the nose sizer Buckshot made for Ben as an example I got to work.
I considered making it a bit different by making a new, knurled nut to hold it in place but decided that was more than I needed to do.
The washer to hold the bushing in place is likely a bit thicker than required but that allowed me to make it from scratch and still hold it in the lathe to face off the back after cutting it off.

I still need to make a flat faced top punch to go with it.

 

[waco]

Awesome. You are the man Brad. Nicely done!

 

[Ian]

That would be a slam-dunk with one of Keith's die blanks, but hey, you have a lathe and material so why not? Looks great.

 

[Ben]

VERY NICE ! !

 

[Brad]

That would be a slam-dunk with one of Keith's die blanks, but hey, you have a lathe and material so why not? Looks great.

I have some of his blanks but hate to waste them on this.
I have plenty of steel on hand so I went from scratch.

 

[KeithB]

Brad, if you want I'd be glad to send you a blank top punch, the stem end is done (turned to .265" and w/a groove for O-ring) but the other end is just the rod (1/2" dia) size. Be glad to throw in a couple O-rings. If you can grab the shank in your chuck you could easily do the rest.

 

[Brad]

Thanks Keith but I already whipped on up.
Must have spent 15 minutes on this. Turn to 1/2", measure and turn end to .375 long and .264 diameter. Cut off long. Turn around in chuck, face end, and turn down a bit for appearance. Size of flat face doesn't matter as long as it is larger than bullet base. This will never be needed to enter the size die so it can be as big as it wants.

 

[KeithB]

Cool, looks good.

 

[Brad]

I am starting to do better at seeing the part in my head and figure out how to make it. What can be done before parting and what must be done after.
How Buckshot made any money doing this stuff I don't understand. Maybe in time it gets faster? I have a couple hours in this.

And Keith, one of your banks was used for measurements to make sure I got this one right. Nice to have something to measure that isn't covered in bullet lube.

 

[Ben]

How Buckshot made any money doing this stuff I don't understand.

My last conversation with Rick, he said that his wife was adamant that he quit hp'ing bullet moulds and making sizing dies as he just was not making any $ .

Ben

 

[Rally Hess]

I think that is the end of a lot of small fab shops Ben. The guys that are doing stuff like that, in their "spare" time, just get burned out or go broke trying. I've had two guys, in the last two years, just got better paying jobs. Pretty easy now to make a call. send a sample, and get 10,000 pieces 60 days later. I just prefer being able to understand the language of the people I deal with.

 

[Brad]

It is why I vowed to keep my hobby a hobby and not a job.
As a hobby my time has little value, as a job it becomes an expense.

 

[waco]

As a hobby my time has little value, as a job it becomes an expense.

Amen to that.

 

[Ian]

Job shops have a hell of a time anyway. The only way to make a go of it is charge close to what it's actually worth, and then not enough customers can afford the work to keep the doors open.

Like Brad, it's a hobby for me. I might, one day, consider doing custom stuff for friends here for a buck or two, but for right now if I even think about it from a cost perspective it takes the fun out of it. It's much more enjoyable for me to make an odd or end tool for a buddy for free.

 

[KeithB]

One of the problems with doing custom mold modifications is that you have no control over the starting product other than flat out turning down the job. If the original maker didn't start with a square block and the set it up perfectly square from there on out... what do you line up on? That's one reason we don't do product modifications. When we make a product from scratch we can control everything.

I admire folks like Buckshot that can or has at least done such work so well. But it is a hard way to make a living.

 

[Brad]

At best it helps support the hobby and provide some cash for new tooling. It certainly won't pay the bills.

And I seem to remember Buckshot commenting on just those issues Keith. Lyman moulds don't always have cavities square with the blocks.

 

[KHornet]

Buckshot was the man!!!!! I cherish the HP jobs he
did on the 4-5 molds that he did for me. Absolute
quality, and at more than a reasonable price. I can
see why his wife influenced him into reality.

Paul

 

[Rally Hess]

It's a labor of love, like fur trapping with the current market. Better have a full time gig.