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warf73
01-07-2011, 05:22 PM
I'm needing a .476" push threw die and lee doesn't make one so I'll need to punch out a .457" die.
My question is how hard is the die on the inside? Will HSS drill work or do I need to use a end mill to open it up to my rough size? Once I get it opened up close I'll either hone it out or lap it. Or a combo of both probly.

Thanks

RayinNH
01-07-2011, 05:32 PM
Warf, I tried to open up a .308 die to .313 with a 5/16" drill bit. It was harder than a politician's heart. The bit just screeched. I don't know if they're all like that or not. You may need carbide...Ray

swamp
01-08-2011, 02:12 AM
Warf,
I believe that Buckshot on this forum makes custom size dies for the Lee sizer. Check in Castpics in members products ot make sure.

swamp

Ben
01-08-2011, 02:13 AM
I tried to drill one...........I didn't have a bit in my shop that would do a thing to one of them.

Must be electric furnace hardened ?

Ben

zuke
01-08-2011, 10:59 AM
Contact Buckshot

Boolseye
01-08-2011, 11:35 AM
try the lee custom shop–I bet they'd do it for ya, and they're pretty reasonable.

JudgeBAC
01-08-2011, 12:01 PM
The Lee custom shop is the way to go. I have several custom sized push through dies that work very well, also reasonably priced.

Jim
01-08-2011, 12:17 PM
Lee will make one. If you're willing to wait until your grandchildren graduate from college to get it.
PM Buckshot. He does good work and he's Cast Boolits family.

405
01-08-2011, 01:59 PM
Don't even try drilling. A sure way to ruin a good bit! Try Buckshot. Also, Lee can make one to your specs but as others have said.... it takes time and they charge about double. Lee has some really innovative designs in some of ther products, some are pure JUNK and some work extremely well. The push thru sizing die system is one of their good products. I am at a loss as to why they leave such big gaps in the size ranges- one of my pet aggravations with Lee. :x

leadhead
01-08-2011, 04:00 PM
All you have to do is heat till cherry red and let cool.
It will be soft after that and you can drill it.
Denny

405
01-08-2011, 04:20 PM
OK, they can be softened then drilled. But, how straight can you drill? Will the drill cut be smooth? If not then they'll have to be lapped... to a slightly larger diameter. And, with some PITB, they have to be re-hardened to provide original wear longevity.

Calamity Jake
01-08-2011, 06:17 PM
I guess the few lee PT dies I have are soft as I lapped a .3565(marked .358) to .358 with 320 grit lapping compound loaded on just 6 booits.

Some of them may be hardened but there just case hardened.
As stated above they can be annealed back to soft and there's no need to reharden, the
soft lead even with gas check will take thousands of boolets to change it's size any at all.

405
01-08-2011, 10:30 PM
The original post asked about opening by about .020. So if they are that soft just drill. If they are hard then soften them then drill. If they don't need to be hard to begin with why does Lee or any die manufacturer harden sizer dies of any kind? I've lapped open maybe a dozen of them. I know that opening much more than .004-5" is not easy so I won't go past that. With the dowel/steel rod/sandpaper method not sure if concentricity can be maintained if taken to extreme. Plus, if you have to enlarge too much oversize then the base ram may be too much undersize and may cause problems when sizing... like off-center pressure on base or GC.

warf,
Save yourself a lot of headaches! If you have to open one up by more than a few thous. just ask Buckshot about it or have Lee make one!

Reg
01-08-2011, 10:50 PM
Never modified a push through die but have modified several Lee regular dies. They are surface, flash hardened and harder than a school marms heart ( Rc 60 plus ). They can be cut ( bored ) using a good solid lathe and carbide or annealed and then again, bored or reamed. Not really neccessary to re harden them but I would polish out to finial dimention.
About all the early Lyman dies were soft and with care most of them are still working.

:smile:

Hardcast416taylor
01-08-2011, 11:38 PM
I never realised that a tool and die machinest knew so many sailor words! He broke several carbide drills and an end cutter before he took it to an EDM operator to open it up.Robert

JIMinPHX
01-08-2011, 11:41 PM
You need a real good finish on something like that. Leave that kind of a job to the guys that have the proper tooling. Buckshot would be my first recommendation. Lee would be my second. When I got a custom sized push through die from Lee, they quoted me something like 4 weeks & delivered in about 2.

warf73
01-09-2011, 02:28 AM
Thanks guys for all the responces.

Warf

warf73
01-11-2011, 07:06 AM
I got it opened up yesterday wasn't very hard at all. Easer than most would think.

405
01-11-2011, 01:40 PM
warf,
Good deal. Glad you got it opened up without much trouble. I ruined an expensive reamer on one a few years ago.... so was skeptical... more power to ya!

John Boy
01-12-2011, 05:06 PM
Lee will make one. If you're willing to wait until your grandchildren graduate from college to get it.
Yep, do it over the phone and if you want the die to be 476, order the 477 because every one they cut is 0.005 over cut! Your 476 with be 4755
Lube and Size Kits

Maximum bullet diameter is .575.
We need:
1. Payment of $35.00 ($30.00 + $5.00 processing fee)
2. Desired diameter to the factory

BTW, my turn around has been from 1 to 3 weeks!:D And I have, IIRC, 11 custom dies