Enlarging a Lee Sizer die....

[DanM]

How do you enlarge a Lee Sizing die? I want to go from .311 to .312 or .313. I know that I can order a custom, but it seems like emory cloth would do the trick. Just guessing here, but am thinking that emory cloth fastened to a dowel, and spun with a drill would work fine. Could use a fine grit for a bright polish. Seems like it would work if done carefully.....

[454PB]

What you suggest will work, just go slowly and check progress often. It doesn't take long to open a die .001" to .002".

[Maven]

Go to the Castpics site (below) and look for Research & Data and Buckshot's article, "How to Hone a Size Die." Try it, it works!

http://www.castpics.net

[VTDW]

Here is the precise link and what a great site.

http://www.castpics.net/RandD/hone_a_die/hone_a_die.htm

[DanM]

OK, sounds good. Will try that method....

[lovedogs]

Great idea. And so simple one of us cavemen could do it!

[rvpilot76]

Great article, Buckshot! I've been wondering how I was going to open up a die for my Fatter 30. Now I know! Thanks!

Kevin :castmine:

[cabezaverde]

I cast up some bullets, then coat them with valve grinding compound and size them. You can actually feel the cutting action through the press handle.

I will coat 3 or so bullets, and run them thorught the die a couple of times each. That is generally good for a couple of .001's. Rinse the die with brake cleaner when you have it where you want.

Remember, you can't put it back.

[Buckshot]

............Opening up a Lee sizer is pretty quickly done as there is only a very narrow sizing ring involved. I'd think it's only about 0.100" wide or so. If you're just wanting a thou or 2 I wouldn't use anything more aggressive then 320.

...............Buckshot

[rvpilot76]

The procedure should work for RCBS and Lyman sizer dies as well, no?

Kevin

[454PB]

The procedure should work for RCBS and Lyman sizer dies as well, no?

Kevin

Yes, it just takes longer[smilie=l:

[rvpilot76]

Thanks. Guess I've got some work to do.

Kevin

[GhostHawk]

Lee sizer .311, prepare for operation deep throat. Your going up a size girl!

[MT Chambers]

What happens down the road when you want to try a diff. bullet and/or experiment with a .311" die, maybe you get a new rifle and it needs a .311" bullet? Just buy the right sizes and you can try diff. things later.

[rking22]

Good info, thanks. I am going to open 1 of the 2 .309s I some how aquired. Really don't know where the 2nd came from, but I need a .312 so it wins!

[Yodogsandman]

On a Lyman or RCBS die, how do you increase the shaft size?

[454PB]

You need a new one, or a lathe.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

On a Lyman or RCBS die, how do you increase the shaft size?
http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/HowTo/How%20to%20Hone%20a%20Size%20Die.pdf

it's tough to increase the size of the "I" part of a Lyman H&I die set.

But as Buckshot said in his article, "Your existing plunger will still be fine in the honed out size die, unless you opened it up several thousandths. Even then it may still work fine, but you'll need to pay more attention to the lube consistency and the amount of pressure you exert on the lube reservoir."

[kryogen]

I am honing one with 1000 paper because I don't have 600 around.
Can I tell you that it's quite long to do with 1000, even on a drill at full speed. Probably did more than 2 minutes full speed to gain .0015. (in 5 increments or so, measuring in between).

With 1000, you really will not oversize without notice. Do it for 20 seconds, then micrometer a boolit, then another 20, micrometer...

my .451 was actually .4505, .4508, .4510, .4512, .4515, .452.

But, the finish is mirror smooth and the boolits size MUCH easier than before.

and now what if I need a .451? well I am screwed :P

I have 356, 357 and 358, but I didnt feel like buying a .452, really.

[EDG]

Buy a $2 to $3 gauge pin. They are available in .001 increments.
You will have to cut it to length.


On a Lyman or RCBS die, how do you increase the shaft size?

[Abert Rim]

Rick to the rescue -- again. Thanks Buckshot!

[brstevns]

I cast up some bullets, then coat them with valve grinding compound and size them. You can actually feel the cutting action through the press handle.

I will coat 3 or so bullets, and run them thorught the die a couple of times each. That is generally good for a couple of .001's. Rinse the die with brake cleaner when you have it where you want.

Remember, you can't put it back.

Has anyone tried this? I need to open a lee sizer die .285 up to .288

[GhostHawk]

Well for one a second .311 is half the price of a custom. So for the same price now you have 2 dies in different sizes!
There are no standard dies listed above .311 until you reach .314. So if you have an older milsurp like a pair of Mosin's like I do, that slug out at .312 you have a couple of choices.

A Accept iffy accuracy shooting at .311
B Spend more money than I choose to for a custom sizer (Although I'm reading there is a user here who makes sizers to fit reasonably.)
C Or ream out your .311 by stages, and see what changes.

I'm reaming mine out very slowly as I need time to load identical loads, then get out and shoot them, see how they perform.

I doubt I'd ever need a .311 at this point, and if I do it is still cheaper than the other options.


What happens down the road when you want to try a diff. bullet and/or experiment with a .311" die, maybe you get a new rifle and it needs a .311" bullet? Just buy the right sizes and you can try diff. things later.

[GhostHawk]

brstevns I'm in the process. I cut a slit in a piece of 1/4 dowel with a hacksaw. Inserted aprox 1" square of emery cloth. It is I suspect pretty fine.
The first jump from .311 to .3115 went pretty fast with a coarser sandpaper. The emery cloth is slow even chucked into my drill. I also worry about my cheap Pittsburch digital calipers being accurate.

So about once a week I grab the calipers, recheck spec on my slug (Saved, thankfully) then a factory J word, then one of my latest casting. I am definitively up to .3115 and about to go up another thousandth. Empty brass is primed and waiting for charges, bullets are gas checked, sized, lubed, resized (I'm dip lubing each round into hot wax, rerun through the sizer to remove excess lube.) Yes it takes time but its soothing to my soul. :)

And yes I've almost worked up the courage to put fresh sandpaper in my drill and buzz away for 2 minutes.
All I can say is better to take your time, check often. Can easy take more off, hard to put back on.

[brstevns]

Was wondering if the push thru method would work for the first cut? (so to speak)

[brstevns]

OK as they say ( I got it done) I used the dowel and some 400 grit wet dry sand paper with a little oil on it. It took about 20 minutes to open it up to .288 Test size every few minutes til I got it there. Now I just need to load some up.