Lyman 313 Sizing Die Missing Shaft

[Kevinakaq]

I was recently given a Lyman 313 sizing die from a friend that is missing the shaft (I have looked for the official term and have not found it, so someone please fix my ignorance). I called Lyman and they said they can't send me a new one as all shafts are custom made to the die. Sounds a little strange to me, but maybe my ignorance is once again in the way. Anyway is this the case? If it is not the case then does anyone have an extra one they would sell, or can make and I'd be happy to pay for? Can I use a 310 shaft? I would not think this possible as the lube would run around it constantly but figured I would ask.

My mother taught me to be frugal and to just toss a perfectly good die seems wrong to me...

Thanks for any and all help,
Kevin

[MT Chambers]

If the "shaft" is not a perfect fit, lube will leak around it and results will not be good, some get away with it when they open their die up and retain the same "shaft".......runny or heated lube will cause more problems with this leakage, but some will live with it.

[EDG]

Any one with a lathe can make you a new one. The fit needs to be about .0002" smaller than the actual diameter.

Get some one with a set of .001 increment gage pins to check it. If it really is a .313 on the button a .313 -.0002 gage pin will fit. You might need to grind it a little shorter. A .313 -.0002 pin if too large can be carefully polished to fit with a drill.
I think a .313 -.0002 gage pin is about $2. If it is smaller than a full .313 just get a common 5/16 ground dowel pin. A 5/16" dowel pin will be .3125+.0002 or .3127 and cost about $.50.
Believe it or not, there are catalogs full of a wide array of standardized hardware used by mechanical engineers and others to cook book design tooling and other mechanical items.

If you have a local machine shop supply house they may have ground 5/16" dowel pins, rod stock, drill rods, drill blanks, end mill shanks, tools for regrinding etc. All you need is a true 5/16" or slightly oversize pin or tool shank.

http://www.engineersedge.com/hardware/machine_dowel_pins_chart_ansi_asme__13076.htm

(http://www.engineersedge.com/hardware/machine_dowel_pins_chart_ansi_asme__13076.htm)

[theperfessor]

Agree w/everything EDG said. Only other advice would be to contact Buckshot to make you an ejector pin to fit. By the way, I think the ejector pin is the "I" part of a H & I die set.

[Kevinakaq]

The suggestion of the gage pin to make a replacement 'ejector pin' is exactly what i was looking for. Have one on order now and is a good solution to the problem. A few dollars invested combined with a little time and should turn out as good as new. Not to mention i learned something along the way which is more valuable than the die to me.

Thank you gentlemen,
Kevin

[Catshooter]

The "G" is what we call the top punch, the "H" is the sizing die body and the "I" is what you're calling the shaft.

The terms/lettering come from a very early Ideal drawing showing their 'new' bullet sizing machine. Whoever drew it numbered the parts with letters, and it has stuck down the years.


Cat