.354 not 356. im swearing off lee products

[mallen]

[smilie=b::evil::(

[C. Latch]

You can lap 0.002" out of one in about 15 minutes.

[Beagle333]

More for me! :mrgreen: I like Lee. I can't afford all blue, or even all green, so I like all red. :-D

[mallen]

You can lap 0.002" out of one in about 15 minutes.
have a link?

[DeanWinchester]

have a link?


I link? To a strip of emery cloth?

[shaggybull]

powder coat and gain the 0.002

[C. Latch]

have a link?


I don't have a link, but all you need is a nut with a threaded hole just smaller than the diameter of your bullet. I think a nut for a 5/16" bolt would be perfect.

Melt some lead - use a fairly hard alloy, like wheelweights - and with your mold up to a good casting temperature, carefully set the nut over the mold cavity (sprue plate left open!) and fill with lead up to the top of the nut's hole. Let cool.


When this is cooled, you now have a lead lap with a nut on the end; all you have to do is remove it from the mold, put some lapping or valve grinding compound on it, put it back in the mold (let it cool, of course!), and use a nut-driver to turn it and let it lap the mold. You might want to make several up in advance, as the lead will wear faster than the aluminum, but I've done this with a couple of Lee molds myself, and while it would be nice if they were always sized perfectly, this isn't rocket science - if I can do it, anyone can do it.

[mallen]

I link? To a strip of emery cloth?
maybe more so someone doing it and not screwing up the thing.

my powder coats were .360

[smilie=w:

[mallen]

I don't have a link, but all you need is a nut with a threaded hole just smaller than the diameter of your bullet. I think a nut for a 5/16" bolt would be perfect.

Melt some lead - use a fairly hard alloy, like wheelweights - and with your mold up to a good casting temperature, carefully set the nut over the mold cavity (sprue plate left open!) and fill with lead up to the top of the nut's hole. Let cool.


When this is cooled, you now have a lead lap with a nut on the end; all you have to do is remove it from the mold, put some lapping or valve grinding compound on it, put it back in the mold (let it cool, of course!), and use a nut-driver to turn it and let it lap the mold. You might want to make several up in advance, as the lead will wear faster than the aluminum, but I've done this with a couple of Lee molds myself, and while it would be nice if they were always sized perfectly, this isn't rocket science - if I can do it, anyone can do it.
I think i failed to mention, this is a sizing die.

[C. Latch]

Oh.

Yeah, that's a bit different. Lapping steel is above my pay-grade.

[krallstar]

Every lee sizer i have ever bought was alittle small. Had to open them up abit.

[Beagle333]

This is how I do it.... from a post by Buckshot. He is describing a lubesizer die.... but it's the same technique on the Lee push thru dies.


How to hone a size die
by Buckshot
Oft times we find ourselves needing a bit more girth in a bullet to please a particular firearm. And, as
sometimes happens the size we need isn't available or we don't want to pay for the custom manufacture of
one. You can do this yourself and accomplish very accurate results for just a few cents worth of materials
(not counting the size die) and a bit of time.
What you will need:
1) A size die that is as close as possible to what you want
2) A length of steel rod that is close to 3/4 of the diameter of the existing die, and long enough to
protrude at least 2" beyond both ends of the die.
3) Wet or dry emery paper of 320, 400, and 600 grit. If you do need to remove more than a couple of
thousandths you should also include 220 grit. Actually the 400 will finish the inside well enough, but
hitting it with a bit of 600 sure slicks it up.
4) Oil. Most any oil will do.
What you do:
The paper should be cut long enough to extend out either end of the die, almost as long as the steel rod.
Wrap your starting coursest grit paper around the steel rod a couple times and apply some oil to the paper.
Insert the covered rod through the size die. With just your thumb and a couple fingers on each end of the
rod, roll it up and down your thigh (while sitting) applying only mild pressure. The reason for using a rod
as large as possible, is to keep from tapering the inside of the die, by having a slender rod bend under
pressure.
This will get your pants leg fairly well oiled up, so use old pants. Or you can staple a bit of cloth to a
length of wood. Most any surface that the die can turn on is fine. I use a piece of mud flap screwed to a bit
of 2x4, and clamp it in the vise, and it's a good working height.
Roll the steel rod occasionally as only a small portion of the paper is in contact with the interior of the
die. You should also swap the die end for end every now and then to make sure the metal removal is as
even as possible. Remember the throat of the die is tapered to admit the bullet and we're only wanting to
open up the actual sizing portion of the die.
When you check your work you don't need to put the die back in the press. Just drill a hole in a board
bigger than the bullet and place the die over it. Place a bullet in the die and tap it through. Remember to
leave a bit of metal to remove for your polishing down to final size with the finer grit paper. The first
time I did this I just took it down to where I wanted it without thinking of the finish.

and here's the last few bits, just in case you do want to do a lubesizer die some time.

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 consistancy
and the amount of pressure you exert on the lube reservoir.

You can do it with a cordless screwdriver turning the rod.... but those Lee dies are pretty soft and it is easy to overdo the honing and end up too big. Really easy. I'd go with the hand turning.
I have even opened up a few using some fine sandpaper wrapped around a pencil... but you can't press hard on a pencil. :veryconfu

[mallen]

couldnt i also buy a .358 die, and check for it to be .002 less than it says, ending in my .356 desire?

[Love Life]

Regular sandpaper on a wooden dowel opens up a Lee die rather nicely. I have a decent amount of Lee sizing dies, and not a single one sized the correct diameter out of the box. I had to lap them all. Start with 220, middle with 600, and final finish with 1500 in a vertical motion.

[joesig]

Lee did you a favor. What Buckshot/Beagle333 said. That 400/600 will make that die a joy to use. Tough to polish one up if it's already on the money.

[odfairfaxsub]

I do steps of sandpaper on a wire brush.....low gritt to high high gritt to polish

[MT Chambers]

The size of the Lee size dies is just meant to be a ball park figure, say within .005" or so.

[mallen]

The size of the Lee size dies is just meant to be a ball park figure, say within .005" or so.
that is really aggervating.

does lyman have these issues?

[Love Life]

Lyman has other issues...like not boring all the way through for the sizing die are so the sizing die only goes in 3/4 of the way.

[Love Life]

Get a Star, PM Lathesmith, and be done with it.

[mallen]

is taking emery cloth to it and getting it real smooth worth doing? vs buying a bigger die and not sanding it?

[Love Life]

Yes...

[mallen]

What is the benefit? obviously it would be a tad easier to run. but would it actually effect the bullet?

[Love Life]

The benefit is it fixes the crappy finish from the lee factory and eases the sizing force required.

[mallen]

ok, ty

[BK7saum]

I just returned a 0.224 sizing die that sized 0.2255. The inside looked like a rifled barrel. There were spiral raised ridges on the inside of the sizing die. I haven't checked the new one yet but Lee customer service said it sized 0.224 with the boolits I sent them. We'll see. Good thing is I need to enlarge it to 0.225 anyway.

[mallen]

lee does have good customer service. ill give them that. i have mixed feelings about dillon so far.

[dondiego]

mallen - Wow! I have only had excellent service from Dillon. What was your issue?

[mdi]

The size of the Lee size dies is just meant to be a ball park figure, say within .005" or so.
This is an obvious "tongue in cheek" reply. Of the 6 Lee sizers I use, with my alloy (that does make a difference, ya know), all are within .0005" of what I bought them for. I have 2 others that I have "customized"., But first, one needs to be smarter than the die...:mrgreen:

[dondiego]

This is an obvious "tongue in cheek" reply. Of the 6 Lee sizers I use, with my alloy (that does make a difference, ya know), all are within .0005" of what I bought them for. I have 2 others that I have "customized"., But first, one needs to be smarter than the die...:mrgreen:

That is like training a dog. The trainer has to be smarter than the dog. Many fail!

Don

[fredj338]

As with most things Lee, it's hit or miss. I don't expect much for the price. I have sent molds back before, try that.

[tomme boy]

How I lap out sizing dies. I have a piece of brass rod I cut a slot into one end about 1" in length. I insert sand paper into the slot wrap it till it is a snug fit in the die. I oil up the die and spin the rod in a cordless drill. as the rod spins, I twist the die to make sure it is getting cut evenly. I start with 600 and end with 2000. It will be like a mirror when done. Just make sure to keep inserting back into lube sizer and size a few bullets to see where you are at on size.

[mallen]

I have given them a couple calls over the same basic issue. There are scratches on the funnel / expander. apparently the only carbide part of the die is the ring inside the brass resizer. so pushing brass up on the powder funnel, its been cutting into the inside of the brass and gripping on it causing it to not push up far enough, not giving enough flair in the case mouth.

dillon protests that I am not pushing the handle all the way down. but they did send me a new funnel in the end. so, now i need to figure out how to maintain it to keep the "serrations" from forming. the new funnel sure does work better.


UPDATE:

I picked up a .358 die today. I also compared my caliper to a few jacketed bullets, and their analog caliper. Seems my caliper is aprox .001 small. So my barrel that slugs at .354, is really .355. and my bullets that are dropping at .356, are a little closer to .357.

In either case, the new die, .358 is closer to .357. I'm happy with that. Matches my bullets pretty well. occasionally I get an odd ball cast, quite a bit small. but overall, most of them are a solid .356 (or actual .357) all the way around.

I think these are going to shoot well. I cant wait till saturday.

also my 2 year old loooves making bullets :D she can even size them by her self with just a tad more practice. she loves helping.

[mac60]

Calipers are fine for measuring case length or cartridge oal, but for something like measuring bore slugs or cast boolit diameter something a little more precise is called for. Even a cheap micrometer is better than a caliper.

[C. Latch]

also my 2 year old loooves making bullets :D she can even size them by her self with just a tad more practice. she loves helping.

Please take this in the spirit it's offered in:

Lead poisoning is serious stuff. If you allow your small children to be in proximity to your casting stuff, reloading stuff, or anything else that contains lead, PLEASE take every necessary precaution to avoid having them ingest lead. I don't know you; you may well be more cautious with your kids around lead than I am - but when I hear '2 year old' and 'lead' in the same sentence, it scares me.

[mallen]

she is monitored by a dr for her lead levels.

[mtgrs737]

The problem with Dr. monitoring of lead levels is that it is an after the fact type of thing. By the time any increase in lead levels is detected the damage may already be done. The body has a very hard time removing lead from itself. Lead exposure and children, especially the very young is a very bad practice as it can lead to developmental problems that can last a lifetime. I hope to read that you have discontinued having her help you, even though I understand the enjoyment of having her be involved in your hobby, but it just isn't worth the risk. I have two grandchildren, neither are allowed anywhere near my casting/reloading areas.

[jakec]

.




also my 2 year old loooves making bullets :D she can even size them by her self with just a tad more practice. she loves helping.

thats one of the reasons i started powdercoating my boolits. my kids love playing, i mean helping!

[DougGuy]

OP what firearm are you loading for?

[dudel]

Please take this in the spirit it's offered in:

Lead poisoning is serious stuff. If you allow your small children to be in proximity to your casting stuff, reloading stuff, or anything else that contains lead, PLEASE take every necessary precaution to avoid having them ingest lead. I don't know you; you may well be more cautious with your kids around lead than I am - but when I hear '2 year old' and 'lead' in the same sentence, it scares me.

+1 Lead takes many forms. If you deprime in the same area, the spent primer dust is not a good thing either. Dust from brass tumblers has the same problem.

One thing I know about kids, is their fingers are either in their nose or in their mouth. Not great if they've been exposed to lead. Might consider getting some DLead soap for cleanup.

For me, reloading is a time for concentration. There are some adults I won't load around (hold my beer and watch this). Kids are another.

[Casting_40S&W]

Mold release in cavity?

[odfairfaxsub]

Yeah I had the same issue when I 1st got started.....mold release. Now I just season and de burr before I use. I like my bullets the way I bought the mold.

[mallen]

I think there has been some confusion... my girl is not helping me smelt bullets. nor do i have her around at the time. i would have figured this would have been obvious since it would put her in obvious danger. As was stated above by someone else, I powder coat them, after that, she is free to help, once exposure is limited.

There are also herbal remedies for removing heavy metals from the body. we also will start scrubbing the walls in teh house as well as the porch where smelting is done. probably a good idea anyway is this is likely lead based paint. not that i believe that is actually an issue. save those kids eating the paint. which, honestly, are probably doomed from the start if they are doing that.

No mold release. I just scrub it with comet if it gets tough. might try lapping it a tad, if i can keep the same size. tried smoking one before, that didnt make any difference.

[Char-Gar]

When I want to open up a push through die I just coat a bullet with Clover 320 grit lapping compound and push it through and keep doing it until the resistance gets light. I then recoat and do it again. Everyone in a while clean the die with alcohol and run an uncoated bullet through and measure what you have. Repeat until you are where you want to be. It doesn't take all that long.

[dondiego]

Mr. Gar - How many times do you typically push a single boolit through the sizer die before you go to a newly coated boolit?