Home Brew SIzer dies.

[44 mag nut]

I'm sure if I keep looking longer Idfind this somewhere. I have been thing about making some of my ownsizing dies. Do I go with a bolt and drill it, or do I take a Leepush true die and open it up with a reamer. Any pros or cons withusing the Lee?

[Chill Wills]

The Lee push through dies I have are hard. A reamer likely will not work.

[btroj]

Lee sizers open up quite easily with a split rod and some 400 grit paper. I made a 429 into a 432 in well under 10 minutes.

Polish some, clean, and size a bullet. If right size, stop. If small, polish more. Go slow and test often.

Lee sizers are actually pretty soft so it goes quick.

[44 mag nut]

Lee sizers open up quite easily with a split rod and some 400 grit paper. I made a 429 into a 432 in well under 10 minutes.
.

Some of the dies that I have to open upI'll end up opening a couple more for friends. Depending on the sizeof reamers HSS reamers are cheap.

[jmorris]

On my homemade sizer I wanted a simple method to swap out the dies. I just welded a set collar to the bottom to hold the dies I machined.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/die.jpg

I have only machined a few dies. I used a carbide insert when I faced off a Lee die they made just a tad too long.

The other was when I converted a 44 SPL/Mag die to load 45 acp shot shells and I had to anneal it to machine it.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?235886-Homemade-45-acp-shotshell-die&highlight=45+acp+shot

[joesig]

Some of the dies that I have to open upI'll end up opening a couple more for friends. Depending on the sizeof reamers HSS reamers are cheap.
What btroj said is on the money. Even if you do ream, you're going to want to polish. It makes a huge difference in sizing effort even if you don't want to change the size. Granted, less T&E with a reamer but more expensive. Unless you know you are going to be doing multiples in one size, I'd suggest and few sheets of 320 and 400.

[Chill Wills]

Lee sizers are actually pretty soft so it goes quick.

The few Lee's I have will not cut with a file. My test to see if I am willing to risk tooling on them. Perhaps Lee has variations in die steel they used over time. I would not expect the dies I have to ream. Abrasives would do it.

[fast ronnie]

A good machine shop will probably have a bench hone. honing is simple and tolerances can be held VERY close. It would depend on whether the particular shop has the size mandrel you need. Sunnen makes a large variety of mandrels , but they are somewhat pricey. If someone has the right mandrel, cost shouldn't be too bad, but it may be cost prohibitive to buy the mandrel for one die. If the die is more than 40 rockwell, it will be next to impossible to ream. A carbide boring bar will cut up to 60 rockwell which is about the hardness of a file. After boring, you will either have to hand polish or hone the last couple thou to remove the tool marks.

[texassako]

It depends on what size you need I guess, but I waited until I saw a cheap, used .285" Lee die to lap out to .302" for a Carcano. I also turned a Lee .243" die into a .251" die for .25 ACP. It doesn't take long to lap one out by hand. The only trick is don't go to far and check often. My Carcano die was supposed to be .301" but works at .302" luckily.

[44 mag nut]

I have access to a machine shop and amable to buy good reamer for not a lot of money. I'll see if I canhand lap the Lee dies before using reamers.

[Buck Neck It]

I drilled out the neck of a junk C&H die I got from Brass Magnet. It drilled like butter.

[zuke]

I'll be opening up a LEE 308 die to 352 soon. I want a sizing die for my 35 Whelan so I can paper patch some boolit's for it.