Enlarging a Lee bullet sizing die

[rondog]

Has anybody ever enlarged a Lee boolit sizing die? My .430 sizer is fine for my .44 magnum revolver but my rifle wants them a little larger, maybe up to .433 or even .434.

Lee will make custom sizers for $38, plus shipping, and a 6-8 week wait. But I think it shouldn't be too hard to make a slotted arbor for my drill to put some emery tape in and give it what-fer until I reach the size I need. I can buy another .430 sizer locally and have it done in a day, rather than 6-8 weeks for a lot more money.

I'm just not sure how easily those things can be honed out. And no, I don't have access to a lathe (insert sad face here).

[ukrifleman]

159803You can always `beagle` your mould to throw bigger bullets. The advantage of this method is that you don't permanently alter the mould.

Here is a picture of a beagled RCBS mould. I use self adhesive aluminium tape, stuck to one side of the mould and this increases the bullet diameter by .003.
The bullets are very slightly out of round but, not enough to affect performance.

ukrifleman.

[2wheelDuke]

I don't think 3-4 thou is that big of a deal with an electric drill on your side. I had to do more than that to make a .365 die for my 9x18 boolits.

I finished it with a shotgun bore mop and polishing compound. I prefer to polish the Lee dies now even if I don't need to hone them out for extra size.

[wmitty]

rondog

The Lee push thru dies are easy to open up by lapping with a series of cast boolits or using a split dowel and emory cloth. I've opened several this way and it does not take too long and require much effort. If your mould is dropping boolits .433 or so, simply roll the boolit in lapping compound and push it thru the die and repeat. Check the die every so often to see how much it has opened up. You will find you will need to use a number of lapping boolits as they eventually will no longer cut as the die opens up. This is the cheapest way I know of to come up with the diameter of sizing die you are needing.

[reddog81]

valve lapping compound on a bullet will also work if you have access to anything similar in sure you could get it to work. I opened a die by .0005 after passing about 20 bullets through with some 220 grit paste.

[FredBuddy]

I recently used a slotted dowel and fine sand paper in a hand drill, then finished it off with fine polishing compound. The trick is to check the progress many times so as not to overdo it.

[country gent]

I tape the emery paper to the dowel and wrap to a snug size. I use a piece 3-31/2" long that wraps around the dowel to fit snug in the die. I run slow rpmes and High feed back and forth I want the polish lines to form "figure 8s in the die crossing over to blend and break up. I will start with 220 and work to 800 grit. Then a flannel patch or piece of clean flannel shirt and flitz or simichrome polish to finish. Red jewelers rouge can also be used to do the final polish. This gives a truer smoother finish and more consistant polish than high rpms slow feeds will. For 433- a 3/8 dowel should do good.

[fredj338]

Any grinding/polishing shop, with an ID grinder, can polish a die out in about 5min. I am fortunate, my buddy has such a shop & I can go by anytime & open up a die or even cyl throats in a rev.

[rondog]

Any grinding/polishing shop, with an ID grinder, can polish a die out in about 5min. I am fortunate, my buddy has such a shop & I can go by anytime & open up a die or even cyl throats in a rev.
Well, yeah. But there isn't even any machine shops around anymore. If I had access to a lathe I could knock it out quickly too. Gotta do it the redneck way with a drill.

[Menner]

I have opened up a couple of sizers with a fiberglass rod with a slit cut in it and some Emory cloth and drill easy to do just have a few bullets to size to check your progress
or you can get up with buckshot and he will make one for you
PM sent with some info
Tony

[woody1]

Once again folks, I tell you Castpics is your friend.

http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/HowTo/How%20to%20Hone%20a%20Size%20Die.pdf

Regards, Woody

[corbinace]

The trick is to check the progress many times so as not to overdo it.

Yep, this is advice worth listening to. I found it pretty tough to add back a thousandth.[smilie=b: In the end I just got another die and started over.

[44man]

Got time for a cup of coffee? I will have the die done for you.