How to add lube grooves

[NathanHoln]

I will be using a swag-o-matic to swage some GC'd bullets and will be needing to add some lube grooves.
Is there a simple and practical way to do that?
The idea I had was putting two files in a vice and running them in between. Are there other better methods?

[rintinglen]

A tubing cutter might turn the trick, perhaps with the blade intentionally blunted, but it seems as though it would be crazily labor intensive.

[DanishM1Garand]

Go to the tool warehouse company that sells tools to plumbers and maintenance guys in factories. Spartan Tools is local to me, not a harbor freight. Ask to see the coarsest thread repair files they have. The longer the better. Make a handle so you can put some weight into it. Roll the cast boolit on a hard surface like a metal topped table under the thread file. Then a quick pass through the lubricator sizer.

I have never tried this. I have used a thread file and they look different than any file you’ve ever used.

PM me if this works for you.

[gon2shoot]

Where's waksupi when ya need him?

[country gent]

Rolling or press in the grooves in will distort the rest of the base on the bullet. You would nee a set up to maintain the complete bullet. Displaced material need to go somewhere and will result in raised edges, longer lengths, and out of square noses and bases if not supported.

You could make a fixture for use in a lathe to cut the grooves in removing material. A simple nose form to support and drive in chuck and a flat point on a live center to tension and drive. Then a ground .030 wide grooving tool to cut the groove. A form tool to cut multiple grooves could be made to cut multiples in one plunge of the tool could also be done. This would offer less distortion since it removes material not displacing it.

What are you wanting to do here? Take a existing bullet down to a smaller caliber thus removing the existing grooves? You might consider powder coating instead of adding grooves. Swage down to size coat bake and size.

[longbow]

There are some acceptable options:

- knurling: check here http://www.corbins.com/hct-2.htm
- grooving tool: http://www.corbins.com/hct-3.htm
- home made knurling tool: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-knurling-tool

I made my own knurling tool similar to the Corbin but quite a bit larger since I wanted to be sure I could knurl ACWW. I also made what I call microgroove rollers for it which put in annular ring much like Lee tumble lube grooves. Both knurling and my microgroove work just fine with tumble lube.

Be warned though that knurling will increase boolit diameter by 0.003" to 0.005". So if you want a specific final diameter after knurling that swaged boolit will have to be 0.003" to 0.005" under especially if you want to size after.

My microgroove tooling did the same and I have to assume that the Corbin groover does as well.

Longbow

[Blammer]

I think I have some lube grooves for sale.... I'll have to look around a bit.

[longbow]

In retrospect yeah if Blammer or Waksupi have any extra lube grooves that would be your easiest solution. I think those accessory lube grooves just stretch over the boolit then roll them into place... right?

[worker]

I had a similar question, recently as well
see this thread

For my purposes, I will be trying to powdercoat, instead of adding the grooves.

[merlin101]

I think I have some lube grooves for sale.... I'll have to look around a bit.

Metric or SAE?

[Crash_Corrigan]

Hey nobody asked if the lube grooves are left handed or right handed. It does make a difference. I know this is true because I found it on the interweb…...

[toallmy]

I see powder coating was mentioned , but how about after lube sizing add a coat of tumble lube also .

[Harter66]

CH4D also makes a cannalure tool , I'm sure a different faced wheel could be aquired for it .
I had a modified mould that needed more lube groove . I had several files available and just used an edge and rolled it several rotations to form a knerled crimp groove like a V shaped groove . It worked but wasn't really efficient in terms of time .

[waco]

Where's waksupi when ya need him?

LOL! That was my first thought!

[Chill Wills]

I was wondering how long it would be before the " lube grooves for sale" started up again!

[brass410]

heard that loob grooves both sae and metric were backordered also the right and left twist ones may be discontinued due to dropping sales only standards would be available. Is this correct ? Does anyone know if this is all heresay or is it factual?

[Camper64]

I'd like to know how much these add-on lube grooves add to the weight of the boolit?

[Lead pot]

Knurling a bullet will hold just as much lube than 4 lube grooves but you want to keep in mind that knurling or grooving a lead bullet will relocate lead to another place, you can't compress lead. Knurling will increase a bullet diameter as much as .012" depending on how aggressive the knurl pattern is.
You mentioned that your using a swage-O-matic so your most likely swaging pistol bullets with that little press and dies a light knurl will work just fine as long as you don't over rotate the knurled bullet. The more pressure the deeper the knurl and the more you increase the diameter of the bullets.

Attachment 231239Attachment 231240

[Geezer in NH]

Easiest solution is to throw the bullets in the pot and melt then re-pour into a mold with grooves.

[Lead pot]

Easiest solution is to throw the bullets in the pot and melt then re-pour into a mold with grooves.

sometimes taking the EZ solution is not always the best way, But this time I would agree with you