In my attempts to save money and make consistant weight bullets I have been thinking of how to make cores all weight the same. I here you say just buy a core swage die. I checked, Corbin's is $230. So you say use a mold for your core, I can't keep the final weight within 3 grains. I don't have the amount of time some of you do into casting, maybe I need more practice. I hear some say +or- X number of grains will not matter with pistol bullets. I want to start making match quality riffle bullets.
Here is my thought. Start with a Lee bullet sizer die in what ever dia core you need ($12). Mount it upside down in your press. Cap off the top (threaded end now extending above press) with a steel 7/8-14 thread cap of some sort. Make a floating piston to fit inside dia of die. Piston and core will be forced to stop upward movement when it hits the cap. Drill small hole in center of cap smaller than floating piston to allow a punch for core extraction. Adjust die in press for weight of core. Now the hard part, drill a bleed hole in the side of the die to extrud the excess weight from core.
I have achieved a hole threw the side of a sizing die before with dremel and the small pointed diamond bit, but it was not easy. I have read a masonary drill bit may work too?
I do not have a bullet sizing die yet (on order) so I can't prove any of this.
Possible problems:
Prob: The lee die might be tappered and the supplied punch dia may be to big.
Fix: reduce the punch dia.
Prob: The die may be tapered, there for installing it upside down will not allow us to push the core out.
Fix: use the die wright side up and figure out a way to cap the top by cutting threads with lathe allowing cap. Or cut off the unthreaded portion of the die using the cap as a retaing nut. Could even unscrew the cap every time to remove core but this does not sound like good time.
Prob: The threaded portion of the die may not be long enough to extend to top of press not allowing a cap on end.
Fix: See privious fix or reduce the unthreaded outside dia of the die to less than 7/8th.
Prob: Cap bends or gives causing uneven core weights.
Fix: Make it sronger. Or figure out way to cut threads inside top half of the lee sizing die allowing for a standard bolt like every other core seating die has.
Prob: this all sounds too difficult
Fix: buy one already made
I think it could work! I have alot of time to think now days, to bad it is not alot of time to do. Lost my job in the airlines now I'm a stay home dad with 2 year old twins. So money is an issue. Thats my sob story
So anyone have a Lee sizing die they may be able to answer some of my potential problems with, or is brave enough to be the ginni pig and try it themself? For all I know it may have allready been done. It is rare to come up with an idea that has not allready been tried.
As always any imput from the experts would be appriacted
Thanks,
Brian
P.S. I rounded up to $20 and have read that Lee will make custom sizing die for $25. Sorry for the book I'll try to shorten them so as to up the post count towards achiving "boolit man"