Lead Extrusion Die<----Review

[GRUMPA]

I got this little tool sent to me about a week ago and finally have some time to put it through the paces and find out what this thing can do. Here's a picture of what the thing looks like.
http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/grumpaboo/100_0224720x540.jpg

The little lead protrusion you see is soft lead from when I was making some lead wire with it just a few minutes ago. When I received it in the mail it came with lead in the die already and I punched it out with one of my punches to check and see what the internal form of the I.D. was. Well to my delight there's a very nice form in there so when the person uses it, the lead is forced through and creates as little resistance as possible. I put the die and base plug on my RCBS RCII press, I screwed the die down and with the base plug slid into the ram in its utmost upward travel set the die in place.
http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/grumpaboo/100_0218720x540.jpg

After I got the depth of the die set I tightened up the set screw on the die nut, I then made some pure lead slugs from my 310gr 44cal mould.
http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/grumpaboo/100_0227720x540.jpg

I know I know they have a look about them only a mother can love but I'm in a hurry and I didn't let the mould get up to temp for just making slugs. I put 1 of them on the base plug,and brought the ram up till the slug hit the die and I backed up on the die till the handle was all the way down.
http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/grumpaboo/100_0220720x540-1.jpg

According to the directions it tells the user to turn the die 1 complete turn at a time and push the lead slug through, for me that wasn't the easiest thing to do so I opted to turn the die only 1/2 turn using the cam-over action which for me was alot easier. With the 310gr slug I produced a piece of lead wire just shy of 4" in length in just 35 seconds.
http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/grumpaboo/100_0222720x540-1.jpg

Now that I successfully made lead wire from that little gem all a person needs to do is cut it to whatever length they needed for those neat 22 pills that seem to be growing in popularity. I don't know about the rest of you folks out there but for the most part we all have moulds floating around, some pure lead and a nice heavy weight mould and you have what you need to make your own cores real fast. When I got done making some lead wire I got out the micrometers and the wire was a consistent .188 from 1 end to the other on all 3 pieces.

This is really simple and virtually effortless when it comes to making your own short pieces of lead wire, not to mention alot cheaper than having to buy lead wire I'm sure.

Die was sent by alfloyd.

[DukeInFlorida]

Lafaun,

Have you started making the transition angle from the .432 to .187 a steeper angle???

That would ease the pressures.

[alfloyd]

Yes, in fact I started making them with a replaceable orfice.
There is a taper into the .188 dia hole now.
Look at post 32 of this thread:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=153564

Works great.

Duke:
Send me your extrusion die and I will upgrade it for you.

Lafaun

[Lizard333]

Grumpa. I was getting the same short sticks of lead like you until I started using less lube, and none on the top and bottom of the slugs. I now go about four or five slugs, the cut it. Gives me more cores, less waist.

[GRUMPA]

Grumpa. I was getting the same short sticks of lead like you until I started using less lube, and none on the top and bottom of the slugs. I now go about four or five slugs, the cut it. Gives me more cores, less waist.

I never used lube on those lead slugs, and when I pushed them through they pretty much segmented on there own. And if you make your own slugs there is no waist in my mind, just re-melt what's left to make more.

[Rolling Stone]

Good review GRUMPA! You seem to have covered all the bases. This will probably be one of my next purchases. I just hope the pirates haven't sunk my ship. I still await it coming in.
Rolling Stone

[clodhopper]

It must be a labor of love, I made 2 lbs of lead wire this evening with my shiney new extrusion die.
Just recived it this week from Lafaun, he built it to fit a corbin series II press, I can tighten the die two full revolutions for each pull of the handle.
Fed with 230 grain lee TL WC 429 bullets, cast of used air rifle pellets.
A little lube does make it better. I just rolled them lightly on the good ole RCBS case lube pad, then cut the wire to about 8".

[Lizard333]

Clodhopper, what press are you using. It's a workout on my Walnut Hill. With each pull of the handle, I get about a quarter inch of lead of extruded. Nice not to have to rely on others to make my wire.

[clodhopper]

Lizard333,
It is a series II, a forunner of and very similar to the current "S" press.
This morning my wrist tells me I worked it too hard.
I will let you know how much lead extruded per push, but thinking it's between 5/8 and 3/4"
Planning to get a clean lube pad for extrusion.
Before work this morning I cast about 13 lbs of 44cal billets.

[MIBULLETS]

Clodhopper, what press are you using. It's a workout on my Walnut Hill. With each pull of the handle, I get about a quarter inch of lead of extruded. Nice not to have to rely on others to make my wire.


How hard is the lead you are using?

[Lizard333]

5-6 hardness. Darn near pure lead.

[clodhopper]

I wonder if you need to screw the die in more.
It could be you have to much lead in the die and friction is making it hard.
Be careful though.
Bottoming the punch in the die could be a disater, dont know for sure butit seems like the edges of the punch would score the smooth die where the nonfluid lead has to flow, causing more friction.
Damage to the edeges of the punch woulds allow lead to squirt back, also causing more friction.

[FWest]

I picked up another RC and mounted it on a stand I made for my grinder. Bought some steel rod and made a 2 ft handle, put a locking ring on the die body to aid in turning and set the depth. Takes very little effort and works great.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/frankwest/leadsquirt.jpg

[DukeInFlorida]

Frank,
You're going to want to change out the pin that connects to the bottom of the ram with a grade 8 bolt.

[RP]

Just some input I got a die and just did not work out for me in the press I was using. Well broke press and my plunger. So I took a SS bolt i had turned it to fit the die then welded a frame up like a mini press. I added some springs to pull the punch back down. I picked up a two ton jack for around 12 bucks after some fine tuning I take a 405g 45 bullet and press it out with about 5 pumps on the jack. Oh I also add some heat to the die to ease the amount of presser needed. Now i can make about a 18 inch long wire in about two mins. I also use some oil just dip the bullets in about every 5th or 6th bullet.

[clodhopper]

Correction,in earlyer post said that I was advancing the die two full revolutions.
That is incorrect.
With a sharpie marked refrence point the true amount of advacment is closer to 1 1/2 revolutions per pull of the handle.
Getting about 3/4" of lead wire for each advancement.


A timed hour of leisurely wire extrusion used 27 230 grain .44 cal bullets. Almost a pound of wire an hour.
Not counting time to scrounge lead, melt and pour into ingots, and cast the labor intensive lead into .44 bullets.
I must be making about a dollar an hour! with lead wire selling for $4/lb.
Not going to stop.

[DukeInFlorida]

As a test, I found that by adding some heat to the top portion of the die (where the lead squirts out), it all went faster. I tried a propane torch, but that was too much heat. A heat gun works better. I wear a leather glove on the hand turning the locking nut.

Lafaun, I will send the die back for your "magic" when I get caught up on wire.