Lyman Lube Sizer Die Rework

[Mitch]

Any one ever take a smaller sizer die and make it bigger?Like a .314 to a .452.I curently only have one sizer die so not much to compair to.The plan is to layout the die the way it is then make up a new print for the .542 dia.i will be useinf a wire EDM for the cutting end of it,should get a nice finish and great sizes tolerance.

Mitch

[detox]

I have enlarged sizing dies slightly larger .002. I wonder if sizing dies are surface hardened?

[Bent Ramrod]

I've bored them out in a lathe and polished with emery and crocus cloth. I had to work the burrs off the lube holes, but that wasn't a problem. An EDM would allow you to eliminate the polishing/deburring steps, I would surmise. I think the Star dies are hardened and ground, but I've never seen a Lyman or Ideal so treated.

Extra dies in standard calibers like .311" and .358" used to be all over the place at the gun shows. These were good feedstock for boring to larger custom sizes. They seem to have vanished recently, at least at the old low prices. :cry:

You ought to taper the entrance slightly so the boolit swages down rather than shears off when sizing.

[Mitch]

the hardness is one of the things i am wondering about.if it is case hardend in my not work out.i plan on shecking out the taper on the one i am going to recut and try and match it up.The EDM puts a nice finsh on things but leave a slight recast layer from the cutting action of the EDM so a smal amount of polisshing will be needed.I have never checked the size of one of the dies yet are they right on what you need Or are the a littel bigger or small than what size boolits you want?

Mitch

[Wayne Smith]

Should be right on. If you have that equipment why not make yourself a new die rather than bore out an old one?

[Mal Paso]

the hardness is one of the things i am wondering about.if it is case hardend in my not work out.i plan on shecking out the taper on the one i am going to recut and try and match it up.The EDM puts a nice finsh on things but leave a slight recast layer from the cutting action of the EDM so a smal amount of polisshing will be needed.I have never checked the size of one of the dies yet are they right on what you need Or are the a littel bigger or small than what size boolits you want?

Mitch

Size dies need to be smaller than the finished size to allow for alloy spring-back. The amount of spring-back depends on alloy and if they were water dropped. Air cooled pure lead has almost no spring-back.

[Mitch]

Got the sizer die reworked and got a dead on.452 dia boolit.the only problem is leading at the forcing cone on my Colt 45LC.Hopeing a .453 dia will cure the leading.
The die is hard all the way thru and it worked out nice.Now more testing to see what happens. Iam using a soft alloy so the spring back was less than .0005.the gun shoots Winchester Cowboy bullets fine with no leading and they check .4535to .454.so the plan is to sneek up to the larger Dia and see if the leading stops

Bob

[Mitch]

Should be right on. If you have that equipment why not make yourself a new die rather than bore out an old one?

Like everyone else I am sure I have a lot going right now it is a matter of time spent at work after hours to do all the work.So reworking a bushing VS making the complete one is a lot less time.

[Wayne Smith]

Like everyone else I am sure I have a lot going right now it is a matter of time spent at work after hours to do all the work.So reworking a bushing VS making the complete one is a lot less time.

Time pressures I fully understand!