1 1/8" die lock nut wrench

[Jonathan]

Bought the 1 3/16" die lock nut wrench from RCBS only to find out most of my dies have 1 1/8" lock nuts. Contacted RCBS. No luck. Can't find any markings on the wrench. Anyone know who makes it or where I can find a 1 1/8" version? Thanks.

[w5pv]

Look at the Sears brand wrenches,not craftsman,they are lighter made.Try some of the stores like Harbor Freight or others that handle the lighter made tools.

[cutter_spc]

If your looking for one that you can use on a turret press, try looking on that big auction site, there was a guy on there that had made some that were very thin walled, for use on turrets. Kinda pricey from what I remember though,~$20.

[Pepe Ray]

Have you checked the wrench that comes in the Lyman die sets?
Should be exactly the cats PJ's
Pepe Ray

[Idz]

I use the thin stamped wrenches for shower valve plumbing. They work fine since you shouldn't be torquing things too much. The last set I got a few years back from HomeDepot was less than $10.

[Jonathan]

Idz can you give me the name of that type of wrench. Very low torque.
Pepe Ray I'll check out the Lyman wrench.
Trying to watch the expenditures.
Thanks.

[462]

The Lyman wrench will fit 1 1/8" lock nuts.

[CGT80]

It looks like the shower/plumbing sockets go by 32nds of an inch and skip 1-1/8". I don't know if the bigger one would work, or if it would be long enough. I guess I'll have to grab my set and try it.

I found an extra deep impact socket on Amazon, but impact sockets are usually thicker than a chrome socket. A "thinwall" and "deep" socket is what you need. Here is one I found: http://www.amazon.com/Sunex-2-Inch-8-Inch-Impact-Socket/dp/B002YKK7X4/ref=sr_sp-btf_image_1_19?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1389067768&sr=1-19&keywords=1-1%2F8%22+socket#productDetails

I use an adjustable/cresent wrench, but sometimes it is a pain. Channel lock pliers work well for the round nuts and will work on the hex nuts as well. My newer dillon dies have clips on the top to drop the seating and crimp die inserts. A socket will not go over the clip, so it would have to be removed. I have two dillon wrenches, but the new dies have 1" nuts and the dillon wrench is bigger. I have a lee die that is 1-1/8" and my RCBS dies have slightly bigger nuts.

Dillon has a 1" end wrench with 7/16" on the other end (for powder throwers) and a pack of 5 of the 1" lock nuts, for $10. They fit 7/8" dies. It looks like this is the best route so far. The smaller nut is easier to get to and the end wrench works with any height or shape die. Link: http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/24577/catid/3/Dillon_Wrench_Lock_Ring_5_Pack

[Jonathan]

CGT80,
My thought on the shower sockets is there might be a lack of clearance between nuts and they aren't cheap. The RCBS, that I would like to get a 1 1/8" version of cost $8. Same with the impact socket. I have thought of getting a regular deep socket and grinding the bottom and removing the top. A lot of work and probably more costly than the RCBS.
The RCBS looks like something used on machine tools. I can't find any markings that say who manufactured it or I'd get in touch with them. Hoping someone with machine shop expertise knows. Maybe I'm off on that.
The Dillion looks like the best idea. I'd like to know if anyone has tried it first.

[Pepe Ray]

Don't like to buy from Lyman, eh? OOOOH-KAYY

Pepe

[Billybumbler]

Er, ah. A little twist is one of these, either right or left hand, metric or SAE.
92985

[Billybumbler]

Sorry I couldn't resist.
Bill

[Idz]

My shower socket wrenches don't have a brand name other than "Taiwan". The 1 5/32" size fits the lock nuts just fine since you don't want to apply much torque anyways. Home Depot lists a set for $11 "BrassCraft Steel Shower Valve Socket Set" that may be what I bought but you should verify that it has the correct size.

[deepskyridge]

The big nuts on a trailer hitch ball are 1-1/8, they sell a wrench for them at Walmart.

Gary

[bhn22]

My most used wrench says "Crescent" on it.

[David2011]

CGT80,
The Dillion looks like the best idea. I'd like to know if anyone has tried it first.

Yes, for years, happily. They are a marked improvement on toolhead setups over the larger nuts. I would like to add a thinwall tubular wrench even for the 1" nuts.

David

[wrench man]

I use either a Crescent wrench or a cheapo Pittsburgh from HF, the only lock rings I use are the newer RCBS hex ones if the dies are new or the 1" Dillon nuts, ALL of the others have made their way to the junk box.

[Russel Nash]

Yes, for years, happily. They are a marked improvement on toolhead setups over the larger nuts. I would like to add a thinwall tubular wrench even for the 1" nuts.

David

If you are running a Dillon 550 or 650 and find it a little cramped to get all the lock rings in place up top, above the toolhead, you can always run a lockring on the bottom of one die, then the top on the next die, then the bottom, so on and so forth.

I got kinda fed up with lockrings and wrenches, so I drilled and tapped my toolheads for set screws. I'd thread in the die, drop in a piece of lead birdshot, and then thread in the set screw.

It was a lot of trial and error and in and out with the toolhead, but it was worth it to finally have dies that didn't move.

[grumman581]

You could just get a regular 1-1/8" wrench and take an angle grinder to it to reduce the length or thickness. I've had to do that plus heating it up and bending it in order to create a wrench that would allow me to remove a particular nut on the magnetos or vacuum pump on my aircraft. I'm sure there was some Snap-On high dollar tool that did exactly what I needed, but when you only need to do it on extremely rate occasions, sometimes it is easier to just make your own tool.

[cutter_spc]

I use the rcbs wrench on my lee dies. I just put several layers of aluminum tape on the inside of the wrench. works fine for my loadmaster press.

[Iron Mike Golf]

I find this one pretty handy.

http://www.ch4d.com/products/close-outs/79995

[Daddyfixit]

Try PMing Alvarez Kelly, he sells a lot of Dillon items in the selling section and see if he has any of the old Dillon bench wrenches. They have many sizes on the tool including 1 1/8". I now use the 1" lock rings and like them much better.

[Alvarez Kelly]

Try PMing Alvarez Kelly, he sells a lot of Dillon items in the selling section and see if he has any of the old Dillon bench wrenches. They have many sizes on the tool including 1 1/8". I now use the 1" lock rings and like them much better.

To be honest, I hate the early Dillon wrenches that fit the 1 1/8" die nuts. I really like the new 1" Dillon die nuts and their new 1" die wrench though.

If you want to keep the 1 1/8" die nuts, the tool in post 21 looks good to me!

[Petrol & Powder]

You could just get a regular 1-1/8" wrench and take an angle grinder to it to reduce the length or thickness. I've had to do that plus heating it up and bending it in order to create a wrench that would allow me to remove a particular nut on the magnetos or vacuum pump on my aircraft. I'm sure there was some Snap-On high dollar tool that did exactly what I needed, but when you only need to do it on extremely rate occasions, sometimes it is easier to just make your own tool.

I completely agree /\
When you only need it once in a blue moon it's easier and far cheaper to make one.
I've done the same thing several times when a "special" tool was needed. It's often far cheaper to modify a wrench than to buy a specialty wrench. I use MAPP gas, a vise and a grinder. The last one I made was for the burner on a marine stove. Worked perfectly and cost almost nothing except the loss of one line wrench.

[mikeym1a]

Sorry I couldn't resist.
Bill

I was gonna suggest the exact same thing. Some times you can find cheap wrenches at places like 'Big Lots', cheap, but would do the job. Works for me. :-D

[zuke]

I made a wrench for LEE dies out of 1/4 x 2 Stainless flat bar

[mac60]

These are called "service wrenches". I'd hate to have to buy a whole set just to get the one wrench. I'm not sure if they are available individually, but it's ideal for the purpose.

93374

Just thought I'd throw my .02 in.

[WilliamDahl]

These are called "service wrenches". I'd hate to have to buy a whole set just to get the one wrench. I'm not sure if they are available individually, but it's ideal for the purpose.

Just thought I'd throw my .02 in.

Used to be that you could find loose wrenches at the pawn shops. I haven't looked for them in quite awhile, so I have no idea if that is still the case.

A 15 piece service wrench set from Harbor Freight for $50:
http://www.harborfreight.com/15-piece-sae-service-wrench-set-93667.html

Or for $5 here's one:
http://www.acetoolonline.com/product-p/mil-49-96-0365.htm

Personally, I would just go with the $5 one.

Kind of high if you are only needing one size out of that set though. Assuming you can't find a single wrench at a pawn shop or wherever, you could buy the more common long handled wrenches in a smaller set if it included the size you needed and then cut the wrench in half. That way, you would either have two short wrenches of different sizes or two short wrenches (a open end and box end wrenches).

[eggsmith]

This guy has a good 1-1/8" 1-3/16" combo wrench. He has other reloading tools as well...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Reloading-Die-Wrench-Combo-1-1-8-1-/141152437493?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20dd5744f5

[jmorris]

Oxy/act, argon, co2 and other tanks all use 1 1/8" wrenches for the brass fittings. Should be lots to choose from.