6 weeks & 315 swage dies later!

[BT Sniper]

6 weeks covered in machining oils, hands pricked with 100s of metal slivers and the elc. space heater right beside me to stay warm, this is all I have been working on since the new year started. With all my available time I was able to machine 315 dies in just under 6 weeks that are now heading to heat treat and soon followed by a trip to Nitride processing. This lot of dies represents every die I have currently on order and then some! (all except one .172 point form die I don't have the reamer for yet but will soon)

Thank you to all of you with dies currently on order, your patience as allowed me to complete this bunch of dies with very good results and time frame. I will be returning to assembling what dies I have ready and in stock now and continue to ship as many as I can as soon as I can. In about 3-4 weeks I expect this batch of dies will be back from Nitride and ready for me to assemble and ship out to all the lucky customers. Of course final assembly does take a bit of time too but check out the pics! All the dies on order are either already in my possession or pictured below soon to be...

More details to come.....

Thanks

BT

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/007_zpsca0f75b7.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/007_zpsca0f75b7.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/008_zps2b482ef5.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/008_zps2b482ef5.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/013_zps7d1baeca.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/013_zps7d1baeca.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/014_zpscae28eaf.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/014_zpscae28eaf.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/012_zps155f8bfa.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/012_zps155f8bfa.jpg.html)

[AlaskanGuy]

Wow sniper... Lots of great pics, and hard work... Good thing i dont do swagin...lol... I might have been the straw that broke your back...lol

[supe47]

That deserves an "ATTABOY".

[jcunclejoe]

Is that my old Craftsman lathe?
You have come a long way my friend and you are doing outstanding work. I was impressed the first time I met you and you continue to amaze me.
Be well and best of luck.
Joe

[BT Sniper]

Thanks guys. Still a lot of work left to do but this was a great run of dies that came together for me.

Yep I got the old girl all dialed in. Had to add a few shims, removed a couple too, new belts, quick change tool holder, new motor, etc. still running strong. Been using it nearly everyday for what has it been now... the last 4 years.

I still think back to that day you guys stopped by, how far I have progressed since and I am still learning more everyday.

Thanks

Brian

[Rangefinder]

Good LORD, you're a machine all by yourself! There will come a day that one of those sets has my name on it...

[Bonz]

Wow, think i saw 3 dies sets with my name on them ;-)

[scarry scarney]

BT - great job, but 12:22 am? Get to bed! You deserve some sleep after that Herculean feat!

[R.Ph. 380]

What do you mean, machinery has no need of rest. BT is on a roll. Let him be. All kidding aside, SIMPLY AMAZING. Glad I was patient that's a sight to behold.

Bill

[customcutter]

Good grief man that's 1.05/hr for a 50 hr work week. Or .875/hr for a 60 hr week. Still a lot of work. Are you making the locking rings also??? Great job, hope I can learn to machine that well.

How about a picture of the lathe???

[R.Ph. 380]

Good grief man that's 1.05/hr for a 50 hr work week. Or .875/hr for a 60 hr week. Still a lot of work. Are you making the locking rings also??? Great job, hope I can learn to machine that well.

Betcha' he worked more than 60 h/week. Just sayin'. That's drive.

Bill

[ratboy]

whole-E-cow thats a lot of machine time. you deserve a box of thin mints for that.

[Rhino77]

Great work BT! I will be ordering my .308 dies one of these days. Still loving my .224 and .40 cal dies!:grin:

[Utah Shooter]

That is a very nice sight to see. Looks like I should stop complaining about the overtime I have to work.

[mosby's men]

wow ,that is cool

[xman777]

Impending smiles :grin:

[BT Sniper]

Just dropped them off at heat treat today. I expect they will be done with the heat treat step some time next week. Then I ship them off to be Nitride processed. Add a week in shipping and a week at nitride then I expect to have them back and ready for final assembly.

BT

[cdet69]

Wow. That is a lot of work.

[kd185]

nice work
dont get burned out
we need you
and dont work for free

[wonderwolf]

I have nights like that in the shop....although my work isn't NEARLY as impressive as what you've done BT. Curious about the reamer you show pictured. Usually around 1 am I would stop and do a taco bell run then get back to work.

[BT Sniper]

That's my 6s carbide 22 cal reamer with a grey plastic stop on it to control depth. I used to be able to work past midnight into the wee hours of the morning but having kids in school now makes waking up for early mornings more of a challenge for me to get up and going, or could just be getting older :)

BT

[R.Ph. 380]

That's my 6s carbide 22 cal reamer with a grey plastic stop on it to control depth. I used to be able to work past midnight into the wee hours of the morning but having kids in school now makes waking up for early mornings more of a challenge for me to get up and going, or could just be getting older :)

BT

Nope, 67½ is old, you're just exhausted. Easy to explain, focus on the picture in the first post. Proud of your accomplishment. You're going to make it easy to order.

Bill

[BT Sniper]

This weekend's accomplishments..... Valentine's dinner and stay with family at local lodge, picked up the 315 dies from heat treat, finished up approximately 30 Universal dies and 20 BTX dies and just finished 57 lee ram tops. A lot of work in the shop but a lot of progress too! It will probably take me all day just to box these 400+ dies up for shipping to nitride.

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/012_zps5c4df800.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/012_zps5c4df800.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/011_zpsceaf1e75.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/011_zpsceaf1e75.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/007_zps73617420.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/007_zps73617420.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/006_zps17928dc3.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/006_zps17928dc3.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/009_zpsc8e9df8d.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/009_zpsc8e9df8d.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/008_zps99b078e2.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/008_zps99b078e2.jpg.html)

[Astroangler]

Wow those look awesome! Does anyone have any videos showing your process? I've seen pics and a video by BTSniper from 2009, but wondered if anyone has made an updated version using the newer dies. Awesome stuff!

[Cane_man]

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/008_zps99b078e2.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/008_zps99b078e2.jpg.html)

How do you cut the relief right after the threads?

[Lizard333]

I believe he cuts the relief first then proceeds to cut the threads.

[deltaenterprizes]

Lizard is correct!

[Cane_man]

I believe he cuts the relief first then proceeds to cut the threads.

what type of tool bit is used to make the relief for cutting the threads (i believe the relief is used as a buffer to allow for some time to disengage the half nut when the pass is finished)?

[BT Sniper]

A groove or cut off tool works fine for a relief cut.

BT

[BT Sniper]

430 dies was the final count sent off to nitride today! I'm taking the rest of the day off! :)

It took me a day and a half just to prep and package all the dies for shipping!

Good shooting and swage on!

BT

[wonderwolf]

I know I asked this awhile ago BT and I'm sorry if the answer is the same and I'm just thick headed but what steel are you using now for your dies? I'm curious as I've been using 0-1 and have been wondering about the necessities of heat treating. Seeing the newest pictures posted with knurled sections in the 3 jaw chuck I assume those are heat treated pretty well not to risk being marred.

[BT Sniper]

My dies are 4140 steel heat treated to 50 RC then case hardened with the Chromium Nitride process. The knurling in the pic is safe as most of the pressure of the three jaw is clamped to the smooth portion of the new ram top.

BT

[tbj555]

Looks like fun, keep up the great work!

[Cane_man]

4140 difficult to almost impractical to heat treat at home, O1 is do-able to heat treat at home... which is better? not really sure i think the 4140 is a little bit stronger but does that little bit really matter? Ted Smith of SAS fame used O6 ("Graph-Mo" trade name) which has basically the same strength properties as O1...

[BT Sniper]

Don't know? I send my dies off to be professionally heat treated so I don't worry about heat treating it myself. I'm sure any decent tool steel will work well.

BT

[perotter]

When I read the thread tittle I was expecting to see that you were using a CNC lathe that was more than a simple one. That would have impressed me, but to see what you are using is more than impressive.

Nice to see what you have done and are doing to be successful in filling the need for swagging dies.

[Hickok]

Post #1 Looks like the old WWII term "Gave'em the whole 9 yards" meaning the entire linked belt of .50 caliber mg!

[Prospector Howard]

Yea, I learned that one from my dad. He was a .50 cal ball turret gunner in the TBF torpedo bomber in the South Pacific in the big one. He went in in '42, many combat missions. Keep his flight log and all his old war photos in my gun safe.
Post #1 Looks like the old WWII term "Gave'em the whole 9 yards" meaning the entire linked belt of .50 caliber mg!

[BT Sniper]

Received all 430 dies this week. Took them 5 full weeks at Nitride but they all look great.

Picture doesn't do the finish on the dies justice. Here they are!

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/d91171b6-04ca-449c-84c3-dc8f26210caa_zps4363a367.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/d91171b6-04ca-449c-84c3-dc8f26210caa_zps4363a367.jpg.html)

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/008_zps80f6a36a.jpg (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/008_zps80f6a36a.jpg.html)

[supe47]

Impressive! I think I see mine in there.

[scarry scarney]

let me guess, seventh row, ninth one down?

That is a remarkable sight. Something to be proud of.

[supe47]

The amount of time to do all that machining is mind boggling. "The Black Carpet"

[R.Ph. 380]

Impressive! I think I see mine in there.

Back Off!!! That one's MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Red River Rick]

Brian:

Well, at least no one can say that your lazy, that's for sure.

When others have tried and failed, you've efforts have paid off and you've pulled thru with flying colours. Offering high quality swaging products. My hats off to you!

A word of caution...................look out for SPIDERS.:lol:

:drinks:
RRR

[BT Sniper]

Thanks guys! I'm certainly doing my best. Polishing dies right now. Made 28 base punches yesterday.

Slow and steady.

Swage on!

Brian

[shooterg]

I expect BT is looking forward to the day those kids can jump in ! He'll need to expand, the "other guys" are getting long in the tooth.

[gewing]

That's my 6s carbide 22 cal reamer with a grey plastic stop on it to control depth. I used to be able to work past midnight into the wee hours of the morning but having kids in school now makes waking up for early mornings more of a challenge for me to get up and going, or could just be getting older :)

BT
Both...
Beautiful dies, good SIG file quote