Top Punches

[77cutlass]

How hard are the top punches supposed to be to get into the ram. With the set screw completely out the punch does not want to seem to go in. There are no burrs anywhere. Am I doing something wrong?

[tomme boy]

Should just slide right in. Take out the ram and look into the hole.

[Hardcast416taylor]

That only happened to me once. The top punch came with a custom mold. The maker was surprised that an over size shank on the top punch got past his shop. I recieved another correct size punch about 4 days later.Robert

[77cutlass]

They don't even seem to want to go into the very beginning. Lyman punches RCBS machine. Parts are all supposed to be interchangeable...right?

[enfieldphile]

They are supposed to be interchangeable, yes. In my 31 y/o LAM, I have used RCBS, Lyman, LBT, Seaco (cut by Saeco for LAM & Lyman) all have fit w/o issue.

If you have a caliper, measure the hole and the punch. The punch shank should be several thousands smaller.

I didn't use the set screw. I coated the shank w/ 50/50 lube to secure it.


They don't even seem to want to go into the very beginning. Lyman punches RCBS machine. Parts are all supposed to be interchangeable...right?

[Iowa Fox]

Should just slide right in. Take out the ram and look into the hole.


yup!

Something is wrong. Do you have several top punches to try? If none go in you gotta get a look into that hole in the ram.

[77cutlass]

I will look after work today. All my top punches are behaving the same way. They are all Lyman. I do not see any burrs at the lead edge and they dont want to even start going into the ram.

[JeffG]

I had one from Lyman that was about .0005-.001 too big. I out it in a drill, wrapped some 220 grit around it and resized it just enough to go into the ram. The other top punch was fine.

[theperfessor]

The hole in the ram should accept a 17/64" drill bit. The punch shank should be smaller than 0.265" diameter.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I will look after work today. All my top punches are behaving the same way. They are all Lyman. I do not see any burrs at the lead edge and they dont want to even start going into the ram.
Common sense points to "Something wrong with your sizer".

[77cutlass]

Problem solved. Nothing wrong with sizer. Took ram out and checked and cleaned. This was my first time using it and I had put in a brand new Lyman 374 punch that did not fit at all. I remember that the 429 punch that was in the sizer when I picked it up used came out hard, so I thought. Probably because it was it there for a long time. I had other punches new and used and all fit fine. Lubed up some Keith 357's and started out bringing the bullet slowly into the die. No more lube under the bullet but every now and then I get a big glob under the bullet. Can't figure out what is going on. Any ideas.....?

[Ben]

every now and then I get a big glob under the bullet. Can't figure out what is going on. Any ideas.....?

Back off your pressure.

Too much pressure will cause lube to flow under the bullet making a mess.

[lka]

I have issues with tight fitting TPs in my 450 not all but some are a pain to get out,

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Ben is right about too much pressure.

Operating a lubesizer is a dance between pressure and temperature of the lube...if you don't have a heater, how warm is your room you are working in ?

other things to do to combat the big glob, besides turning down the pressure, is maintaining pressure on the handle. The pressure of the lube won't push up the boolit if you are maintaining hand pressure on it...except for that second you push the boolit out of the die, make that motion swift. Also, the older Lyman dies have 12 to 16 Large lube holes...when I use one of those I plug the unnecessary holes...if the holes that line up with the base are plugged, they can't pump lube under that base.
Jon

[77cutlass]

JonB, I not sure about the whole pressure thing since I am new at this. I have been trying to go without cranking on the handle until I see that there is a gap in the groove starting. I figured this would at least tell me that it is not there isn't too much pressure going on. When I see that little gap a give it just a little turn on the ratchet. I have seen videos on U Tube that guys are turning the ratchet on every bullet! Is that right? Equipment is in my heated garage but it is not overly warm. The lube seems to be flowing OK but I don't have anything to compare with! I will pay more attention to my stroke on the handle to do as you suggest....

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

JonB, I not sure about the whole pressure thing since I am new at this. I have been trying to go without cranking on the handle until I see that there is a gap in the groove starting. I figured this would at least tell me that it is not there isn't too much pressure going on. When I see that little gap a give it just a little turn on the ratchet. I have seen videos on U Tube that guys are turning the ratchet on every bullet! Is that right? Equipment is in my heated garage but it is not overly warm. The lube seems to be flowing OK but I don't have anything to compare with! I will pay more attention to my stroke on the handle to do as you suggest....
it sounds like you have a grasp on the pressure thing. I do the exact same thing...Ideally you want to crank the handle each time, just a tiny bit so there'd be no "gap" in that boolit, but if you failed to crank it that tiny bit, then it would leave a "gap".

Having the sizer 'stop' adjusted so there isn't a die lube hole alligned with the boolit base, when the boolit is at the bottom of the stroke is the next thing you should confirm.

[Wayne Smith]

Another variable is how much lube does the boolit take? I have a 257420 that takes almost none in one lube grove, I have a 44MAV big lube that takes a lot. That one I have to add pressure every boolit.

Lube under the boolit is usually caused by a bevel base boolit. If it isn't a BB then you are probably not keeping down pressure on the boolit as you add pressure to the lube reseivour.