Boolit stuck in my point form die

[chaoticmachinery]

Need some suggestions for removing a boolit from my point form die. Like an idiot, I even managed to push the ejector pin out the top of the boolit. It took some work, but I did get the ejector pin out. I have the die soaking in pb blaster right now.

I did see BT Sniper post (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?200754-Stuck-bullet-removal-made-easy-in-BTSniper-dies). However, I have a Corbin press with dies and would welcome any suggestions.

Thanks,
CM

[clodhopper]

I had the same problem with RCE dies.
Make sure you get the ejection punch out of the bullet, add lube, put a little blob on the base of the bullet, push the bullet in farther, yah, why would you push it in farther when you want it out? because it forces lube between the die and bullet, and closes up the point and gives you something to push on with the ejection pin. Re install the ejection pin and gently push on the bullet, you may have to repeat these steps several times to get the bullet to move
Work slowly and gently.
I had one stuck and I had to give up for the night, so I added lube by way of the bullet base, and a peice of lead shot to push the bullet in, then pushed up to the bullet with the ejection punch, then used several rubber bands to keep pressure on the bullet, next morning the bullet was out of the die.
Be gentle, be patient, keep working it.
The screw idea is way to scary for me. And the ejection pin did not come through the center of the base.
Corbin will get them out for free, no idea how long it take them to get to it, I was not about to wait another 10 months for it to come to the top of the "todo" list.

[aaronraad]

However, I have a Corbin press with dies and would welcome any suggestions.

Thanks,
CM

CM

A few more details of what you have and what you were trying to do would be useful. Calibre, ogive profile, ejection pin diameter, jacket, core material, base punch etc.

If you're just attempting some basic cup and core swaging with a standard set-up, clodhopper's description using lube or lead to close the meplat and have the ejector pin push off the meplat should work.

Outside of that, sit down for the first time because the colour will drain from your face in proportion to the dollars you've dropped on the point forming die; and the time you had to wait for supply. It's just part of the learning curve.

[Cane_man]

if you have a way to drive a screw into the base of the bullet, then put the die back in the press, then clamp some pliars on the screw head and carefully tap the pliars with a hammer... the stuck bullet will then come out every time...

i chuck the die in the lathe and center drill a hole in the base of the bullet, if you can do this it is very simple and easy...

her is a pick of what i do that works for me:

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac331/johnelway/DSCN4060_zps90aa04f9.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac331/johnelway/DSCN4059_zps5e26ac3e.jpg

[clodhopper]

Details, My die is 6mm, I had no lathe.
Given a little more room, as in having a larger caliber die, the screw method has appeal.
Center drilling the bullet base=cherry on top of whipped cream!

[Cane_man]

well, try to put the die in some type of vise and use an electric drill and drill out a small pilot hole, then try to use a machine screw like a 2" long 8-32 or something similar...

[runfiverun]

that or build something similar to a stuck case remover on a smaller scale.
screws are pretty powerful.
if you don't get it then your options are to send it back to the maker and have them cut it out.

Brian had mine back in about 3 anxious weeks.
I think it works better now than before too.

[blaser.306]

When I received my Corbin press and 7mm dies, like a kid on Chrismas morning I had to see it work ( play with it ) All I managed to do was stick the very first slug that went into the point form die? After much self brow beating and using every descriptive phrase I could think of and or invent at the time. Then trying to force it furthur into the die and all the other sugestions. I sent the die back to Corbin and it was back in my hands ( in Canada ) in about 2 weeks from the time I sent it. I would for the safety of your die and your own mental health send the die back to whence it came from and rest assured that it will come home safe and sound! I know that for myself , the fact I stuck a slug was bad enough. Thinking about scratching the die trying to get it out was worse!!! YMMV.

[Cane_man]

the screw doesn't have to go in very far, maybe three or four threads deep and it will have enough grip to work...

the dies are heat treated to about 50-60 RC hardness, and are hard! a drill bit can scratch the die, but the bullet is inside and will provide some protection against that, you only need to drill in the base of the stuck bullet about 1/4" or so, and you can use a zinc sheet metal screw which is softer than the die... then when you get the bullet out, polish the inside of the die with Flitz metal polish and it will be better than ever...

[PyroTechie]

I am in the process of making my first set of dies. My first die is a jacket forming die to make jackets out of copper tubing. I have never made anything like this before so was a little anxious to try the die out when I thought it was ready. My first attempt resulted in a piece of copper tubing stuck in my die. Like a point forming die the bottom of this die only has a small hole for an ejector pin. Unfortunately the opening in the tubing had not closed up enough to allow the ejector pin to touch it. I wound up using a threading tap to get the copper tube out of the die. I threaded the appropriate sized tap into the jacket cutting threads as it went in and was then able to use my ejector pin to push the stuck jacket out.

[Prospector Howard]

I made my own "screw" out of a piece of round brass rod just for getting out stuck bullets. It took a little while with a grinder and small needle files and clamping it in a vice while I filed on it, but no worries about scratching the die now. Depending on how deep the bullet is stuck in the die, you might want to use something over the drill bit as a bushing like copper or brass tubing so the drill bit doesn't touch the die when you drill into the base of the stuck bullet.

[bullet maker 57]

I got a bullet stuck in my 12s 17 cal die the other day. Put the die in the lathe and drilled a center hole. Ran a screw in about half way into the bullet. I kept turning the screw in until the bullet spun in the die. Then I used an old ejector pin to push the bullet out. Cleaned the die and made another 300 bullets.

[chaoticmachinery]

Thank you everyone. I got it out. :bigsmyl2:

The thing I was doing wrong before was not removing the ejector pin before I pushed it further into the die. After swaging it a bit more down, I re-installed the ejector pin and pretty much out it came.

CM

[tiger762]

That'll do it. Just gets the nose of the bullet more crimped onto the ejector pin. Glad you got it worked out!



The thing I was doing wrong before was not removing the ejector pin before I pushed it further into the die.

[James Wisner]

Go down to the hardware store and get a couple of BRASS wood screws, use Brass rather than steel so no damage to any die.

J Wisner

[Sitzme]

I didn't have luck with the method that closes the point even though others do. (.22 cal) I have been using the deck screw with most threads ground off. I made a bushing to center the drill and protect the die. Low tech, just tubing. I clamp the die in the mill vise and use the quill to pull. A drill press should also work. The straight pull is important because there is not a lot of clearance. It is easier to take the time to protect the die than to polish out a scratch.

There is also at least one other post regarding stuck bullets.

It has occurred to me that the bullet weight might come into play. The ones that I stuck were 62 gr and the lead filled the point completely.

[aaronraad]

It has occurred to me that the bullet weight might come into play. The ones that I stuck were 62 gr and the lead filled the point completely.

So the jackets were overfilled for the ejection pin diameter?

[alfloyd]

Also when you are setting up the point form die, DO NOT push the same slug into the die more than one time.
The more times you push the slug into the point form die the less it will shrink when the pressure is removed.

I found this out the hard way to start with.

Lafaun

[Sitzme]

So the jackets were overfilled for the ejection pin diameter?

No, just completely filled. My thought is that there is more of the point that is filled and gripping the id of the die than for a lighter bullet. Just spitballing. As I recall a self releasing taper is about 16 degrees. In my case, on two occasions, a couple bullets stuck and then a couple hundred ran like they should. Still learning.

[BT Sniper]

Also when you are setting up the point form die, DO NOT push the same slug into the die more than one time.
The more times you push the slug into the point form die the less it will shrink when the pressure is removed.

I found this out the hard way to start with.

Lafaun


Sounds like you guys are onto some good ideas and got the die back in working order but this post from Lafaun is a good one to heed to as well.

Stuck bullets was something that I spent a lot of time addressing on my dies. It is never much fun for the customer and it happens to the best of dies but the manufacturer of the die should always be willing and happy to remove a stuck bullet for you should you desire.

Good shooting and swage on!

BT

[GerryM]

Heres how I do it FWIW I rotate the pin until its out of the bullet and get it up to a safe level.
Then I put a piece of scrap lead on the punch and raise the ram. again. This pushes the bullet farther into the die closing up the hole .
Then on the down stroke it ejects. I hope this does it for you.

[midnight]

Lafaun got it right! I have found that the most common cause of sticking a bullet or jacket in a die is that the bullet or jacket was too big to begin with. Hence, do not run a bullet into the point form twice. I just got upstairs from removing a stuck jacket when I tried to seat a core in a BT-1 die. The ejection pin punched a neat circle of guilding metal from the base of the jacket and pushed the core right out. Now I've got a jacket stuck in the die with the end tapered down to the size of the ejection pin. It all happened because my 7mm jackets measured 0.284. I made them by drawing down 0.307 jackets and my die is a thousanth too big. Another lesson pounded home. You cannot swage down, only up.

Bob

[aaronraad]

Lafaun got it right! I have found that the most common cause of sticking a bullet or jacket in a die is that the bullet or jacket was too big to begin with. Hence, do not run a bullet into the point form twice. I just got upstairs from removing a stuck jacket when I tried to seat a core in a BT-1 die. The ejection pin punched a neat circle of guilding metal from the base of the jacket and pushed the core right out. Now I've got a jacket stuck in the die with the end tapered down to the size of the ejection pin. It all happened because my 7mm jackets measured 0.284. I made them by drawing down 0.307 jackets and my die is a thousanth too big. Another lesson pounded home. You cannot swage down, only up.

Bob


Funny you mention that, I recently had the same issue with a new 308cal BT-1 die I received in a set. Nothing like trying to get a jacket shell seized to the die wall with a 3/8" drill bit. By the 3rd time I figured it was something I was doing wrong with seating pressure and punch diameter because all the lube in the world made no difference.

Ended up polishing the die myself with a polishing felt on a Dremel tool and some Meguire's Cut and Polish. Upon inspection the surface finish was just smooth enough not to show up on an ejected jacket but not smooth enough if seating pressure spiked. I used a x30 magnifying glass to check and compare but it's a bit difficult when looking at two different core seating dies made with two different materials and different calibres. The grain structure is different and the amount of light coming through changes the appearance. Did a comparison check by feel using a cotton ear bud and just dragging it along the surface until the BT-1 die had as little drag as the other core seating dies I have in my collection. After each polish I would clean and flush with a carby cleaner aerosol and another couple of cotton ear buds. I always keep a pack of 100 cotton ear buds on the shelf with my swaging dies.

[kweidner]

The three most useful tips have already been said. I use the brass screw method, only point form once. What's more important the 300+ pf or the .10 jacket? Flitz on the third! Be patient. Seems like they all need a bit of breaking in and that varies from maker to maker. Once you have succesfully run 1000 or so, seating pressures become much less it seems.

[Cane_man]

another fan for cotton "earbuds" or swabs as we call em here! great for cleaning the die and pre-lubing, and you can use it to polish as well with some Flitz