Help with modification

[tankgunner59]

I have mostly Lee products in my reloading room, and want to stay with it as much as I can, mainly because I don't want to buy a lubrisizer for one caliber. I bought a Lyman 266469 mould for my 6.5 Creedmoor and cast some bullets today. I am now in need of a bullet sizing die that Lee does not make, and as said before I don't have the funds to buy a lubrisizer, especially for one caliber only.
So to my request; to all of you here who have the knowledge, with only a drill press for machinery, how would I go about honing a .243 bullet sizing die to .265? Can it be done simply on a drill press? What special tools will I need? Mind you this would be a one and done so I'm looking for the most inexpensive method possible. Before anyone asks I have good mechanical aptitude, and am good at understanding an explained procedure. I am just not well versed in machining techniques.

Looking at my conversion table, would it be prudent to get a die for .243 and use a 17/64" drill bit to increase diameter to just over .265? Just looking for the informed opinions I know we have here on the forums.
Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

[joe leadslinger]

Here's how you can do what you need.
https://youtu.be/IEa2jeV-BKs

[tankgunner59]

Thanks joe, that works out to almost 4 hours of work on the 243 sizing die. Of course being retired I do have the time on my hands.
Still open to other ideas if anyone has some.

[44magLeo]

According to the Lee catalog they will custom make the regular sizer kit in any diameter for $40.
If you have the Breech Lock Sizer they custom make the bushings for $20.
Either option is not to expensive.
NOE makes a bullet sizer set up similar to Lee's and may have the size you want as a stock item.
Leo

[missionary5155]

Any one who was a armor crewman should be able to do most anything ! I was 11E back when that was armor crewman. I understand they changed the numbers and armor is now a 17 something maybe.
Anyway I have opened up all sorts of sizers. No drill press up there. But I have access to a gas torch and red hot the die before I work on it. Then drill it with whatever bit gets it close but undersize. My dad was a machinest so I have probably 30 pounds of his drill bits up to to 1". Fortunately he turned the shanks on the big ones so a 1/2" drill does it. Seldom use those big monsters.

After drilling I use emery cloth on a dowel and roll the die up and down my leather covered pants leg until I have the desired diameter. They get tested often when nearing the final diameter.
Then reheat and drop in old oil.
Keep-e rolling troop ! Mike in LLama Land

[44magLeo]

Just for S&G I went to NOE.
The sizer body kit is $39.95
Push rod $7.95
Then $9.75 bushings in your case from .264 to .270 in .001 increments.
They even have bushings to size just the nose of the bullets.
In contrast the Lee Breech lock kit is $15.
The bushings are $12. And they come with a nose punch.
Except you want a size they don't make so the custom Bushing will be $20.
I think I might go with the Lee breech lock kit.
It's designed for the APP press but it should work in any breech lock press, just not as efficiently.
Leo

[country gent]

With just the drill press getting the hole centered and straight is going to require some set up work. But it can be done. drill press and vise. a grade 8 or allen cap head head bolt 7/8 14. drills a piece of wire ( unless you have a small indicator). A small brass hammer and some good clamps.

clamp the the bolt in the vise clear snug to the bed with the head on one side of jaw. you need it above the jaw some. Lightly vlamp close to center. set vise on sided with any bolt end sticking out in the table hole or raise up. Chuck wire in chuck. bend to touch bolt bolt at top and lower adjust bolt to where wire just touches top and bottom, a slip of paper between should have the same tension top and bottom. Tap to adjust bolt to get this. Next bend the wire in a shape that comes in under the bolt head and find the highest spot adjust wire to just touch turning chuck 180 tap over half the distance and then 90* to this. work these to where the paper is the same tension at all 4 points. recheck the up and down. Keep working to where the paper is the same tension.

Center drill hole and drill thru or to depth with a pilot drill pecking as you go use a good cutting oils and peck every .060 or so. a to long bolt actual helps here as you have a blind hole. Go slightly bigger and again drill using oil and pecking to keep hole straight and true to depth. If you have the blind hole then just fill the hole with oil. last drill with the desired size drill to polish from again pecking and oil.

here you have to decide how you want to do this. you can remove cut of end and polish thru or lrave the ennnnnd and polish then remove the end and cut a leade in with a taper pin reamer then polish the end thru by hand.

Use oil, drill slow and easy. clear chips every .060 use sharp well ground drills. an uneven or off center point will cause the drill to walk off as will chips loading. these will also destroy the finish.
When polishing use oil to help clean the paper keep the paper and mandrel a snug fit run slow rpms and fast feed up and down set mandrel and table so the lap cant come out the bottom or top. Start at 220 grit and work up to 600 or so then a flannel patch with a fine polishing compound on it. Here simichrome flitz rouges or toothpaste and a little water in place of the oil. Check size as you go calipers in the cleaned bore or size a few bullets and mic

The set up will take the longest and then the lapping to size. Taper pins are around a 7* included angle and give a nice leade into the die.

[tankgunner59]

Yeah Mike I know what you mean. I was 19E on the old M60 series tanks, also a M48A5 in South Korea. That was a long time ago.
What I was thinking is to get a sizing die for .243 caliber and using a 17/64 high speed steel drill bit, some honing oil and drill press set to run slow to bring it to .2656 for my 6.5 (.264). Then polish it with some 500 grit abrasive paper. Since the pills drop at .266 it should be doable.
In the video he's taking off .002, I'd be taking off .023, and I'd be concerned with the uniformity of my hand honing.
Just did a check and nobody has the complete custom breechlock sizing kits in stock. Some say no back order. So it looks like getting a 243 sizing die and either drilling or honing to 265. Gonna have to figure out which way to go.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello tankgunner59,

The method shown in video is okay for .002",
but to go .021" I'm sure it wont be round.
Also I doubt you'll be able to run a drill bit through it.
Unless of course you use carbide, still not a walk in the park.

AntiqueSledMan.

[missionary5155]

You also could get and adjustable reamer and slowly ream that die. But again I would first red hot it so you are not trying to ream hardened steel. Plain old Charcoal and a hair blower will get it done.
Most any hardware (Harbor Freight) sell inexpensive OK reamers I think Decatur has a Harbor Freight. Use you drill press to keep it all lined up, perpendicular and turn the reamer by hand.

[tankgunner59]

I might try that, but first I'm checking with our CB brother Buckshot. I stumbled on to a thread from '08 when he told another member he could make a lee type bullet sizing die. I'm waiting for a reply to my PM to him. If he doesn't make them any longer I'll go to plan B on honing out a 243 sizing die.

[missionary5155]

Again if you can un-harden that die it will ream much easier. Plain fire, charcoal with a blower... does not take to much.

[tankgunner59]

Again if you can un-harden that die it will ream much easier. Plain fire, charcoal with a blower... does not take to much.

Thanks Mike, that's plan B which is still in play. I have a charcoal grill I can use for that but actually it will be less expensive if Buckshot has one to ship to me. If I use plan B I have to pay $20 for the die + shipping, buy the bits for reaming it out and some abrasive paper to polish it after honing. For me cost is a number 1 consideration.

[Rich/WIS]

Lathesmith, one of our sponsors, also makes custom sizers, not sure if he makes them for the Lee.

[tankgunner59]

Thanks Rich, I'll try to contact him if Buckshot doesn't have one. Buckshot told me he shut down his shop in '16 but has some dies he still sells. I'm waiting for him to let me know if he still has a 6.5 (.265)

[tankgunner59]

Yeah Mike I know what you mean. I was 19E on the old M60 series tanks, also a M48A5 in South Korea. That was a long time ago.
What I was thinking is to get a sizing die for .243 caliber and using a 17/64 high speed steel drill bit, some honing oil and drill press set to run slow to bring it to .2656 for my 6.5 (.264). Then polish it with some 500 grit abrasive paper. Since the pills drop at .266 it should be doable.
In the video he's taking off .002, I'd be taking off .023, and I'd be concerned with the uniformity of my hand honing.
Just did a check and nobody has the complete custom breechlock sizing kits in stock. Some say no back order. So it looks like getting a 243 sizing die and either drilling or honing to 265. Gonna have to figure out which way to go.

If I can't find a die I have decided to use the heat and drill method using a 1/4" (.250) then use abrasive paper and finish the job. Either way it will be cheaper and less time than getting a custom die from Lee. When I checked they said on their web page the lead time is 6-8 weeks.

[frkelly74]

I tried to do exactly what you are describing. I could not get a high speed steel 17/64 bit to cut the Lee die body, so I got a 17/64 carbide bit off ebay for about $8 and bored out the .243 die in one shot and then polished the hole with abrasive cloth. I was after e .268 finish size and got pretty close. It is crude but effective.

[tankgunner59]

I tried to do exactly what you are describing. I could not get a high speed steel 17/64 bit to cut the Lee die body, so I got a 17/64 carbide bit off ebay for about $8 and bored out the .243 die in one shot and then polished the hole with abrasive cloth. I was after e .268 finish size and got pretty close. It is crude but effective.

Thanks frkelly good to know, that's what I found out in my research. I found a youtube video a guy did in his shop answering questions from his subscribers. Only he was drilling through some hardened files. The best one he used he got from, of all places, harbor freight. It was a odd looking carbide bit that kind of looked like a tiny shovel head, there were 5 or 6 in a package. But it cut right through with no problem and virtually no damage to the bit. All he did, which we would all do, is use some oil on the bit.
I was thinking of getting the carbide bits and use the 1/4 inch bit to take the die out to .250 and then use some abrasive cloth to get it to .265, (my bore is right at .264). then I'm only looking at using the cloth to hone out .015 rather than .023. I checked 17/64 on my conversion chart and it's .265625. I don't know if that would be to much or not. As long as I can get my pills sized for my rifle and get the gas checks seated I'm fine with it. Foremost is I'm not going to get in a hurry, that has bitten me in the backside many times before in my life, so I have to avoid that.
Buckshot recommended 2 other machinists here and I'm gonna check with them.

[BrassMagnet]

I vote to buy the NOE.
It will cost a little more when you also need to buy the die, but adding more calibers later will be very economical.
I just looked on Titan reloading a few minutes ago and saw .264 wasn’t listed. No wonder I didn’t have .264 when I needed one.

[tankgunner59]

I contacted Lathesmith, he said he's not making Lee type dies right now. I also contacted ammohead as Buckshot suggested, and haven't heard back from him yet. It's looking like buying a 6mm (.243) die and doing some drilling and honing is going to be my method.

[44magLeo]

If you want something from NOE, why not just go to NOE?
Leo

[country gent]

carbide will cut hardened steel but taking small amounts like your talking they also tend to pinch grab and bind. Spade drills do good in die steels and hard steels but do best with a full cut to keep centered and cutting to size. your talking .0075 on a side going from .243 - .265. A carbide reamer may be more appropriate, it will give a better finish and size and is meant for these smaller cuts. The reamer will also give a rounder hole.

The lees dies are relieved to a narrow band that is to size. there is the leade in to the sizing band and then they are relieved down from the top. You can easily re-cut the leade with a wood dowel and tapered end and lapping compound or sand paper on a tapered mandrel. I use a 5* on a side angle cut on a wood dowel and lapping compound to cut / polish it in. The upper relief may be enough for the new bullet on a .243 die. If so then use your leade in dowel to reach in and break the sharp edge on the band.

The leade into the die is important so it squeezes down not shaves lead off.

[tankgunner59]

Well the good news for me is Buckshot has a couple lee type sizing dies in .265 still in his inventory. So I'm going to buy one of his and the problem will be solved. Mailed everything off to Buckshot today, and now I wait till it arrives.

:drinks:

[Scrounge]

I contacted Lathesmith, he said he's not making Lee type dies right now. I also contacted ammohead as Buckshot suggested, and haven't heard back from him yet. It's looking like buying a 6mm (.243) die and doing some drilling and honing is going to be my method.

A letter G drill is .2610", a letter H drill is .2660", and you can order them from Amazon, Ebay, or Grainger. That will be between .007 and .002 to get to .268 by lapping or honing. That assumes the drill is properly sharpened and doesn't drill oversize. A lot of drills will drill oversize by a couple of thousandths of an inch.

[Alferd Packer]

I have mostly Lee products in my reloading room, and want to stay with it as much as I can, mainly because I don't want to buy a lubrisizer for one caliber. I bought a Lyman 266469 mould for my 6.5 Creedmoor and cast some bullets today. I am now in need of a bullet sizing die that Lee does not make, and as said before I don't have the funds to buy a lubrisizer, especially for one caliber only.
So to my request; to all of you here who have the knowledge, with only a drill press for machinery, how would I go about honing a .243 bullet sizing die to .265? Can it be done simply on a drill press? What special tools will I need? Mind you this would be a one and done so I'm looking for the most inexpensive method possible. Before anyone asks I have good mechanical aptitude, and am good at understanding an explained procedure. I am just not well versed in machining techniques.

Looking at my conversion table, would it be prudent to get a die for .243 and use a 17/64" drill bit to increase diameter to just over .265? Just looking for the informed opinions I know we have here on the forums.
Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

Not for nothing, but have you slugged your bore?
Also, what size are the bullets' diameter as they come from the mould.
Maybe worth a look see and a little work with a mic.
It is just to give you a little more info to work with unless you already know these dimensions?
I have a couple .30 cals that I can hand lube the cast bullets and shoot them the size they drop from the cast.
They are from LEE moulds by the way.

[rbuck351]

I would check the size as cast and if is .265 or larger, I would lube it and shoot it. Your barrel works like a sizer die and it will size down anything within 3 or 4 thou oversize to a perfect fit.