Universal Top Punches

[Jim22]

I am loading cast boolits for .35 caliber rifles, etc. I have several moulds from different mould makers but they all have flat noses. I have found that the top punches I have for my Lyman lube sizer don't fit them all. The skirt on the top punch deforms some of the boolits. I was wondering if anyone here knows of a supplier for top punches that don't have skirts on them - that I could use with all my .35 boolits? Or should I make my own from aluminum bar stock?

Jim

[ShooterAZ]

Accurate makes them. I bought one of his "assortments", in different calibers that fit nearly all of my flat nosed bullets. You could always make your own as well.

https://www.accuratemolds.com/topPunch.php

[Winger Ed.]

Making your own is good. I'd use steel if I was doing it though.

Also, if you have an extra or expendable punch, grind the skirt off.
If you ever think you'll need it again in the original shape-- fill the end with JB weld and sand it flat.
Heating JB weld to about 450 will make it turn to ash.

[waco]

https://accuratemolds.com/topPunch.php

[C.F.Plinker]

I'll second winger Ed's idea of filling one of your existing punches with JBWeld. Another idea is to just use a short length of 1/4 inch steel or iron rod. Another would be to get a 1/4 inch bolt and put a nut on it up against the smooth section to serve as a shoulder, then cut the threaded portion as well as the smooth portion off to around 3/8" long and fill smooth and square.

[Jim22]

Thank you all for your collective input. I followed the links and made my order. Site says they are five weeks out. Oh, well. Thanks again.

Jim

[waco]

Thank you all for your collective input. I followed the links and made my order. Site says they are five weeks out. Oh, well. Thanks again.

Jim

Top punches should ship out faster. That is wait time on molds.

[John Guedry]

I use a1/4" bolt.

[alamogunr]

Another link for top punches:

https://www.artfulbullet.com/index.php?threads/top-punches-for-sale.3328/

[gwpercle]

A very simple way to make a flat punch for sizer or bullet seating die is to take any nose shape you have and fill the cavity with J-B Weld Epoxy , let harden and cure , sand dead flat ,,, Tah-Dah ...
Flat nose punch ... use on any boolit with a flat spot on it .
Truth be known if careful you can seat round nose boolits with it too , just start boolits in case straight and the flat punch will push them right in .

Chances are you already have some epoxy somewhere around the house ...it isn't hard to do , no tools required except a little sandpaper . Place sandpaper on flat surface and rub nose back and forth untill dead flat...easy peasy !
Gary

[alamogunr]

Using the source I linked in Post #9(I found him when he was a member here), I used his cup punches in the correct caliber and filled the cavity with slow set hot glue and immediately inserted the punch into the sizer. Then set the boolit to be sized and lowered the punch down to form the boolit nose in the hot glue.

Admittedly, it won't last for thousands of boolits sized but has worked for hundreds even though a little ragged now.

Someone else came up with this idea to use hot glue.

[beagle]

Take a spare, TP, chuck in an electric drill and using a flat file, turn it flat. Got half a dozen on the bench like that in various diameters. Works good./beagle

[Jim22]

I use a1/4" bolt.

That sounds easy but don't most bolts have some letters, numbers, etc. on their head? I'd prolly have to file off the lumps.

Jim

[Jim22]

Top punches should ship out faster. That is wait time on molds.

Looks like you were right. My top punch order arrived today. Thanks, all.

Jim