BT Sniper
12-18-2009, 05:02 AM
Been holding off posting these pics as it really made a difference in the performance of the dies I use and felt like the info could be worth somthing so I will leave the brand name blank as it wouldn't be much fun to see them come out with a new and improved version tommorow. OK now that I am threw patting myself on the back (hope I don't come across that way) here is some of my early work on improvment ideas and my first attempts at making anything with my vertical lathe. I must say that my work has improved since these where taken and I'm not sure I even use these examples any more as I had to much fun making them and just had to make better ones.
Here is some pics of booth the factory internial parts and mine next to them layed out in the postion that they would be in the die. The factory part held together with an allen set screw would come loose and fall out the bottom after time. the beveled top where the set screw is in would bell out the threaded stop bolt above it causing problems. So I just made a floating piston of such that would be supported by much stronger and more flat surface area of a standard bolt with the 1/4" hole drilled threw it and the 1/4" bolt used to eject/push down on the whole set up from above to eject the bullet. All the parts I made from bolts purchased from the local hardware store and are still just as good today as when I made them a year ago.
Enjoy the pics. It should help those of you that have never used a swage die before understand the process and for those of you that have maybe give you an idea how to improve it.
For those of you that recognise the dies and possibly have the same brand I have made these improvments with all the calibers and could be convinced to make set for you. I would be happly to pm you some pics of the quality I am able to achive now that I have had a lot more experience since these pics where taken. On a side note I have been able to use wheel weight cores for quite some time now with no detramental effects as long as some caution is used.
Good shooting,
BT Sniper
here is the stock parts
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/stockparts.jpg
here is what I made to replace them
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/myparts.jpg
here is a side by side of the swage die with all the parts
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/44caldies.jpg
and here is a side by side of the core seat die
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/44calcoreseatdie.jpg
Here is some pics of booth the factory internial parts and mine next to them layed out in the postion that they would be in the die. The factory part held together with an allen set screw would come loose and fall out the bottom after time. the beveled top where the set screw is in would bell out the threaded stop bolt above it causing problems. So I just made a floating piston of such that would be supported by much stronger and more flat surface area of a standard bolt with the 1/4" hole drilled threw it and the 1/4" bolt used to eject/push down on the whole set up from above to eject the bullet. All the parts I made from bolts purchased from the local hardware store and are still just as good today as when I made them a year ago.
Enjoy the pics. It should help those of you that have never used a swage die before understand the process and for those of you that have maybe give you an idea how to improve it.
For those of you that recognise the dies and possibly have the same brand I have made these improvments with all the calibers and could be convinced to make set for you. I would be happly to pm you some pics of the quality I am able to achive now that I have had a lot more experience since these pics where taken. On a side note I have been able to use wheel weight cores for quite some time now with no detramental effects as long as some caution is used.
Good shooting,
BT Sniper
here is the stock parts
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/stockparts.jpg
here is what I made to replace them
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/myparts.jpg
here is a side by side of the swage die with all the parts
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/44caldies.jpg
and here is a side by side of the core seat die
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/44calcoreseatdie.jpg