Marlin Hunter
02-19-2010, 04:30 AM
This is information on the modification I made to my RCBS lube sizer. Lyman lube sizer should also work. I am not a professional writer or photographer so some of this may not be 100% clear.
I did not like the idea of running a bullet through a lube sizer base first and the added expense of a separate top punch for different boolit shapes of the same caliber. I liked the idea of the Lee sizer where the boolit is pushed through nose first while also being able to install the gas check in the same operation. I could not afford a Star lube sizer so I came up with an idea to convert my RCBS unit to a nose first bottom eject lube sizer. (All dimensions listed are in Inches. To convert to Metric multiply by 25.4001 or divide by 0.03937)
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970904.jpg
My first idea was to make a universal flat-bottom top (base) punch which would be used to push the boolit into the sizer nose first to the proper depth so that when it bottoms out the base of the boolit would be 0.075 above the top lube hole. With this method a gas check could be installed if so desired. The above picture shows the flat bottom punch next to the Lyman sizer. The two items on the far right where suppose to be used to finish pushing the boolit through the sizer and out the bottom after the boolit was lubed. The problem was that the one second from the right was too tall to fit between the bottom sizer and top punch. The one on the far right was my second attempt, but the step was too short and I could not grab it to pull it back out of the sizer. The step/recess you see in the right punch was suppose to match up with the top-punch. The reason why I wanted to use a push-through punch was that I did not want to use one boolit to push another boolit through the sizer because doing so might damage either the nose or base of the boolit.
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970907.jpg
The next idea I had was to use the same flat base top-punch with a separate straight push-through punch. The push through punches are ~1.275” long and approximately 0.010 smaller in diameter than the sizer. The sizer is 1.560” long. The top-punch (0.300”) plus the push-through punch (1.275”) is equal to ~ 1.575” or slightly longer than the die. The idea was that with the top punch bottomed out on the top of the sizer, the through punch would have pushed the boolit completely through of the sizer and out the bottom. I did not want the through-punch to come out or fall through the sizer after the boolit dropped out because it might damage either the boolit or the through-punch. I came up with the idea to use an O-ring to supply some tension to the sizer to prevent the through punch from falling out of the sizer. I asked in another thread, whether there were any boolits shorter than 1/2” because I needed to know where to put the O-ring groove. When the next boolit is put in the sizer and the top punch is bottomed out, the through-punch needs to be free to drop out the sizer. The O-ring grooves are 0.400” from the edge of the part. The above picture shows the top punches in size (left to right) 0.448” for 45 rifle and 45 pistol, 0.425” for 44 cal, 0.395”for 41 cal or 40cal/10mm, 0.350” for 38/357/9mm, and 0.300” for 30 cal rifle. The though-punches on the bottom are (left to right) are 0.450”, 0.440”, 0.420”, 0.395”, 0.350”, and two 0.300”, one with O-ring groove and one without. The reason why the 41/40 through-punch has 2 grooves is because one groove is to hold an O-ring for 41 cal sizer, and the other is for an O-ring for the 40/10mm sizer. I made an extra one for 45 caliber so that is why I didn't double up on those. There are two 30 cal through-punches because I wasn't sure if the O-ring groove would weaken the punch too much and cause it to break. I used cheap steel since that is what I had available to me.
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970906.jpg
I needed to plug up the bottom holes on the Lyman sizer so that lube would not squirt out on the nose of the boolit. I looked at several non-permanent methods, but the easiest and cheapest was to use some Vinyl tubing (3/4” OD x 5/8” ID). I cut it to 1/2” and pushed it onto the sizer-die. I installed the die into the lube press and tightened the locking cap. Doing this pushed the Vinyl tubing up to it's highest position needed to fit into the press. I removed the die and moved the tubing up a little more to give some free space in between the tubing and the press. I then used an X-acto knife to cut flared clearance holes for the top lube holes.
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970911.jpg
Here is a close-up of the sizer-die with the Vinyl tubing installed and top holes flared with X-acto knife.
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970908.jpg
This is a picture of how the boolit and through-punch will go into the press. I made a little wooden trough/pan that mounts to the bottom of the press with a 3/8” fine thread bolt (screw).
<Continued in next post>
I did not like the idea of running a bullet through a lube sizer base first and the added expense of a separate top punch for different boolit shapes of the same caliber. I liked the idea of the Lee sizer where the boolit is pushed through nose first while also being able to install the gas check in the same operation. I could not afford a Star lube sizer so I came up with an idea to convert my RCBS unit to a nose first bottom eject lube sizer. (All dimensions listed are in Inches. To convert to Metric multiply by 25.4001 or divide by 0.03937)
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970904.jpg
My first idea was to make a universal flat-bottom top (base) punch which would be used to push the boolit into the sizer nose first to the proper depth so that when it bottoms out the base of the boolit would be 0.075 above the top lube hole. With this method a gas check could be installed if so desired. The above picture shows the flat bottom punch next to the Lyman sizer. The two items on the far right where suppose to be used to finish pushing the boolit through the sizer and out the bottom after the boolit was lubed. The problem was that the one second from the right was too tall to fit between the bottom sizer and top punch. The one on the far right was my second attempt, but the step was too short and I could not grab it to pull it back out of the sizer. The step/recess you see in the right punch was suppose to match up with the top-punch. The reason why I wanted to use a push-through punch was that I did not want to use one boolit to push another boolit through the sizer because doing so might damage either the nose or base of the boolit.
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970907.jpg
The next idea I had was to use the same flat base top-punch with a separate straight push-through punch. The push through punches are ~1.275” long and approximately 0.010 smaller in diameter than the sizer. The sizer is 1.560” long. The top-punch (0.300”) plus the push-through punch (1.275”) is equal to ~ 1.575” or slightly longer than the die. The idea was that with the top punch bottomed out on the top of the sizer, the through punch would have pushed the boolit completely through of the sizer and out the bottom. I did not want the through-punch to come out or fall through the sizer after the boolit dropped out because it might damage either the boolit or the through-punch. I came up with the idea to use an O-ring to supply some tension to the sizer to prevent the through punch from falling out of the sizer. I asked in another thread, whether there were any boolits shorter than 1/2” because I needed to know where to put the O-ring groove. When the next boolit is put in the sizer and the top punch is bottomed out, the through-punch needs to be free to drop out the sizer. The O-ring grooves are 0.400” from the edge of the part. The above picture shows the top punches in size (left to right) 0.448” for 45 rifle and 45 pistol, 0.425” for 44 cal, 0.395”for 41 cal or 40cal/10mm, 0.350” for 38/357/9mm, and 0.300” for 30 cal rifle. The though-punches on the bottom are (left to right) are 0.450”, 0.440”, 0.420”, 0.395”, 0.350”, and two 0.300”, one with O-ring groove and one without. The reason why the 41/40 through-punch has 2 grooves is because one groove is to hold an O-ring for 41 cal sizer, and the other is for an O-ring for the 40/10mm sizer. I made an extra one for 45 caliber so that is why I didn't double up on those. There are two 30 cal through-punches because I wasn't sure if the O-ring groove would weaken the punch too much and cause it to break. I used cheap steel since that is what I had available to me.
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970906.jpg
I needed to plug up the bottom holes on the Lyman sizer so that lube would not squirt out on the nose of the boolit. I looked at several non-permanent methods, but the easiest and cheapest was to use some Vinyl tubing (3/4” OD x 5/8” ID). I cut it to 1/2” and pushed it onto the sizer-die. I installed the die into the lube press and tightened the locking cap. Doing this pushed the Vinyl tubing up to it's highest position needed to fit into the press. I removed the die and moved the tubing up a little more to give some free space in between the tubing and the press. I then used an X-acto knife to cut flared clearance holes for the top lube holes.
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970911.jpg
Here is a close-up of the sizer-die with the Vinyl tubing installed and top holes flared with X-acto knife.
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2370/12829840/22827940/382970908.jpg
This is a picture of how the boolit and through-punch will go into the press. I made a little wooden trough/pan that mounts to the bottom of the press with a 3/8” fine thread bolt (screw).
<Continued in next post>