using lee sizer to make checks

[edsmith]

I like to find to find diifferant ways to do things,I was sizing some 357 boolits,when the thought came to me that a lee sizer could be used to make checks. I came up with a way,if you have a sizer,it is cheep,I made a guide that fits in the end of the sizer for the punch rod,the end of the sizer is 3/4 in. I bored a 3/4 in. hole in a 1 inch section of 7/8 alu. round stock that I had,the 3/4 hole is 1/4in. deep,then I drilled a 11/32 hole all the way through,that for the punch rod,I used a section of 11/32 drill rod that I sanded to .338 on the end that forms the check.the guide slips over the 3/4in. end of the sizer. the end of the sizer is beveled,place a disc in the center of the sizer,slip the guide over the sized,put the rod in the guide hole then wack with a plastic mallet untill the check comes out the other end.a little smear of alox on the bevel will help hold the disc in place,it must be centered perfect.it is slow but if you don't need a lot of checks,this will save spending a lot money on a ready made,$10 is a lot of money to me.I live on SSI :) is this practical? mabey,mabey not.depends. to make disc cutter,get a small block of steel,drill a 11.25mm hole through it,saw a slit in it for the alu. or copp. strip, grind or sand the solid end of the drill bit so the edge is sharp,put strip in slot wack with mallet.

[Outdoors]

I would love to see some pix, if you can!

Pat

[edsmith]

disc in sizer

[edsmith]

guide in place

[waksupi]

Nice job, Ed!

[DLCTEX]

Now all you need to do is to get the punch to fit in the shell holder of a press. Good idea.

[Fat-beeman]

hey Ed
you think same way on the 30 cal or 8 mm? you interested in making some for sale? those checks you sent worked fine nice groups. 35 rem at 100 yds less then 1 and 1/2 inch I took several deer last yr with gas checks and 200 gr using blue dot
thanks
Don

[geargnasher]

Nice job, looks like something I'd come up with! I was thinking about using an abrasive cut-off disc to cut a slit in a Lee sizer die body and punch disks with that. after cutting almost all the way through the die body I would install the punch for alignment and tack-weld the open side back together, leaving a supported slot. Didn't get so far as a forming base, but that should be the easy part.

FYI you can use the ram shellholder adapter any number of single-stage press "ram prime" attachments for your rig, the shellholder has a support collar for a rod, you could turn the base of your punch rod to fit that shellholder adapter.

Gear

[rbuck351]

Here is what I did to cut the discshttp://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu350/Buck48_photos/DSCN0758.jpg It's just a piece of 7/8x14 all thread with a hole drilled and a hacksaw slot and a bolt turned to size with the end cut concave

[bertus]

Ed, how about drillng and tapping a shellholder to fit the pushrod?

[edsmith]

good idea, I will make a rod out of a long bolt, I will have figgure some way to hold the check disc in place, I think I will have to redo the guide.

[bertus]

mayby just shorten the guide,I have been playing with the same idea that you had btw but not having a lathe and such I had to shelve the project