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Thread: Sizer die with scratches in the drive bands

  1. #1
    Boolit Master FISH4BUGS's Avatar
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    Sizer die with scratches in the drive bands

    I relocated some holes in my 452 sizer die and now the sized and lubed bullets have little lines in them.
    Faint and just a few but there nonetheless.
    I know what they are from - left over shot from a formerly plugged hole that is now open.
    I took a 50 cal bronze brush and ran it through the die 100 times. It improved but did NOT get rid of the lines.
    Is there something i can do OTHER THAN running the brush through there another 200 times and maybe or maybe not correcting the problem? I am just looking for a short cut that won't damage the sizer die.
    I am thinking of a fine wet sandpaper around a dowel but I don't want to scratch the die.
    Your thoughts?
    Collector and shooter of guns and other items that require a tax stamp, Lead and brass scrounger. Never too much brass, lead or components in inventory! Always looking to win beauty contests with my reloads.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    metricmonkeywrench's Avatar
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    Look up Flexhone from brushresearch.com... may have just what your looking for.

    I got a set to clean up some steel sizing dies and it did wonders for them. Chucked them up in the drill press, oiled it all down and ran them at the recommended speed... easy-peasy.

    Haven't tried them on sizer dies yet but i think they should have the same result

  3. #3
    Boolit Master


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    Run some 600 grit wet or dry on a dowel through the die. You're going to scratch it, just in a controlled fashion.
    Rick

  4. #4
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    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Take a piece of sand paper in the 600 grit range, and cut it skinny so it fits over a pencil eraser, long enough you can tape it on. Then use the sandpaper covered eraser tip to sand just the hole that's causing grief. This will cause a small section of the internal to be slightly out of round, but it won't affect the size or roundness of the bullets as you'll only be removing a few ten thousandths.

    Or you might try running the bore brush in a drill boy forward and reverse and seeing if that clears it up.

  6. #6
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    I use Varmint Al's method for removing scratches from sizing dies, and it works like a charm. It should also work on a bullet sizing die, and you won't scratch the die or remove a large amount of metal.

    Here's the link: http://varmintal.com/arelo.htm#Polish

    Hope this helps.

    Fred
    After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. - William S. Burroughs.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master FISH4BUGS's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by skeettx View Post
    I did exactly that.
    The only thing different is that I did 100 passes through the sizer die with a 50 cal brush.
    Maybe I need to do 200?
    That's next, but lots of other options to explore.
    Many thanks to all.
    Collector and shooter of guns and other items that require a tax stamp, Lead and brass scrounger. Never too much brass, lead or components in inventory! Always looking to win beauty contests with my reloads.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Sizing dies are not all that hard mind you. I opened up my .430 to .431 easily with 600 grit paper. I didn't have a lathe, so I stuck the center pin in just under half way and used black tape to hold it to the body. Then I was able to chuck the pin in my drill. Spun the die and used sandpaper on a dowel. It worked for a backwoods expedient way.

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