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Thread: Anyone here make custom H&I dies

  1. #1
    Boolit Master


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    Anyone here make custom H&I dies

    Hello There!
    Does anyone on the site make custom H&I sizing/lubricating dies? I am in need of a .351" die.
    Thanks for any help and direction.
    Rick

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    S&S Firearms will make custom dies.Buffalo Arms may offer them as well.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Don't know if he still does it, but;

    ammohead@castboolits

  4. #4
    Moderator Emeritus


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    Quote Originally Posted by RickinTN View Post
    Hello There!
    Does anyone on the site make custom H&I sizing/lubricating dies? I am in need of a .351" die.
    Thanks for any help and direction.
    Rick
    I hope this is not a "bad direction" -- but if you can get your hands on a .348 H&I die, which is a standard offering, perhaps .003" enlargement -- about the thickness of some human hairs -- might be accomplished with a small lathe, if you have; or, I'd think you'd not need "mortgage the house" to perhaps have a local machinist to do this for you?

  5. #5
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    This:

    https://castboolits.gunloads.com/for...-s-Custom-Dies

    Unless he's retired, but I don't think so.

    Never mind, just went to his page, as of 11-30-22 he's joined the leisure class. Good for him.

    Bummer for us.

    He made nice sizers. Guess I procrastinated a little to long on getting a couple that I need ordered.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by 15meter View Post
    This:

    https://castboolits.gunloads.com/for...-s-Custom-Dies

    Unless he's retired, but I don't think so.

    Never mind, just went to his page, as of 11-30-22 he's joined the leisure class. Good for him.

    Bummer for us.

    He made nice sizers. Guess I procrastinated a little to long on getting a couple that I need ordered.
    I talked to him a bit before he made the announcement that he was going to stop offering the service. I have been lining up tooling and raw material to make custom Star dies and offer then for sale. The H&I dies should be if anything simpler than the Star dies IMHO. My intention is to purchase a vendor sponsor section.

    Bill
    Both ends WHAT a player

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Willbird View Post
    I talked to him a bit before he made the announcement that he was going to stop offering the service. I have been lining up tooling and raw material to make custom Star dies and offer then for sale. The H&I dies should be if anything simpler than the Star dies IMHO. My intention is to purchase a vendor sponsor section.

    Bill

    You should also look at offering custom Dillon powder funnels, I’ll order 2-3 if you do.
    8500' Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado

  8. #8
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by tja6435 View Post
    You should also look at offering custom Dillon powder funnels, I’ll order 2-3 if you do.
    My plans were to make anything feasible that customers want. I have a few Dillon die sets of my own to look at as examples. I have made some custom Lee powder through expanders for somebody here on the board and that went well. Planning to offer what the customer desires and not dictate to the customer what they should want .

    1983 to 2008 my career was cnc and manual machinist so making parts to blueprint or designing simple parts was a big part of that.

    Bill
    Both ends WHAT a player

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy Reverend Recoil's Avatar
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    I ordered a 0.368" die from S&S Firearms yesterday. I will let you know what I get when it arrives.
    DRB #2276 President's Hundred 2021

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Willbird View Post
    My plans were to make anything feasible that customers want. I have a few Dillon die sets of my own to look at as examples. I have made some custom Lee powder through expanders for somebody here on the board and that went well. Planning to offer what the customer desires and not dictate to the customer what they should want .

    1983 to 2008 my career was cnc and manual machinist so making parts to blueprint or designing simple parts was a big part of that.

    Bill

    I wish you were my neighbor
    8500' Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado

  11. #11
    Boolit Master


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    I don't remember which day last week I ordered a .351 die. I have already received an e-mail that it has shipped.
    Thanks all,
    Rick

  12. #12
    Frosted Boolits

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    Bill, I am also a machinist. Are you planning on running these on a cnc lathe? If so I could help you out with any design, drawing, or programming (g code). I have a Mastercam seat at work and can draw solid models and spit out programs if needed. They may have to be tweaked as my posts are for Okumas and Doosans. Let me know if you need help.
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  13. #13
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by IllinoisCoyoteHunter View Post
    Bill, I am also a machinist. Are you planning on running these on a cnc lathe? If so I could help you out with any design, drawing, or programming (g code). I have a Mastercam seat at work and can draw solid models and spit out programs if needed. They may have to be tweaked as my posts are for Okumas and Doosans. Let me know if you need help.
    I would be doing it purely manual. CNC would be the quickest way and easiest way to get really consistent results with the least amount of operator skill. But the cost per hour is also a lot higher. One past job the whole shop was equipped with Mazak lathes that all had sub spindles. All of these types of parts would be super easy that way, but their shop rate was $125 an hour in 2002 as well so many folks would not want to pay the price. We also had cnc and manual OD and ID grinders, and a half dozen sunnen hones that again would be helpful, but expensive to support .

    Thanks for the offer to help though . I used BobCad quite a bit for CNC mill to generate complex tool paths, I never bothered with POST...I would just hand write the beginning and end. Used lots of subroutines where the same tool path was used for rough and finish...just wrote for a 0" dia tool and inserted a larger dia offset for roughing profile.

    Bill
    Both ends WHAT a player

  14. #14
    Frosted Boolits

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    Understand completely. That’s about what our shop rate. I program and run a Doosan with a subspindle and live tooling. It keeps me busy lol.
    My Feedback : http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...iscoyotehunter

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  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy Reverend Recoil's Avatar
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    The 0.368” die from S&S came in. Sized bullets measured 0.3685”. That will work for me.
    DRB #2276 President's Hundred 2021

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Doesn't Lathesmith make sizing die as well? I thought I read some posts last year that he does that. I guess he'd be the one to ask whether he does that kind of work.

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