lead ire extrusion die

[GerryM]

Hi Guys I get quite a bit of scrap extruding cores o weight.
I could use an extruding die to recycle the scrap into usable wire.
does anyone make one that will work in the rock chucker press.
and How much?
Gerry

[seppos]

Depends the diameter of the wire you want to produce. Also the sizes of the tools would be limited. Best would be to consruct for little hydraulic press as it gives more force and is sturdier.
Harbor wreight has the smallest 6 ton press with price 79.95.
That would work just fine.

Basicly you just need a simple die and a punch.


S

[seppos]

I do it so, that have a lead pot by the side of the press, and pour molten lead to the die. Immediately after it is solid, i put the punch in and the set to the press.. as the lead is still hot, it flows better and does not need that much pressure. When it is empty, i pull the punch out, pour the lead.. so on, so on..
Quick and easy.

S

[Zbench]

Gerry,

It's not really practical with a press. The problem is you only have enough pressure to get lead to move at the very top of the stroke. To get it to work, you need to screw the die down over and over until you are out of threads or lead. It's not much fun and pretty tedious. +1 for a real hydraulic press, I extrude miles with my corbin hydro.

[runfiverun]

that's why I have core molds.
the little specks go back in the pot.

[rmatchell]

I have both cast and extruded my cores. On a press its doable just a pain if you want alot. I picked up a 20 ton h press off of craigslist and made a crude die to extrude and it was like butter until I tried the die on a 100 ton press and destroyed it.

Either way you go you will be able to get wire made

[GerryM]

ON that 20 ton press what size was your wire slug?
I have 20 ton shop press.

[seppos]

In a 15 ton press I used 0.70 inch punch. Makes easy wire for .30.

S

[rmatchell]

I used 1/2 inch billets to make .187 wire

[GerryM]

Thank you for that information. Just wondering about surface area vs pressure required to swag 187 wire,

[Zbench]

The smaller the size wire, the more pressure it requires. The Corbin Hydro I use can extrude .185 wire at about 1400#. It is capable of generating a little over 2000#. This is the fluid pressure in the system though, not the pressure generated inside the die. I do know that even though the Hydro that can generate 20,000# of pressure inside the die can't extrude .120 wire as a single orifice. The way you get around it is to have a die with multiple orifices and it will then work as even though the holes are small, it's the total surface area that determines if you can extrude it or not.

[lead chucker]

I made one to make wire for my 223 cores. I use it in my rock chucker press. I use a 200 grain 30 cal lead bullet. I can get three cores out of on bullet. I don't use it any more now that I have a core mold. The lead extruder was an easy die to make. I made a longer handle for my press and that made life easier.

[seppos]

Everybody is talking about the core molds. Should sketch up something..

S

[Sitzme]

I use a 20 ton press to extrude wire for .223. I cast the slug at about .75 dia x 5" long and also try to have it warm when extruding.

A while back I found a design that pressed the die through the lead in the cylinder. The punch is hollow and is on the bottom, the die sits on top of the punch and the cylinder with the lead is pushed down onto it. The cylinder has a removable cap to seal the end and there is almost no leakage. The advantage to this method is that it eliminates the friction from the column of lead being pushed through the cylinder until it comes to the die hole at the end. It also means that making a new tool only requires the die which is nominally .75 dia x .75 long. I posted drawings of my version here a while back.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-wire-extruder