Chamber reamers & spring back

[Rustystud]

When I make sizing dies I use a reamer made to just do the die that is .002" to .004" smaller than the chamber reamer dependent on the cartridge case involved.

Years ago I tried making some sizing dies using 12L14, then heat treat them. 12L14 shrinks about 1.8% when heat treated. It also warps as all metals do.

In my opinion having dies made by a die shop, heat treated and surface ground are the best dies out there.
You get what you pay for.

Nat Lambeth

 

[Erik Cortina]

When I make sizing dies I use a reamer made to just do the die that is .002" to .004" smaller than the chamber reamer dependent on the cartridge case involved.

Years ago I tried making some sizing dies using 12L14, then heat treat them. 12L14 shrinks about 1.8% when heat treated. It also warps as all metals do.

In my opinion having dies made by a die shop, heat treated and surface ground are the best dies out there.
You get what you pay for.

Nat Lambeth

You can have them carburized to avoid those issues.

 

[butchlambert]

I have mine Melonited.

 

[shortgrass]

When I make sizing dies I use a reamer made to just do the die that is .002" to .004" smaller than the chamber reamer dependent on the cartridge case involved.

Years ago I tried making some sizing dies using 12L14, then heat treat them. 12L14 shrinks about 1.8% when heat treated. It also warps as all metals do.

In my opinion having dies made by a die shop, heat treated and surface ground are the best dies out there.
You get what you pay for.

Nat Lambeth

You can have them carburized to avoid those issues.

Carburizing (case hardening) requires quenching, too. That's where the "warp" comes from. Hardened and then ground or melonited would be the plan.

 

[dkhunt14]

I was told JLC grinds his dies. I know I sent him a 308 Baer Die without a bushing and for 35.00 he opened it up for a bushing and made the piece to thread down to adjust the amount of neck the bushing did. We tried with good carbide cutters in a lathe and it would't touch the die. It can't be hard for him to cut them because it was only $35.00 with the aluminum threaded piece he made. Matt

 

[fguffey]

When it comes to reamers, folks that "run them in short" plus other techniques, the one foundational aspect that is escaping me is how the same reamer can be used to finish a chamber as well as cut the FL die. If ea hole is size to size, how is spring back accounted for?

there is a disconnect between the beginning and end, somewhere in between a page is missing. One of the most interesting events I am familiar with was between 3 master machinist that were also gunsmith. Two of them told one of them (someone they did not even know) he could not do 'that', This was before the Internet so the event did not denigrate to social dysfunction. In a few days the one shows up at the shop of the other two, something like 400 miles away. After making it very clear he understood what they were confused about he made a reamer while they were watching. There is only one of the three still with us, the one made reamers, cut the chamber and then cut the dies with the same reamer, he was a friend of P.O. Ackley.

The event, the two had a student that worked with the one because of a common interest, the two informed the student his mentor did not know what he was talking about, and worst, he did not know what he he was doing.

F, Guffey

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Like has been said you can make a neck die or bump die from a chamber reamer. Anybody that can cut a smaller hole than the size of the reamer or drill bit should start turning lead into gold- he is that skilled. And to make it smaller by different sizes in different places on the case... Well hes pretty much a superhero to me.

 

[dalewoolumjr.]

Well I do not know how Jim makes his dies. He is a very smart and talented man.

But, you can make a FL die from the chamber reamer. Here is a summary of how I make FL bushing sizing dies from a chamber reamer. Start with Graph-Mo O-6 tool steel .75 diameter. Drill and ream this to the neck shoulder junction cut to length at base of cartridge. Slightly polish inside surface. Next using 1.00 4340 AQ rough bore the inside of the die to .490 thread the outside and the top for a bushing. Send both parts for heat treat. The insert will be max 63-65 Rc the body at 32-36 Rc. Measure in the inside of the reamed hole and determine how much you need to shrink the hole to be able to lap the ID and get the sizing you want. Calculate the crush you need and ID grind the Body and OD grind the insert. Heat the body and freeze the insert. Now you have one shot to put the die together or throw it in the trash. After the die is pressed and allowed to cool lap and polish the inside cut to length for shoulder bump and have a great die.

Flame away,

Dale

 

[butchlambert]

Dale, I understand what you posted and it will work. I found it easier and probably cheaper if your time is worth anything. Buy a reamer spec'ed smaller than your chamber reamer. You can make them with or without neck bushings. I used to be in the carbide neck bushing business and have several for my personal use. I have my new sizing dies Melonite QPQ treated. 60-68 Rockwell.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Yea i just buy a resize reamer matched to the chamber reamer. Ream a die body and melonite. People will cut you for trying to take em back from em.

 

[shortgrass]

Yea i just buy a resize reamer matched to the chamber reamer. Ream a die body and melonite.

Evidently, that's not complicated enough for some folks.

 

[Eddie Harren]

I was told that it could be done. Then I was told that it couldn't be done. Then I was told it could be done. Now I am really cornfused!
More "Experts" needed.

 

[LHSmith]

I was told that it could be done. Then I was told that it couldn't be done. Then I was told it could be done. Now I am really cornfused!
More "Experts" needed.

Yep.......where is stool (aka mike in co) when you really need his all-knowing expertise?

 

[Eddie Harren]

Smitty, you mean "Paul Revere"?

 

[dalewoolumjr.]

Knowing better I should have kept my finger off the keyboard. Now I am being compared to the likes of "mikeinco", "stool", and now "PAUL REVERE"

I'll crawl back under my rock and let the "expert gunsmiths" take care of the toolmakers job.

Dale

 

[butchlambert]

Dale,
I don't see anything bad directed at you. Sure shouldn't be. I sure don't think you were compared to the stool. I believe they knew that he would give his uneducated knowledge about your method.
Was it Charlie Hood that made dies similar to your method?
I hope you shoot well again next year.

 

[dalewoolumjr.]

Butch~

Ok I get a little grouchy sometimes. You learn that first in apprenticeship I believe. Not sure how Charlie made dies. My method came from saving company dollars on pulltrusion dies. There are several reasons I make dies like this. A couple are: 1. There are too many unused reamers in my box as it is. 2. Money. Spend $160 on a reamer $70.00 on a die blank and say $30.00 to melonite add a little shipping say $20.00 for it all and you have $280 and say 2 hours labor in a die the easy way. I charge $225 for my dies. So you either put money in your own pocket for labor or send it to someone else for theirs. Please let me know if my figures are off. But if I were to make several dies of the same size and shape a reamer would save money. But never had a customer need more than one die for a reamer. And as you know every chamber reamer comes in a little different, so a resize reamer would have to accompany every order.

Thanks Butch! This season was a little trying only able to make 2 shoots, but shot fairly well.

 

[shortgrass]

When you chamber several barrels for several different customers, and the cartridge is a special where dies would have to be ordered (I checked last week with Huntington Die Specialties) and you can plan on waiting 30-90 days for your dies to be made, it 'pays' to have a the sizing die reamer to go along with your chambering reamer. Die blanks are twenty bucks. Throw the dies in with the next batch to go to the melonite treater and have them treated, along with the other stuff you sent, at the "batch" price. At $20 for die blanks, I can afford to have a couple sets on the shelf for the next job that uses that 'special' reamer. Sure, it may be next year before I sell 'um. But I have them to go along "with the job". That increase my bottom line!