Making reloading dies

[Longone]

Can reloading dies be made from the same reamer used to ream the chamber? Is this something a competent gunsmith can do? Any recommendation's on which die blanks?

Thanks, LG

 

[Longone]

Then maybe one of the "cool kids" could chime in and explain how FL sizer dies are made. Newlon makes die blanks that get hardened after reaming but there is no reamer information on their site that I could find.
Maybe it would be best to contact them.

Thanks, LG

 

[medicineman]

Sizing dies are reamed with a "sizer" reamer, not a chamber reamer. If you need a sizer reamer , call Dave Kiff at PTG.

 

[Rustystud]

Most of the die maklers today don't use reamers to make dies. The use a CNC lathe with a boring bar and or a a ID grinder. Or they use a EDM.

Nat Lambeth

 

[BoydAllen]

There is one exception. Jim Carstensen has a method where he shrinks a sleeve over a chamber that he has reamed with a chamber reamer.

 

[butchlambert]

This diemaker makes his dies with a reamer from Kiff that is spec'd the way I want it.
Butch

 

[cmillard]

the redding dies with the sliding sleve can be reamed. the sleve isnt as hard as the FL die. by the way, as boyd allen said, jim carstensen here in iowa does extremely good work from what i here and have talked to him about my project that is in the works. he will be putting on my krieger barrel and chambering it--i will also end up getting a set of his custom in line hand dies!

 

[Codywy]

So the way I understand it since I have a custom 6mm /250 reamer from Dave Kiff awaiting to be used on an up coming project, if I want to make my own FL sizing die I would have to order another reamer in slightly smaller dimensions? There goes the extra Christmas money. Any suggestions on how much smaller, a few thousands?

Is it better to go with a Newlon die blank that would probably have to be hardened or one from Dave that is made of 4140 and you are good to go? Thanks...

 

[butchlambert]

Jay Lynn Gore made some very elaborate jigs to make the perfect threaded sizing die and found out they can run out .005"
I want you guys to think about it and tell me a fix. You can have a so called perfect die that has no run out in the lathe, but you put the adjuster nut on it and as you can see, it wobbles on the thread. When you tighten either the lock screw or squeeze screw it cocks it off slightly. You have to have clearance between the die threads and the nut for it to work, but it allows it to wobble. I think the easy way is to make a Wilson type die and use an arbor press.
Butch

 

[GermanS1]

Butch, I find that an O-ring under the locking ring puts enough tension on the die to keep it from wobbling loosely in the threads so it is aligned the same way each time it is inserted.

When the case is forced into the die it can rock in the threads even with the O-ring, but the case itself is loose in the shellholder so the case remains centered in the die as there is no force to misalign it. The shellholder could be a flat plate for pushing the case into the die, it only really does any work on extraction and then, with the case and die in tension, there is again no off-centering force.

I certainly could be wrong about this, but that's my observation and experience.

 

[BoydAllen]

Harrell's presses have closer fitting threads than my Rock Chucker, and my Combo press seems to be very well aligned.

I use a Lee lock ring (built-in O ring)with a Hornady lock ring above it. I set up the die to produce the bump that I want, with the Lee ring only screwed down far enough to just barely touch the press. The metal part of the ring does not. Then I screw the Hornady ring down till it touches the Lee, and lock it. This locks the Lee in position on the die. Then, I mark the Lee ring so that I can bring it back into proper index if I need to remove it. I think that with the float, I am getting better runout.

One of the problems that has not been discussed, is that the neck starts sizing before the body does, and until the body makes contact the case is only centered by the shell holder. If you don't think that this matters, size two cases with your bushing FL die, one with the bushing in, and one with it removed, and then check the runout at the end of the case necks.

 

[Rustystud]

Butch:

I do it the same as you. But if I had a CNC lathe I would do them with a boring bar.

I know of some who have made dies from 12L14 using a chamber reamer. Then heat treating the die. 12L14 shrinks about .2% when heat treated.

Nat

 

[GermanS1]

Boyd that's an interesting observation about the neck going in first. As a solution, I'm imagining a die with a top lever (like a Hornady bullet puller) in which the body gets sized, then you lower the lever to bring the bushing over the neck while the case is being held in the body die part. Might be tricky to make...

 

[BoydAllen]

German,
Are you familiar with Lee Collet dies? I have heard of good results using a two step process with a body die and a collet die.

 

[GermanS1]

I do a two step process with Redding dies (body then neck) in some calibers, but I was thinking of this as a way to size the neck while the body is held. I'm satisfied with my current method for my purposes, but just thinking about how to improve things a bit.

 

[summitsitter]

how much does a set of custom dies cost from you guys that make your own..

 

[blawton]

225 for the 7/8 dies and 275 for the larger ones.

 

[summitsitter]

Say I wanted you to build me a set of dies for my 6.5-06AI what would you need besides the money. My reamer specs., Fired cases. What is the benefit of have the dies made over factory.

 

[blawton]

Yes would need a reamer print and a fired case just to be sure everything will work.
The benefits usually includes much less runout and a proper fit for the body dies matched to your chamber.