Neck Honing FL size die

[Hohn]

Just buy and use an appropriate flex hone size.

 

[fatelvis]

Just buy and use an appropriate flex hone size.

Looking into the flex-hone possibilities, which abrasive type would you use for opening up the neck in a die? I assume it’s hardened?

 

[boltfluter]

Forster limits the amount of metal removal to 0.008". I use that as I guide to avoid going through the surface hardening. Normally I only have to remove 0.004 to 0.006" depends on the cartridge. Maybe don't need to, but to make sure I stay centered I use a tape pilot that doesn't touch.

This would seem to be the way to go. I do not see a HS reamer cutting a die. Carbide is not really happy doing it, in the one's I have bored out to hold bushings.

Paul

 

[Hohn]

Looking into the flex-hone possibilities, which abrasive type would you use for opening up the neck in a die? I assume it’s hardened?

It’s hardened. Forster uses a diamond tool when they open them up. But silicon carbide works fine for the purposes of die honing. If you are resizing vs just polishing, you’ll want an aggressive grit followed by a fine finish of 400 or 800. Don’t worry about the between grits as you actually want that “plateau hone” to keep a good lube film in place. A mirror polished die is a die that sticks and galls terribly. A little fine hone is preferable.

 

[fatelvis]

It’s hardened. Forster uses a diamond tool when they open them up. But silicon carbide works fine for the purposes of die honing. If you are resizing vs just polishing, you’ll want an aggressive grit followed by a fine finish of 400 or 800. Don’t worry about the between grits as you actually want that “plateau hone” to keep a good lube film in place. A mirror polished die is a die that sticks and galls terribly. A little fine hone is preferable.

What grit would be considered "aggressive"?

 

[SmokinJoe]

For whatever reason, I get the most aggresive results with 125 grit from Brownell's, then finish with 500. I use the barrel laps from McMaster Carr. Be sure to get a few extra bronze laps. Also, they have metric laps that sometimes gets you to a more desirable size. A little general interest info on this topic: This technique does not seem to be applicable to Hornady dies as they have a smaller bore past the neck for the tapered locking stem nut that blocks a through hole lap. Don't know if a blind hole lap would work in that situation, never tried it. I can verify that a carbide tool is necessary to bore/drill a hardened die, and it won't last long.

 

[WSnyder]

Just buy and use an appropriate flex hone size.

Sounds like a perfect way to bell mouth each end of the neck and ruin the die.

 

[SmokinJoe]

Sounds like a perfect way to bell mouth each end of the neck and ruin the die.

Do you know this from experience, hasn't been my experience and I have done several.

There is another option maybe. Call Jim Carstensen at JLC Precision and see if he will do it.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Jim can fix it where you dont have any issues next time you change brass. He does a nice bushing conversion

 

[rayporter]

you cant go wrong with jim!