Shortening a shell holder?

[thefitter]

What's your procedure for taking a few thousands off your shell holder, without using a mill?

Thanks

 

[Albany Mountain]

Remove it from the press, lay a flat file on the bench, and run the shellholder upside down across the file while holding flat.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Turn it upside down on a countertop over some wet-r-dry 200 or 400 grit sand paper. I use WD40 to lubricate the sand paper. Do figure 8's with the shell holder until you remove as much as you need. If you need a lot, a file might work best at first.

 

[M-61]

I like varying grits of paper, on a piece of glass, lubricated, and run the shell holder in figure 8 patterns with a light amount of pressure. Of course, measure as you go.

 

[fguffey]

There is nothing like knowing why it is necessary to lower the deck height and then there is 'knowing how much to remove'.

F. Guffey

 

[M-61]

There is nothing like knowing why it is necessary to lower the deck height and then there is 'knowing how much to remove'.

F. Guffey

And THEN there is the OP's actual question.

 

[bigedp51]

I have a piece of thick glass cut to the dimensions of a sheet of sandpaper. Wet the glass and place 400 grit wet and dry sand paper on the glass, this will keep the paper from moving. Oil the top of the sand paper and lap the top of the shell holder in a figure eight pattern. Measure several points on the shell holder frequently to ensure it is being lapped evenly.


Edit: I have to do something about my two dyslexic typing fingers, there was only one reply when I started typing.

 

[Brians356]

I find ordinary lighter fluid (mostly just naphtha) works great for this type of wet lapping, and the cleanup is easier than with any type of oil.

 

[bigedp51]

I find ordinary lighter fluid (mostly just naptha) works great for this type of wet lapping, and the cleanup is easier than with any type of oil.

The viscosity of the oil "also" controls how far the shell holder "floats" off the grit of the sand paper or lapping block and how much is removed. Meaning 30 weight oil would remove less and lighter fluid would remove more and not to mention evaporate. (and create a fire hazard)

Trust me I have overhauled thousands of aircraft hydraulic pumps and oil was used for lapping. And these pumps were check for flatness to .00003 with a optical glass gauge.

 

[Brians356]

I find ordinary lighter fluid (mostly just naptha) works great for this type of wet lapping, and the cleanup is easier than with any type of oil.

The viscosity of the oil "also" controls how far the shell holder "floats" off the grit of the sand paper or lapping block and how much is removed. Meaning 30 weight oil would remove less and lighter fluid would remove more and not to mention evaporate. (and create a fire hazard)

Trust me I have overhauled thousands of aircraft hydraulic pumps and oil was used for lapping. And these pumps were check for flatness to .00003 with a optical glass gauge.

Wow! Impressive!

But ... apples and oranges. Lighter fluid is perfect for this task, quickly removing a few thousandths (not ten thousandths), and where absolute flatness is not critical. This ain't aerospace, this is relatively crude metal butchery.

As for a fire hazard, same could be said for using lighter fluid (as specified by Jewell) to clean a trigger. Most liquids we use on guns are at least somewhat toxic, and most probably flammable. Sensible precautions are in order of course.

 

[bobm]

.....a surface grinder.....a drill- cutter grinder.....a lathe. I use all three. Let the machines do the work.

 

[shoot4fun]

I guess I did it the "redneck way". Just clamped the SH into the vise grips and held it to the side of the wheel on my bench grinder. Is it level all across the top? NO! But it does the job and ammo is concentric.

 

[Brians356]

.....a surface grinder.....a drill- cutter grinder.....a lathe. I use all three. Let the machines do the work.

On a simple shellholder reduction? Not necessary, and relatively few reading this thread will have such machines. Shooters, not gunsmiths, for the most part.

 

[bigedp51]

Turn it upside down on a countertop over some wet-r-dry 200 or 400 grit sand paper. I use WD40 to lubricate the sand paper. Do figure 8's with the shell holder until you remove as much as you need. If you need a lot, a file might work best at first.

brians356

I was going to say that Erik Cortina gave the best quick and dirty way to lap the shell holder. "BUT" my wife picked granite counter tops when we redid the kitchen and I'm wondering if Erik Cortina is still married. If I sanded anything on "HER" countertops the fecal debris would hit the fan.

So I will revert to the British 1931 Instructions for Armourers and lapping bolt heads to the proper headspace. The Armoures would use a flat plate used for gauging parts and place a medium grade *crocus cloth on the plate and lap the bolt head to the correct headspace. (* if I translated British English to American English correctly)

And since I have done far more lapping than you have I can tell you are the very first person I have ever heard of using "lighter fluid". And a paper towel and carb cleaner works wonders cleaning off the sandpaper. So were you counting on more reloaders smoking and having Zippo lighters. :

Bottom line, I don't care what anyone uses to lap the shell holder as long as it remains flat and has no unsightly air gaps between the shell holder and the bottom of the die.

And as a side note some of the answers here make me think the posters are not lapped to tight.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

.....a surface grinder.....a drill- cutter grinder.....a lathe. I use all three. Let the machines do the work.

+1

It doesn't have to be exact. In fact, if I do have to remove some thickness on a shell holder that is out of spec, I often remove 10-20 thou more than I need so I avoid the die ever having to touch the surface that is most likely uneven after modification.

 

[bigedp51]

I can't believe the absolute crap posted here and in other in forums, there are thousands of people reading the replies here and it is a shame new young reloaders have to read this stupid crap.

The shell holder should contact the base of the die evenly and NOT be tilted. The very reason I bought Redding Competition shell holders was for the shell holder to contact the base of the die and help eliminate any slop caused by the press. My dies have rubber o-rings under the lock ring to allow the die to float and self center in the press threads. And my expanders have rubber washers under the lock ring that allows the expander spindle to float and self center in the die..

And now we have people telling everyone reading their postings that the HALF A$$ method of sloppily grinding the shell holder or the bottom of the die is acceptable. This isn't the shade tree mechanics reloaders forum and the vast majority of the people here are far and above Primitive Pete's hammer and chisel methods.

Below good ol' Primitive Pete who represents everything your NOT supposed to do.

 

[CatShooter]

.....a surface grinder.....a drill- cutter grinder.....a lathe. I use all three. Let the machines do the work.

+1

It doesn't have to be exact. In fact, if I do have to remove some thickness on a shell holder that is out of spec, I often remove 10-20 thou more than I need so I avoid the die ever having to touch the surface that is most likely uneven after modification.

... and this advice is given on an accuracy website??

You gotta be kidding?

Is this a contest on who can come up with the crudest way to load ammunition??

 

[Ledd Slinger]

.....a surface grinder.....a drill- cutter grinder.....a lathe. I use all three. Let the machines do the work.

+1

It doesn't have to be exact. In fact, if I do have to remove some thickness on a shell holder that is out of spec, I often remove 10-20 thou more than I need so I avoid the die ever having to touch the surface that is most likely uneven after modification.

... and this advice is given on an accuracy website??

You gotta be kidding?

Is this a contest on who can come up with the crudest way to load ammunition??

Any time you or bigdp51 want to bring your rifles out and put them up against mine for accuracy, just let me know and Ill tell you how too get to me. I have no issues with any ammo I load for any of my rifles and not a single die for any of them touches the shell holder when sizing. Some folks do things differently, doesn't mean it isn't right. If I ever have trouble making accurate ammo, ill try something else. But as of right now, I couldn't be happier with the accuracy from any of my rifles, custom or factory made. To each his own...

 

[bobm]

Just in case I am the one under attack here, it is hard to tell right now .

The original question asks "your" procedure..."your" shell holder. In other words MY method on MY shell holder. A machinist will use the best tools for a given task. It's how we were trained. And yes, I understood this would be a job tackled in a guys garage with a file or bench grinder.

The several holders I have reworked was not to "true" them, but to allow for deeper case entry to bump a shoulder. It is better to trim a cheap holder than to face off a reloading die. I rarely removed more than .008 to accomplish my goal.

And yes, I have milled them before successfully.

 

[thefitter]

Why are threads turning into little pissing matches all of a sudden? I'm thinking a large portion of the population here must be going through male menopause or struggling with some sort sexual frustration... or both.

This place used to be the civil forum for me to come and get answers. Might as well post a question on SnipersHide.

For those of you that gave me advice, thanks. The rest...you need to get laid.