Ultra-sonic cleaning, neck tension etc.

[normmatzen]

Interesting article.

I have been using LEE collet neck sizing for years on my old 243 WIN as well as my current 6BRX. I full length size every third load and Neck size only in between.
I had never had a problem with the LEE collet die.
Then, I started ultra-sonic cleaning and promptly stuck a collet. A couple times! So back to LEE it went (It was a custom die made for my chamber) and they polished it up and spread the collets apart a bit and declared it good to go.
I remember one of the "symptoms" was that the whole neck of the case was torn off the case and was stuck to the mandrel.
In looking at the mandrel once the neck was removed, there was definite signs of brass on the steel.
The necks were cold welding to the mandrel! This never happened when I was cleaning in a vibrator with walnut husks, but the ultra-sonic got the inside of the neck squeeky clean!
I set up a shot glass with a bunch of very small ball bearings with a dash of hBN and started plunging the necks of the cases into the balls to put a thin coat of hBN on the neck and, Problem Solved!
I did not notice problems with bullet seating as my bullets are coated with hBN.

Now, I have no problem with my LEE collett die, unless I get sloppy and forget to coat with hBN, as I have done once and ruined another case by welding it to the mandrel! I may learn slow, but I do learn so now I do not size without hBN!

 

[mshelton]

Good advice, I found problems with seating pressure when I first started sonic cleaning due to all the 'dry lube' missing from the inside of the neck.

I stared tumbling my brass after sonic cleaning and that helped, also have a empty bullet box with steel shot and graphite that I'll use to add a little dry lube inside the neck if necessary.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

Exact same scenario happened to me, although I just periodically pull the mandrel and polish it now. I also have some moly'd bullets and have no seating issues with those, although they get marked up a bit as well I've noticed. Not as badly as naked. I only really had an issue with naked bullets in the US cleaned necks.

Interesting article.

I have been using LEE collet neck sizing for years on my old 243 WIN as well as my current 6BRX. I full length size every third load and Neck size only in between.
I had never had a problem with the LEE collet die.
Then, I started ultra-sonic cleaning and promptly stuck a collet. A couple times! So back to LEE it went (It was a custom die made for my chamber) and they polished it up and spread the collets apart a bit and declared it good to go.
I remember one of the "symptoms" was that the whole neck of the case was torn off the case and was stuck to the mandrel.
In looking at the mandrel once the neck was removed, there was definite signs of brass on the steel.
The necks were cold welding to the mandrel! This never happened when I was cleaning in a vibrator with walnut husks, but the ultra-sonic got the inside of the neck squeeky clean!
I set up a shot glass with a bunch of very small ball bearings with a dash of hBN and started plunging the necks of the cases into the balls to put a thin coat of hBN on the neck and, Problem Solved!
I did not notice problems with bullet seating as my bullets are coated with hBN.

Now, I have no problem with my LEE collett die, unless I get sloppy and forget to coat with hBN, as I have done once and ruined another case by welding it to the mandrel! I may learn slow, but I do learn so now I do not size without hBN!