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Post by ET on Feb 3, 2010 23:05:39 GMT -5
A personal test I want to explore is how much my 7”x12” mini-lathe can handle as far as metals are concerned. Keep in mind that this tool is powered by plastic gears. So for a project that I need anyway I decided to use a slightly harder than normal stainless steel. Oh I got a good lesson about heating SS and tooling. My project was making a sizing die for returning a modified lead/copper bullet back close to its original size that expanded while forming. The die is 1-1/4” long with a 1-1/4” diameter. With this length I also decided to put a taper at one end to allow the oversized bullet to drop in just below surface height. I felt this would be easier on the punch that would follow the bullet into the die. Anyway it was a fun and productive project that I wanted to share with no equipment damage.  Ed |
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Post by smokeless77 on Feb 3, 2010 23:53:57 GMT -5
Ed ,I knew you were up to something. Looks like you did a fine job for a machine with plastic gears. I made a die similar to yours, the only thing different I made the punch out of brass.
I thought it would be easier on the die for wear
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Post by ET on Feb 4, 2010 16:38:52 GMT -5
Smokeless77
Thanks for the kind words.
My punch is .002” smaller than the actual hole size and having that slight taper entrance should help center everything as it goes in.
Just out of curiosity how’s the brass holding up as a punch?
For using my system everything is clamped in a large vise and I just crank the bullet through. My transition is only .0015” so no real power is needed.
Now that I know what this mini-lathe can handle I have another project in mind. Only problem is I need a mill to finish it. Might have to put a small mill up higher on my priority list. ;D
Ed
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Post by smokeless77 on Feb 4, 2010 18:39:16 GMT -5
Ed
The brass is holding up so far. It is like yours about .002" smaller. I sized 50-60 parkers and 100 SSTs. The SSTs I have to do twice, and they fit nice. I guess if the punch starts to mushroom I will no, It probably wont go through the die. I do mine in a arbor press.
John
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Post by ET on Feb 4, 2010 20:08:23 GMT -5
Smokeless77
It seems that brass punch is holding up nicely. Just wondering if you are periodically checking the brass punch diameter with a mic. to see what affect the stress is having on it?
It sounds like you’re getting into the sabotless arena.
Good luck with results at the range.
Ed
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Post by smokeless77 on Feb 4, 2010 20:44:55 GMT -5
Ed, I have been shooting sabotless for a while. My first barrel the 275 parkers and the 275 barnes XPBs fit nice without sizing, now with the new krieger barrel I have to size everything. Gives me something to do, I think it will be worth it. I did check the punch last night Ed, it had not changed "YET" I think it will be fine.
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Post by ET on Feb 4, 2010 21:38:55 GMT -5
Smokeless77 I find it amazing how some metals hold up better with a stroking pressure force than with a hammering force. Know what you mean about having something to do especially in the wintertime. To me it’s always worth while to try to build something that can benefit you to enjoy doing what you like best. Just thought you might enjoy seeing my winter therapeutic location in the basement. Once I get in there it seem hours just fly by. ;D  Ed |
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Post by smokeless77 on Feb 4, 2010 23:06:57 GMT -5
You are right, Once in a while I size a few bullets where we shoot ( own range) and drive them through the die (hammering force) after a while it would start to deform the punch, and dimple the bottom of the bullet.
Maybe this weekend I go do a little fishing at the NY city reservoirs, getting some big browns through the ice.
Oh! You got me way beat on the clean work area. Nice little machine.
John
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Post by whelenman on Feb 5, 2010 14:04:28 GMT -5
Have you thought about adapting your pieces to work with a standard reloading press. It probably wouldn't take much to adapt the pushrod to the top of the press and then just set the die on the shellholder. It would probably be quicker. I've got a small lathe/mill setup that I've used to make numerous little die parts, measuring tools. reloading adapters, and rifle parts. Here's my "Therapy" area. It's in the garage and needs a kerosene heater fired up when I plan to use it in the winter though. Time goes by fast when you're tinkering.  |
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Post by ET on Feb 5, 2010 17:05:33 GMT -5
Smokeless77
Actually I just finished cleaning my lathe and tore the feeds apart for additional cleaning and adjustments to keep my tolerances as tight as possible.
Good luck with the browns if you decide to go.
Whelenman
Yep yours is bigger. ;D
I imagine you can really have some fun with yours as you have additional capabilities.
Hope you don’t mind a few questions.
For your lathe are you using 3/8” cutters?
What tolerances will your machine hold?
Yeah you can get caught in a time warp when working on a project. Good thing we have caring women to get us out every so often. ;D
Ed
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Post by Richard on Feb 5, 2010 17:11:53 GMT -5
ET...........Glad you are having fun with your new toy!
Richard
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Post by ET on Feb 5, 2010 17:32:38 GMT -5
ET...........Glad you are having fun with your new toy! Richard Really having a blast with this toy at the moment making useful tools/accessories to go with my muzzle-loader. Sort of helps expand the experimenting that I wouldn't do otherwise. Supposed to be a cold weekend up here and I have a nice cozy therapeutic room to entertain myself.  Ed |
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Post by boarhog on Feb 5, 2010 18:59:05 GMT -5
If some of you highly skilled machinist dudes need a project, KerryB and I both need .448 sizing dies for our .45s. I would like to have one like ET built that could be used in a heavy arbor press. I am a bit worried that I might break my RCBS Jr press trying to push a solid copper bullet through a C-H die that I am planning to order. Same with the Lee dies. They just look too thin to hold up to heavy sizing?
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Post by whelenman on Feb 5, 2010 19:06:08 GMT -5
Whelenman Yep yours is bigger. ;D I imagine you can really have some fun with yours as you have additional capabilities. Hope you don’t mind a few questions. For your lathe are you using 3/8” cutters? What tolerances will your machine hold? Yeah you can get caught in a time warp when working on a project. Good thing we have caring women to get us out every so often. ;D Ed Mine takes the half inch tooling. I wish I had the quick change toolpost....maybe sometime in the future. I don't know about the tolerances the machine can do but if I take my time I'm capable of getting stuff within a thousandth which isn't too good by a professional machinist. My brother is the one who has the machinist training. I'm just getting started though and learning and making mistakes as I go. Have you ever looked over Varmint Al's website. He has an extensive section on his minilathe and the alterations he has done to it. It's amazing the results he has gotten with a small lathe. I found mine used from a guy who decided it wasn't for him and got it for half price but basically unused. |
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Post by ET on Feb 6, 2010 0:33:21 GMT -5
Boarhog That experimental die I made from a stainless that is slightly harder than normal will not do copper bullets. It will lose its tolerance in no time but should last a little while with lead bullets with a light copper jacket. This is my first attempt at something like this and don’t even know how well it will work for how long. If you are ordering a smooth Hardened Die for a reloading press and want to use it with an arbor press I would just build a jacket for it with some larger diameter bar stock of good quality steel. This is what I may do once I get my tolerances worked out for what I’m working on. Whelenman ½” cutters, lucky you. Mine only takes 5/16” cutters that limits me to a selection. If it took 3/8” cutters I would have a better selection of tooling. I hope to remedy that in the near future. With my mini lathe I easily hold .001” tolerance and even closer if I repeat a light cut without making any adjustments. There’s a real learning curve here for this novice. Just to let you know you are not the only one that makes some mistakes and has to redo some work. They say you learn best from your mistakes when you have to redo something that takes pain staking time. Yep I’m familiar with Varmit Als sight and have saved numerous articles on my computer for a guide. Yeah we are not professionals but apprentices learning fast. As for my reloading press it is too light and besides it is housing a stripped .243 resizing die that is helping as a first stage in nosing down some XTP bullets. Have made a push bar that shoves them up there nicely. Problem is the bullet diameter comes out around .4535”-.454” and need to get it back to around .452”. Tomorrow plan to work out a nose forming punch problem. Gonna be a little too cold outside to play. ;D Ed |
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Post by boarhog on Feb 6, 2010 1:34:53 GMT -5
ET
I know very little about metallurgy, and almost nothing about running a lathe, but I would have thought the harder stainless alloy would hold tolerance better?
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