dies scratch

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kestak

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Greetings,

Again....My newly replaced 223 die got a scratch after around 400 cases. I clean my brass until it is shinny and I use Imperial wax.

I even pass my finger around the case to make sure I don't feel any "grit" on it. What do I do wrong?

Any tool I can use to polish the interior of the die more easilly than using a little piece of sandpaper wrapped around my brass punch?

Thank you
 
Use a Dremel tool with a #414 felt polishing wheel---run the wheel on med. sandpaper
until it fits inside die--use Dremel # 421 polishing compound or Flitz polish---run at medium speed.
What is imperial wax used for?
 
I'd bet big bucks your die isn't scratched.
You have a spec of brass galled to the die body due to insufficient lube on a case.

Polish with 600 grit Wet or Dry emery paper & oil in a slotted dowel rod.
Use a cordless drill to run it in & out of the die in over-lapping strokes.

Any Dremel attachment long enough to polish a .223 die to the shoulder will likely bend 90 degrees, and fly off and put your eye out when you turn it on.

rc
 
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+1 for RC, on every point.

It's REALLY difficult to "scratch" a case hardened sizer die. No file or hacksaw will scratch it. But bits of insufficently lubed brass will sure gall on the walls as hard as if they were welded, and those bits will then scratch successive cases. Lap the galled brass out as RC says, it's not difficult and no rational amount of lapping will change the die.
 
I forgot--I made my own longer rod on a lathe
What happens if you use a gun cleaning rod with a brass brush????

dremel.th.jpg
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Greetings,

The die I sent back was scratched in the metal. It was no golden mark. This one on second sight has a golden mark.

Thank you
 
Imperial is IMHO the best lube on today market. It is a bit slower then others to apply but makes up for it in cases that not only go in but, come out of your die too.
 
"Any Dremel attachment long enough to polish a .223 die to the shoulder will likely bend 90 degrees, and fly off and put your eye out when you turn it on."
Quote from RCModel

RC, you are a hoot. When I read this I saw little Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" shoot his eye out with his Red Ryder BB Gun. Made my day.
 
Any Dremel attachment long enough to polish a .223 die to the shoulder will likely bend 90 degrees, and fly off and put your eye out when you turn it on.
Click to expand...
My first couple tries sure did (missed my eyeball :p), but I made a strong enough rod to hold the Dremel attachment, and all was well. Very similar to the pic HOWARD J posted. Made a rod and soft soldered in the spiral Dremel screw mandrel that takes the felt pads.
 
I use the method ReloaderFred mentioned, bore mop (of the right size) Flitz and an electric drill. I do this when the dies are new.

I have a couple of mops for just this purpose set aside.
 
kestak,

If the die is a RCBS I would send it to them and let them polish it. I had my .223 die start leaving scratches and sent it to RCBS. They polished it and is like bran new. Only cost was shipping it to them and they even gave me a new locking nut.
 
Greetings,

Here is an update on my little predicament.

I don't know too much where I was, but I'll begin from the beginnign and tell you what I did and found. The advantage will be that the people won't have to go back to the beginning of the thread to get the story.

I have 3 223 dies: Dillon, Lee and Redding.
After a few resizes, my Dillon and Lee were scratching my brass. I tried stuff, got tired, the used my Redding. The redding lasted a little bit longer but began to scratch my brass.

I put my 3 dies side by side, used 600 grits, wet sandpaper and polished the place where I was seeing the stride in the dies.

The scratches went away, but came back after very few brass. Sometimes as little as 40 brass.

I got the wunderful idea (from someone here...hehehehehe) to use my Dremel tool with a #414 felt polishing wheel (ran the wheel on med. sandpaper
until it fits inside die) and use some Brasso. It worked, but it took forever to remove the scratch and the brass became again scratched after I ran a few in the dies.

Now, the final touch: Dremel # 421 polishing compound. It did wonders. The dies inside became very shinny. Of course, I did not overdo it. I did it with slow motion, just a little bit of compound.

I was able to run 300 brass before a scratch appeared again. I did a little bit of polishing again with the #421 compound and 30 seconds after! Voila! Problem gone.

I think it is brass that sticks on the wall and when I use sandpaper, it does not remove it very well and makes more stick. Am I wrong?

Thank you
 
No, you are not right, but Yes, you are right in a way.

First, the sandpaper will remove the brass right down to the hardened steel die body.

The reason you continue to get brass galled to the die afterward is the same reason you got it in the first place:
Lack of proper case lubrication, for whatever reason.

It has been years since I have had to polish one of my dies.
I do them for a friend quite often though.
He is more worried about getting case dents from too much lube then getting galled brass in his dies from using too little.

BTW: A die does not have to be polished like a mirror to keep it from galling.
The fine surface finish left from 600 paper is all that is necessary.
The very fine cross-hatching lines hold lube in the die better then a perfect mirror polish.
Same principle as an engine bearing in your car.
They are not polished mirror smooth either when new.

rc
 
Greetings,

RCmodel: I know you are right...(as almost all the time....:D)

I use Imperial wax and I use my index, turn in the pot, turn around the case under the shoulder and I put some up to the head of the case by running my finger. Are you saying that I must put more?

When I used the sandpaper, I could not get to remove the scratch entirely. I was seeing it and feeling it still. With the red compound, it is all gone.

One last thing: When I was using only the sandpaper, the first 20-30 brass had tiny lines (scratches) on it all along the rezised area.

Shoot me your comments again. I am learning for sure and it is easier to learn reading you than by myself...

Thank you
 
If I understand correctly, you are putting lube around the case below the shoulder, and around / above the case rim?

If this is correct, you left out the middle of the case where the thick web taper is.

The entire case must have lube on it.
Any dry spots anywhere will gall brass to the die.

A tapered case going into a tapered die body does not touch and get tight until almost the very end of the stroke. Too late then for lube at the front to work its way down to the middle.

If you are saying you already lube coat 100% of the case, then I don't know what the answer is.

rc
 
Greetings,

:what::what::what:

I am an idiot! Yes, I did not lube the middle and the bottom was just slightly lubbed. I put most of the lube just before the shoulders...where there is not much friction.

Why the heck did I stick with that stupid idea. I KNOW the case is not a perfect cylinder. I know friction begins in the middle and it is at its strongest part the bottom. I guess I thought the lube would go down and had that in the back of my mindless idiotic mind.... :banghead:... all that time.....

Like the Blues brothers said:
Jake: The band? The band.
Reverend Cleophus James: DO YOU SEE THE LIGHT?
Jake: THE BAND!
Reverend Cleophus James: DO YOU SEE THE LIGHT?
Elwood: What light?
Reverend Cleophus James: HAVE YOU SEEEEN THE LIGHT?
Jake: YES! YES! JESUS H. TAP-DANCING CHRIST... I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT!

Thank you
 
I use the method ReloaderFred mentioned, bore mop (of the right size) Flitz and an electric drill.
Click to expand...
Glad to see you had your problem figured out! If you do decide to polish the interior of your die, Ian had a good bit of advice. The proper mop would be for a .357mag/38 spl.
 
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