quote:

Originally posted by reloaderman:
I just picked up this lube/sizer ( never having one before ) and I've just got a set of size .309 die & top punch. How do I get the old (357) die out and my 309 die in ? I figured out the top punch, but the sizing die doesn't want to come out ! I've unscrewed the hex nut that retains it, but don't know what to do next.
I'd like to get a copy of "how to use this sizer/lube thing", I couldn't find anything at the Lyman site.
Thanks for any help
Reloaderman

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
Here's another little trick for you. When you got to put your die in the machine, place the wrench over the nut after insertion, and without a nose punch is the ram, bring the ram down on the nut. This squares it up to the threads. With a wee little bit of pressure on the ram start tightening the nuts. When it has taken a couple threads you can raise the ram or if you wish finish tightening the nut with it down. This is what I've been doing for years.

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
Here's another little trick for you. When you got to put your die in the machine, place the wrench over the nut after insertion, and without a nose punch is the ram, bring the ram down on the nut. This squares it up to the threads. With a wee little bit of pressure on the ram start tightening the nuts. When it has taken a couple threads you can raise the ram or if you wish finish tightening the nut with it down. This is what I've been doing for years.

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
Carpetmans tip on keeping lube off the base is a good one. In addition to that I concave the face of the piston in the size plus I drill a small bleed hole through it's length. Then I cut two notches on the top of the ram piston's head that pushed that die piston up to push out the bullet. Here's how it then works. On that concave recess you leave a rim, say about 3/32ths of an inch. This too depends on the caliber of the sizer. Much smaller ones take less. Okay...this rim seals on the bullet base better then. No it doesn't indent the bullet base either. Now if any lube sneaks under the base it goes down the bleed hole and pretty much stays off the base. At least the it does not accumulate to a big blob of lube atop the piston face. This is described, with pictures, in the NRA Cast Bullet Book.

quote:

Originally posted by swheeler:

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
Carpetmans tip on keeping lube off the base is a good one. In addition to that I concave the face of the piston in the size plus I drill a small bleed hole through it's length. Then I cut two notches on the top of the ram piston's head that pushed that die piston up to push out the bullet. Here's how it then works. On that concave recess you leave a rim, say about 3/32ths of an inch. This too depends on the caliber of the sizer. Much smaller ones take less. Okay...this rim seals on the bullet base better then. No it doesn't indent the bullet base either. Now if any lube sneaks under the base it goes down the bleed hole and pretty much stays off the base. At least the it does not accumulate to a big blob of lube atop the piston face. This is described, with pictures, in the NRA Cast Bullet Book.

Ah Ha, that must be the SECRET to all those one hole groups at high velocity!!! well that and a "one hole" keyboard

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:

quote:

Originally posted by swheeler:

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
Carpetmans tip on keeping lube off the base is a good one. In addition to that I concave the face of the piston in the size plus I drill a small bleed hole through it's length. Then I cut two notches on the top of the ram piston's head that pushed that die piston up to push out the bullet. Here's how it then works. On that concave recess you leave a rim, say about 3/32ths of an inch. This too depends on the caliber of the sizer. Much smaller ones take less. Okay...this rim seals on the bullet base better then. No it doesn't indent the bullet base either. Now if any lube sneaks under the base it goes down the bleed hole and pretty much stays off the base. At least the it does not accumulate to a big blob of lube atop the piston face. This is described, with pictures, in the NRA Cast Bullet Book.

Ah Ha, that must be the SECRET to all those one hole groups at high velocity!!! well that and a "one hole" keyboard

Yup, sure it, you don't have a glob of unbalanced lube on the bases!!

quote:

See the "U"shaped loop that pushes the ejector rod up when you remove bullets from the die?

Put something like a .44 or .45 calibre bullet inside the bottom of that loop so that when you move it up like you are going to remove a sized bullet from the die, it will contact the bottom of the die. Just apply pressure, and it will start forcing the die out of the tool. (First, Make sure you have the Hex nut completely removed from the tool at the top of the die.)

if it doesn't move the die enough to make it amenable to pulling out the rest of the way with your fingers, then put a spacer between the inside of the loop and the bullet, then pull it up again.