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What difficulty am I going to come across if I cut a standard FL die down. Wildcating purposes. Can metal blades from a ricipricating saw do it, then touch it up with a angle grinder? I have access to pipe threaders, I'd use the tubing cutter. I don't think that will work... ideas? The reason behind this is I'd like to form some brass down to .17 caliber. I do not have the forming dies. At current time, cost prohibitive. But I can afford a set of dies and modify them to what I need. penny for your thoughts thanks | ||
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new member |
Since most reloading dies are made of high-strength tool steel or carbide, you would have to use a grinder to cut it. May be able to use a chop saw blade? Not gonna get it with a saw blade! And that’s as far as I can go for help on that, don’t really understand where you’re trying to get to…………. | |||
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One of Us |
I grinded the end of a 45/454 expander die that was a bit long, when I got the time I had a friend clean it up in his lathe and polished it. No problem an looked like it came from the factory that way. | |||
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One of Us |
Best way is with carbide tooling on a lathe. The vast majority of die bodies are not a high grade of steel. Most are a very easily cut steel that the manufacturer finishes off with a surface hardening (talking rifle dies). Once you get through that few thousandths of hardness, you are down to the softer core metal. Getting through that few thousandths may take a toll on a saw blade but it is possible. Just be prepared to buy a new blade. Pipe cutters won't work. | |||
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Moderator |
get it cherry hot, and let it cool , with the "to be cut" end up in the air ... a lathe with carbide is much better ... then after you have cut and modified it, all polished and such... cherry red again, quench in ATF and repolish. #dumptrump opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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one of us |
I once cut down a set of .264 Win dies to use for a 6.5mm Rem Mag. I did exactly as Jeffeoso advises by heating the end I cut with an acetylene torch until it was beginning to redden. Cutting it after that was no problem. Can't remember if I used a hacksaw or a chop saw, but either should work. | |||
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one of us |
RCBS dies are made of leaded steel 1011L IIRC. It is heat treated after machining to give it surface hardness. If you anneal it, you may end up with a soft die. Probably your best bet is to cut it with carbide or grind it so you will only lose the hardness which is only a few thou thick on the cut surface. Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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One of Us |
I've cut lots of them to make neck sizers and other projects. All it takes is a dremel tool and those thin little cut-off wheels, goes through them like butter. | |||
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Moderator |
dremel has changed the little cut off disks .. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES #dumptrump opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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one of us |
I used a surface grinder. Turned out nice. And square too! | |||
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One of Us |
This is a joke....right. ________________________________________________ Maker of The Frankenstud Sling Keeper Proudly made in the USA Acepting all forms of payment | |||
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One of Us |
It's a joke. Not sure Mr. Mydog knows it. Yet. I made three "sets" of home shop reforming dies to make .243, .22-250 and 6mm International out of .30-06 cases. Carbide lathe tools and carbide drills and grinders are required to cut case hardened steel die bodies but no super-saber saw or pipe cutters will do it, nor would such tools have been helpful. There is a learning curve to doing all that properly. | |||
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Moderator |
seriously, you could do it with a 4.5" cutoffwheel ... and a dremel sander drum ... but annealing it first will save you lots of trouble.. let him do it his way, he'll accomplish something, and it might surprise us #dumptrump opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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One of Us |
I used a milwalkee(sp) metal chop saw, and it worked great. Cut a RCBS 9.3x62 neck die to use with a 9.3x57. | |||
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One of Us |
And I've done it numerous times on my lathe using cobalt tools. Worked fine for me, so if I have to do it again, will do that same "trick" yet again. Much cheaper than carbide tools. Also much less brittle than carbide and easier to sharpen &/or shape yourself. | |||
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