I ripped the bottom of a case off and the rest of it is stuck in my resizing die. The usual kind of remover will not do the job; those require the case to still have its bottom in order to drive the case out from the top of the die. So how can I get it out without having to send it off to Lee or another maker and have it out of my hands for weeks? I am thinking about using a 1/4" bolt and a fair spot of JB Weld. I'd slather the bolt and the inside of the case with JB, stuff it up in there and wait until it's well cured, then attempt to pull the case out now that I'd have a handle with which to do something. That JB stuff is so strong, the BATF now allows its use as a method to permanently attach a flash hider to a barrel less than 16" long. So; any suggestions or comments?

I had the same problem, I have to send my die back to RCBS to let them get it out. For them to do it it is free and for me to do it it will most likely mean a new die and alot of smashed fingers.

Had a 308 case neck tear off in the upper portion of my RCBS die...couldn't get out...mailed to RCBS, they sent a new replacement in about a week, no charge.

I'd just send it back to your die mfg, they should take care of you.

If'n I had me a job that allowed me to get to the Post Office, I could do what you suggest. I'm out the door at 0345 and don't get home until around 1700-- sometimes later. The P.O. is closed on Saturday, so I'm pretty much screwed for doing it the way a sane person would. So do you think the JB method would work?

try #1.. freeze it!!

try#2 soak it in brake fluid and use a dowel to tap down from the top

#3.. order a braken shell extractor if it's a 223, 7.62x39, 308 or 30-06 from cheaper than dirt

#4 I've used the screw type bolt extractors, some times called an easy out, which they sell in kits at homedepot

jeffe

I have had the same problems several times...

First I can tell you a couple of ways to avoid that happening in the future... Learned from the school of hard knocks...

Try and take out the expander plug... If you can work that out... all you have to do is to put the case back into your turrent and using a 16 penny nail or likewise piece of thin metal.. Just tap it out with a hammer or rubber mallet....straight down the hole the expander button came out of....

good luck...
cheers
seafire

school of hard knocks also talking ...
I have done this about 5 times and I have usually had to dig mine out with a screw driver
after I bent the nail of course!

use a cheaper soft screw divver and a vice
If the above suggestions dont work
send it back to the factory or cut the haed off..

i can almost gaurentee it wont be your last time so dont feel to bad about it.

I does shut you down in a hurry dont it?
I am working on one at this minute I opted fot the freezer this time before I start digging....

The freezer trick will work most of the time. Freeze the die good and then set it up in the press and heat the outside of the die with a propane torch just enough to warm it and not heat the case inside. It makes it come out a lot better. I usd a broken bolt extracter once after heating the die and the case spun right out. I now buy two sets of dies in case you have to send on eback to the manufactor yoy can kepp on going. Try the frozen- heat the outside trick.

Take a hacksaw and split the Resizing Die lengthwise. Then take a Chisel and dig out the two case halves.

Since it is a Lee Die, you can either Super Glue it back together or just wrap it with Duct Tape to hold it together. The Duct Tape is probably the best way to go since you can unwrap it the next time you get a stuck case and go straight to the chisel. If you Super Glue it, you will need to use the hacksaw again.

I did not get this great Tip from "denton", but it is what I expect he would offer.

quote:

Originally posted by rootbeer:
I ripped the bottom of a case off and the rest of it is stuck in my resizing die. The usual kind of remover will not do the job; those require the case to still have its bottom in order to drive the case out from the top of the die. So how can I get it out without having to send it off to Lee or another maker and have it out of my hands for weeks? I am thinking about using a 1/4" bolt and a fair spot of JB Weld. I'd slather the bolt and the inside of the case with JB, stuff it up in there and wait until it's well cured, then attempt to pull the case out now that I'd have a handle with which to do something. That JB stuff is so strong, the BATF now allows its use as a method to permanently attach a flash hider to a barrel less than 16" long. So; any suggestions or comments?

I have had the same situation a number of times! I used a rat-tail wood rasp having an end diameter slightly under the I.D. or the case neck. I inserted the rasp into the neck, used a pair of vise-grips to hold the end of the rasp, and "screwed" it into the brass of case neck from the bottom of the headless case. Then, turning the rasp further, the cases always popped loose and could be pulled out of the die by pulling on the tail of the rasp........ hold the die in the jaws of a padded vice while pulling the case out. The case neck brass is thick enough to prevent the rasp from touching the inside of the die chamber neck portion.

If it is really stuck, you can screw a lare-diameter tap into the case body walls, using one that is not big enough to mar the die, then you can drive the case remnant out from the mouth with a rod of the appropriate size.

MY gunsmith recommended I saw off the case head with a hacksaw , carefully insert an electric drill with a bit slightly larger than the inside diameter of the case at the shoulder . A little judicious drilling will weaken the case near the shoulder . Insert an appropriate sized easy - out and turn anti clockwise . Hey presto , the case comes out (sometimes in 2 pieces) .
Have tried it and it works .

Soak the die in Kroil for a couple hours, take a tight fitting stainless steel bore brush shove it up inside and pull back. The bristles will grab the inner case walls and pull it free. Been there done that.........

If you've only torn the rim off ... take the decapper out any way you can. Make up a piece of 1/4" rod and drive the case out from the top after soaking the die in Kroil.

If there is not web left in the case, soak in Kroil and then use a broken shell extractor after removing the decapping assembly.

If you want to try the JB Weld idea, remember that the dried material is soluable in acetone so you can clean things up after trying the removal.

Simplest thing is to send it back.

However it come out, next time use Imperial Die Wax.
Any thing that will grab the case will work.
Since it stuck enough to tear the rim off it will take a bit of doing to get it out.
The freezer trick would be my first try.
Anything you pound into the case will expand it and add to the problem. If yo have a steady hand and a small sharp cape chisel ou can split the case and get it out.
Good luck!

Buy a new die set. Their not that expensive. Send the stuck case die back to the manufacturer at your leisure. That way you'll always be good to go.

465H&H

I use Cerrosafe and make a cast in the case past the neck, then drive the case out from the top.

I took some brazing rods filed them to a point. Cut off as much case as is exposed from the die.Drive the rod between the case and die to collapse it inwards.The brazing rods wont mare your die.

I got pissed and threw the thing out the garage
door into Oak Tree. Did not fix it but i felt better.
Friend at machine shop removed it.

I would try freezing the die over night the using a propane torch lightly heat the out side of the die. You may be able to pull whats left of the case with a pair of needle nose pleirs. Option two it driving somthing like a ice pick,scratch awl or a small nail in between the case and die to try to crush the case. The bet option is to order a new die which coulld be there in a few days which would give you more time fix the old one. Good luck. I feel your pain.

I have used a plug gage that is the correct size to fit the O.D of the stuck case.Once you get the correct size all you need is a hammer


Sean

Brass is usually a lot thicker at the base, so if you ripped it off at the extractor groove you MIGHT have enough meat to thread for a bolt to pull on (after a soaking with kroil and/or freezing). Beware though, and tap is hard enough to scratch you die, so do'nt get one too large.

I have heard of guys freezing, then heating the brass with a torch. It is supposed to make the brass try and stretch against the cold, shrunken die and essentially size it back down a bit. Then when all cools, it will be loosened. I've never had the (dis)pleasure of trying it though...seems like a good idea though.

........and then there is quicksilver.

Try taking a sized case cleaned of lube, roll it in powdered rosin then tap it inside the broken case and tap it out with a rod from the mouth. I have done this with a case head separation in a rifle chamber.
Lyle

quote:

Originally posted by YUMAN:
Try taking a sized case cleaned of lube, roll it in powdered rosin then tap it inside the broken case and tap it out with a rod from the mouth. I have done this with a case head separation in a rifle chamber.
Lyle

Of all the ideas, I like that one the best.. for learning something new....

Tom Burgess told Ray Atkinson on the board here to use a small tipped oxy torch and quickly heat up a line, as CDH pointed out the brass will expand and make a ridge, then when it cools the case just falls out. Should only take 2-3 seconds to heat and 20 or so to cool....

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Man--did you run out of resizing lube or what?
You got a welder? Drill a hole through what you have left and insert a cross pin. Weld on a couple of bent fingers onto an old shell holder. Run your ram up, hook the fingers and lever up and your done. Don't forget to repolish the inside of your die after your "dry run".

No need for all this voodoo, just put the die in your vice and run a torch over it a few times and the brass case will heat up an shrink real fast without much heat, the case will fall out on your foot...

warning wear shoes....

I finally got around to getting at this problem. I went to the local hardware store and procured a roll of epoxy putty. I rolled up a little bit of it and stuffed it down into the case against a toilet paper plug in the neck. I made very sure I got none on the walls of the die. I let it cure up for twice the 20 minutes the directions say and then proceeded to pound the case out of the die from the top with the thin rod you get when you buy one of those little Lee Reloader thingies. I thought it wasn't going to come out, but a few really good raps with a 10" Crescent wrench did it. I noticed the neck was gone, but then I remember I had quite a problem getting the expander rod out when the bottom of the case ripped off. The die is back in service, I'm glad that's all behind me now and didn't have to send the die back to RCBS.

The case was a .223, so it was very small inside and I had to make sure I got no epoxy on the inside walls of the die. I did get some there during the stuffing process, but I got to it quickly and wiped it out with a paper towel swirled into a booger-getter and it wasn't a problem. Getting a bigger case out shouldn't be so difficult because you can use more epoxy, have more room within which to work and can control the putty placement much easier.