Forster says they will do this for $10, but the factory want full retail for dies, and that is another $20.

Has anyone lapped out a neck themselves?
TIA

Sure I have. Make a lap by cutting a slot on the end of a brass rod and put fine emery cloth in the slot.

Go slow and measure twice as it's harder to put metal back into the die!

It's also real easy to egg shape the neck. Or to put in a taper you don't want. The die folks use stones and they still don't guarantee perfect concentricity even doing it on a lathe, so how are you going to do it with sandpaper and do it right? You have an additional problem if you go too far, such as working it into another caliber, and that is removal of the surface hardness. That will make the die easy to scratch. I did it once eons ago believing it was the same as honing cylinders in cars, or a brake cylinder. You don't have much room for error, unless you're willing to accept a less than perfect die.

I just had Forster do a die for me. It's worth the price but buying them from Forster, while a bit more expensive, is cheaper than buying the die at a discount and paying for shipping, plus you save considerable time. Some of the other die folks will polish out their own dies a couple of thou's and they do it for free as a service, notably RCBS and Lee. Don't know about the others as I've never had to have them polished out.

[ 08-16-2003, 21:09: Message edited by: Bob338 ]

How can I describe how to do it right? My dad had a large tool and die shop and some of the toolmakers came with him from the aircraft. He did not hire and fire a lot but I think that many came with an inherent skill and love for doing things right. Of course a toolmaker never makes a mistake, sometimes it just takes longer!

Can it be done? Yes it can! Can everyone do it? Of course not.

Many years ago before I knew better I did it this way:

Measure fired case neck.

Get a piece of brass rod about 6 " long with a diameter at least as large as desired neck size. Turn rod to 0.250 except one end about the length of your case neck. Turn this end to the diameter of a SIZED case.

Carefully cut once fired case off just below body-shoulder junction. Drill 0.250 hole through primer pocket as precisely as possible.

Now you have a lap that will remain pretty much centered in die body by case and lap fitting die neck. Also no danger of lapping compound getting on shoulder.

Use 600 grit compound on neck portion of lap. Just a few seconds with the drill, clean die well, size a case and measure.

If sizer die neck is much smaller than desired make another tight fitting lap and repeat.

Know that I'm much older I simply purchase a different neck bushing for my bushing dies.

Wally