Forster sizer damaging cases

[LRHWAL]

I've got plenty of Forster dies and like their products. But.... my new 308 Win dies scratch the case at the "viewing hole" and put a scratch the width of the hole from the shoulder body juction downwards and again as the case is withdrawn.

I'm thinking maybe pre-setting the expander (which I think they do), or providing a measurement from the head of the die may be a better idea than the darned hole that seems to have a burr, or is somehow scratching the cases.

Anyway, any ideas on how to sort it out with hand tools or a drill press short of returning it? The US is a long way away for me!

Thanks!

WL

 

[Fitch]

Get a piece of 1/4" wooden dowel about 4 inches long. Cut a slot in the end of it about an inch long. Get some 400 grit wet-n-dry paper for sanding metal from the local auto parts store. Cut a 1" strip about 2" long. Remove the depriming stuff, hold the die in a vise or clamp it to a bench. Chuck the dowel in an electric drill, put the paper in the slot wrapped around the dowel, dip it in oil, and use that to polish the inside of the die. Polish it evenly all over for 20 or 30 seconds moving the dowel in and out to establish some cross hatch.

That should fix it. If not, do it a second time.

Note: Make sure the dowel is small enough that it won't get stuck in the die!

If you can get access to a lathe, or have a buddy with a lathe, have him chuck the die in his lathe and polish it with the same dowel and emery paper. Spinning the die does a better job but you can fix your problem using an electric drill.

Fitch

 

[boomtube]

Follow Fitch's suggestion, easy to do and works fine. I've never had to remove burrs from new dies but I've used this method of deburring used dies many times.

All you need is a snug fitted rolled polishing wad, not tight, wound around a saw split dowel, 1/4" to 1/2" as needed, and a minute or so of spinning with the drill. It will help if you have a reversable drill so you can "wipe" the burr from both directions. And 400 (or finer) grit will be perfect. Don't worry about changing the dimensions of the die, it's case hardened steel and will take a LOT of such spinning with a fine grit materal before any measurable amount of metal can be removed.

You can re-polish the inner surface to mirror-like with strips of cloth wound around the same dowel and applying white or green rouge metal polish to it. But don't. Contrary to common thought, the light matt surface remaining from the 400 grit paper will make resizing effort less than a mirror surface A matt surface holds case lube much better than a high polish surface.

 

[LRHWAL]

Thanks guys. Yes, I was worried I'd mess it up. This is far easier than shipping it away.

WL