Where do I start (making my own swaging equipment)

I'm interested in bullet swaging, both for jacketed (.357" for revolver and .312" for rifle) and for plain lead to be paper patched (for a .300/.313 rifle bore) or fired as is -- but I've got no budget for equipment. I do have a small lathe, capable of swinging 3"+ diameter over the saddle, up to 8 inches or so long (it's 12" between centers, but the chuck takes up some of that length), and a small, cheap drill press. I also don't currently have a reloading press that I think will handle swaging (my only press is a slide-bar type that I bought used in 1981 -- like a turret, but the dies mount in a bar that slides in a slot in the cast frame), though making a press is simpler than making dies, IMO -- there are several ways to apply the required amount of pressure (hydraulics, screw, or plain old leverage).

What I'm interested in is how to proceed toward making my own swaging dies. I've never used a swaging setup, and haven't seen much in the way of clear information on how swaging dies work -- not the internal mechanics of mashing lead, that's plain enough, but how the actual dies are set up to get the required precision in weight, seat cores in jackets, form noses and bases, and so forth. I know the basics -- preform cast or cut cores to weight with a bleed-off die, seat cores in jackets (optionally bond by melting the core), form nose and base; what I don't know is how the dies interact with the press to avoid things like a bullet stuck in a die and no way to get it out, or how much spring back to account for in the internal size of the dies.

A good, detailed examination of a set of swaging dies would probably be a good place to start, but I don't even know anyone who swages...

I realize you may have already seen them, and that they do not speak to making the dies, but Ammosmith's swaging videos are fun and may shed some light on the internal workings of commercially made dies. ammosmith.com Sorry I can not give a more direct answer.

Ok the precision in weight comes from a fixed volume. first you would weigh all your jackets because that is something you cannot control (limited control) and separate them to fixed lots. Then you would swage your cores in a core swage die (or squirt die) to make consistent uniform cylinders of lead. If I am making match bullets I will literally match each jacket and core weighing them together to get them with in .01 grains in weight. Then in the setup I have I seat the cores and mic the od of the seated jacket core combination. keeping them all the exact same with in .0001 next I point form again measuring the Od of the Bullet. ... This is what I do not necessarily the best or correct way but it works very well for me. Your Jacket ID and Core OD are critical as if your core is to large you can trap air inside the jacket making a void and a bad bullet. So you want to leave the appropriate amount of room between Jacket and core so Air can escape as the core is seated in the jacket.

Here is a ebook on the following thread about making dies that, IMO, is worth reading.

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...ad.php?t=52502

Unfortunately, the ebook is giving a 403 Forbidden error -- looks like someone has locked it up in the year and a half since the link was posted. Too bad, as that was probably just about what I was looking for; hopefully the OP for that thread will respond to a PM as he suggested there.

I've seen some of Ammosmith's videos, but as you note, there isn't much information on how to make a set of working dies, just basics on how they work. I think I can probably make an adjustable bleed-off core forming die, and I more or less understand how that die is made to eject the formed core. I might go back and take another look, now that I'm thinking about details of the operation. Nice tip on ensuring the core isn't too close a fit in the jacket; if I'd found I was swaging voids inside the jacket I'd have probably looked for a way to put one or two grooves the long way on the core, never thought to simply make it undersize.

Your right 404 showed its ugly head

Actually, I accessed the pdf file just today, and was easily able to print it out.

Not sure why you guys would have an issue. The document looks like it was hand typed on an old typewriter.

Here's the direct link to the pdf file:

http://www.rtconnect.net/~wjmanley/S...ASswagedie.pdf

Not sure why but that link doesn't work for me either Duke.

Maybe you guys need a free copy of Adobe Acrobat READER:
http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Be sure to UN-check the free McAfee crapola.. Hate it when they try to tag stuff on a download.

I got 403'd too and I also went through the bookmark I had for that PDF that was saved in my phone, bummer that was a good read

I printed it out yesterday with no problem although on a few lines the last half of the line was missing. Duke is right, it was typed with an odd font and evidently no "spell check" although I usually find "spell check " a nuisance.


Bob

I now get a 403 also.

I did download a copy of it some time ago, so if someone wants it pm me & I'll email it to you.

How about if I host it...........
I'll be right back with a link

Here's another place to get the file:

http://www.sebagosales.com/swagedbul...ASswagedie.pdf

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DukeInMaine

Actually, I accessed the pdf file just today, and was easily able to print it out.

Not sure why you guys would have an issue. The document looks like it was hand typed on an old typewriter.

Here's the direct link to the pdf file:

http://www.rtconnect.net/~wjmanley/S...ASswagedie.pdf

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That worked for me. Saved a copy of it as this is an interest I have also - just no time to start it.

IIRC there is a thread on this forum somewhere about making a very nice swaging press.

The making of a swage press is a STICKY
See above ^^^^

Duke,

Thanks for hosting this file.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DukeInMaine

Actually, I accessed the pdf file just today, and was easily able to print it out.

Not sure why you guys would have an issue. The document looks like it was hand typed on an old typewriter.

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That link worked for me tonight; it may be a limited bandwidth host (only so many downloads per day) -- no, not an old typewriter; that was printed with a dot matrix printer in double pass "letter quality" mode (I owned one of those for years; with the right software, it could almost match a laser printer for quality, but it took most of an hour per page to do it, where dual pass was a couple minutes).

I notice that almost the first thing the author says is that if you're in this to save money, quit now. I figure it's like building a telescope (did it, several years ago) or a lathe (started one, then had a windfall and bought one instead) -- you won't spend any less than you would to buy the stuff, but you can spend it a little bit at a time instead of having to try to protect it from emergencies as you save up to drop it all at once. If you're good at following instructions, improvising, and using what seem like unrelated skills to get stuff done, you can wind up with a better product than you could have bought for the same total outlay (my $500 telescope is a little ugly, but it'll optically outperform a $3500 fancy-pants rig). As a bonus, you'll learn stuff along the way that you'd otherwise have to learn by trial and error on the finished product (I know a LOT more about my telescope than about my lathe).

I figure I'll start with the core swaging "bleed" die and a press similar to the old Mighty Mite -- if I can get that working right, I'll make a core seater (and somewhere along there, I'll figure out how to turn K&S hobby brass or copper plumbing pipe into jackets -- that guy on YouTube does it and they look really good; should shoot well too, since the tube has no seam and is very consistent). After those, I ought to be ready for nose/base forming dies.

The original link should work. It is not limited bandwidths or other voodoo.

The document is the work of Ted Smith of Shooters Accessory Supply. It is the scan of the original document, it has not been retyped. You all can thank Cheshire Dave for sharing it with the community.

Duke thanks for making another home for it.