Scored die

[The Plainsman]

In the process of removing a stuck case from the de-cap resizing die, I think I must have scored the die inside (don't have a clue how) because all the cases now have little scratches on them.

Anybody have any suggestions for polishing the interior of the resizing die or should I just chalk it up to experience and get a new die??

For what it's worth, I used the RCBS Stuck Case Remover kit - pretty slick I might add.

 

[stans]

Contact RCBS, they may just simply replace the die. You might be pleasantly surprised at how well they respond to customers.

 

[grendelbane]

This may not be any help at all, but at least it is something cheap that you can try. I recently polished the interior of an old steel .38 Super sizing die. I used J-B Bore Cleaning Compound. In my case I was polishing away the accumulation of nickel from sizing nickeled cases. If your die is actually scored, you may not be able to salvage it.

Still, it is worth a try. It certainly can't hurt anything.

 

[HSMITH]

I used J-B Bore Cleaning Compound.

This ^^^^^ is a good tip. It will get the job done and do it well. Dab it on a felt bob and use your Dremel to polish it out. Be aware that JB cuts a little and then is 'used up', it is a non-embedding compound and as such is not nearly as long lasting or aggressive as a traditional lapping compound. Refresh the JB on the felt bob often and all will go quickly.

Cratex makes a series of wheels in different grits for Dremel type tools that is absolutely THE BEST EVER for polishing and mild shaping. If you can spring for the Cratex kit I strongly recommend it.

 

[The Plainsman]

Stans...

I might follow your advice except the die is a Lee die. I wonder if they would be as "charitable" as RCBS.

I will try the J-B Bore compound idea and see what happens.

Thanks, ya'll.

 

[grendelbane]

I used a T-shirt patch on a well worn brass brush. I used hand pressure only. Perhaps something that you could chuck into a drill, or a dremel would be better.

It might not work, but it is cheap enough to try.

J-B Bore Cleaning Compound has many uses.

I used it to lap a .38 Super slide to a frame. It worked quite well in that application.

Tuner loves it. That is good enough for me.

 

[swingset]

Jeweler's Rouge on a felt-bob (chucked in a Dremel) will work. I've also used 0000 steel wool to smooth out the scratches in a die.