Carbide die question

C

chris in va

New member
I've resized thousands with my Lee carbide die. When new it didn't seem to have much resistance, but now I pretty much need some case lube so I don't look like Popeye.:p

Is it possible to wear one out?
 
I clean mine occasionally like I would a pistol bore. Then lube it.

I have never heard of wearing one out but I bet it's possible.
 
Wearing out a carbide die by rubbing brass on it would be near impossible IMHO.

Maybe give it a cleaning with a small bore brush and a touch of lube and try again.........
 
Carbide is not proof against everything !!! :eek:
My proceedure was to pop the primer, wash the case then proceed. A light coating of lube will make it easier .
Any lube on the case will pickup dirt , sand , etc .This then will abrade the carbide die !! Yes , sand , as in sandpaper, will wear out the carbide die. That's been happening for 50 years tha I know of !!!!
 
It is certainly possible to wear out a carbide die, mostly from the grit on the case from hitting the ground, burned powder and the like. The grit can act like a coarse lapping compound and scratch up your dies.

I tumble my brass for a bit before resizing, and I am going on over 20 years with the Lee 4 die set I began loading 45ACP with. No sticking or excessive force needed. If I didn't have a brass tumbler, I would use hot soapy water and rinse it off, and completely dry the cases.

I also clean my dies with some gun solvent and brushes from time to time-that goes for all of the dies. The seating die gets bullet lube from cast bullets built up from time to time, and the powder through expander die can get gunk in it too.
 
I don't think so

I am not an expert, but I personally do not think you will EVER damage or wear out a carbide die from anything you would do in reloading EXCEPT cracking/chipping it by adjusting it too low and hitting the shell holder.

Carbide is strong. VERY strong. But that strength is like a diamond - not much can wear it away, but it can easily crack from pressure. At least one manufacturer specifically states that you should NOT clean your cases before resizing with carbide dies because the dirt and crud on the brass acts like a lubricant! I don't pay much attention to that recommendation - usually tumble first, but it illustrates how they think that dirty cases are absolutely NOT a problem with carbide dies. I occasionally have to sharpen my carbide tipped drill bits (takes a special stone), but getting a sharp edge slightly dull from drilling through concrete and stone is a whole lot different than rubbing brass on a smooth surface!

On the other hand, it certainly would be possible to get a layer of crud built up on the inside of the carbide ring that would make resizing more difficult, especially if you apply lube to either the brass or die (I would never do that with carbide).
 
Tungsten carbide relative hardness

MOHs scale of relative hardness places brass at 3 and tungsten carbide at about 9. Mineralogical scale places corundum at 9 and diamond at the top at 10. Carbide dies do not wear out unless something of equal or greater hardness is passed through the dies. However, tungsten carbide is brittle and can be easily broken. Carbide insert drill bits for well drilling are a good example where most damage is presented as cracked carbide "buttons."

Occasionally I experience some increased resistance while sizing with carbide dies. Cleaning the die restores original performance.
 
Everything can "wear out". But to wear out a carbide ring used for sizing brass would take a lifetime of use...

I'd suggest you clean the die and try a bit of lube on the first few cases run through it. (Or mebbe yer jes gettin' old and weak? :rolleyes:)

JK!
 
Ummm, if you "wore out" the carbide, wouldn't it wear to a larger diameter and be EASIER to size?
9x19 can be hard to size (longer carbide and you may be shooting hotter loads or picking up cases that fired hot loads). Even with my own cases, some days 9x19 just seems harder to size.
Use a little case lube every 3-5 cases and it takes care of itself.
 
There could be brass deposits on the carbide. Leave it in a little copper solvent like Hoppe's for a day and I bet you will see the difference.
 
Have you changed anything else?The way you clean your brass? wet tumbled cleaned brass can be harder to size.Hotter loads? Different brand of brass?
 
Noylj and Reloader270 probably are on the right track. Most people don't realize "solid carbide" isn't solid. It's powdered carbide in a matrix with a boding metal, like nickel (Kenemetal). You can cause the bonding metal to wash out between grains of carbide with enough grit. The bonding metal also makes it possible for microscopic things to become embedded in between the carbide grains, roughening the surface or causing it to scratch.

Try putting a good copper solvent on the ring surface itself with a Q-tip. See if you can dissolve any away. Brass-on-brass will have a lot more friction than brass on carbide. Generally, metals are at their highest metal-on-metal friction sliding against themselves. Just avoid getting solvent on the carbide ring and the die body simultaneously. That can cause a galvanic reaction with the bonding metal and the die body steel.

After that, get some 800 grit silicone carbide paper and polish the surface of the carbide with it. It should remove tiny debris. See if that helps.
 
Long before there is significant size change from sand etc, they start to whine and cry about scatched cases !!!:eek:

I have seen in industrial situations , in as short as 1-2 weeks , handling carbide pieces wear out ! And that with far less sand particles to do it .
Pop the primer
Wash the brass
Apply very light coat of lube
Size the cases
:)
 
Long cases like 45LC and 44 Mag I use case lube and only do one case every 50 or so and when I start feeling it taking more force I use VERY little. When I’m done for the day I clean the die with gun bore cleaner.
9mm 45 ACP and 44 special I don’t feel it’s needed. I have one Redding 44 Mag/special die that is going on +35 years and it gets several thousand at a minimum a year. Sometimes a lot more. I did buy another set of dies last year but its set up for 44 Mags and the old one is set up for special so I don’t have to change them anymore.
 
Carbide Die Question

I am a retired Tool & Die maker from the Maytag Co. I worked there for over 35 years. Kenemetal is a brand name that deals with carbide products. Kenemetal was our main supplier of carbide punches for many years. Carbide is hard but it is brittle! The only way to destroy it is to drop on a hard surface. I have been a reloader for about 40 years. One thing I learned early on is cleanliness, especially all my dies! Everything needs a good cleaning every now and then!
 
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