Let’s see an odd item that you use in your reloading process.

[COLTSFANATIC1]

We all have either makeshift or odd items that we use during the reloading process. Such as the bent paper clip.
Let’s see what you have on your bench and what is it used for. Some of us may learn something.

Mine are some make up brushes, I use them to sweep up any spilled powder, or dust off any grains of powder that sometimes trickle / fall onto the powder scale. Comes in very handy.

 

[SingleActionAndrew]

Mine are some make up brushes, I

View attachment 1199485

You mean reloading brushes? The cosmetics aisle is always kind to cater to the home loader

 

[41 Mag]

Can't say they are odd, but I keep several small finishing nails around my presses to punch out polishing media from flash holes when needed. Also have a few squares of grey and red Scotch Brite and 0000 steel wool cut in various sizes to polish up a case neck or clean a die. Along with wooden stick 6" cotton swabs.

I use canned air as well as similar brushes to clear out random powder and brass from my progressive shell plates and single stage rams.

Those finishing nails also come in handy for keeping the spout on my Lee pot cleaned out and pouring straight. Sometimes when a piece of junk manages to settle it'll throw the flow off to one side or the other and completely mess up your rhythm.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Can of Static Gard, some finger nail polish, some old gas light brass that I made very small hammers out of, rifler files, artist paint brush for Auto charge (came with it),
wire strippers for pulling bullets.

Piece of 12 ga copper wire for pushing cases up in the Lee case feeders so I can turn the magazine part ways to stop them from feeding.


Business cards for sliding in my case feeder on my Hornady to stop it from case feeding also.


magnet for catching steel cases in my feeder

Smelly thing.


Bag sealer for sealing plastic bags I store brass in.


Force gauge for checking neck tension.


Lubricatin, the oil can, not " The Bird".


And unfornately,

The washer and dryer.

 

[ballman6711]

A stainless steel cat food bowl with a rubber base. I put a handful of bullets in it when I load, and it stays put on my bench. I also keep a roll of bell wire handy, I use it to tie my powder measure so that when I bump it (not if) it won't drop a charge all over my bench.

chris

 

[CQB45ACP]

Cool thread!

But isn't alternate use part & parcel of the hobby?

A hobbiest grabs something from (of course) the workshop but also the medicine cabinet, kitchen junk drawer, cosmetic aisle or hobby shop and uses it for years. Then, someone else takes that idea, perfects it, builds copies, paints them green or blue or red and says they're for reloading and charges many, many times the original cost?

Here are a few of my odd things including, once again, my grandfather's reamer and handle (c. before mid-60s), grandmother's crocheting needle (even older), some physician's forceps, pins and needles, Pyrex custard cup, and other stuff. Plenty more where this came from.

Funny thing is, we've used some odd things so long for other than their original purpose they're no longer odd--until looking at picture I didn't even think of coffee cans and containers. New thread--how many defunct coffee brands can we identify through containers we use in the workshop?

 

[Soonerpesek]

I have an extremely ODD item used in my reloading process……..
But I really don’t want to post a pic of MYSELF…….!!!

 

[badkarmamib]

Not that odd, but I have never seen anyone do it quite like this. I have my 4 pet rifle loads set on Lee PPMs. Just spin the plate to the desired load, and go:

 

[CQB45ACP]

Not that odd, but I have never seen anyone do it quite like this. I have my 4 pet rifle loads set on Lee PPMs. Just spin the plate to the desired load, and go:

View attachment 1199528

You Virginians are the best

 

[CQB45ACP]

I have an extremely ODD item used in my reloading process……..
But I really don’t want to post a pic of MYSELF…….!!!

Yes, thanks for sparing us.

 

[ballman6711]

Here's how I do my measures. I have Hornady's bushing adapters screwed into my bench. A quarter turn and it's heading for my powder stand.


chris

 

[Skgreen]

Bullet tube loader.

 

[DustyRusty]

Micrometer stand is a camera stand.


Med surplus ottoscope see's down into the dark



Cork is a case feeder PAUSE button.



Cork where a finger can't be.

 

[jmorris]

These are probably the least likely for someone else to figure out but at least I keep them all in the same bag.

 

[Litetrigger]

A few

 

[alfsauve]

Two fairly ho-hum things but it's combing 3D printing hobby with reloading.

First is a very specific funnel that has both an exterior skirt and an interior tube. This keep the funnel firmly in place so it doesn't tump over Specifically did this for .458SCOM



The second is a sieve. Never been happy with any of the separation devices. This is a little better, for me. Working on a round one that's deep and mates with the tumbler. Trying not to loose medium all over the place. My third iteration has interior ribs to upset the cases. They tend to settle in mouth up, full of media and just laugh at me. Oh and you know the plastic, bedside potty pans you get to take home when you have major surgery. Excellent container for holding media.

 

[CQB45ACP]

A fewView attachment 1199569View attachment 1199570View attachment 1199571

What, we have to guess?

 

[barnfrog]

View attachment 1199535
Med surplus ottoscope see's down into the dark.

Ooh, that's a good one! My mom was a nurse and I think her old otoscope is still around somewhere.

 

[DustyRusty]

Ooh, that's a good one! My mom was a nurse and I think her old otoscope is still around somewhere.

When I found mine, the battery was kaput. It's worth the $$ to replace it. I use it a lot,
At work, our locksmiths were always begging for one.

 

[savagelover]

Here's how I do my measures. I have Hornady's bushing adapters screwed into my bench. A quarter turn and it's heading for my powder stand.

View attachment 1199529View attachment 1199530
chris

I use the lee dippers..

 

[Litetrigger]

I wish I could take credit of this accessory, but it's the genius idea of someone brighter than me. It is a continous flow of even 12 volt power to the RCBS Charge Master from a portable 12 volt booster. The booster is kept charged plugged into normal110V household current. The current flow from booster to Charge Master is even and constant, thus avoiding uneven current and uneven weighing we often hear about. I never turn off the CM and have it and one other constantly on for over five years. This unit was made by Schumacher and I suppose similar 12V boosters work the same. This pic shows them close together for illustration, but normally the booster is out of the way at back of of loading bench. The other is carried to shooting venues for reloading where power is not othewise available.

 

[EMC45]

I use an old similac scoop from when my kids were babies. I put a little dab of crazy glue in the hole at the bottom of it. I use it for tapping out rifle powder.

 

[Tilos]

I have a lot of "repurposed" stuff in my reloading closet.
Here's a chip-clip and bamboo skewer used to coax the last few primers out of the trough on my Pro1000:

A bar end bicycle mirror to check cases on the progressive for powder:
Edit:
Just noticed in the background a bottle of Q-tips used for cleaning small areas:
And the orange(ish) nail polish for front sights, plus clear nail polish- a poor man's Loctite:



And the ever-present roll of TP:

The sewing machine light:


more to come.
.

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

Can of Static Gard, some finger nail polish, some old gas light brass that I made very small hammers out of, rifler files, artist paint brush for Auto charge (came with it),
wire strippers for pulling bullets.
View attachment 1199517
Piece of 12 ga copper wire for pushing cases up in the Lee case feeders so I can turn the magazine part ways to stop them from feeding.
View attachment 1199508

Business cards for sliding in my case feeder on my Hornady to stop it from case feeding also.
View attachment 1199509

magnet for catching steel cases in my feeder
View attachment 1199510
Smelly thing.
View attachment 1199511

Bag sealer for sealing plastic bags I store brass in.
View attachment 1199512

Force gauge for checking neck tension.
View attachment 1199513

Lubricatin, the oil can, not " The Bird".
View attachment 1199514

And unfornately,

The washer and dryer.

View attachment 1199515

I used to use those bag sealers at a former warehouse job and they were trash lol, I guess if your not using them every day they last longer... I really want to get a nice vacuum sealer someday....

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

Not that odd, but I have never seen anyone do it quite like this. I have my 4 pet rifle loads set on Lee PPMs. Just spin the plate to the desired load, and go:

View attachment 1199528

How does that style of dispenser work with stick powder like H1000? I figure ball powder like Accurate 2700 would work best?