What clever little things have you "invented or discovered" that you can share?

just for one and all that use corncob to clean brass, listen up big time!!!

your local Grangers has a real deal!!! FOURTY pounds for $ 35.30

dont belive me? check item number 2MVR4 in their catalog or on line! this is 14/20 grit what they call blasting media,corncob 40lbs.

i didnt belive it either but then i bought one of these monsters( it really IS 40 lbs!)
and it comes in a sack in a cardboard box. the grit is perfect for cleaning brass in vibratory cleaners! i did 7000 .223 without changing the batch.
works for me and cheeper than the stuff you get at the reloading stores!

I think I paid $25 for that bag, shipped, last year. Works great.

just for one and all that use corncob to clean brass, listen up big time!!!

your local Grangers has a real deal!!! FOURTY pounds for $ 35.30

dont belive me? check item number 2MVR4 in their catalog or on line! this is 14/20 grit what they call blasting media,corncob 40lbs.

i didnt belive it either but then i bought one of these monsters( it really IS 40 lbs!)
and it comes in a sack in a cardboard box. the grit is perfect for cleaning brass in vibratory cleaners! i did 7000 .223 without changing the batch.
works for me and cheeper than the stuff you get at the reloading stores!

Click to expand...

Check DrillSpot! 40 lb bag for $33.85 for 14/20 grit Free Shipping

40 lb bag for $34.48 for 20/40 grit Free Shipping.

No travel expense, no shipping charges. I usually receive mine in 3 to 4 days.

We know Mike Dillon does a lot of things right, but I do have a couple of peeves with my 650.
I tend to forget what size allen wrenches are for which location so I marked every allen location at each assembly with the size.


The other thing that bothers me is his powder check station indicator sleeve. Notice the powder check station indicator sleeve and the lack of lock nut on top of the sleeve in the first pic.
I load 9 and 45 so I have to switch the sleeve to the different size sensor rod since I only have one sensor assembly. He put a jamb nut on top of the sleeve and each time I changed calibers I had to recalibrate the sleeve. So I locked 2 jamb nuts UNDER the sleeve (if I remember, they are 10-24) so I can simply move the sleeve from one rod to the other and not have to calibrate again. The nuts are programmed/locked in for what powder charge I use.
I know, I can order a spare sleeve but I just haven't gotten around to that yet. Next time I have a broken part and have to call, I'll order it then.

So after a hard evening of loading all the shells I want to load or sizing boolits, I need a drink. If you've ever watched "THE SIMPSONS" you know what Homer's favorite beer is - DUFFS !
You think it's phoney ?
Well, it's NOT. It is REAL BEER. And to prove it, I have a genuine can, as shown in the picture. No, it's not photoshopped. Further proof is the empty can next to my 1911.
The beer is made in Germany.

I took a cheap pair of channel lock style pliers I found in a parking lot somewhere and ground down the teeth to two flat surfaces. I use it at the press to loosen dies b/c my other wrenches are always nowhere to be found (in garage) when I need em. Quick and easy and no teeth marks on lock rings or die bodies.

Ok, here's my only contribution to the reloading world.

Shorten the arm length on your press to a point you are comfortable with. This lets you scoot up to the bench more and gives you a more economical movement that *could* make your reloading a tiny bit faster. Sorry if this was already posted, but I have not looked this whole thread over in a while.

Great idea on the lever adjustment.


Rogrrrr ,
I also number my 650's screws etc....I can never remember!


Bob

I use a C-clamp to mount my presses, it allows me to change or move a press in just a few minutes.

I chamfer the inside mouth of my pistol brass, auto loader or rimmed. This allows me to seat jacketed bullets without having to bell the case mouths at all.

And when seating auto loading pistol brass, 9mm, .40 cal. or others it eliminates the need for crimping. I don't have to spend a bunch of time adjusting the crimp on cases that head space off the mouth. This method not only saves some time, but I'm also getting maximum obtainable neck tension every time.

I wouldn't know if this works with non jacketed or plated bullets, as I don't load with those type bullets components.

GS

Coffee can switch

We switched from Folgers to Maxwell House because the square footprint means a bit more storage per sq.ft. of shelf space and they line up better.

Something I took from building RC models, mix up some 2 part epoxy and dilute w/ rubbing alcohol (roughly 50/50); paint it on the wood surface of your work bench for a nice durable finish.

Click to expand...

I've been contorting in all manners around that long lever since I've had the press. :banghead: It never once occurred to me that something that simple could work so well. That is an award winner.

Rx containers

are perfect when developing rifle loads. The slim ones will easily hold 9 rnds of 6.5x55 Swede (pretty long round, over 3") and the fatter ones even more (if you need more 3 3 shot groups) to evaluate a load. So build up a succesion of loads in .2 or .3 grain increments and keep them segregated. A piece of tape on the outside marked with bullet & pwdr wt. will make it simple at the range, then just change targets per load and when you get home record your data (I also scan or photo the specific target).

^^^^^

I use Rx containers to store my top punch and lube sizer dies in between uses (for my LAM-2). I just peal the labels off and label them with my sons dymo tape label maker what caliber/round each one is stored in.

The Dove

I load for the S&W Model 52. It shoots .38 HBWC for those who don't know. I struggled to get an accurate load for several months using the standard Dillon roll crimp die. I then discovered that the barrel was really set up for a .355 bullet and went to the Dillon 9mm taper crimp die. The groups tightened up a for a huge improvement. 1" to 1.25" at 50 yards.

Sir:

Thank you so much for such a brilliant idea. I have the same counter you have I bought at one of those home science sites. Been trying to figure out how to work the lever with the return spring. I have a two inch lip on my reloading table and your pictures gave to the idea of how to use and mount it on my Pro1000 and Dillon SDB press.Thank you.

The 3 greatest inventions.

1. plastic peanut butter jars

2. coffee containers, 1, 2 and 3 pounder's

3. old refrigerator Primers in top freezer, powder in door, lots of room for other items.

No one can have too much storage

I wanted my LNL to have a bin to hold bullets. I also wanted the bin to be adjustable side to side and up and down for all situations. This works well and allows all sorts of adjustments for my comfort although I have decided where I want the bin and pretty much keep it there for now. However, it is nice when I need to move it off to the side to clean or adjust things. If comes apart and off easily and is very solid.

Hadn't gotten around to buying an O-give comparator yet (I'm still only 1 MOA capable off a bench) so I still load to COL. However, I realized I had a ready made O-give comparator in my collection...

Just pull the seating plug from your dies, put it on your calipers and zero them, then insert the cartridge and measure. Of course, this only works assuming you are using a quality seating die that seats on the ogive (like most competition/BR dies do) and not simply off the end of the bullet.

I actually have a spare seating plug for my Redding .223 die so I do not have to disassemble the one in use.

My contribution:
Use .45GAP in revolvers; you can still find it.

Need a tip

I don't have a clever tip right now, but I need one. I use a RCBS Uniflow powder measure. This is a photo of the knob on the measuring screw that you turn to adjust it. (See attached photo.) The thing is small - 0.3" diameter - and pretty stiff to turn, so it's difficult to turn it justalittlebit, in order to dial in the last .1gr.

Any suggestions for something I could fit over or clamp on to that to make it easier to adjust in small increments?

Hi,

In order to avoid any arror of parallax (not to mention stiff neck) I use an external Microsoft webcam which focusses on the scale and gives me perfect view of the scale. Aplogies for the lens flare.

I am busy refining this and have a mini pinhole spycam, about an inch cubed on order, this will be connected to a unused 3" external video monitor I have had laying around for years. This will enable me to make this a compact and permanent fixture to my portable bench.

Now the scale is at an ergonomic height to work with and needs no longer to be at eye height which results in sore arms.

JSmith said:

I don't have a clever tip right now, but I need one. I use a RCBS Uniflow powder measure. This is a photo of the knob on the measuring screw that you turn to adjust it. (See attached photo.) The thing is small - 0.3" diameter - and pretty stiff to turn, so it's difficult to turn it justalittlebit, in order to dial in the last .1gr.

Any suggestions for something I could fit over or clamp on to that to make it easier to adjust in small increments?

Click to expand...

Not super elegant but how about a small hose clamp.. cut off the excess.

JSmith said:

I don't have a clever tip right now, but I need one. I use a RCBS Uniflow powder measure. This is a photo of the knob on the measuring screw that you turn to adjust it. (See attached photo.) The thing is small - 0.3" diameter - and pretty stiff to turn, so it's difficult to turn it justalittlebit, in order to dial in the last .1gr.

Any suggestions for something I could fit over or clamp on to that to make it easier to adjust in small increments?

Click to expand...

Go to your local Radioshack type shop. Select the control knob of your choice with a standard brass collet and locking screw. Buy a drill of suitable diameter and drill to suit your current knob diameter .... elegant solution.

I had thought of a control knob, but I didn't think I could match the size. But you're right - I can drill one out! Cool - thanks!

Nothin fancy or technical, but this helps me a bit. When swapping turret disks on my Lee Classic Turret Press I needed a way to safely store & keep the dust off the disks that are set up with their own dies and Lee Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure set and intact. I just cut a bunch of appropriate lengths out of a piece of cheapo 4" PVC drain pipe and used some inexpensive flat PVC caps. Keep in mind that 4" PVC pipe (SCH 40) is NOT the same as 4" drain pipe. I glued the bottom caps only.







You can label each tube, paint them or whatever you want. I'm considering lining at least the bottoms with something just to ensure that the decapping pins don't ever take a hard hit if I happen to drop the turret disk into the tubes. I know I don't 'need' a powder measure for each turret disk, but it's nice to not have to adjust it back & forth every cartridge I load. It's also nice to have extras for parts, etc...

EDIT:
I had some sheets of rubbery naugahyde type stuff so I figured I'd make a softer base for inside my tubes. I used a sliver of the drain pipe as a stencil to draw a line with a pencil & cut some rubber disks.




I stuck 2 rubber disks into each cap so it's nice & thick.


I slapped on some PVC glue around the pipe and jammed the pipe into the cap.