Creative solutions to die storage

[hAkron]

I'm running into a bit of a die storage issue with my dies. Mostly this is caused by the Hornady LnL bushings on my dies, but the problem has grown even worse now that I'm starting to add a Hornady Quick Change Powder Die to each caliber, and things like competition seater dies, factory crimp dies, etc, etc. Do I store everything all together? Do I store things separately grouped by caliber?

To circle back to my initial point which is really the thing complicating the issue. I use the Hornady LnL bushings on my dies, so the don't fit correctly back in their one boxes, and they wouldn't fit in just a circle hole drilled to the same diameter as the die body, so that excluded something like the die storage boxes sold by MTM.

Who uses the Hornady bushings, and what have you come up with for die storage?

 

[Shmackey]

Back when I used an LnL press, I was able to squeeze my dies back into their boxes. The boxes would bulge a bit but still lock shut.

 

[Sport45]

Most of my dies stay in the toolhead or turret. These get a quick spray of silicone before being wrapped in a rag and stacked in a 50 caliber ammo can for storage.

 

[thorn-]

I'm not sure what to tell you; I store all my Hornady dies in their original boxes, with the bushings still on them... 4 dies in the 9mm box, i believe.

I don't have any Quick Change dies though.

thorn

 

[noylj]

I keep all my cartridge-specific reloading items in a "shoe box" drawer. I have never kept my dies in the original box--and that is for the last 45 years.
I have tried and never been able to put a Hornady die and bushing back in the die box.
Never saw any reason to buy a turret press just to store my dies.

 

[beatledog7]

I leave LNL bushings on my dies and store them in RCBS or Hornady boxes. Up to four dies with bushings fit in the box without a noticeable bulge, and the boxes snap securely shut. Lee dies don't complain about being in an RCBS box.

 

[Walkalong]

I have used a Dremel to modify the die supports in some of the boxes, as well as eliminating one in particular, to make bushing equipped dies fit better. I can get 4 dies in a box, including a tall Hornady or Redding micrometer top seater.

 

[cfullgraf]

I use RCBS die boxes for the dies with L-N-L bushings. I cut out one of the saddles on the opening side of the box which gives enough room for the bushing with the inset for the box's clasp.

There is enough room in the box for four dies and the powder measure insert. Competition seater dies might not work. I only use them with rifle cartridges, not handgun.

Redding die boxes do not have enough depth inside for the bushing. I put dies in those boxes that I use on the single stage press, primarily rifle dies.

I have purchased a few empty RCBS storage boxes along the way, but for the most part I was able to swap dies around between boxes from die sets I had on hand. I then relabeled the boxes.

The powder drop dies I label with the cartridge and store it in a larger plastic storage box that I store all the other L-N-L parts such as die plates, powder measure rotors, drop tubes, spare parts, etc.

I would like to have the powder drop dies with the reloading dies but have not come up with a storage box that I like that fits the dies. My current system works for now.

I have one Forrester seater die and it works fine but is too big to fit any of my preferred storage boxes. The Hornady die boxes are larger than RCBS boxes but I have not tried the powder drop dies in them.

 

[hAkron]

I'm thinking some of those $2.00 plastic storage boxes at Walmart might be the way to go, I just don't know what to put in them to keep the dies from knocking around. I've thought of using foam, but I don't want anything that would possibly draw out any protective oil I have on the dies, and I've thought of something loose like dry beans (don't laugh, I'm brain storming!) but I dont want anything that could break apart an get into the dies. Ive even toyed with casting resin, but that would require making good molds of the die bodies to pour the resin around, and casting resin is expensive. Ideally the solution keeps the dies from rattling around, is easily reconfigurable, and is cheap.

Right now I'm using plasic art boxes with paper towels to keep the dies separate.

 

[Muddydogs]

I have been able to get 4 dies with bushings, powder measure stem and powder measure expander linkage in my RCBS die boxes. Its tight in the boxes and I might have to fiddle with the dies a couple times to get the boxes to close but they work, probably need to just cut out the plastic die holders like other have done. The bullet feeder dies are left in the slip tubes they come in setting next to the dies and the quick change powder drop tubes are labled and set next to the feeder dies. I store shell plates stacked together in a blue Midway plastic storage box.

 

[Blue68f100]

All of my pistol dies will fin in the plastic storage boxes with the bushings on. I have not found a solution for the Powder cop die bases. These are similar to a std die but with the parts hanging well over the bushing. These I currently put in a box with my other LNL Parts. As far as the shell plates, the early ones had a hard plastic box that was good for storage, the new ones not so much. Now you could take some plywood and drill holes for the dies to drop down into, but with the LNL bushing there is little room for error/size. At the same time you can stack the shell plates or on a peg if you want to hang them up. It would be nice to have die storage box big enough to hold every thing related to 1 caliber but that would be a big bulky box. Now if Hornady would make a die box that is 1/2" deeper and 1" wider and taller every thing would fit nicely.

 

[dickttx]

Folgers.

 

[amlevin]

I found that all the boxes took up too much room and I use my dies frequently enough that I don't want to continually pack them back up. I have a piece of heavy gauge sheet metal that us bent in a "U-Channel" shape with appropriately sizesd holes spaced about 1-1/2" apart. All my dies now sit ready to go behind my press. If I need more counter space I can just drill some holes in the side of this "holder" and fasten it to the end of my bench. This also allows me to keep some of my "utility dies" handy such as the universal de-priming die, collet bullet puller, etc.

 

[Striker Fired]

I lasered out a piece of stainless with holes to lineup all my dies by caliber ,but the hornady bushings don't fit so I have to redraw the holes and laser out a new piece.

 

[HOWARD J]

I store my dies in plastic food containers fron the dollar or grocery store.
Very long term storage I spray barricade rust stop into the can.
These are stored in lee turret or Dillon die holders--ready to drop into press.

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[capreppy]

All of my pistol dies (Hornady) fit in the original box with the bushings attached. My Lee Rifle die in .270 Win works fine with the bushings still attached in the Lee original box. I don't have an issue with redding (.223 National Match set) or hornady (.308 Win) rifle die boxes either.

 

[esheato]

Most of my dies are placed into their respective boxes, but my most frequently used ones are on the wall in some die holders that I made.

I used a piece of angle aluminum and some creative time on the drill press. Finish them with some hammer finish spray paint and decorative screws/washers and wa-lah! The posts on the sides hold a display case and the shellholder that matches the cartridge. I did have to drill out the flash hole to fit the post, but it's easy.

While they are mounted to the main peg board in that pic, I've since mounted them to another piece of pegboard with 1x2s framing the rear of the piece. That way I can easily take down the whole piece for moving purposes without disassembling the small stuff.

I don't remember the dimensions that I used, as it was about 5 years ago, but I'm sure you could drill larger holes for the bushings and space them out so that it looked nice.

 

[capreppy]

esheato, that looks REALLY nice.

 

[NoAlibi]

esheato = Obsessive-compulsive disorder - right down to the screw slots being perfectly perpendicular! ME TOO!

Damn! I'm sorry that you showed that picture...now I have to do the same thing as well! Thanks.....Doc

PS - You should put your die storage solution in the "sticky" for creative things in this forum. I'm sure others would enjoy your idea as well.

 

[esheato]

LOL...I'm military intel by trade.

We're all a bit obsessive in my field.

 

[Striker Fired]

How close to the RCBS green is that paint? Rustollium I presume.

 

[dbarnhart]

I hear you. I found some plastic rectangular boxes at The Container Store that worked for me. I have one for each caliber and in it I keep everything for that caliber: dies, shellplate, quick change powder die, etc.

 

[hAkron]

Some great ideas so far guys! Keep them coming. For those of you who are using plastic storage containers that are designed for food or as crafte boxes, are you putting anything inside the boxes to keep the dies from knocking around into each other? I'm worried about them clanking into one another and disrupting my settings. I also don't like the idea of them just bring loose in a box. With Lee, Dillon, and RCBS progressives and turrets you have a tool head, with Hornady you have loose dies with odd shaped bushings on them....makes for a challenge! I was thinking of buying the adapter Hornady makes so that you can use the bushing system on other presses and using that to make a negative version that I could use to mold up something out of resin then pop out my negative and have a hole shaped to fit the bushing.

 

[THe Dove]

esheato = Obsessive-compulsive disorder - right down to the screw slots being perfectly perpendicular! ME TOO!

You sir, have a helluva eye!!!

The Dove

 

[bedwards1]

Storing the Lee in the round containers they came in and the Dillon, made some holders out of cedar and a large bolt. I turned them down in my lathe.


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