Roccobro
Member
Cool links in that thread. Couldn't see yours as it needed a "member" to access the pixs. But the other counters and pictures in the links were inbedded and visible.
Justin
Justin
What clever little things have you "invented or discovered" that you can share?
- Thread starter James THR
- Start date
Tom S.
Member
Here's a reprint with pictures:
Here is information on a ‘round counter’ you can build yourself. It should be adaptable to any press. Unlike the one Dillon used to sell, this one is designed to measure press strokes. Thus, you don’t need one for each caliber, nor do you need to move it from tool head to tool head. The case I used is Dillon Blue, but they have other colors available.
The parts used:
From Willy’s Electronic Supply www.WillysElectronics.com
1 Each 1591LBU CH. Box 3.3 x 2.2 x 1.4 @ $6.49
1 Each BC120 9 Volt Battery Snap @ $1.29
1 Each 30-006 Mini Pushbutton Switch @ $3.99
From Radio Shack:
1 Each 275-1547 Momentary Pushbutton Switch @ $3.49
From Grainger:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/produ...&submit.y=5
1 Each 2PAT7 Counter,LCD,6 Digit 1 @ $21.89
In addition to this list, you will need some wire and solder.
Below is a picture of the finished counter, along with the wiring schematic. Total build time is about an hour. YMMV!
Here is information on a ‘round counter’ you can build yourself. It should be adaptable to any press. Unlike the one Dillon used to sell, this one is designed to measure press strokes. Thus, you don’t need one for each caliber, nor do you need to move it from tool head to tool head. The case I used is Dillon Blue, but they have other colors available.
The parts used:
From Willy’s Electronic Supply www.WillysElectronics.com
1 Each 1591LBU CH. Box 3.3 x 2.2 x 1.4 @ $6.49
1 Each BC120 9 Volt Battery Snap @ $1.29
1 Each 30-006 Mini Pushbutton Switch @ $3.99
From Radio Shack:
1 Each 275-1547 Momentary Pushbutton Switch @ $3.49
From Grainger:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/produ...&submit.y=5
1 Each 2PAT7 Counter,LCD,6 Digit 1 @ $21.89
In addition to this list, you will need some wire and solder.
Below is a picture of the finished counter, along with the wiring schematic. Total build time is about an hour. YMMV!
Attachments
evan price
Member
I like cheap stuff, and free is the cheapest!
Browsing at the range a few weeks ago I picked out of the trash can a couple of those black plastic boxes that Pyrodex .50 cal black-powder substitute pellets come in. They have a snap-lock lid and 50 little individual compartments. Nice boxes. I hated to see them just thrown out so I took them home to figure out what to do with them.
Turns out they are a perfect fit for storing .45 acp ammunition in. Just like an MTM Case-Gard box. But free!
Browsing at the range a few weeks ago I picked out of the trash can a couple of those black plastic boxes that Pyrodex .50 cal black-powder substitute pellets come in. They have a snap-lock lid and 50 little individual compartments. Nice boxes. I hated to see them just thrown out so I took them home to figure out what to do with them.
Turns out they are a perfect fit for storing .45 acp ammunition in. Just like an MTM Case-Gard box. But free!
NorCalRanches
Member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2008
- Messages
- 55
I keep a lot of empty plastic boxes my 17 HMR ammo comes in, the 50 rd ones. CCI .22 ammo comes in a similar and longer box.
They are great for keeping all sorts of small parts, brushes, jags etc in. And, free.
They are great for keeping all sorts of small parts, brushes, jags etc in. And, free.
mongoose33
Member
I have the same kind of thing on mine, but to simulate darkness I simply stick a piece of black electrical tape over the sensor. To restart, I simply turn it off then back to 2 or 4 hours, depending on what I want for time.
coop4u2c
Member
I made a small press stand out of a piece of I-beam. Works great!
View attachment 100228
View attachment 100228
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fourdollarbill
Member
My Redding 505 beam scale will move around easy because it is so light weight. if you bump it then you have to zero it out again. I flipped it over and filled it with lead from my Lee production pot. Now that sucker stays put.
06
Member
To make my Lyman T-mag "mobile" I countersunk bolts into an 18" long 2X10 to mount it securely. Then I used four 1/2" bolts with wing nuts/washers to mount it to the desk. It also allowed it to be extended from the counter top a bit which helps. In a pinch I can use a large "C" clamp to secure it to most any surface.
A couple I've been using:
Make a reuseable ammo box label by placing clear adhesive tape over your favorite ammo box description label (i.e., cartridge, bullet wt.type, powder, powder wt./type, etc...), and writing with an alcohol pen (erasable only with an alcohol based liquid). No need to remove label, just wipe clean with patch for next reloading. (anyone with military experience knows what I'm talking about)
Use an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner to clean your brase:
(not my idea originally)
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=31806
Here's a holder for the old round Lee dies that is more organized:
Use a 650F "tempilstik" to mark your cases about 1/4" below the shoulder when annealing the neck (especially of reformed brass). Chuck the brass in a drill (with Lee trimming chuck) and spin it slowly. Heat the neck of the brass with a torch. The mark from the tempilstik will vanish when it reaches 650F and your neck should be just about or just above the 662F need to anneal ammunition brass. No guess work and no over heating of the brass. (not my idea originally)
metzgeri
Make a reuseable ammo box label by placing clear adhesive tape over your favorite ammo box description label (i.e., cartridge, bullet wt.type, powder, powder wt./type, etc...), and writing with an alcohol pen (erasable only with an alcohol based liquid). No need to remove label, just wipe clean with patch for next reloading. (anyone with military experience knows what I'm talking about)
Use an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner to clean your brase:
(not my idea originally)
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=31806
Here's a holder for the old round Lee dies that is more organized:
Use a 650F "tempilstik" to mark your cases about 1/4" below the shoulder when annealing the neck (especially of reformed brass). Chuck the brass in a drill (with Lee trimming chuck) and spin it slowly. Heat the neck of the brass with a torch. The mark from the tempilstik will vanish when it reaches 650F and your neck should be just about or just above the 662F need to anneal ammunition brass. No guess work and no over heating of the brass. (not my idea originally)
metzgeri
VonFatman
Member
metzgert,
VERY good ideas....I don't care where you came upon them...Good iz Good!! The Lee die set holder is very nice.
Bob
VERY good ideas....I don't care where you came upon them...Good iz Good!! The Lee die set holder is very nice.
Bob
Rich_Lather
Member
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2008
- Messages
- 12
Brasso seems to work better than car polish.
On that note, I live in a very humid location. The addition of cleaning agents causes the media to become a vibrating mass, very slowly rotating in a circle around the center post; shells come out less clean and more of them are plugged full with wet media.
To alleviate this I add diatomaceous earth (found in the bug spray isle of the hardware store). It's mildly abrasive and frees up the sticktion of the media so that the tumbler rotates media toroidally like it's supposed to. Shells come out cleaner, and none are plugged; although the primer pocket is still an issue.
A note of warning on diatomaceous earth: wear a mask. use it outside and away from humans. Breathing in this stuff can cause silicosis.
On that note, I live in a very humid location. The addition of cleaning agents causes the media to become a vibrating mass, very slowly rotating in a circle around the center post; shells come out less clean and more of them are plugged full with wet media.
To alleviate this I add diatomaceous earth (found in the bug spray isle of the hardware store). It's mildly abrasive and frees up the sticktion of the media so that the tumbler rotates media toroidally like it's supposed to. Shells come out cleaner, and none are plugged; although the primer pocket is still an issue.
A note of warning on diatomaceous earth: wear a mask. use it outside and away from humans. Breathing in this stuff can cause silicosis.
W.Va.Glassman
Member
I like to keep a couple of cordless drills in my gun room,Use them for trimming.in&outside mouth belving and inside neck cleaning.Untold uses
W.Va.Glassman
Member
Forgot to add,save your old brushes chuck them in drill to clean case necks
Rich_Lather
Member
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2008
- Messages
- 12
forget what I said about tumbling....get an ultrasonic cleaner. It may not shine them, but it will get all the carbon off.
and your pets will love it
(sarcasm)
I didn't follow the instructions as I am oft to do. I did 2 rounds of 2 tablespoons of oxyclean followed by 50:50 vinegar. What the oxyclean didn't get, which is most of it, the vinegar took care of. I did the oxyclean to get the lube off. I'll follow with a base to neutralize the vinegar.
I can now toss my primer pocket reamers in the trash. Yea!
Addendum: skip the vinegar and base method. Oxyclean* is a sufficient surfactant to do the job by itself. I did 500 rounds of .45 ammo today, and the results are far better than tumbling could ever obtain. This method is not adequate for range brass, the tarnished junk you found on the ground, but for your own reloads, it is more than adequate. For range brass, boil them in vinegar until they turn purple/pink, then tumble them in the manner I described in my earlier post. The brass will be weaker, certainly.
*Oxyclean. I hate pitchmen commercials more than most, in fact, I have avoided tv all together. In my attempt at home-brew, the home-brew store had a carboy cleaner that he sold for $3/oz. I thought that was a bit steep, so I looked up the composition, and it turned out to be oxyclean. It cleaned carboys of yeast pretty good, and it cleans carbon off of brass just as well....at $5/4 pound can at your local grocery store.
and your pets will love it
(sarcasm)I didn't follow the instructions as I am oft to do. I did 2 rounds of 2 tablespoons of oxyclean followed by 50:50 vinegar. What the oxyclean didn't get, which is most of it, the vinegar took care of. I did the oxyclean to get the lube off. I'll follow with a base to neutralize the vinegar.
I can now toss my primer pocket reamers in the trash. Yea!
Addendum: skip the vinegar and base method. Oxyclean* is a sufficient surfactant to do the job by itself. I did 500 rounds of .45 ammo today, and the results are far better than tumbling could ever obtain. This method is not adequate for range brass, the tarnished junk you found on the ground, but for your own reloads, it is more than adequate. For range brass, boil them in vinegar until they turn purple/pink, then tumble them in the manner I described in my earlier post. The brass will be weaker, certainly.
*Oxyclean. I hate pitchmen commercials more than most, in fact, I have avoided tv all together. In my attempt at home-brew, the home-brew store had a carboy cleaner that he sold for $3/oz. I thought that was a bit steep, so I looked up the composition, and it turned out to be oxyclean. It cleaned carboys of yeast pretty good, and it cleans carbon off of brass just as well....at $5/4 pound can at your local grocery store.
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TooTaxed
Member
I've found that inexpensive 1/2" to 1" paint brushes make it easy to keep the bench and reloading tools clean.
They also work well for cleaning and oiling complex gun parts such as the trigger groups.
They also work well for cleaning and oiling complex gun parts such as the trigger groups.
Remy
Member
I don't know if this has been discovered yet but a cheap cheek weld can be made with a piece of 1" wooden rod cut in half long ways and self stick velcro.
Easy to take off when extracting the bolt for cleaning. does not slip and can be custom fitted for height, length.
Easy to take off when extracting the bolt for cleaning. does not slip and can be custom fitted for height, length.
First Big Foot
Member
Hi:
I use a scale that is so lightweight you can hardly adjust it without moving it. So I did very similarly, and screwed a couple pounds of lead weights in the bottom. It's been working perfectly for twenty years like that. (Later I thought I could have filled it with cement or fixall more cheaply.)
I use a scale that is so lightweight you can hardly adjust it without moving it. So I did very similarly, and screwed a couple pounds of lead weights in the bottom. It's been working perfectly for twenty years like that. (Later I thought I could have filled it with cement or fixall more cheaply.)
First Big Foot
Member
So just become a member. Doesn't cost anything.
Gator 23
Member
Cat Litter Box Scooper = Easy Brass Retrieval From The Tumbler
Kitty litter pooper scooper (preferrably new and unused) makes retrieving brass from the tumbler real easy - especially smaller pistol brass.
Kitty litter pooper scooper (preferrably new and unused) makes retrieving brass from the tumbler real easy - especially smaller pistol brass.
Looking for a cheap, somewhat portable, reload bench? Go to a restaurant supply store and pick up a 4 seat restaurant table. The metal bases on those tables are heavy duty and the 1 1/2" thick particle board tops are covered with a laminate of some type. Makes for a nice work surface that can be carried or moved to a different location if desired. Been working with mine for about a year now with no problems.
Lee Pro 1000 in 9mm
Also, when using my Lee Pro 1000 press in 9mm....I removed the priming station because I prime all my cases by hand.
I installed the powder station in the front, bullet seater after that, and factory crimp die in the final hole. I noticed that as the charged case travelled from the powder station to the bullet seating station, it clicked into place as it stopped, and spilled out a few flakes of powder. After a few rotations of this, there was powder flakes all over my shell plate. These flakes bouncing out could affect my powder charge.
So, I decided that as the case was travelling from one spot to the other, I would stop it mid-way between and set the bullet in the case, then continue the cycle into the seater station and voila, no more spilled powder flakes.
Also, when using my Lee Pro 1000 press in 9mm....I removed the priming station because I prime all my cases by hand.
I installed the powder station in the front, bullet seater after that, and factory crimp die in the final hole. I noticed that as the charged case travelled from the powder station to the bullet seating station, it clicked into place as it stopped, and spilled out a few flakes of powder. After a few rotations of this, there was powder flakes all over my shell plate. These flakes bouncing out could affect my powder charge.
So, I decided that as the case was travelling from one spot to the other, I would stop it mid-way between and set the bullet in the case, then continue the cycle into the seater station and voila, no more spilled powder flakes.
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soloban
Member
An MTM Case Guard box in .45 ACP with the top cut off makes a reloading tray for .38/.357
Rembrandt
Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2003
- Messages
- 4,657
Never content to leave well enough alone....these are a few items added to a Dillon XL650. Attached a convex truck mirror to view the inside of the case feeder. ($7)
Needed a tray for holding bullets, machined a piece of aluminum to hold the removable Dillon trays. ($1 )
Shell plate area needed more light, used a cheap indicator arm and adapted an LED flashlight to illuminate the area. ($6)
Needed a tray for holding bullets, machined a piece of aluminum to hold the removable Dillon trays. ($1 )
Shell plate area needed more light, used a cheap indicator arm and adapted an LED flashlight to illuminate the area. ($6)
