Top punch storage

[georgerkahn]

I have been without a good means to store my Lyman 450 & clone top punches. I took a piece of wood, on drill press boring some holes, and the finished product fit nicely in a vintage Lyman cardboard mould box. But, through the years, my top punch collection has grown, and I recently couldn't find one I knew I had...
I, to me, had "a stroke of brilliance", rather than making one, in using one of Midway's shell holders (Frankford Arsenal Perfect Fit Reloading Tray #6 (@$5.99)) to now store most of them. I typed their numbers on Brother Q500 labels, cutting with scissors to size, for easy identification.
For ease of my finding the top punch I need in a hurry -- or at least NOT a long search -- it seems to be a winner!
I thought I'd share this with you! I took and attached a "before" (the old one), and a photo of the labeled tray.
geo

[Ken in Iowa]

Very nice George!

[Doc Highwall]

George, can you place another tray over the top of them like a cover to keep them clean and from spilling out in case the tray gets bumped?

[Mk42gunner]

That's certainly better than the 'jumbled mess in a plastic box' mine are currently in.

I have thought about drilling a series of holes in a 1x4 and hanging them on the wall, but then they would collect dust.

Robert

[brassrat]

Lol I got two.

[Artful]

I just keep mine in the same box as the NOE molds they come in.

But that does look very organized and nicely done - thanks for posting

[Green Frog]

This sure beats my "scattered all over the basement" strategy! Maybe this is why I have two or three of some top punches, but seldom can find the one I need for the job at hand!

Froggie

[georgerkahn]

Doc Highwall, I did in fact purchase two #6 trays with the notion of the 2nd upside down, hinged at side, for exactly what you suggested. I pulled the hinge -- almost perfect length -- from an old wooden wine box, and plan on hot gluing it to the pair of #6s to accomplish precisely this. I must add, I was going to glue the hinge on and post photos of "complete" storage box, but thought I was perhaps illustrating a wee too much of "OCD" just with what I had done. My initial top punch storage thought was to drill a piece of oak, but I thought, "my time to bore fifty holes with a Forstner bit, after laying it out; then sealing wood -- with cost of materials and time, the six bucks from Midway for the #6 truly is a bargain. And, their plastic will not promote rust." Plus, the plastic box's holes are 0.533" diameter -- perfect for the top punches I have.

I appreciate your comment... perhaps brilliant minds (Ok, maybe just a tad 'lucky' ones, at least in my case, on occasion ) work similarly!

BEST!
geo

[georgerkahn]

This sure beats my "scattered all over the basement" strategy! Maybe this is why I have two or three of some top punches, but seldom can find the one I need for the job at hand!

Froggie

If you click the photos, you'll see multiples of TP #8, 429, etc. You surely are NOT alone! You brought up another great point: The Frankford #6 tray cost less than one unnecessarily purchased top punch. An ironical side note is my seeking a punch I just couldn't find... duh!: it already was in a different 450 I have from a previous lub/size session -- the impetus for this project.
Good point, again! Thanks.
geo

[buckwheatpaul]

George, Seeing ideas like you have solved is one of the reasons that I spend soooo much time on this great site....thanks for the post....Paul

[alamogunr]

I just keep mine in the same box as the NOE molds they come in.

But that does look very organized and nicely done - thanks for posting

I do the same for NOE & MP molds. I still have a lot of Lee GB molds, a few that I use and don't have dedicated nose punches for. Some of my other molds that I don't have punches for that I use on a regular basis, I bought a few of The Perfessor's blank top punches and have used them for RCBS and some custom molds that didn't come w/top punches. A Mountain Molds .348 mold comes to mind.

I would buy more of the blank punches if Perfessor was still making them, but I haven't seen any activity there. Anyone know anything about him?

[1bluehorse]

I keep all my size dies, top punches, lube sticks, mould spare parts and anything else that goes to my lubrasizer in a double sided clear tackle box. Keep it on a shelf next to my casting, lubing equipment.

[Doc Highwall]

I have enough moulds that I a separate clear tackle box for almost each caliber that I cast, and store a bullet from that mould with the top punch.

[Walter Laich]

there was a concerted effort a while back to locate the Perfessor. Saner minds said that it was his call on whether to post or not and we should respect his privacy. That pretty much stopped any more searching for him

[alamogunr]

Other than my post in this thread, I haven't tried to contact "theperfessor" and won't go any further than to keep looking here for any activity by him.

[kodiak1]

I do like your holder I did much the same but made mine out of 1" plastic and I like it a lot. I cover mine with a light cardboard box.

Ken.

[BwBrown]

I used a couple pieces of 2"x 1" x 8" aluminum stock. Spent a couple hours laying them out, clamped down on the mill table. Using several different size drills and end mills I opened a series of equally spaced places for sizing dies and the corresponding top punches which are grouped together.
Labels on the front mark each section by caliber and size.
There is room for every caliber for which I cast from .224 through .458
Even went to the buffing wheel to shine them up.

Let's see... cost of aluminum, time on the mill...
Probably should've looked at the Frankford Arsenal offering.
Well done.

[AbitNutz]

I keep all mine in a pile in a green RCBS box. I then try them till one fits...it's not as slow as it seems.

[lolbell]

All of my "go to" molds are RCBS and I just store the sizer dies and top punches in the mold box in those other slots. Is that what those other slots are for? They fit nicely in there.

[maxreloader]

I keep all my Star dies in 12ga 5x5x2 plastic trays and the top punches go in corresponding 20ga trays. I stack them into an odd-sized ammo can in the humid months... it's a little larger than a 50 cal can but i can't find and writing/embossing on it to tell exactly what type of can it is. I have never seen another besides the 3 I have.