Rehab for a Belding and Mull powder measure.

[oldtoolsniper]

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When I got this there was no lid. Obviously from the picture you can see it's corroded. It has a typical broken glass. The powder measure is gone as well.


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This is after I got her cleaned up. The lid is a freeze plug from an engine block. Cost me a $1.50 and it is brass. I just cut new glass from an old picture frame from a thrift store, that was another $.50.

[oldtoolsniper]

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Here are a few pictures of it completely disassembled. Getting the brass tacks out that hold the power tube in proved to be quite a challenge.

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I ended up using the handle of a long smooth ratchet and was able to tap them out from the inside.

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You can see them in this picture in the upper left-hand corner. Once they start to move you can gently pry them out with a knife. Remember they are brass and delicate.

[oldtoolsniper]

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I completely stripped all of the cast steel parts with paint stripper.

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I taped off the machined areas that were not originally painted and went ahead and painted it with black lacquer.
I used Rust-oleum lacquer black #190583 to replace the original black paint.
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[oldtoolsniper]

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To polish the brass parts I used this buffing wheel with the appropriate buffing compound.

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I use clover fine lapping compound followed by jewelers rouge to polish off the powder chamber with my Dremel tool and a hard felt bob. I am 99% sure that this thing is pot metal and not aluminum.

[oldtoolsniper]

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The lid is a dorman frost plug part # 565-095. Cost local at the parts store $1.50. It was to tight so I sanded it out with my Dremel tool and one of those small round sanding drums. After it fit I then polished the scratches out of it with a hard felt bob and lapping compound. I got the part number and idea from this site, another member figured that one out and I used his information. I can't find it now but he deserves credit because it looks great and is inexpensive to boot. I had to fit mine but you may not have too.

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[oldtoolsniper]

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The inside powder funnel was polished in the same manner as well.

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The flat bar on the front was rusted so it too was polished back to bare metal all the way to1200 grit sandpaper. It was re-blued using simple Birchwood Casey cold blue which was applied according to their instructions.

[oldtoolsniper]

I would have to say overall this was a very enjoyable restoration project. I need to get my hands on some of some of the powder measures now.

This one has the name Belding and Mull stamped into the brass tube. You need to be very careful when buffing so you do not remove the name obviously.

Another tip is you need to have a very good screwdrivers. I have a suspicion that they made their screws in house if you do not have good screwdrivers you'll cam out or bugger up those screws.

USE GOOD SCREWDRIVERS!

When you re-install the brass tube put a bright light into the tube with the measure body clamped to the bench. Line your eyeball up with the hole and rotate the tube until you see the light. you may then re-insert the brass tacks without putting extra holes in the tube. Use a dead blow hammer, lead hammer, or a wooden one.. Do not beat on them with a steel hammer. Mine has the name stamped on the front of the tube so it was pretty easy. If yours does not I would mark the inside of the tube with a sharpie so you don't spend all day chasing those holes.

The glass back then was thicker than anything I could find. The washers are really spring steel just bend them in to hold the glass tight. It's trial and error if it's to loose you may end up with powder trapped behind the glass and the pot metal powder chamber. If it's to tight you will be one with the glass cutter again. Cut one long strip of glass unless you are good you will need a few.

I am pretty sure all of these parts were hand fit together from the marks on the castings. I don't know that for a fact but I would be curious to see if the parts are interchangeable from one year to the next.

[Wayne Smith]

I made (had made) measures by taking 45-70 cases, drilling out and threading the primer pocket to 10/32, having a steel plate made that fit inside the case attached to the all thread 10/32 rod, and screwing on a brass nut to jam against the bottom of the case. Adjusting the plate with a 10/32 thread is much more sensitive than the 1/4-20 that the others use. A machinist friend has a couple of 45/110 cases and plates made, all he has to do is put them together and I'll have some BP measures too!

[oldtoolsniper]

I need to get my hands on an original and then I can figure out where to go from there. I got this and a bunch of Modern Bond as well as Belding Mull loading tools at an auction. They were just old tools to the auctioneer. I'm sure the other parts were tossed in another box. Most reloaders don't separate parts all over the house.