How to keep powder trickler from moving?

[DonMountain]

I have been reloading for a bunch of years. And I have one of those old RCBS cast aluminum powder tricklers with the small shaft horizontally through it that you turn to trickle extra powder into the scale pan to get it up to weight. I bought it maybe 20 or 30 years ago and have never resolved this problem with it. When I have it next to the scale pan and turn the knob on it to trickle powder, it is so light that it kind of slides around on the bench top and bumps into the scale pan. Has anybody come up with an idea to keep it in place on the bench while you are trickling powder? I have thought of cutting a piece of 1/4" plywood with a hole in it that the trickler would set down through and I could lay my hand on it to hold it in place as one idea. Or maybe finding some sort of soft, sticky rubber pad that I could set it on so it wouldn't move. Anybody have any better ideas?

[LUCKYDAWG13]

yep fill it with lead 133944

[country gent]

If the base is hollow fill to almost bottom with lead to add wieght. My leveling plate is made with a boss that locates mine with an oring that provides friction to keep from spinning also. Putting scales and trickler on the same surface with the boss works well. I went with a machined boss that fit inside as it didnt interfere with the scale pan like a ring around the outside might. Adding wieght helps a rubber pad helps.

[Bayou52]

Here's a simple idea that might work for you: the bottom sides of computer mouse pads are non-slip. How about taking a mouse pad, turn it upside down so the non-slip side is facing up. Place the trickler on the non-slip surface, and see how that works for you.

Just an idea.....

Bayou52

[C.F.Plinker]

I have a plastic trickler and I am thinking of filling the base with plaster of paris and adding a mouse pad base as Bayou52 suggested.

[pistolshooter]

I put mine on a small piece of no-skid rubber padding that Walmart sells in a roll. Works great. I also put a large piece on my loading bench to keep the round stuff (primers, brass, etc) from rolling around and falling off the bench.

[DonMountain]

"the bottom sides of computer mouse pads are non-slip. How about taking a mouse pad, turn it upside down so the non-slip side is facing up. Place the trickler on the non-slip surface, and see how that works for you."

"I am thinking of filling the base with plaster of paris"

Wow! Thanks guys. I have an old mouse pad already under the trickler that I found laying next to the old computer. But I didn't get it under the trickler before I finished loading some 308's tonight with RCBS 30-180-SP-GC boolets. And it looks like a start to resolve the problem. And I am just finishing the plaster job on a new room downstairs and a little bit of sheetrock plaster might find its way into the bottom of that trickler. Lead is too expensive as I need it for boolets!

[retread]

"the bottom sides of computer mouse pads are non-slip. How about taking a mouse pad, turn it upside down so the non-slip side is facing up. Place the trickler on the non-slip surface, and see how that works for you."

"I am thinking of filling the base with plaster of paris"

Wow! Thanks guys. I have an old mouse pad already under the trickler that I found laying next to the old computer. But I didn't get it under the trickler before I finished loading some 308's tonight with RCBS 30-180-SP-GC boolets. And it looks like a start to resolve the problem. And I am just finishing the plaster job on a new room downstairs and a little bit of sheetrock plaster might find its way into the bottom of that trickler. Lead is too expensive as I need it for boolets!

Fill it with the zinc from the last batch of wheel weights you sorted. :razz:

[NSB]

Mine's probably forty years old. I never noticed having any problem with it. Turning the shaft doesn't make it move at all. It just sits on top of my wood topped loading bench. I don't push on the shaft, I just turn it.

[Bored1]

Use kitchen drawer liner from the dollar store. $1 for a 1' x 5' roll. Looks like the liner for toolboxes but it's in the kitchen section.

[Alan in Vermont]

Mine is filled with epoxy and lead shot.

[jonas302]

Fill it with lead its what 25 cents worth

[762 shooter]

Lead
762

[Yodogsandman]

yep fill it with lead 133944

Looks just like mine!

[bear67]

I have one with lead in base (bought it in a deal that way) and one mounted on a scrap of hardwood stock. It has been mounted about 55 years on the walnut piece, so I guess it has worked ok.

[lightman]

My plastic C-H is filled with lead shot. My metal RCBS seems to be heavy enough to not move.

[country gent]

Keep in mind if using zinc to fill the base on an rcbs or other metal ones it may be a die cast material that also has a zinc base that much zinc in the thin walls of the trickler may warp or melt them also. Possible set in a pan of water to just under base for a heat sink to draw heat away quickly.

[magic mike]

Filled my old plastic Lyman with cast 45acp bullets and paraffin wax. If I ever want to take it out I can do it with hair drier.

[Dan Cash]

Throw the miserable bit of kit away. You don't need it. Take an empty rifle case of virtually any caliber from .22 through 8mm and dip some powder in it. Hold it between your fingers and roll it back and forth with the case mouth oriented downward over the scale pan. You will trickle powder without effort but I would use a case in a caliber you don't reload for just to be safe.

[w5pv]

I have lead in mine but had I saw the lead shot/epoxy post I would have went that route/

[Hardcast416taylor]

Actually I solved 3 problems I was having with my trickler quite a few years back. I solved the light weight problem by first seeing how much #4 lead shot was needed in the base. Next I mixed that shot with an epoxy mix cement and let it cure for a day. The next problem is the short dribble tube. I put a 4" long piece of an aluminum arrow on the tube so it now is a bit farther away from the pan. The last problem is the plastic turn know. I removed the know and affixed the handle from an old pencil sharpener on in the knobs place. Now I get a faster dribble of powder from farther away and it is weighed down better.Robert

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK I'll insert my .02 here as to a design for your consideration.

How about a piece of 1x4 with a hole part way thru it, long enough so the scale can be on it too. That way both items will always in the same relationship to each other.

Or you could get one of these, which solves the problem in a better way.

You drop the powder into the pan with the pan above the scale then drop the pan on the scale and trickle the rest in. Powder will fly out if you don't have the drop tube directly on the pan. This method is faster than my DPSIII!

[MT Chambers]

My Redding trickler is so heavily made that it won't move.

[Tommyd98]

I was thinking you could fill it with zinc if you sort whell wates you should have plenty but don't use you origanal melting pot

[1066]

OK I'll insert my .02 here as to a design for your consideration.

How about a piece of 1x4 with a hole part way thru it, long enough so the scale can be on it too. That way both items will always in the same relationship to each other.

Or you could get one of these, which solves the problem in a better way.

You drop the powder into the pan with the pan above the scale then drop the pan on the scale and trickle the rest in. Powder will fly out if you don't have the drop tube directly on the pan. This method is faster than my DPSIII!

Have you thought about using that set-up with your new 10/10 scale and fitting an Omega auto trickler (Not the Omega 2) in place of the original.

Would almost have yourself a poor mans Prometheus with that set-up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF-jL2kJRUc

[tward]

Lead in base, I tilted my base toward the drop tube to speed the powder flow.134422

[CastingFool]

I made my own out of a 2" diameter stainless steel bar. Stepped the outside, undercut the base, and drilled a 1-5/8" hole 1-3/4" deep. Used a short piece of 5/16" ss tube. The whole thing weighs 1 lb 14 oz. It stays put where I set it down.
134432

[W.R.Buchanan]

Casting Fool: This is the type of thing that we machinists do when we have too much time on our hands.

And I have to say your trickler looks really nice and I know for a fact there is only one like it out there! I like to do things like this as well, and the reason why is ,,,"Just because I can!"


1066: The little RCBS Drop Tube with integrated Trickler is working too good with the little Franklin Scale. However I do plan on setting up the 1010 the same way and dropping into the pan while it is on the scale.

I may just do that today when I'm loading some .303's for the shoot this weekend.

I can load completed cartridges in less time with my existing setup than the guy in the video was dropping charges alone. So I probably won't be going with one of his units. I was looking for a more efficient or simpler way of doing what I was already doing with the DPSIII.

The problem I saw with that device is that it is not faster and IN fact much slower and doesn't do anything a normal trickler wouldn't do quicker and cheaper. If it is more accurate then I have to ask, How much closer than +/-.1 gr does anyone need?

The drop tube works too well and it is cheap, adaptable to most PM's, and with the little digital scale makes a complete package that can go back in a drawer or cabinet when done.

The DPSIII is a 30 minute project to set up and also a 15 minute job to put away after use as you have to dump all the powder out of the machine which is a PITA.

With the drop tube you dump the powder from the trickler into a funnel with the lid on the hopper and then dump the hopper. 30 seconds with very little mess.

Obviously the little scale goes back in it's case quickly.

As I progress in the field of reloading I have acquired just about every tool known to man but lately I have been starting to simplify my operation by using simpler tools. The way things are going I will be loading most of my rifle ammo with a Lee Loader and Scoops before long.

Funny cuz that's what I started with!

Randy

[1066]

I think the Lee loader has sucked a lot of us into the reloading game over the years Randy, in my case around the mid 1970's I guess.
Simple is good but this looks quite a slick set-up. He's using an old Lyman M5 scale but very similar to the 10/10, with your drop tube going straight in the pan and maybe a micro switch to start the trickler on the down stroke of the measure you'd have accurate charges at warp speed. Even heavy 50 grain + charges wouldn't take any longer.

Just a thought.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmFdmrz7njg

[CastingFool]

Casting Fool: This is the type of thing that we machinists do when we have too much time on our hands.

And I have to say your trickler looks really nice and I know for a fact there is only one like it out there! I like to do things like this as well, and the reason why is ,,,"Just because I can!"

Randy

Thanks, Randy, of all the machines I was able to run, I miss the lathe the most. Loved running the lathe. Once made a resizing die out of brass, so I could neck size a 50 BMG, just so I could seat a spent bullet I found at a range. Worked beautifully.

CF

[mold maker]

Mine is filled with epoxy and lead shot.

Mine also. C heap, fast, and available anywhere.

[W.R.Buchanan]

1066: Your method is much faster than what I saw on that previous video. I could see integrating it into my process.

What I am doing is loading primed cases on my C&H 444. I have the left station set up with a Lee Rifle Charging die and funnel on top.

1. I place a case in that station and raise the case into the die.

2. Throw the charge into the pan, which is raised up so as not to have powder kernels flying all over the place, and then sit the pan on the Franklin Scale and trickle the remainder in,,, If needed. If you go too far you simply wet your finger tip and stick it in the pan and the amount of powder that sticks to your finger tip is usually enough to get back below your max, then re trickle.

3. I then dump the powder into the funnel charging the case.

4. I then move the charged case to the center station and seat the boolit.

5. Move to the right station and crimp the boolit,,, wipe it off and put in the box,,,Done with that round.

I loaded 50 rounds in less than 30 minutes last night.

I could see integrating the Omega device into the operation, but I don't know if it would be any faster.

I did pick your holding the Beam down technique for suppressing the movement, and I will use that.

With my DPSIII I would be finishing the round after dropping powder and the machine would be running throwing the next charge while I was doing that and getting the next case into position. However I could easily out run the machine and usually had to wait for it. Now I think about it I guess I could have dropped the main charge with the PM and let the Machine only Trickle it to weight. But then I'd have to clean out two things instead of just one after I'm done.

I guess the beauty of all this is the fact that with reloading, there is a bunch of different ways to get from A to B. I do love seeing how other people do it and learn from all of them.

Randy

[1066]

Looks to me as if you have a good system there already Randy. The video of the chap using the Omega auto trickler in the video isn't me, it's just a video I grabbed off youtube.

I do use an auto trickler but not the Omega. This is me and one of my tuned RCBS scales using a different auto trickler.
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2014/04/forum-member-rigs-video-display-for-balance-beam-scale/

[fred2892]

My Redding trickler is so heavily made that it won't move.

^^^^ this.........or the smart reloader trickler which is a larger and heavier copy of the redding.

[JMtoolman]

I used a large fat O ring that just fit in the base, it sticks out of the base a few thousands. It's been there for years and doesn't move. The toolman

[JSnover]

I filled mine with lead just like you all did. Then the lead fell out one day so I pinned it. No big deal. Then I made a nice heavy one like CastingFool, but mine is brass.

[Rolling Stone]

I put a lead muffin on top of the powder side and it stays put very well. The tickler doesn't move either.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yesterday after posting #32 in this thread I went back and loaded 40 more cartridges using the drop tube and the RCBS 1010.

What I found was that the Beam Scale was much more sensitive than the digital scale. I was also able to drop powder directly onto the pan with it on the scale but held up by holding down on the beam,, then slowly released to allow it to settle. Trickling was much more predictable with the Beam Scale and much more linier than using the digital which doesn't react as quickly as the beam does and hence going past your desired end point is much easier to do.

I attribute this to the fact that a digital scale with .1 resolution will not click over to the next .1 until the weight is actually +.05 above the shown tenth, and can just as easily be -.05 on the other side for the next .1.

However the Beam Scale shows any movement no matter how minute.

It was nearly as fast my other method but I can see as I gain rhythm it will be as fast or faster.

The design of the pan allows powder to be dropped directly into it without powder flying all over. I can't do this with the pan for the digital. Maybe another pan for that one.

Anyway that's what I did.

Randy

[1066]

Excellent Randy - This type of powder pan with a built in funnel also helps. If you wanted to use one with your beam scale you would need to re-tare your scale.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/118739/lyman-electronic-scale-powder-funnel-pan

If you wanted to re-tare your scales I made a short video a while ago showing how I do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOKJxe0FUTk

[W.R.Buchanan]

1066 great video and I now know how to re tare the scale. Had no idea the there was a void under the pan for shot. Good idea.

Now I have to look into this Scott Parker, and see what he is doing.

Randy