dirt dropping bullets! does it make them harder??

[Lloyd Smale]

was standing in the driveway talking to my neigbor yesterday evening when i heard a crash in the barn. walked in and found three boxes of 32 bullets scattered on the dirt floor. I had just sized one of them hours before. Diddnt seem like much when i saw the 3 blue midway boxes laying there until i reallized they were 32 bulets. Those boxes hold about a 1000 of them each. Out of the 3 boxes i saved maybe 500 bullets. Someday i just have to pour concrete out there for a floor!!

[DLCTEX]

I bought some 50 cal. ammo cans ($3.50 ea.) to store boxes of boolits in, even though I have a wooden floor. We have dust storms occasionally that can creep dust through the tiniest cracks. I also use plastic peanut butter jars with screw on lids, plastic coffe cans with the snap lids , etc. Mostly these are stored on the floor under the benches, due to the weight. I did store them in an old chest of drawers, but the weight pushed the bottoms out of the drawers. DALE

[Three44s]

Sorry to hear that Lloyd.

We are finnishing a barn and it has a gravel floor in the main part for horse's sake but the enclosed lean to, part of which will be the reloading/casting area is wood/floor covering as is the balance which will be bathroom and tack room.

Three 44s

[trooperdan]

Combination stable and casting area.... I like that! :)

[Dale53]

Lloyd;
Sorry to hear about your loss. However, if we look at this philosophically, reflection will show us that you only lost some time. The bullets can be re-cast and relubed - a hundred years from now you won't even remember this:roll:.

Bullets are heavy and it takes a pretty good shelve to hold a bunch. I have weighed 1000 200 gr .45 bullets after boxing and lubing - it came to thirty pounds!

My father-in-law was a grocer. When he retired I got some grocery shelves. They were made to support canned goods and are REALLY strong. They don't have any problems with cast bullets. The steel utility shelves you can buy at the hardware store will NOT get the job done (been there, done that).

However, the new "wire" shelves available at the big box stores (Home Depot and Lowes) will support up to 800 lbs and only take ten minutes (really) to assemble. I recently added three sets to my basement shop and they are a real treat to use. Leveling legs are built in. Very clever engineering!

FWIW
Dale53

[2 dogs]

Now Lloyd, I believe that may have happened to you once before....when ya gonna learn pal???

[Boomer Mikey]

I keep all of my bullets in tupperware or rubbermaid style containers with snap on lids.

The new Glad pack storage containers are inexpensive and once in a while I find some cheap knockoff containers at the 99 cent store (the lime green, orange & yellow ones). Brass, molds, primers, lube, gas checks, solvents, etc. keep nicely in these too. I throw a descant pack or two in the container with iron bullet molds to control moisture.

I feel your pain Lloyd, I learned the 5,000 pickup, dusty/dirty sized & lubed boolits, rusty mold, leaking Sweets 7.62 solvent, and runny lube lesson many, many years ago.

Boomer :Fire:

[leftiye]

Boomer, How long did it take you to clean up to get ready for those pictures? Just kidding - a LOT cleaner than my bench. Nice

[Boomer Mikey]

Boomer, How long did it take you to clean up to get ready for those pictures? Just kidding - a LOT cleaner than my bench. Nice

Thanks leftiye,

I did take a few minutes to clean up the bench but just to show you I'm like most of us on the reloading bench.

When the big one comes it's gonna take a month to clean up this mess.

Boomer :Fire:

[Lloyd Smale]

if you about double the size of that then throw a hand granade in there it would look like mine!!
Thanks leftiye,

I did take a few minutes to clean up the bench but just to show you I'm like most of us on the reloading bench.

When the big one comes it's gonna take a month to clean up this mess.

Boomer :Fire:

[TexasJeff]

My father-in-law was a grocer. When he retired I got some grocery shelves. They were made to support canned goods and are REALLY strong. They don't have any problems with cast bullets. The steel utility shelves you can buy at the hardware store will NOT get the job done (been there, done that).

However, the new "wire" shelves available at the big box stores (Home Depot and Lowes) will support up to 800 lbs and only take ten minutes (really) to assemble. I recently added three sets to my basement shop and they are a real treat to use. Leveling legs are built in. Very clever engineering!

FWIW
Dale53

Couple of things.

Around here, grocery store (chains) are always remodeling one of their stores somewhere. Almost ALL of their old shelving fixtures simply get thrown away. Ask one of the managers if you can have them. I've never been told no--and the result is I have some STOUT steel shelving units in my workshop and hangar, and I have gotten a few of these units for my friends and neighbors at the airport, too.

Those "wire" shelves you can get at Sam's Club for around $80 are superb. Heavy duty, look good, easy to assemble and they stay clean. The casters make them mobile.

Jeff

[44man]

Hey Boomer, that looks like the Midsouth warehouse! :mrgreen: Are your shipping rates the same? :bigsmyl2:

[Boomer Mikey]

Hey Boomer, that looks like the Midsouth warehouse! :mrgreen: Are your shipping rates the same? :bigsmyl2:

Well 44man, lots of that stuff came from MidSouth but I guess it's just the same for anyone that has had their bench in the same spot for 30+ years; I wonder... does that mean Lloyd's bench has been in the barn for 60 years? [smilie=1:

The gunsmith workbench is on the other side of the room, I can't show a picture of that; it's piled too high and I don't want to clean it up. If I did; then, I would probably get to some of the many projects I can't do because I can't see the bench.

The Smithy 1324 and the rest of the machine tools are on the other side of the 3 room building... another big mess. :)

Boomer :Fire:

[Lloyd Smale]

No mikey that particular barn is only about 10 years old but i can make a mess out of a loading and casting area in a week. It sure dont take years. Problem i have is i never get caught up enough to take time to clean. theres allways a couple new guns or a couple new molds that need my attention first.

[James C. Snodgrass]

I'm with Loyd if it ain't a mess that means somethings wrong. I think the old saying of cleanliness is next to godliness had to come from a neat freak. Nice shop area Boomer.[smilie=1:

[HeavyMetal]

I tell my boss constantly: A clean desk means someone ain't workin!