Economy Tool Stand

[Dale53]

I like the Dillon company and l like their products. Their service is second to NONE. I have been a customer since the 450 tool days (and that is a LONG time ago). I got a 550B when they first hit the market (sold my 450 and bought a 550B). Recently, I got tired of switching primer sizes and bought my second 550B.

I am reorganizing my basement shop and was trying to determine how best to organize my tool heads to have them ready at hand so I could do a caliber quick change with the least effort (as you might have figured out I am sometimes an impatient type).

I looked at Dillon tool stands:

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/con...Toolhead_Stand

While they are worth the money, buying 10 of them costs about $200.00 when you factor shipping. That's a lot of primers and powder.

I decided to use a bit of scrap lumber I already have and a $1.50 1/2"x 3' dowel and build my own tool head holders. My board of choice was a 4' piece of 1"x5.5" (actual) pine. I used a Forstner bit to drill 10 holes (5" apart) the length of the board for the 1/2" dowel (3" long). The holes are 1/2" by 3/4" deep. I will round the tops of the dowels before inserting them into the board and gluing them so that I can easily set the tool heads on the dowels.

Dillon's tool heads have a 1/2" hole in the center of the tool head. My reloading bench is rather deep so the board will be lengthwise of the bench against the back. Now, if you sit the tool head on the dowel, the ends of the dies will rest on the board - with the decapping pins sticking out that is a potential for bending a decapping pin. I bought a length of 1/2" PVC Schedule 40 plumbing pipe at Lowe's (about a $1.50 for either 5' or 10' - since the cost was the same, I bought the 10' piece). Using my powered miter saw, I cut ten pieces of pipe 1.0" long. These slip over the dowels and allow the tool head to rest on the pipe and elevate the decapping pins off the board. Neat fix, easily done!

I already had my caliber conversions, as shipped, in their little blue boxes. I'll mark the boxes with the caliber designation and stand the boxes on end between the tool heads.

Now, when I want to change calibers EVERYTHING is ready at hand. I have three Dillon measures and two Lee Pro Auto Disk measures. I'll keep one Dillon measure as a "floater" for occasional calibers and have four complete set ups of the most used calibers I load for
(.32 S&W L and .32 H&R, .38/.357, .44 Special/Magnum, and .45 ACP).

I am always willing to save a couple of hundred dollars (as long as I can have the same functionality ) and the work involved was minor.

When I have the rack finished, I'll post a picture.

Dale53

Pictures:
1-This shows the bench without the tool rack.
2-Here you can see how simple the "rack" really is and yet how useful it can be. A 1"x5.5"x48" long with dowels cut 3" long and installed in a bored 1/2" hole 3/4" deep and then glued with wood glue.
3-Details showing the dowel, the PVC 1/2" pipe 1" tall. Note: the dowel has the top tapered to allow easier insertion into the tool head
4-Tool "rack' in relation to the two presses.

HINT:
Click on the pictures to enlarge...

Dale53

[45nut]

I made my own a couple years back, no complaints from the toolheads they aren't sitting on dillon blue.

[Dale53]

I made my own a couple years back, no complaints from the toolheads they aren't sitting on dillon blue.[/quote]

You think?

I made mine to sit low (and spaced them out as a result of them sitting on the same level) as I have overhead cabinets. The toolheads with powder measures connected are rather tall and I didn't want them to interfere with the cabinets.

The beauty of making your own is you can do it as YOU prefer.
Like I said, the Dillon stands are great, I just wanted to save a couple of hundred dollars.

It has rained five inches in two days here. The rivers are six feet above flood stage (or will be) and my basement floor has standing water on it so things are NOT SO NICE there right now. I have lived here for thirty years and this is only the second time I have had any significant water in my basement shop - don't like it much. However, a feller needs to count his blessings. There are a LOT of people around here who have MUCH more water to contend with.

The ground around here had been saturated with snow melt and unreasonable rains for two months (after a rather serious drought this summer). Well, the good thing is our water table should be back to normal.

Dale53

[mtgrs737]

Thanks alot for shareing you knowledge and skills with us, I really like your idea, I think I will be building one for myself as a result of your posts. Keep up the good work!


Mtgrs737

[Dale53]

I have added the pictures to the original post above. Total cost $3.00 (I had the board).

Dale53

[NVcurmudgeon]

Is it OK to piggyback a Square Deal tip onto a Dillon 550 thread? Ths SD tool heads are smaller than those for the 550. I find small olive jars to be perfect to hold a toolhead with the upper parts of the dies assembled and adjusted. The lower parts of the dies live in the Dillon Blue boxes provided with each conversion.

[Dale53]

Hey, this place is all about helping (doesn't matter if you're talking about a 550B or a Lee Hand Tool).

Dale53

[Bret4207]

Is it OK to piggyback a Square Deal tip onto a Dillon 550 thread? Ths SD tool heads are smaller than those for the 550. I find small olive jars to be perfect to hold a toolhead with the upper parts of the dies assembled and adjusted. The lower parts of the dies live in the Dillon Blue boxes provided with each conversion.

The hard part with that is emptying all those olive jars. Do you know how many Martinis that is?