Loading bench pics

[flashhole]

That was my reaction too. The one on the far right looks like an old Texan press that took on a green paint job at some point in its life. Nice setup, thanks for sharing.

[Catshooter]

Welcome to the forum Robert. Nice tools. Nice little two inch Wilton, too.


Cat

[robertchambers]

flash,
Thank you for noticing, but that's no Texan...but I also don't know who made it....I know a feller who has another exactly the same, so I know it's not a "one off" homemade job. What's interesting about the press, to me, is that it's designed to be NOT on the front edge of the bench. The other interesting feature is that it switches instantly from down-stroke to up-stroke and back again. In fact, when you pull down the operating handle to the horizontal position, it bumps the die, then you can go past until the operating handle is in the 6 o'clock position bringing the ram back to the fully retracted position and change the shell. . It's perhaps the most advanced design non-progressive press I've seen. Even more advanced than Clarence Purdy's venerable "Co-Ax" press. The guy I got it from thought it was Huntington/Swift design (rockchucker fame) but Ken Kneeld assured me that it's not. I tend to agree with Ken. That press and the powder measure next to it are my two best "triumphs" in tool collecting. Once again, I have no Idea who made the powder measure either.

Cat,
Thanks for the welcome...I've been a tool collector/student since the late 70's...I load for competition, "fun-gun" (cast 45/70, 30/40Krag), and all the strange rifles I've built over the years...I started with an interest in Newtons and wildcats and all of a sudden...30 years went by.

[Kevin Rohrer]

RobertChambers:

Outstanding bench. It's nice to see another reloading who knows that old reloading equipment = quality.

I need to do what you did to your B&M drop tubes. I only have five (so far), but plan to get more.

Could you tell me what the green turret press is, as well as the powder measure to its immediate left?

[robertchambers]

Kevin,

Unfortunately I know nothing about the makers of those two pieces. I bought the turret press at a gun show about 1985 and the powder measure on Ebay about 2008. The press uses Hollywood/CH type shell holders or the adapter for using the old steel Lee type shell holders (as shown). You can clearly see the turret indexing thumb screw at the top of the press. The machine tolerances or so close that often some 7/8 14 dies will not screw in without binding (number 4 fit I think). I own about 30 presses and have sold about the same and none have been as precisely made as this one.




This brass/steel powder measure has a massive micrometer barrel adjustment that requires colossal machine work just to make and index with micrometer markings. The measure is free standing, but can also be removed from the stand and threaded onto any 7/8 14 turret press. The built-in powder funnel is .30 caliber.



Note the Belding and Mull that I modified for right handed use by moving the operating handle to the left. Now my right hand is free to handle the drop tube for careful inspection and careful spilling of each charge into each shell on the loading block. This modification alone speeds up the B&M operation by a factor of 2 or 3. Also note the W D Barchmann powder measure in the rear which is the predecessor to the Belding and Mull.

[Matt_G]

Very nice stuff Robertchambers. Thanks for sharing your setup.
You're going to fit right in around here...

[Bomber]

I built mine with 2x4's and plywood. I added a second bench for additional "stuff" after. It is all screwed together, so I can easily remove it from the 2nd floor loading office and room if need be.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Robert:

in re: post-805

Do you think that powder measure and press are one-of-a-kind? The press reminds me of a Red Head. Have you contacted ARTCA to see if anyone recognizes them?

Do you know where I can find a history of the B&M? I am preparing a comparative review of it vs. the Quick Measure.

Since your sign says your "junk" is for sale. Let me know if you want to sell any of those drop tubes.

[robertchambers]

Kevin,
For years I suspected that the press was a prototype...until I saw another exactly like it.
I've never heard of Red Hat. No one at ARTCA recognized it. The powder measure may be one of a kind because I have photos of a turret press and cannalure tool made by the same maker. The powder measure weighs 28 pounds with the stand. The micrometer thimble is about 7/8ths inch in diameter. The bronze (or red brass) powder hopper and lid are about 1/4 inch thick. All the interior surfaces are polished.
As to the history of the B & M visible powder measure history...as far as I know, no one has yet to assemble that history. Do I know where to find it? Yes, probably at the US Patent Office and/or the German Patent Office (Depatisnet). It's somewhere lost in the dispensing threads or patent families. I have over 14 hours logged exhausting the 89 classification families alone. It's NOT in there. It's probably going quietly unnoticed in the vast sea of dispensing patents...or it may be in the German reloading patent families under the name Konig. In the bench photo you can see a predecessor which is marked "Barchmann"

Here is a couple of picture of the monster powder measure.

[perimedik]

Perimedic You should be shamed of yourself. Openly showing all those J bullets. Its Casting detention for you!!!!!

I'm the *** around here. Still in collecting WW and smelting mode.
I'll update it soon enough. I'm building a dedicated bench with the 2x4 basics kit, just doing the shop prep work now. Cleaning the areas, Painting etc.

Stay Tuned

[robertchambers]

Kevin,
Turns out I can prolly spare a B&M drop tube or two. Bob Chambers

[hotwheelz]

Well ive done some changing around and I just love this thread so many good ideas i see, I could have cleaned it up but this is the usuall state of things



By hotwheelzzz at 2011-05-28



By hotwheelzzz at 2011-05-28

[semtav]

this is my summer reloading room. Just bring one or two guns, so I don't need much. spent 15 summers here before I knew I had a useable attic.

My reloading room at home is flooding, so I moved everything out of basement, and won't have a reloading room till this fall , When I put is somewhere above ground.

[Regnar]

The Man Cave
No lead work in here though.

[LAH]

Welcome to the board Regnar.

[4306]

[LAH]

4306 how do you like the Redding press?

[4306]

The Redding has unbelievable leverage and struggles at NO reloading task. The price is paid for by a LOOONG arm throw.

[labdwakin]

Here's my humble cave...

My miniature casting bench... (for now)


light duty bench for tumbling and separating and storage shelves


The end of the bench away from the door.


The end of the bench beside the door.


This is my temporary cave. HOPE to have something better soon.

[be603]

ooooo, ahhh..., all that space...

I'm competing for space in estrogen zone with 3 daughters, a wife, a female dog and female cat. The Son&Heir is off on deployment with Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, never to return for more than a visit I s'pect (he's got his cap set on a fine young lass, best friend of my 2nd daughter).

I have a nice 5' of wall carved out in the utility room but lost the bubble. It all went to pot when I made a deal here on Cast Bootlits for a used case feeder. It interfered with the cabinet I'd hung above the reloading bench. So, I pulled that cabinet and hung it in the tool shed above my slide compound miter. That left a huge pile on my loading bench making it unusable until I could get shallower shelves w/ no doors to interfere with the case feeder built and hung.

I won't embarrass myself by telling all ya'll how many months that project has lain fallow. Suffice to say it's started to affect/limit my range time with some calibers.

Long story short, today I got a young back to lend me a 3rd hand to hang the shelves . Yea! Now off to get the bench cleared, figure out the case feeder operation and get rockin' and rollin' at high speed again. I'm wayyyy behind on loading. Plum out of 30-30, desperately low on .223 and 30-06 hunting loads. Oh, the horror of it all. ;^) /heh/

the calm before the storm:
[IMG][/IMG]

entropy in full force:
[IMG][/IMG]