NICE WORK Guy's
better to have a gun and not need than need it and not have it
A drop tube that fits in the Dillon powder die for doing compressed loads with stick powders:
Modified a Lee decapping die to hold a bore swab and dust out the necks of cases that have accumulated dust before reloading them (don't ask...):
That has to be the most expensive annealer I have ever seen, looks like it does the job.I made a jig for my CNC mill for annealing my brass.
lol! Well, I did already have the mill and the scrap that I made the jig from... So, in a ways it was almost free.
Last edited by kombayotch; 07-12-2011 at 11:53 PM. Reason: typo
That is one silck looking ingot mold. If you would please take some dimensions along with the taper angle to the sides and ends put it in a PDF for us forum menbers.
I would love to make one on my Jet Mill Drill this winter it is not as fast as a CNC but it is mine. Also some ideas on the handle would be nice.
NRA Life Member
The taper mills that I used to use to make vacuum mold pockets had a 3 degree draft angle on them for release. That seemed to work well for blow molded products. It has also worked well for some ingot molds that I made for someone a while back.
“an armed society is a polite society.”
Robert A. Heinlein
"Idque apud imperitos humanitas vocabatur, cum pars servitutis esset."
Publius Tacitus
Some of the things you guys make out of metal put me to shame, and embarrass me and my backyard welding skills.
I did make some jigs out of scrap blocks of wood a while ago. It helps me to swap presses around a bit easier on the reloading bench.
I used a drill press to drill, and countersink the underside holes for the bolt heads, so the wooden jig would fit flush on the table top.
I attached each press to the jig blocks, using countersunk bolts with the bolt heads upside down.
After drilling, fitting, and sanding, I applied stain to the wood, and then sealed it using Tru-Oil gun stock finish.
I leave a wooden jig attached to each press. I just bolt, and unbolt the wooden jig, and place it into my pre-drilled bench holes, whenever I want to swap stuff around.
I thought it was pretty original, until I saw that many other people have done the same thing, and have also improved upon it.
(There are some really nice metal mounts being made out there)
I guess that all of the really good ideas, have already been thought of.
- Bullwolf
Here my homemade Black Powder Compression Plugs. Made of 2 discarded dies, i placed a 316 steel rod in the dies. And used my lathe to turn them down to .450 for 45 calibers and the other one to .500 for .510 and up calibers. For a friend i made them all so for a .30 and .44 calibers. As you can see i did some micro plasma welding on one of them and sand blasted it. But that was not necessary after all, they fit so tight that they don’t come out any way. I use these plugs not only to compress the black powder but all so to seat the wads nice and straight. This safes me about $20.– to $40.– per die plus the shipment costs. So this way old dies can have some other/new use after all.
Peter (Stampede)
Over 27 years experience reloading ammo, specialy with VithaVuori powders and black powder ammo.
I frequently reload: .45ACP / .44MAG / .357MAG / .357 Maximum / .38 Special / .45-70 / .45-120 / .50-70 / .50-110 / 12,7x44R (and similar European obsolete BP ammo)/ .30-30Win / .223Rem / .38-40 / .44-40 / .300 Win Mag / 7x64 Brenneke (and similar European Rifles/ 9mm / My personal favorites: Freedom Arms revolvers, Winchester, Sharps and Remington rifles (produced before 1900).
The cavities are roughly 1.5" x 3.3" and 3/4" deep - it's not that important as long as they will fit into your melting pot. Choose a size that add up to a number of full turns on the handles of your mill. The taper is 2.5 degree, I think this is about the least amount you can get away with and still have good release from the mold. I haven't had time for adding handles yet. it will probably be a couple of "ears" like you have on a cooking pot - better control that way.
Cap'n Morgan
Bullwolf.
Your picture of your MEC press made me remember this nice tray my dad made for mine while I still loaded shotshells:
The large tray made the press very stable and portable at the same time - You could load shotshells and watch TV at the same time. Should you spill any powder or shot, the tray would catch... well, most of it, and you could sweep the spill out through an opening in the lower right corner of the tray's rim.
Cap'n Morgan
I love the tray under the MEC shotgun press. I especially enjoyed the part about it capturing, and assisting in the clean up of spilled shot.
My vacuum cleaner really doesn't like picking up lead shot.
The tray is a most excellent idea!
- Bullwolf
I have some loaders mounted so I can move them around, and one is pretty darn close to your idea.
Oh, glue a hunk of carpet to the bottom so it won't scratch what you put it on.
I am sure that when the OP posted this he wasn't expecting to see the innovations you guys have come up with. Fantastic stuff guys.
The only thing I can do with any kind of regularity is turn beer into urine.
Pretty cool stuff here! Will post some of my handiwork so you'll see why I'm so impressed. Occasionally used equipment screwed to a scrap 2X4 and held by a vise is about as technical as I get! That Dixie cup is the ultimate Lee scoop accessory, BTW.
Last edited by TXGunNut; 04-16-2012 at 10:04 PM.
Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.
lmao I thought my muffin pan and ladle for $1 was a good buy for making ingots!
you guys are truly amazing!
Too cheap to spring for a Lee custom seating plug for spire point bullets for my 357Maximum, so I drilled out a standard seating plug in successive size drill bits to approximate the bullet contour then put in some 2 part epoxy and a greased sample bullet. Clamped gently and let cure overnight and there you have a custom seating plug!
Tim
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |