Yup, let me sign in for the wonderfullness of the BIG Q-tips, vacuum cleaner, dental picks, Denatured alky and 91% rubbing alcohol, and a 3 cell flashlight, used for peering into strange places. Medical forceps have proven themselves really handy, too. WIPE OUT bore cleaner, for after the reloaded stuff is shot.

I would have added the Hornady Tungsten Carbide expander spindle for RCBS dies, but I was having some trouble with depriming last night, so I took it out. there is the most graceful "S" curve in the spindle, and the same in the skinny little decap pin. I don't recall putting that much pressure on the unit, but it had to have been me. Compound press, you know! 2 minutes, and the original decap/expand assembly was back in place, (save all the pieces) ready for another several thousand rounds. HEFTY decap pin, too.

Last trip to the range: I now have 5 loads that will shoot near 1", and am considering retiring all rifle powders on my bench in favor of just two--IMR 4831, and H4350.

The new plastic Folgers coffee cans- large and small. GREAT containers.

if you don't drink coffe- coffe canxsa re hard to get.
Bady formula cans are similar and open large from the start so you don't need to cut the cans and have sharp edges.

Go to the local coffe shop and see if they get their bulk coffee delivered in metal cans anymore-- the ones I have are about 4-5 gallon and hold a heap of 38 special brass- almost to heavy to lift. the lids are usually help on with a locking band like 44 Gal drums are and they seal up water tight. Great for storage of hide away stuff.

compressed air in a can can be gotten cheaply from PC parts wholesalers.

I used a Bra under wire to get he stuck primers out of an old rock chucker press- spring steel.

later
P

Quote::

I used a Bra under wire

I won't ask! But if you tell its ok.

popgun wrote:

Quote:: I used a Bra under wire I won't ask! But if you tell its ok.

I'm with you on this one Chris...the mind boggles.

Having said that, I get called upon regularly by "she who must be obeyed" to extricate those damn things from inside the washing machine. They come out and lodge themselves in the holes in the drum....most annoying as it chips the enamel off the drum.

Cheers, Vince

Quote::

most annoying as it chips the enamel off the drum.

So Thats What That Noise Is!!

Hey Sniper, don't rule out those EXTEME powders now on sale. They may have hit on something this time.
Keep it coming...

Vince- use a bra bag mate- it saves them from tangling too.

have a look at a D cup or larger girls bra- they have metal as an under wire not plastic.
sharpened they make a great skribe and also a good pic fot getting things out of nooks and carnnies

later
P

ogre wrote:

Vince- use a bra bag mate- it saves them from tangling too. have a look at a D cup or larger girls bra- they have metal as an under wire not plastic. sharpened they make a great skribe and also a good pic fot getting things out of nooks and carnnies later P

Luckily I don't have to worry about doing the washing....that is the missus's job. I think she uses one of those things now cause I haven't had to extricate a wire for a while now. With a wife and 2 daughters living at home there is no shortage of large wires if I need them.

Hm, never thought of using them as a tool...although I suppose they are spring steel. I have a couple of sharpened bicycle spokes for picks etc. Also have another use for them....they make a great spike for use in a blowgun....great for "hunting" Indian Mynas.

Cheers, Vince

Nearly forgot to mention a "new" gadget I have made.

I couldn't see the sense in paying $35 - $45 for a powder trickler so I made one out of bits and pieces I had in my "buggery box".

The reservior is a cap off an Avon roll on deodorant..perfect size too, and the trickle tube is a piece cut out of the middle section of a broken car antenna tube. I inserted a piece of plastic tubing with an inner diameter of about 3/16" and is a snug fit into the antenna tube cut a hole for the powder to enter, fitted a rubber knob and seals, drilled the reservior, put it all together ...works perfectly. Waiting for the missus to finish her deodorant so I can use the cap for a base. Cost: $NIL as it is made basically of recycled scrap.

Works for me.

Cheers, Vince

Small, clear zip lock bags. I use thousands at work, and they are great for when I just want to try a few special reloads. I don't need a whole cartridge box for just 3 or 4 rounds, so these are handy, take up little room and are easy to label.

Toothbrush works nice for cleaning the action of my Marlin mod. 60 .22LR.

Rechargeable drill.........basically revolutionized my case prep/trimming and saved my wrists and hands. Portable press stand....allows me to move the loading to whereever I feel like doing it. Q-tips, bin boxes, small tee handled Allen wrenches and propane torch system for case annealing also.

For stainless spring steel look at your auto parts stores, They sell auxillary throttle cables for power take offs and the center wire is like a choke cable but heavier. The kit cost between $10 and $15 and you get six to 15 feet of new decapping pins, picks and cleaning tools.

Ok, Lets see now, this looks like a give us your secrets kinda place:

Cigar Boxes, if you know someone who smokes them, collect the boxes. They are great for brass or parts on a shelf and you can label the ends with a magic marker.

Dental carbide drill bits. Dull they are thrown away, but they will still cut steel, plastic and wood for a long time. They work great to letter your brass for dummies.

Dental picks, when they break off, sharpen the part that is left for a scribe.

Pill bottles, mix stock oil and Japan Dryer in small quanaties for a couple of coats. Also use for small parts in your range box, for emergency repair, like TC firing pins, hammer springs, etc. Oh, turn the top over and it screws in air tight. Fill 2/3 with BBs drop in molly, shake, instant neck luber for bench.

Plastic Zip lock bags, oil rag for range, bore snakes for trips, reloaded rounds, parts, just about anything. Before you put that oil can into your luggage, put it in a zip lock bag.

Tube box, years ago while at the dump I came across an old Sylvania tube box mage of wood with two hinged sections and a center carrying handle. I sprayed in black and it has been my range box for over 30 years.

Nylon Tote Bag, I use for my carry on bag for airlines on hunting trips. With my meds, undies, a hat and a set of hunting clothes, it will crush into small places. This year it gets a pair of boots also.

Pencil Torch, this little hummer will heat a locktited screw right up.

Plastic Cup, put one in each corner of your reloading bench drawers, place the small items in the cup, they no longer roll around.

Pill cups (paper), use to mix small amounts of acra glass with a toothpick.

Toothpick, use to hold all kinds of stuff, plus to fill screw holes that are stripped.

Mechanics oil can, pop in gun oil, pull the trigger and you have oil out the tube on demand.

Wad cutter, sharpen a case mouth, cut case off with hack saw. Cut wads from foam cups or meat trays.

Reloading blocks, use light grid from iradescent light fixture, glue grid to cardboard after culling into 10x10 space square.

Magnet, use a magnet on back of reloading press to hold spare shell holders.

RCBS bench clamp, mount trimmer on board, clamp board to bench, done, remove board and hang on wall.

Collenders, drill 1/4 inch holes, use to shake brass free of media.

Beach shovel with slats, use to scoop brass out of vibrator.

Old barrels, 1/2 inch pieces counter sink and use for escutions for stock screws. Also use for fillers for pull bolt stocks, if the bolt is to long. Chamber end, drill out, mount plunger and spring, you have a bolt lug lapping tool.

Pliers, cut out center with grinder to make a Mauser extractor ring compression tool.

Popsicle Sticks, they can be used for many things, especially if you build stocks. Sharpen a round edge with a file and you have a knife that will not scratch your blued steel.

Old hair dryer, use it on low to heat your sizer lubricator for cast bullets, works in a pinch.

Muffin tins, use to ingot your casting lead.

Old stainlless steel fork, use to skim your lead pot and mix flux.

Ed

I place most of my smaller tools, like case trimmer, priming tool, case neck deburrer etc on thin, 1/4" pieces of wood so they can be c-claped in place when in use, and removed when not. Smal pieces of felt make them slide easily without scratching a surface whenever they are out. I made a die holder the same width as the filing cabinet drawer they are kept in that holds all my dies upright. When finished reloading the drawer can be closed and the filing cabinet locked. I also am a big fan of the venerable Q-tip, using a lot of them to lube case necks, inside of dies, primer pockets and a host of other tasks. As a group we reloaders are probably one of the most inventive. I keep everything under lock and key in 2 different tall filing cabinets. All drawers are modified according to their use. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal