Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

[Mike308Bell]

Hey guys,

If anybody has made any of their tools to help their reloading process, whould you care to share them with others?

In todays economy, every little bit helps, and in reloading a penny saved is another shot down range...or food on the table!

My first project is to make an OAL / bullet seating depth gauge. But Im not sure just where on the bullet OD the commercial gauges measure. Is it at the point where the rifling touches? I would think so since bullet tip profiles and diameters vary so much. Am I close?

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

my own dippers to match my 9mm "bulk" loads - was a cut down .38 casing with a closehanger shaped like a handle on an easter egg dye dipper jammed in the primer hole. just put enough powder to meet minimum FPS, but not an overcharge.

was for idpa, was going through alot of ammo, but too cheap to get a powder thrower or a dillon.


.300 win mag charging tray, section of 2x4 with holes drilled in it and chamfered.


and of course the bench itself.

power case trimmer. hand trimmer with the handle in a drill chuck.

case head seperation checker - half a hairpin scrapes the inside bottom of the shell.

media clearer - for the primer pocket after tumbling, decapping rod and pin.

 

[The_Hoff]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Loading blocks:

empty pistol trays! i grab as many as i can from the range trashcans when i leave (the foam ones are not the best) you really want the plastic ones with individual squares or holes, the flimsy plastic ones don't work and i just toss them.

------------------------------------------------------------------

primer pocket reamer and primer pocket cleaner:

i just chuck the reamer and cleaner heads (hornady) in my drill and it makes quick work of the crimps and cleaning.

------------------------------------------------------------------

case lube:

mix 1/2 tube of lee lube in an empty water bottle then fill 3/4 way with 95% rubbing alcohol. shake well before use

* pour a little in a Ziploc, add cases, close and shake well. take out cases and let air dry then your good to go.

------------------------------------------------------------------

PRESS MOUNT:

IN THE WORKS

 

[sblanch]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

I built my rotary tumbler out of a windshield wiper motor and 6" pvc pipe.

 

[TN-MadDog]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Here are some reloading blocks that I made. Probably put too much time and effort into it. Scavenging plastic ones from the range might make more sense.

Had fun making them though.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

First pardon the capital "M"s. My key board is screwing up and wont type little "M"s.

I started Making My own Case gages. The two on the left are Wilson, the one on the right is the one I Made froM a barrel blank for 30-06. Just used a chaMber reaMer and then triMMEd to specs.

 

[zuke]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

case lube:

mix 1/2 tube of lee lube in an empty water bottle then fill 3/4 way with 95% rubbing alcohol. shake well before use

* pour a little in a Ziploc, add cases, close and shake well. take out cases and let air dry then your good to go.

That's exactly what I do, but I toss in 3-5 LEAD pellet's to help in shaking it all up.
I toss the same thing into my bottle's of breakfree for the same reason

 

[Tripwire]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

A couple three things I didnt want to go out and buy....

An annealing fixture, chucks up in my Porter-Cable.....

 

[Silverbullet2]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Here is my case prep station, why buy one when you can pull some materials out of the "shorts pile" and make one.

My power wilson trimmer station

Case prep center

 

[zuke]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

I like your thinking Silverbullet-2!

 

[atreeman]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Does anyone run a primer pocket uniformer in their Wilson set up? Looks like it would work but I haven't had chance to try it yet.

 

[CTone03]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Powder trickler:

It's a clear BIC pen tube. I can drop one kernel of H335 at a time quite easily with it.

 

[Mutt]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Silverbullet-2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here is my case prep station, why buy one when you can pull some materials out of the "shorts pile" and make one.

My power wilson trimmer station

Case prep center

</div></div>

So jealous of your setup!
I caught these pics in another thread. Great stuff.

...a little overkill for a pencil holder though!

 

[ClayDirt]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

That is a nice setup definately well thought out, props..

 

[jonaddis84]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

200 place 308 reloading block, made this in a CNC class I was taking.

Insulated Ultrasonic cleaner cabinet, couldnt stand the noise of that thing while Im trying to do other stuff.

Rangemaster 750 scale trickler. Sold this off, now just have a chargemaster.

Concentricity gauge

Headspace comparator and bullet comparator for 338

Chamber length plug for measuring how long to trim brass.

 

[The_Hoff]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

what would you charge for one of those Concentricity gauges?

 

[kd185]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The_Hoff</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what would you charge for one of those Concentricity gauges?
</div></div>
im thinking the same thing

 

[jonaddis84]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Im trying to figure it out now. I basically used Bruno's design just to make one for myself, just changed a few things. The problem Im having in making more is I just used the snug (the arm that holds the indicator) from my magnetic base. And Im having a hard time finding that part as a replacement piece in order to make more.

I would guess that it would end up costing about $175 with an import .0005" indicator (same deal as Bruno's @ $235). That thing took me probably 4-6hrs to make, granted I was designing as I was building.

 

[Suasponte]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Annealing Rigs made from Stainless Steel drill rod.

Terry

 

[Mike308Bell]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

yes, thats what Im talking about.

So Im guessing the bullet od is the neck stud/pilot, and the centering post are 45deg 1.Inch and you used 6061 for the post and base? whats the neck pilot made from stainless or drill rod?

Im making one of those

 

[Brandon05_88]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Those are some really nice reloading blocks! I guess I'm just old time. I took a bent paper clip to push corn cob media out of flash holes.

 

[Clark]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Homemade dies, the 7/8-14 nuts are storebought

 

[HathcockProtege]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CTone</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Powder trickler:

It's a clear BIC pen tube. I can drop one kernel of H335 at a time quite easily with it. </div></div>

Hey, I think that one is within my price range!

Cool idea.

 

[The_Hoff]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

just finished my press mount.

all 1/2" aircraft aluminum. I designed and fabricated it myself

top plate is removable and I am making multiple plates for different presses, vices, trimmers, etc.

not bad for about a days work lol

the bench that it is mounted to is also one of my DIY projects still under construction

 

[kd185]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Who's the bikini model?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The_Hoff</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

</div></div>

 

[jmorris]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Here are a few that I have built.

Automatic brass sorter

Automated annealing machine

Automated roll sizer

Bullet feeders

Case feeder

Moon clip loader



Even did a case feed conversion on a SD

This one is a video too, click on the photo.

 

[Tomekeuro85]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

wow jmorris thats some serious stuff haha

 

[The_Hoff]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

the model is megan bernard lol

 

[Clark]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

I knew when I saw the first pic, the scope of the engineering was so grand, it must be the guy that made a moon clip loader.

I was just trying to describe your clip loader today.

"It is like a bicycle hand brake, and it loads the moon clips without hurting your fingers..."

 

[kd185]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

very impressive work Jmorris

 

[HarryCallahan]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Kinda hard to follow jmorris!

Reloading press for 50BMG, all needle-roller and bronze oilite bearings, weighs 80# - a real joy to take off the bench.

 

[cowman]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

Very impressive...betting you don't take that to the range much.

 

[Clark]

Re: Home made reloading tools (show and tell)

My brother found this at the gun show and dickered them down to $20.
It is obviously home made and probably a copy of a commercial press.
My theory is that the builder has died.
If I built it, I would have never sold it.