Pictures of Loading Bench - Page 3

TexasSeaRay · February 13, 2008, 11:37 AM

Freakshow,

You're definitely my kinda Yankee redneck. Sure wish there were a lot more like you down here.

Great setup all the way around.

Where do you find your (raw/source) lead? I've got a couple of good sources, but haven't cracked the thousand-pound stash mark yet. However, only started scrounging a month or so ago. . .

Jeff

WSM MAGNUM · February 13, 2008, 11:58 AM

Freakshow, I noticed the cue ball on your Rockchucker. Adds a nice touch. Where did you get it? If you made it, how did you drill and tap it?

Sevens · February 13, 2008, 12:08 PM

Hey, that's no cue ball. That's a 13 ball!

There's another poster that frequents this forum who has a billiard ball on his press handle, too.

freakshow10mm · February 13, 2008, 12:45 PM

Quote:

800 pieces of .375 H&H--who on earth wants to shoot a .375 H&H eight hundred times! Kidding, I know how nice it is to have a good supply of brass. But that's a big, hard hitting round there. 800 seems like many lifetimes worth of brass!

Got it for a song over on gunbroker. Figure 5 firings per case before the belt wears, I'm good for 4000 shots. About a two year supply.

Here's what I shoot the 375 out of. Have to clean up the muzzle a bit. I got a 375 H&H Magnum rifle barrel and hacked it off to 15.5 inches. Was going to put a Vais brake on it but not need really. Still might though. See video under pics.

Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdIY6BgXfXA

Quote:

40 pound keg of powder--again, wow! That's a monster. Which power? Get a good deal on it? What's the price per pound when you buy 40 pounds?

Longshot. $450 plus $20 HM, $20 shipping.

Quote:

7,200 lbs of lead with another 1,000 coming. Where do you store 8000 pounds of lead? What form is it in? And where do you find the time to process all of this lead? Are you a commercial caster, or considering it?

Basement and my in-law's farm a few miles out of town. Have a few 55gallon drums filled with lead. I use range lead from bullet traps, dirt berms, etc. Scrounge for wheel weights (WWs), lead pipe, sinkers, old X-ray aprons, lead sheets, etc. I mix my own alloys. I'm a commerical caster and also sell reloading equipment on my site. My website is www.freakshowbullets.com.

I'm a licensed Type 06 FFL.

Quote:

45 Super-- very cool. What's your pistol?

Glock 30 with KKM Precision barrel and 21# Wolff spring/guide rod.

Quote:

I noticed the cue ball on your Rockchucker. Adds a nice touch. Where did you get it? If you made it, how did you drill and tap it?

Guy from another forum, hangs out on Castboolits and Glocktalk. It is threaded, I think he chucked in in his lathe and D&T'd it on that.

carpfisher · February 13, 2008, 02:11 PM

My bench!

Sevens · February 13, 2008, 06:47 PM

Now there is the bench of a shotgunner!

CrustyFN · February 13, 2008, 07:42 PM

Here is my small bench with a lonely Lee classic turret.

It's not too lonely though, I have plenty of components to keep it busy.
Rusty

Sevens · February 14, 2008, 11:03 AM

See, I knew there was another guy with a billiard ball on his press.

That T/C Encore in .375 H&H has to be a real mother to deal with. I wonder how the recoil compares to a .500 S&W Mag. (not that I've ever had the pleasure of shooting either)

freakshow10mm · February 14, 2008, 04:22 PM

Never shot a 500 Mag either.

My link to a video of me shooting it is under the second pic in my last post. It's a little lighter than a starting charge because the range limits me to 2000fps or 2200fpe. These are a 250gr Sierra about 1981fps/2179 fpe.

DSOTM · February 16, 2008, 10:45 PM

Anyone have any links to something small I could buy that would be sturdy enough to load .223 on?

bhawkeye · February 17, 2008, 01:03 AM

Well I was moving to be close (across the street) to my grandkids when I decided to start reloading again. The house I bought need significant “upgrades” so no place to set up the reloading equipment.
My son (& more importantly – his wife) agreed to let me set up a small, temporary space in their garage – so I have half my presses set up & am happily getting going again.

Since I could only have about 2’ of “dedicated” space on their 16’ bench and
knew I wanted to have at least two presses set up, I decided to mount a 2’ (actually 25”) wide x 50” long section of 2” oak countertop, which my son had “just waiting for a good project”. I got some 6061-T6 aluminum channel (3” x 0.258" x 1.5”) for bracing. I ran a length of channel the length of the top and one on the bottom, under each press from side to side. Bolted it to the top of the existing bench, through the bench from the top channel to the two bottom channels, & with angle brackets to studs in the wall. It is VERY stable. Heres what it looks like (you'll notice I took way more than 2' - but not "dedicated"):

Here’s the die setup, with the KISS bulletfeeder. Also, I have added the EGW “U” die in station 1, for resizing. This had the added benefit of allowing easier removal of the powder measure. The Hornady New Dimension sizing die that I used initially had a much longer depriming rod, which interferred with powder measure removal (because of the KISS). The dies are: EGW "U" sizing die, Hornady LnL powder measure w/KISS ptx, KISS bulletfeeder. Hornady New Dimensoin seating die with Microjust, Hornady New Dimension Taper Crimp Die. One benefit of the LnL AP is half station indexing. The shellplate indexes a half station on the upstroke and a half station on the downstroke. This makes it very easy to visually check the powder level between the powder measure/ptx station and the KISS bullet insertion. Don't think you can do this on a Dillon (to be fair though - the half station indexing is also the source of the "5th station" restrictions/problems).

Here’s how tight a fit the KISS makes the powder measure – between the KISS & the primer tube shield – no contact, but it’s sure close. You can also see the primer tube follower I added (currently 1/8” brass rod). The blue tape marks zero. I have marks for 5 & 10 remaining also. I’m planning to replace this brass rod with a brass tube. It’ll still be plenty of weight, but in case of a detonation – a tube should make a much less efficient missile.

I bought the $25 bracket from Roger (bulletfeeder.com), so I didn’t need the big PVC base tube. It was great (looks like an angle bracket with a toilet mount) – but mounting it to the case feeder column (which I did) requires ~1/4” shim between the mounting bracket & the column of the case feeder to avoid interference with the lower case feeder bracket. No biggie.

The only other thing I’ve done is to JBweld a stainless steel washer to the press frame under the primer ram. This makes it much easier to seat the primers (for me, anyway), & doesn’t bang on the cartridge catcher bracket. It does, however, mean you have to raise the ram slightly to manually cycle the primer slide. I have never had a primer pick up or primer slide issue – except for the last primer. If you’re going to reload another hundred – reload the primer tube when you get below 5 remaining. I thought I had a primer feed issue – but it turned out to be an indexing problem. Even if it seems ok on initial setup, watch it closely for the 1st few hundred rounds. Mine started slightly undershooting on the downstroke. The hole didn’t perfectly align with the primer ram, so when I pushed the handle up nothing happened & I spilled powder. A LITTLE counterclockwise on the left pawl adjustment – HEAVEN.

I have another LnL AP & a LnL classic single stage, which will have to wait for MY garage to be finished. I have 2 6’ benches for the presses & an 8’ bench for cleaning, repair, & projects. I have also designed & built (with emachineshop.com) strongmounts, which I got locally powdercoated, custom designed for my presses. OK, I know it’s stupid, but I’m not a mechanical engineer & I’d never designed anything in sheet metal by myself before. Just had to try. Their software is great (for a novice) – their pricing is pretty high (and it’s gone up since I did mine).

I know this is long – but I have to say I LOVE the LnL AP & the Redding UltraMag. Also – for the UltraMag, I use the Lee Autoprime II. This is a fantastic product. It feels cheesey – the 1st time I assembled it I almost broke it – you have to “help” the last ~20 primers down the chute (I use a small allen wrench), but you can adjust the primer depth precisely, never had an upside down primer - & in use it feels & works GREAT. Also, the RCBS Chargemaster is amazing. As someone who has spent a lot of time with a trickler – NEVER AGAIN! You gotta see it to believe it. The problem is – it’s so fun to watch. Using the auto setting, you can actually use a powder measure(set a few grains below your desired charge) to fill the pan & it will trickle the last few grains to a perfect charge. What a trip! I remember the painstaking process of charging precision rifle rounds by hand. A few – no big deal – but make a hundred, ouch! This thing is amazing (to me).

Jim Thompson · February 17, 2008, 11:12 AM

Can you give me some information on this railing settup. Did you make it?

gun44 · February 17, 2008, 06:07 PM

Here is mine.

The gas heater in the first photo is NOT hooked up! I have had the Thumlers Tumbler since the early seventies.

TexasSeaRay · February 17, 2008, 10:13 PM

Gun44,

My hat's off to you--that is an EXCELLENT set-up!

I love my Thumler's Tumbler as well--had it since 1987, and other than replacing a few belts, no problems whatsoever.

Jeff

Robert M Boren Sr · February 18, 2008, 06:03 PM

Here's mine, I'm in the process of building another just for shotgun loading and freeing up some space on this one.

Jim Thompson · February 18, 2008, 06:27 PM

As you can see, I'm a Dillon and RCBS fan. The bench is cluttered since this the picture I took for insurance just in case I need to show it

Jim Thompson · February 18, 2008, 06:32 PM

Jim Thompson · February 18, 2008, 06:34 PM

Jim Thompson · February 18, 2008, 06:36 PM

Rembrandt · February 18, 2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Thompson

...Railing system on Rembrandt's bench?
Can you give me some information on this railing settup. Did you make it?

Try this link, see post 162 & 166 for a description.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...=211693&page=7

By the way....nice set up...

February 13, 2008, 11:37 AM	#51
TexasSeaRay Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 810	Freakshow, You're definitely my kinda Yankee redneck. Sure wish there were a lot more like you down here. Great setup all the way around. Where do you find your (raw/source) lead? I've got a couple of good sources, but haven't cracked the thousand-pound stash mark yet. However, only started scrounging a month or so ago. . . Jeff __________________ If every single gun owner belonged to the NRA as well as their respective state rifle/gun association, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in today. So to those of you who are members of neither, thanks for nothing.

February 13, 2008, 11:58 AM	#52
WSM MAGNUM Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 750	Freakshow, I noticed the cue ball on your Rockchucker. Adds a nice touch. Where did you get it? If you made it, how did you drill and tap it? __________________ Henry - Life NRA Member, USCCA Shield Member If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

February 13, 2008, 12:08 PM	#53
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Hey, that's no cue ball. That's a 13 ball! There's another poster that frequents this forum who has a billiard ball on his press handle, too. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

February 13, 2008, 06:47 PM	#56
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Now there is the bench of a shotgunner! __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

February 13, 2008, 07:42 PM	#57
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	Here is my small bench with a lonely Lee classic turret. It's not too lonely though, I have plenty of components to keep it busy. Rusty __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.

February 14, 2008, 11:03 AM	#58
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	See, I knew there was another guy with a billiard ball on his press. That T/C Encore in .375 H&H has to be a real mother to deal with. I wonder how the recoil compares to a .500 S&W Mag. (not that I've ever had the pleasure of shooting either) __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

February 14, 2008, 04:22 PM	#59
freakshow10mm Junior member Join Date: January 23, 2008 Location: MI Posts: 1,398	Never shot a 500 Mag either. My link to a video of me shooting it is under the second pic in my last post. It's a little lighter than a starting charge because the range limits me to 2000fps or 2200fpe. These are a 250gr Sierra about 1981fps/2179 fpe.

February 16, 2008, 10:45 PM	#60
DSOTM Junior Member Join Date: September 29, 2007 Posts: 5	Anyone have any links to something small I could buy that would be sturdy enough to load .223 on?

February 17, 2008, 01:03 AM	#61
bhawkeye Junior Member Join Date: October 2, 2007 Posts: 7	Well I was moving to be close (across the street) to my grandkids when I decided to start reloading again. The house I bought need significant “upgrades” so no place to set up the reloading equipment. My son (& more importantly – his wife) agreed to let me set up a small, temporary space in their garage – so I have half my presses set up & am happily getting going again. Since I could only have about 2’ of “dedicated” space on their 16’ bench and knew I wanted to have at least two presses set up, I decided to mount a 2’ (actually 25”) wide x 50” long section of 2” oak countertop, which my son had “just waiting for a good project”. I got some 6061-T6 aluminum channel (3” x 0.258" x 1.5”) for bracing. I ran a length of channel the length of the top and one on the bottom, under each press from side to side. Bolted it to the top of the existing bench, through the bench from the top channel to the two bottom channels, & with angle brackets to studs in the wall. It is VERY stable. Heres what it looks like (you'll notice I took way more than 2' - but not "dedicated"): Here’s the die setup, with the KISS bulletfeeder. Also, I have added the EGW “U” die in station 1, for resizing. This had the added benefit of allowing easier removal of the powder measure. The Hornady New Dimension sizing die that I used initially had a much longer depriming rod, which interferred with powder measure removal (because of the KISS). The dies are: EGW "U" sizing die, Hornady LnL powder measure w/KISS ptx, KISS bulletfeeder. Hornady New Dimensoin seating die with Microjust, Hornady New Dimension Taper Crimp Die. One benefit of the LnL AP is half station indexing. The shellplate indexes a half station on the upstroke and a half station on the downstroke. This makes it very easy to visually check the powder level between the powder measure/ptx station and the KISS bullet insertion. Don't think you can do this on a Dillon (to be fair though - the half station indexing is also the source of the "5th station" restrictions/problems). Here’s how tight a fit the KISS makes the powder measure – between the KISS & the primer tube shield – no contact, but it’s sure close. You can also see the primer tube follower I added (currently 1/8” brass rod). The blue tape marks zero. I have marks for 5 & 10 remaining also. I’m planning to replace this brass rod with a brass tube. It’ll still be plenty of weight, but in case of a detonation – a tube should make a much less efficient missile. I bought the $25 bracket from Roger (bulletfeeder.com), so I didn’t need the big PVC base tube. It was great (looks like an angle bracket with a toilet mount) – but mounting it to the case feeder column (which I did) requires ~1/4” shim between the mounting bracket & the column of the case feeder to avoid interference with the lower case feeder bracket. No biggie. The only other thing I’ve done is to JBweld a stainless steel washer to the press frame under the primer ram. This makes it much easier to seat the primers (for me, anyway), & doesn’t bang on the cartridge catcher bracket. It does, however, mean you have to raise the ram slightly to manually cycle the primer slide. I have never had a primer pick up or primer slide issue – except for the last primer. If you’re going to reload another hundred – reload the primer tube when you get below 5 remaining. I thought I had a primer feed issue – but it turned out to be an indexing problem. Even if it seems ok on initial setup, watch it closely for the 1st few hundred rounds. Mine started slightly undershooting on the downstroke. The hole didn’t perfectly align with the primer ram, so when I pushed the handle up nothing happened & I spilled powder. A LITTLE counterclockwise on the left pawl adjustment – HEAVEN. I have another LnL AP & a LnL classic single stage, which will have to wait for MY garage to be finished. I have 2 6’ benches for the presses & an 8’ bench for cleaning, repair, & projects. I have also designed & built (with emachineshop.com) strongmounts, which I got locally powdercoated, custom designed for my presses. OK, I know it’s stupid, but I’m not a mechanical engineer & I’d never designed anything in sheet metal by myself before. Just had to try. Their software is great (for a novice) – their pricing is pretty high (and it’s gone up since I did mine). I know this is long – but I have to say I LOVE the LnL AP & the Redding UltraMag. Also – for the UltraMag, I use the Lee Autoprime II. This is a fantastic product. It feels cheesey – the 1st time I assembled it I almost broke it – you have to “help” the last ~20 primers down the chute (I use a small allen wrench), but you can adjust the primer depth precisely, never had an upside down primer - & in use it feels & works GREAT. Also, the RCBS Chargemaster is amazing. As someone who has spent a lot of time with a trickler – NEVER AGAIN! You gotta see it to believe it. The problem is – it’s so fun to watch. Using the auto setting, you can actually use a powder measure(set a few grains below your desired charge) to fill the pan & it will trickle the last few grains to a perfect charge. What a trip! I remember the painstaking process of charging precision rifle rounds by hand. A few – no big deal – but make a hundred, ouch! This thing is amazing (to me).

February 17, 2008, 11:12 AM	#62
Jim Thompson Member Join Date: January 22, 2006 Posts: 40	Railing system on Rembrandt's bench? Can you give me some information on this railing settup. Did you make it?

February 17, 2008, 06:07 PM	#63
gun44 Senior Member Join Date: August 17, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 125	Here is mine. The gas heater in the first photo is NOT hooked up! I have had the Thumlers Tumbler since the early seventies.

February 17, 2008, 10:13 PM	#64
TexasSeaRay Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 810	Gun44 Gun44, My hat's off to you--that is an EXCELLENT set-up! I love my Thumler's Tumbler as well--had it since 1987, and other than replacing a few belts, no problems whatsoever. Jeff __________________ If every single gun owner belonged to the NRA as well as their respective state rifle/gun association, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in today. So to those of you who are members of neither, thanks for nothing.

February 18, 2008, 06:03 PM	#65
Robert M Boren Sr Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2004 Location: NW Montana Posts: 269	Here's mine, I'm in the process of building another just for shotgun loading and freeing up some space on this one.

February 18, 2008, 06:27 PM	#66
Jim Thompson Member Join Date: January 22, 2006 Posts: 40	This is my reloading area in my Garage. As you can see, I'm a Dillon and RCBS fan. The bench is cluttered since this the picture I took for insurance just in case I need to show it

February 18, 2008, 06:32 PM	#67
Jim Thompson Member Join Date: January 22, 2006 Posts: 40

February 18, 2008, 06:34 PM	#68
Jim Thompson Member Join Date: January 22, 2006 Posts: 40

February 18, 2008, 06:36 PM	#69
Jim Thompson Member Join Date: January 22, 2006 Posts: 40