wife gave me a 50" space to reload..the results...AND LOOKING FOR SUGGESTIONS

[Mal H]

Originally Posted by greentick

I dont like putting powder back into the original container

Why?

I think you're creating some problems unnecessarily. The best container for powder is the original powder container.

First of all, you will need to label the miscellaneous jars. Not a serious problem, but what if you label it wrong? Not a likely occurrence, but not zero probability either.

Secondly, all original powder containers are designed to keep light out, clear glass jars obviously aren't. Sun light can change the powder's characteristics over time.

[Lost Sheep]

About bolting to the floor/wall for stability:

It is nice to bolt your press "to the center of the Earth", but it not really necessary. I used to reload on an end table, holding the press steady with my off hand when when applying high force with my primary hand. But that is inconvenient.

If you build a platform 50" wide (or, more conveniently, 48") and long enough to reach from the back of your cabinet to the rear legs of the chair or stool you are sitting on, you can attach the cabinet to that platform. (3/8" sheet of plywood 48" x 66" and stiffened by 3 or 4 66" long 2"x4" should do it.)

Putting the powder scale on a shelf mounted on the wall at eye level will make it easier to read. Keeping it isolated from the shaking and vibration of the press is a good idea. You want to protect the balance pivots from the wear such vibrations will create.

Lost Sheep

[snuffy]

Baby food jars hold small leftovers of powder that dont get used up from the powder measure (I dont like putting powder back into the original container).

Please explain your reasoning, because it is NOT reasonable. There just is no good reason for not returning un-used powder to it original container.

As Mal said, light causes powder to break down, especially direct sunlight.

[DarthNul]

Hmmm, 50 inches of bench per wife. I must have a couple extra wives around here that I don't know about yet...

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by greentick

Baby food jars hold small leftovers of powder that dont get used up from the powder measure (I dont like putting powder back into the original container).

When I read this, I naturally assumed that the now-suspect powder (not to be put back into the original container) would not be used in cartridges, either, but used in some other manner (entertainment for the kids, accelerant for campfires, fertilizer, etc.

The general rule for medicines is to NEVER rebottle them. That seems like a good idea for powder, too. The only two alternatives to rebottling the dregs from your powder measure at the end of a loading session is 1) Return to the original container or 2) rebottle, but for disposal only.

If I misunderstand, there must be another reason to not return the powder to its original container. Please enlighten us, greentick.

I am very curious. Many people people have told me I am very curious, or, at least, odd.

Regards,

Lost Sheep

[TennJed]

Hmmm, 50 inches of bench per wife. I must have a couple extra wives around here that I don't know about yet...

now you know where all your money goes....it isn't guns/reloading

[darkgael]

I have a spot under a stairwell in which I built a loading "room". 36"W x 34" D x 72" H. Three presses - a Lee Turret, a Lee Pro 1000 and a MEC Grabber (MEC 600 in the pic. Since replaced). Many, many thousands of cartridges and shells have come out of that little space. Yeah, it's cluttered....like my life.
Got a little closet somewhere?



One point of this is that if you can enclose that cabinet...add some walls to it to make it taller......add a back....you can double your storage space and increase securuty without making a larger foot print. Build up.
Pete

[Civil War Life]

Looks like Harry Potter's bedroom.

[south.texas.dead.I]

Originally Posted by FrankenMauser

Smokeless powder and primers pose a negligible threat in a fire. There are much more hazardous items all over our homes, that should be considered before powder; such as anything with a rechargeable battery (cell phones, laptops, Netbooks, iPads, cordless drills, cordless Dremel tools, etc) and flammable/volatile compounds (nail polish remover, hair spray, hair gel, mouth wash, oven cleaner, high proof liquors, etc).

I would rather insulate my walls with smokeless powder, than have a can of gasoline anywhere in my home. Smokeless powder fizzles, and doesn't really accelerate a fire, when outside a pressure vessel.

This is very true powder is not what I worry about in case of a fire


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[darkgael]

Looks like Harry Potter's bedroom.

Y'know....I was thinking that when I posted the picture.
Pete

[greentick]

When I read this, I naturally assumed that the now-suspect powder (not to be put back into the original container) would not be used in cartridges, either, but used in some other manner (entertainment for the kids, accelerant for campfires, fertilizer, etc.

The general rule for medicines is to NEVER rebottle them. That seems like a good idea for powder, too. The only two alternatives to rebottling the dregs from your powder measure at the end of a loading session is 1) Return to the original container or 2) rebottle, but for disposal only.

If I misunderstand, there must be another reason to not return the powder to its original container. Please enlighten us, greentick.

I am very curious. Many people people have told me I am very curious, or, at least, odd.

Regards,

Lost Sheep

Didn't mean to stir the pot with the baby food jar deal. My reasoning for not rebottling was along the chemistry/med line of not rebottling product that might be contaminated (however slight). I liked the jar for it's airtight seal. The light exposure degradation didnt cross my mind (maybe because there is no direct sunlight anywhere near that part of the garage). I suppose one could spray paint the outside of the bottles.

I understand you could mislabel the rebottle, by the same line of thought one could pour it into the wrong powder container.

Great food for thought, I wish I had checked back in here sooner. Thanks for the advice and I retract my above statement about baby food jars.

[dbldblu]

Lots of things can be done while she who must be obeyed is out shopping or whatever. Think c-clamps kitchen table or coffee table and a press mounted to a board, bullet sizer mounted to a board. Think hand held priming tool and even a hand held press. The lead pot can come in from the garage, do its thing, cool off and then go back in the garage before she gets home. Especially in the winter when the garage is to danged cold these techniques are indicated. I used to live in a 10x55 mobile home and all reloading activities occurred at the coffee table (while SWMBO was out).

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by greentick

Didn't mean to stir the pot with the baby food jar deal. My reasoning for not rebottling was along the chemistry/med line of not rebottling product that might be contaminated (however slight). I liked the jar for it's airtight seal. The light exposure degradation didnt cross my mind (maybe because there is no direct sunlight anywhere near that part of the garage). I suppose one could spray paint the outside of the bottles.

I understand you could mislabel the rebottle, by the same line of thought one could pour it into the wrong powder container.

Great food for thought, I wish I had checked back in here sooner. Thanks for the advice and I retract my above statement about baby food jars.

You are not the only person I have heard of who does not return powder to its original container. But you are the only one I asked, "What do you do with it?". Like most others, I assumed you eventually reloaded with it. But, then, there would be no reason not to keep it in the original container.

Many reloaders have a rule, "When working with a powder, that is the ONLY powder." Some go as far as to have all other containers of ANY powder kept in another room and have only that one on the loading bench. Also, they never keep powder in the powder measure after a loading session is done, or interrupted for a long time. That practically eliminates all potential for mixing a powder. At the same time, if a powder is suspected of having been contaminated, it would not even go in a separate jar, but be disposed of as quickly as practical.

I think the preference for those practices among your fellow reloaders is what raised eyebrows.

Thanks for responding. Each of us has our own styles. I do not fault anyone for practices different from my own. I have learned )and, I think, shared) some superior techniques by discussing differences of opinion. This is what makes these forums so valuable.

Regards,

Lost Sheep

[FrankenMauser]

Many reloaders have a rule, "When working with a powder, that is the ONLY powder." Some go as far as to have all other containers of ANY powder kept in another room and have only that one on the loading bench. Also, they never keep powder in the powder measure after a loading session is done, or interrupted for a long time. That practically eliminates all potential for mixing a powder. At the same time, if a powder is suspected of having been contaminated, it would not even go in a separate jar, but be disposed of as quickly as practical.

I'm one of those, "One type at a time" guys.

The "closet" of my reloading room is my powder and primer storage area. One type of primers and one type of powder on the bench at a time, period. Anything else is on its shelf in the storage area. If anything is suspected of being contaminated, it is immediately dumped into an old powder container marked "scrap", in a very obvious manner (all original markings are obliterated, and it absolutely cannot be confused with any other powder).

When the "scrap" jug is full, it is disposed of (controlled burn, fertilizer, whatever I feel like), and another empty takes its place. (I get a lot of other people's reloads, so I have almost 5 lbs of "scrap" on hand, right now. )

...But powder left over in a bowl, powder measure, or anything else, gets returned to its original container, after my loading session. The rough ride to my hunting and/or shooting grounds will do more damage to the powder, than any "contamination" from my loading process.

[serf 'rett]

You really need to chunk the Mississippi State cow caller. Its takes up to much premium bench space.




serf ‘rett, BS in Civil Engineering, 1986, University of Alabama

[TennJed]

serf ‘rett ....i have now make a note not to follow any advice you give on this forum...a Alabama Engineer cannot be trusted....and State's engineering department beats bama's everytime!!....j/k....I will be pulling for you guys against ole miss and auburn next year...!

[Gunn Smithy]

Hey so you don't have to load off to the side, or you won't be able to open your drawer's: get one of these. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=113651 The Lee Bench Plate will allow you to mount your press, trimmer, and just about any other bench mountable piece of reloading equipment on a temporary basis to your small area and then store it elsewhere when not in use. I have a bigger bench so I'm installing two of these so I'll be able to change the combinations of tools that I'll have next to each other when loading. Like for me I have a separate tool to apply gas checks and one for lubing and sizing. Two plates work like a champ for me. Smithy.

[KMAX]

I keep my powder in the original containers for identification and contamination reasons, I keep them on the other end of the house from my bench and only use one at a time and empty the powder measure after each session. I keep the primers in same room as powder, but well away from powder. Room is reasonably temperature controlled. Same as rest of house. My reloading bench, however is in the garage with wide range of temps. I do some of the work (primer stuff) at the kitchen table. On my bench I have a cast out wooden shoe rack (small) and a small plastic container with shelves in it. Also I use cleaned food cans and plastic bowls sealable or not and sealable plastic bags. It saves money and works as well for some applications. I can spend money on other stuff. Only suggestion I have really is if you are limited on space, don't keep a lot of junk like I do. Lots of extra stuff I don't really need, but I got room for it for now anyway. Good luck reloading. I'm pretty new to it, too, so I am still learning a lot.

[KMAX]

How do you work on that bench? I would probably blow myself up or something. Doesn't really matter though. It's yours and you can do as you wish. Good loading.

[KMAX]

What is a Mississippi State cow caller, where can I get one , and why would I want one? Just wundrin.

[serf 'rett]

The Mississippi State Cow Bell can be seen on the back of the shelf in a couple of the last photos in the opening post (see white handle). It is used by demented M.S. fanatics to make noise at sporting events (although it's been rumored they use them at weddings, funerals, birthings, shooting matches, the local library, etc.)

Although I personally have no use for one of the offense devices, they can be obtained in the Starkville, MS area. I can't imagine why you would want one, but you can get TennJed’s wife to ship you his old cow bell. He is not going to need it any more. All his money will now go toward reloading stuff, so he will not be attending sporting events.

[oneounceload]

Put a little shelf on the wall off the bench for your scale.

+1