'Reloading' & 'Repurpose' Go Hand In Hand...

JeepHammer · August 10, 2016, 10:19 AM

Reloaders are the most creative bunch I think I've ever seen!
Real 'DIY' bunch!
They build or repurpose their own benches to fit the application,
They find creative solutions to everything from tooling to storage,
They find ways to work around stuff that would stop a nuclear engineer!

My favorites are cat litter buckets, rectangle, for brass.
They stack, shelve well saving space over round buckets, have handles, hinged lids, and generally work really well.

Many of us use 'Turret' or 'Tool Head' presses so we can keep our dies/caliber changes set up and ready to go,
There are 'Fancy' ways to store these, but 'Tupper Ware' type containers work well, and for round turrets I've found cake icing containers with snap on lids work well and keep rust from attacking the dies.

I also used a simple hole saw on a piece of pine to make a shelf the turrets drop into.

Using a feeler gauge in the shell holder to 'Bump' a stubborn case shoulder back a smidge works great, without having to buy the expensive 'Precision' shell holder sets.
We have all had 'Those' cases that spring back a little too much, not enough of them to warrent resetting the dies,
Or 'Those' cases that were a little harder than the rest,
Feeler gauges solves the issue for a few bucks, and work on any common shell holder.

A simple $20 case gauge with a 'L' shaped piece of metal & a hose clamp turns your case gauge into a Cartridge Maximum Length gauge.

I burned up a bunch of 'Tumblers', finally got hold of a light duty cement mixer, put a light duty motor with real roller bearings on it, and it will do a couple hundred pounds of brass at a time and live for decades.
(Harbor Freight type mixer)

I know you guys have a thousand ideas that serve a particular purpose,
So post up your ideas!

mikld · August 10, 2016, 12:20 PM

One job I had was dealing with an Italian made motion picture lighting system and part of that was finding interchangeable or "better" parts available here. I use the same method/ideas for reloading. There are many, many tools and items that are not "dedicated" reloading tools but work just as well and sometimes better and less expensive...

One of my favorites is I use $10.00 countersinks to remove military primer crimps vs a $50.00 "primer pocket reamer". I've made tumbler drums out of 48 oz. protein powder jars. My Beer Nuts come in square plastic jars which work great for storing cast/lubed bullets. I have used liquid floor wax for lubing bullets (I once tumbled a bunch of 22 lr rounds and re lubed the bullets with Johnson's liquid floor wax, not floor cleaner. Also works on low velocity .38 wadcutters.). When a need arises, most of the time an "everyday" item/tool works as well as a "dedicated" reloading tool...

9mmSkeeter · August 10, 2016, 09:59 PM

My reloading area has so many food containers it could be confused with a pantry.

Pathfinder45 · August 11, 2016, 03:01 AM

It's quite simply, recycling at its finest.

flashhole · August 13, 2016, 06:06 AM

Can you post a picture of this - A simple $20 case gauge with a 'L' shaped piece of metal & a hose clamp turns your case gauge into a Cartridge Maximum Length gauge.

jmorris · August 13, 2016, 09:15 AM

I'll play, here are a few.

This is almost all homemade stuff with parts gathered from many sources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8tWaN5PrTY

Rifle rest from a jack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng39ce3Ii_w

Automatic brass sorter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFw7IcQUmgs

Auto cutter to convert .223 to 300blk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNXz97yWp2w

Device that will cull SPP 45 ACP from the press between sizing and priming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V7vSEAqkZw

A reloader that runs itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrFhnDQ-eUU

flashhole · August 13, 2016, 09:26 AM

I repurposed some file holder rails, a block of wood and a small piece of metal to make this cutter jig. It allows me to cut the neck off 223 to 221 fireball brass reforms.

nhyrum · August 13, 2016, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmorris

I'll play, here are a few.

This is almost all homemade stuff with parts gathered from many sources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8tWaN5PrTY

Rifle rest from a jack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng39ce3Ii_w

Automatic brass sorter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFw7IcQUmgs

Auto cutter to convert .223 to 300blk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNXz97yWp2w

Device that will cull SPP 45 ACP from the press between sizing and priming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V7vSEAqkZw

A reloader that runs itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrFhnDQ-eUU

God damn dude!! Those are some insane devices!

Wanna let be borrow that Dillon???

I kid, I kid

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

g.willikers · August 13, 2016, 11:46 AM

jmorris,
You've made some very neat and elaborate stuff.
The rifle rest made from a scissors jack is something most anyone could do, too.
Very cool.
Thanks for the idea.
Although real men shoot standing up.

flashhole · August 13, 2016, 12:00 PM

Leaning against a tree.

g.willikers · August 13, 2016, 12:10 PM

^^^
Years go, a lady friend decided to shoot her husband's big game rifle.
She figured that getting some back support from a nearby tree was a good idea.
It wasn't.

flashhole · August 13, 2016, 12:15 PM

The tree is supposed to be beside you, not behind you. LOL

HiBC · August 13, 2016, 12:41 PM

Liquid laundry soap jugs.I cut a large window high,and opposite the handle.
Save the handle function.

Rinse all the soap out.It will discolor brass.

I made my bench tall.Shop stool tall,tall enough I can see the action without bending my neck down.

Up into the underside of the bench top,conveniently positioned either side of the press,I screwed the big bicycle hanging hooks.The vinyl covered ,lag screw things with the big J-hook.

I set them so the detergent jugs hang on them just in the right places to hold the "before" and then the "after" brass/ammo as I run them through.

Over a long haul,dropping my hands down to those jugs lessens fatigue.

Those jugs hold batches of brass,too.They marker real well,too. Like "30-06 new WW" or 30-06 fired,with a mark for each reloading.

Allowing knee space under the bench,I ran 2x10 or 2x12 shelves under the bench to set them on.Those are my bins.

They also make a good jug for shaking cases with lube.

If your media comes in a plastic bag,pop the pour nozzle doohickey out of the top,makes them wide mouth..

jmorris · August 13, 2016, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Although real men shoot standing up.

I do that too, how about 5 targets at 5 different ranges with the same bullet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6E_c7zkZXc

Then the next step.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxXv1je6yr8

The targets themselves are other homemade repurpose projects, the plate racks are driven by 12v power window motors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIOcNNcLxnU

briandg · August 15, 2016, 02:41 AM

I do a lot of repurposing too, but nothing this neat. I repurpose lead, at least I used to, the berm at our old range was just a hill. Used to walk along that hill and pick up the bullets that would fall to the bottom. Could get ten pounds or so in a trip, if I was alone.

The most unusual repurposing was cigar cutters. I am always losing cigar cutters. So, I made punches. Took a bunch of steel brass. Ran my chamfer tool through it. Left me with a very sharp cutting edge. Better than a lot of purchase punches, because the other has a smooth, not particularly sharp edge, the steel case has a rougher, and sharper edge that saws through the caps.

daboone · August 15, 2016, 06:50 AM

Well this might not qualify as repurposing as intended in the OP but those heavy duty aluminum beer bottles (not beer/soda cans) can be repurposed for gas checks and in this case bin barriers.

g.willikers · August 15, 2016, 11:51 AM

jmorris,
With all your neat projects when do you find time to sleep?

jmorris · August 15, 2016, 12:08 PM

That's when I come up with them.

nhyrum · August 15, 2016, 09:28 PM

For those who haven't seen my bench.

So far, the only thing I've had to buy is hardware.

Still gonna top it and build a cabinet

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

August 10, 2016, 10:19 AM	#1
JeepHammer Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2015 Posts: 1,768	'Reloading' & 'Repurpose' Go Hand In Hand... Reloaders are the most creative bunch I think I've ever seen! Real 'DIY' bunch! They build or repurpose their own benches to fit the application, They find creative solutions to everything from tooling to storage, They find ways to work around stuff that would stop a nuclear engineer! My favorites are cat litter buckets, rectangle, for brass. They stack, shelve well saving space over round buckets, have handles, hinged lids, and generally work really well. Many of us use 'Turret' or 'Tool Head' presses so we can keep our dies/caliber changes set up and ready to go, There are 'Fancy' ways to store these, but 'Tupper Ware' type containers work well, and for round turrets I've found cake icing containers with snap on lids work well and keep rust from attacking the dies. I also used a simple hole saw on a piece of pine to make a shelf the turrets drop into. Using a feeler gauge in the shell holder to 'Bump' a stubborn case shoulder back a smidge works great, without having to buy the expensive 'Precision' shell holder sets. We have all had 'Those' cases that spring back a little too much, not enough of them to warrent resetting the dies, Or 'Those' cases that were a little harder than the rest, Feeler gauges solves the issue for a few bucks, and work on any common shell holder. A simple $20 case gauge with a 'L' shaped piece of metal & a hose clamp turns your case gauge into a Cartridge Maximum Length gauge. I burned up a bunch of 'Tumblers', finally got hold of a light duty cement mixer, put a light duty motor with real roller bearings on it, and it will do a couple hundred pounds of brass at a time and live for decades. (Harbor Freight type mixer) I know you guys have a thousand ideas that serve a particular purpose, So post up your ideas!

August 10, 2016, 12:20 PM	#2
mikld Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: Southern Oregon! Posts: 2,891	One job I had was dealing with an Italian made motion picture lighting system and part of that was finding interchangeable or "better" parts available here. I use the same method/ideas for reloading. There are many, many tools and items that are not "dedicated" reloading tools but work just as well and sometimes better and less expensive... One of my favorites is I use $10.00 countersinks to remove military primer crimps vs a $50.00 "primer pocket reamer". I've made tumbler drums out of 48 oz. protein powder jars. My Beer Nuts come in square plastic jars which work great for storing cast/lubed bullets. I have used liquid floor wax for lubing bullets (I once tumbled a bunch of 22 lr rounds and re lubed the bullets with Johnson's liquid floor wax, not floor cleaner. Also works on low velocity .38 wadcutters.). When a need arises, most of the time an "everyday" item/tool works as well as a "dedicated" reloading tool... __________________ My Anchor is holding fast! I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...

August 10, 2016, 09:59 PM	#3
9mmSkeeter Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2014 Location: South Dakota Posts: 205	My reloading area has so many food containers it could be confused with a pantry. __________________ I kind of like weaponry.

August 13, 2016, 06:06 AM	#5
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 2,000	Can you post a picture of this - A simple $20 case gauge with a 'L' shaped piece of metal & a hose clamp turns your case gauge into a Cartridge Maximum Length gauge. __________________ ,,, stupidity comes to some people very easily. 8/22/2017 my wife in a discussion about Liberals. Are you ready for civil war?

August 13, 2016, 09:26 AM	#7
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 2,000	I repurposed some file holder rails, a block of wood and a small piece of metal to make this cutter jig. It allows me to cut the neck off 223 to 221 fireball brass reforms. __________________ ,,, stupidity comes to some people very easily. 8/22/2017 my wife in a discussion about Liberals. Are you ready for civil war?

August 11, 2016, 03:01 AM	#4
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	It's quite simply, recycling at its finest.

August 13, 2016, 09:15 AM	#6
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 3,077	I'll play, here are a few. This is almost all homemade stuff with parts gathered from many sources. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8tWaN5PrTY Rifle rest from a jack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng39ce3Ii_w Automatic brass sorter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFw7IcQUmgs Auto cutter to convert .223 to 300blk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNXz97yWp2w Device that will cull SPP 45 ACP from the press between sizing and priming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V7vSEAqkZw A reloader that runs itself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrFhnDQ-eUU

August 13, 2016, 11:46 AM	#9
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	jmorris, You've made some very neat and elaborate stuff. The rifle rest made from a scissors jack is something most anyone could do, too. Very cool. Thanks for the idea. Although real men shoot standing up. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

August 13, 2016, 12:00 PM	#10
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 2,000	Leaning against a tree. __________________ ,,, stupidity comes to some people very easily. 8/22/2017 my wife in a discussion about Liberals. Are you ready for civil war?

August 13, 2016, 12:10 PM	#11
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	^^^ Years go, a lady friend decided to shoot her husband's big game rifle. She figured that getting some back support from a nearby tree was a good idea. It wasn't. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

August 13, 2016, 12:15 PM	#12
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 2,000	The tree is supposed to be beside you, not behind you. LOL __________________ ,,, stupidity comes to some people very easily. 8/22/2017 my wife in a discussion about Liberals. Are you ready for civil war?

August 13, 2016, 12:41 PM	#13
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	Liquid laundry soap jugs.I cut a large window high,and opposite the handle. Save the handle function. Rinse all the soap out.It will discolor brass. I made my bench tall.Shop stool tall,tall enough I can see the action without bending my neck down. Up into the underside of the bench top,conveniently positioned either side of the press,I screwed the big bicycle hanging hooks.The vinyl covered ,lag screw things with the big J-hook. I set them so the detergent jugs hang on them just in the right places to hold the "before" and then the "after" brass/ammo as I run them through. Over a long haul,dropping my hands down to those jugs lessens fatigue. Those jugs hold batches of brass,too.They marker real well,too. Like "30-06 new WW" or 30-06 fired,with a mark for each reloading. Allowing knee space under the bench,I ran 2x10 or 2x12 shelves under the bench to set them on.Those are my bins. They also make a good jug for shaking cases with lube. If your media comes in a plastic bag,pop the pour nozzle doohickey out of the top,makes them wide mouth..

August 15, 2016, 02:41 AM	#15
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I do a lot of repurposing too, but nothing this neat. I repurpose lead, at least I used to, the berm at our old range was just a hill. Used to walk along that hill and pick up the bullets that would fall to the bottom. Could get ten pounds or so in a trip, if I was alone. The most unusual repurposing was cigar cutters. I am always losing cigar cutters. So, I made punches. Took a bunch of steel brass. Ran my chamfer tool through it. Left me with a very sharp cutting edge. Better than a lot of purchase punches, because the other has a smooth, not particularly sharp edge, the steel case has a rougher, and sharper edge that saws through the caps. __________________ None.

August 15, 2016, 06:50 AM	#16
daboone Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Location: Phoenix AZ, Kealakekua HI Posts: 100	Well this might not qualify as repurposing as intended in the OP but those heavy duty aluminum beer bottles (not beer/soda cans) can be repurposed for gas checks and in this case bin barriers.

August 15, 2016, 11:51 AM	#17
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	jmorris, With all your neat projects when do you find time to sleep? __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

August 15, 2016, 12:08 PM	#18
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 3,077	That's when I come up with them.

August 15, 2016, 09:28 PM	#19
nhyrum Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2016 Posts: 588	For those who haven't seen my bench. So far, the only thing I've had to buy is hardware. Still gonna top it and build a cabinet Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk