What clever little things have you "invented or discovered" that you can share?

Many folks don't like the noise associated with impact bullet pullers (hammer style), and I didn't like banging mine on my bench. So, I have an ingot of fairly soft lead, 4"x8"x1" that I use for an anvil. The lead deadens the noise, but does not soften the blow enough to hinder bullet movement. I also occasionally use a Lee Loader when I feel "retro" and the lead anvil makes that process quieter too (and it's easy on the tool too)...
 
GW Star, you have a great post that has inspired me to consider using bluing on some things. In your post above, did you use a white marker for the lettering? (If so, I didn't know they made white markers!) Also, will solvents clean out the coloring if the piece is cleaned?

The mineral spirits won't effect a dry blued finish at all. As for the white marker, it's not....It's a permanent, opaque, white paint stick not a marker.....you are in effect filling the recesses with permanent paint. It won't rub off as easy as a marker does. In recesses it won't even sand off. ;) You can buy other colors of Meanstreak including yellow, but the best contrast for my eyes is black and white. Watch the video...you will see the paint stick is thick and gooey....it goes in the recesses and the m. spirits-soaked rag/p. towel cleans up around it.

I like your solution too, but I like to put my shell holders and other parts in plastic parts drawers out of the way......which is why I looked for a way to make parts easier to see and discern. I got tired of always having to look through a magnifier find what I needed.....getting old is the pits.
 
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I drill and tap the LEE locking rings for a 8-32 set screw, cheaper than the RCBS or Hornady rings and work just as well, for pennies each.

I made a fixture to go into my drill press to make the process easier and get the hole in the right place each time.
 
I drill and tap the LEE locking rings for a 8-32 set screw, cheaper than the RCBS or Hornady rings and work just as well, for pennies each.

I made a fixture to go into my drill press to make the process easier and get the hole in the right place each time.
Nice
I have found Dillon rings (get the wrench too) to be the cheapest/smallest/thinnest/1 inch hex/best and just use 2, locked together, on every die for a no set-screw needed locking ring.
:D
 
I drill and tap the LEE locking rings for a 8-32 set screw, cheaper than the RCBS or Hornady rings and work just as well, for pennies each.

I made a fixture to go into my drill press to make the process easier and get the hole in the right place each time.
When I got my Co-Ax press I had only 4 Forster lock rings and was waiting on some that I ordered. I drilled and tapped the Lee rings I had and used a nylon tipped set screw. Worked quite well until I got my shipment of Forster rings...
 
I don't like my rifle ammo rattling around in my MTM cases.For example. 303 savage is about 1/2" too short for the medium rifle casegard .I save the Styrofoam inserts from pistol ammo boxes and fit them into the lid of the case..45 Colt or .45acp inserts work with the medium casegard.
 

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I was wandering about a Garage Sale & bought a PC Keyboard Tray for $1. I mounted it under my loading bench & it has been one of the handiest things ever.
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My old RCBS powder measure uses a “loose” lid. I was always losing the thing until I drilled 2 tiny holes & added a short piece of fishing line knotted on both ends.
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Got tired of moving all my powder around to get to those in the back. I cut & glued PVC pipe together to make a sort of powder “wine” rack. Lid cap with label is moved to the new container when one goes empty.
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Dang it, Paddy, now I've got to look for a wine rack. That's too cool.

GW Starr, I never thought of using cold blue to coat those case holders for contrast. Nice idea.

And Pert Near, my powder measure caps are about to get drilled. Fantastic.

Great ideas all!
 
So that I can tell at a glance what primers are in my Lee hand primer,I always buy CCI pistol primers (chrome color) and Winchester rifle primers(brass color).
 
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I have a Dillon Square Deal B progressive loader. Sometimes when half asleep I wasn't pushing the handle up far enough to fully seat the primer. I used a Hall effect switch to turn on LEDs when the handle is fully up and the primer is seated. The green one tells me that the primer is fully seated. The white one shines into the case in the position following the powder drop. The LEDs and Hall effect switch are powered by a recycled cell phone battery (3.7 volts). Hall effect switches are activated by a magnet and have no moving parts or contacts so no chance of sparks. Here are a couple of picture of the Hall effect switch, where I mounted it, the LEDs, the magnet, and the battery. I used hot glue to mount everything except the battery which is mounted behind a spring clip made from a piece of banding steel. The mounting of the wires and Hall effect switch are re-reinforced by using a stiff copper wire (red in the picture) to allow the Hall effect switch to be precisely placed so that it does not operate the LEDs until the primer is fully seated.

Small magnets source used
http://www.ebay.com/itm/192115839685…

Power connector source used for battery hookup
http://www.ebay.com/itm/172505472033…

Battery charger for recycled cell phone battery source used
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291930114540…

Hall effect switch source used
http://www.ebay.com/…/10pcs-A3144-A3144E-OH31…/141975946509…
 

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I added these pictures.
Also, for what it's worth, all of the parts I used are listed in the text and were ordered on eBay except for the LEDs and resistors. You need a resistor in series with a LED. The Hall effect switch specs say 5 to 24 volts or something like that. It works fine on 3.7 volts which is the voltage of an old cell phone battery. Hall effect switches operate when the SOUTH pole of a magnet gets near as shown in the picture.
 

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I don't know whether this would ever be useful to anybody. I load for accuracy in my Savage 308 bolt rifle with a set of RCBS Competition Dies and now I'm setting up to load for an M1A. My resizing die is set for .002" shoulder setback for the Savage but for the M1A I'm looking for a .004" setback. I don't want to be resetting the die back and forth depending on what I'm working on at the time so I was getting ready to buy another resizing die but just for the heck of it I swapped the Lee shellholder for a Redding one that I had and it gave me a perfect .004" shoulder setback. I haven't measured it but it must be .002" higher than the Lee die. This is the basis for the Redding Competition Shellholder set but I didn't want to spend $65 for that either.
 
I use Qtips to visually separate loads or batches in my ammo boxes. Fits perfectly in the MTM .30cal boxes
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I just noticed the box with the Berger sticker on it. Could you explain what you store in it and why? You must be following a common theme. Most things are pretty recognizable. Are those dummy rounds standing upright? What about the empty cases..are they modified cases for use with an OAL gauge? Is there a reason for the check weights? The only things I can't really make out are the three things labeled and wrapped in plastic at the left rear. What kind of storage box is that?
I'm a fanatic for organization and this intrigues me.
 
I just noticed the box with the Berger sticker on it. Could you explain what you store in it and why? You must be following a common theme. Most things are pretty recognizable. Are those dummy rounds standing upright? What about the empty cases..are they modified cases for use with an OAL gauge? Is there a reason for the check weights? The only things I can't really make out are the three things labeled and wrapped in plastic at the left rear. What kind of storage box is that?
I'm a fanatic for organization and this intrigues me.

I keep all of my measuring stuff in it: Hornady headspace comparator and OAL collets, case headspace gages, dummy rounds, check weights for my scales, and cases I have cut slits in the neck for finding distance to the lands.

I picked up the box at work. It was used to store instruments and has foam with those precut squares that you can tear out to customize places to store things

Like you, I try to stay organized. I have a bad habit of losing stuff. I'd lose my ass if it wasn't wired to my legs. Keeping things in order is the only thing that saves me
 
On the Lee or any other beam scale that has a threaded nut to zero out the scale, I put a MINI drop of low strength thread locker ( the wicking type) on the threads to keep it from shifting during handling. It just puts enough grip to keep it from moving. Stays zeroed.
 
On the Lee or any other beam scale that has a threaded nut to zero out the scale, I put a MINI drop of low strength thread locker ( the wicking type) on the threads to keep it from shifting during handling. It just puts enough grip to keep it from moving. Stays zeroed.

I did the same thing to the brass nuts which hold the hopper to my Lee Auto Disk powder measure. Helps keep constant tension so the hopper doesn't either get loose and meter a bit more, or get tight and bind the adjustable charge bar. Powder drop consistency through a loading session has definitely improved.
 
Vibra-Tite VC-3 is a great reuseable threadlocker, good for those adjustment screws that you do move infrequently. It will work 4-5 times before needing re-application.
Works on presses, adjustable sight screws, scope screws, GRIP SCREWS (favorite use).
 
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