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

[sniper1259]

Dillon Primer Catch Cup Modification

heres one for all who own a Dillon. less headaches is always a good thing.

Dillon Primer Catch Cup Modification

parts list

1 3/4 incl long peice of "threaded lamp pipe" (this is threaded for 1/8 inch pipe thread and has a larger hole in it than 1/8 inch pipe)
2 a nut to fit the "threaded lamp pipe"
3 a 1/8 inch pipe connector ( this is galvanised and should fit the "threaded lamp pipe" like a long nut)
4 2 foot section of nylon tubing to fit the outside of the pipe connector
5 screw type hose clamp to fit the tubing once it is on the pipe connector

drill hole in bottom of cup to fit the "threaded lamp pipe" and put nut on "threaded lamp pipe", place in hole.
spin on the pipe coupler and run it up to the bottom of the cup. leave most of the "threaded lamp pipe" inside the coupler.
and tighten it all up . vise grips work well in the coupler and standard socket on the nut. you get the picture. when
done use a counter sink bit to remove all burs from the inside end of the "threaded lamp pipe". it should almost be
a funnel and should be flush with the top of the nut. clamp on the nylon tubing and run it into a gallon milk jug
or other container to catch the spent primers that fall thru the tube. done

this takes only about 15 minutes to build and saves the headache of emptying an
overfilled catch cup, and sweeping up th spent primers. one less problem to deal with.
granted most people wont need it, but if you are like me it also gives me a place to throw
those pesky berdian primed cases as well, i recycle the bad brass and spent primers are brass...

 

[Quickdraw McGraw]

heres one for all who own a Dillon. less headaches is always a good thing.

Dillon Primer Catch Cup Modification

parts list

1 3/4 incl long peice of "threaded lamp pipe" (this is threaded for 1/8 inch pipe thread and has a larger hole in it than 1/8 inch pipe)
2 a nut to fit the "threaded lamp pipe"
3 a 1/8 inch pipe connector ( this is galvanised and should fit the "threaded lamp pipe" like a long nut)
4 2 foot section of nylon tubing to fit the outside of the pipe connector
5 screw type hose clamp to fit the tubing once it is on the pipe connector

drill hole in bottom of cup to fit the "threaded lamp pipe" and put nut on "threaded lamp pipe", place in hole.
spin on the pipe coupler and run it up to the bottom of the cup. leave most of the "threaded lamp pipe" inside the coupler.
and tighten it all up . vise grips work well in the coupler and standard socket on the nut. you get the picture. when
done use a counter sink bit to remove all burs from the inside end of the "threaded lamp pipe". it should almost be
a funnel and should be flush with the top of the nut. clamp on the nylon tubing and run it into a gallon milk jug
or other container to catch the spent primers that fall thru the tube. done

this takes only about 15 minutes to build and saves the headache of emptying an
overfilled catch cup, and sweeping up th spent primers. one less problem to deal with.
granted most people wont need it, but if you are like me it also gives me a place to throw
those pesky berdian primed cases as well, i recycle the bad brass and spent primers are brass...
Attached Thumbnails


Sounds good can U post a few pics! My 550B is currently enroute from Dillon on a fedex truck. I luv my Lee Classic Cast turret but I am having trouble casting, sizing/lubing, and reloading to keep up with my shooting. Matches and practice.

 

[sniper1259]

Quickdraw McGraw; the drawing is a JPG at the bottom of the post. if it wont load email me at [email protected] and i'll get it to you

the Dillon will take a little getting used to but its worth it. i own 3 now along with 2 XL650's. (yes 5 Dillons) i modified all the cups and empty the milkjug (seems to work best) about once a month or 2.

i just noticed, im recycling about 60-80 pounds of brass a month just in spent primers and berdian cases !!! dang!!!

 

[Quickdraw McGraw]

Quickdraw McGraw; the drawing is a JPG at the bottom of the post. if it wont load email me at [email protected] and i'll get it to you

Thanks sniper - once I get the press and get it set up hopefully your set-up will make more sense to me.

the Dillon will take a little getting used to but its worth it. i own 3 now along with 2 XL650's. (yes 5 Dillons) i modified all the cups and empty the milkjug (seems to work best) about once a month or 2.

yeah I figure there will be learning curve. It took me a while to really get the Lee CC turret running good. getting anxious to try er out

i just noticed, im recycling about 60-80 pounds of brass a month just in spent primers and berdian cases !!! dang

I'm a recycler myself. I save all my junk brass, primers, steel from smelting wheel weights, etc. I figure why throw it away when I can get a few $$ for it.

Thanks again

 

[daboone]

Lee's Primer Tray

With this you do not need 3 hands. But it does take some fun out of trying to keep the primers from escaping by other ways!

 

[Uncle Chan]

I'm afraid I'm confused, daboone. What exactly are you showing us here?

 

[First Big Foot]

Why, It is obvious!!!

I actually did a similar thing. He has taken a small piece of soda can and epoxied it to the face of the tray, so when he wants to tilt it into place, he need to merely place his thumb on the upwardly sprung hook and push it down in front of the primers, preventing them from "leaking" out.

My solution on my Lee Load Master was to drill a small hole in the middle of the opening, and to push a small cotter, (little teeny tiny), key through to clog up the hole until the tray is inserted. On my first the hole went all the way through, but this interfered with insertion on the back, so I made a second with the hole only half way through the "bottom". My way bonusly prevents unscrewing of the lid from the tray during movement as well, but isn't as easy to manipulate as this one. (The pencil tip in the opening recommendation by Lee is a pain in the ass and if you jmust slip sideways a bit they fall into the tray receptacle and prevent proper insertion.)

 

[Uncle Chan]

Ah, that makes sense now. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[budman46]

lee cast bullet sizing die.

i can mount four lee bullet sizers in a turret for my classic cast press and store them with punches inverted in 13 oz. coffee cans.

when i size cast bullets lubed with liquid alox, i have enough clearance to mount the bullet catcher with its offset hole. maybe lee had that in mind when they designed the packaging/bullet catcher, maybe a coincidence, but it makes my life easier and takes up lots less room in my reloading area.

budman

 

[sniper1259]

Quickdraw McGraw:
i am trying to setup some pics for you and the rest of the bunch. will post asap. I'm trying for closeups of the modifications (mods) and will repost all of the mods if i can.

some require some exotic parts you have to make and some i can make the odd part for you ( don't worry i wont rape and pillage your wallet for 'em) having a small lathe and a vertical mill helps ( my main job is designing robotic systems for the military as a garage industry. working for DARPA can actually be fun, on ocasion...)

if you need the lathe try Taig Tools on the net http://www.taigtools.com
they have a very accurate little lathe that is less than 2 feet long and weighs only about 20 lbs and goes for $456 brand new and will handle anything you are likely to throw at it INCLUDING making an emergency decap pin if you need one. ( one 3 foot piece of 3/16 steel rod from Home Depot for 2.38 + tax made 12 decap pins for the Dillon universal decap die in less than 2 hours on this lathe. don't believe me. try it for your self. its a tough little monster that'll cut steel as fast as brass or aluminum. i used it to center drill some 1/4-20x3/4 bolts for my low powder alert project (had to make 5 of 'em, couldn't afford $200 for them at $40 each) and also made the big washer used in the same project from sheet metal (home depot again, has to be metal but real thin) to fit just inside the powder measure and ride the powder down. this has to be real light weight and this lathe made the part surprisingly well. will include pics of this one when ready to post.

all for now... but much more later... [email protected]
snipe

 

[sniper1259]

Ok Daboone; im lost, just what modifications (mods) did you do here? ( as i have a Dillon setup i dont get lost or "escaping" primers.) sorry but the pics arent too clear. where IS the mod?
please explain thy self!!!

 

[sniper1259]

Rembrandt; the mods (modifications) you have on the XL650 are great the sliding rail system on the bench is probably the best one, could you provide some info about it?

i must admit i am already in the process of copying some of them for my setup! the mirror on the brass hopper was brilliant and easy. i found a bolt on mirror in a truck stop of all places! I'm changing the light to a 7 white LED setup (read cutoff super bright flashlight body with a cable soldered into it) on an arm that can be swung out of the way and powered by a 3 volt wall adapter ( hate using batteries...cant see being down for a lousy trip to walmarts for batteries. don't have the time for it!!)

as i have a ton of mech engineering abilities and a huge pile of cad programs. if you have a modification that you cant put into words. send me the pictures and i can draw it up for you and include the descriptions, parts lists, even help building them if you want.


feel free to email me [email protected]

the snipe

 

[sniper1259]

mongoose33 home depot, cheep timer that plugs into the wall for indoor lights. in the electrical dept plugs into any outlet and has a socket for the lamp (read tumbler) with time duration settings from 1/2 hour to 23 1/2 hours. there are about 10-15 different designs to suit any needs mine has plug in tabs for when to turn on and off i leave out the "on" tabs altogether and just use the off tabs, and dial it for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and turn on the side dial switch, plug it in and turn on the tumbler. a time later the side switch is kicked off by the dial and the "off" tab, cant turn back on 24 hrs later, so get to it when you can, no rush to prevent a cycle later. i taped the "on" tabs to the side so i wouldnt loose them. works great on christmas lights too.

Lowes has 'em and wallyworld too

 

[sniper1259]

to all; resizing rifle brass and its cleaning; due to the differences in chamber sizes in the same caliber, i have found that using carbide small base dies does the best job on small cases. however; with the larger cases (.223/5.56mm and up) this seems to work the best

1 clean the cases. i have two of the large Dillon case cleaners (impressed me enough to buy a second to get twice as much done)

2 decap and resize and trim. i use LEE resizing lube. its water based, mix it with 4 parts water and put it in a large spray bottle used for plant spraying ( home depot again!!) get the one with the adjustable nozzle and about a quart capacity. to get the ratio right fill the tube it comes in with water 4 times after dumping the contents into the bottle. this rinses out the extra lube in the tube. shake well to mix and layout the cases in a cardboard water bottle tray (about 4 inch tall by 1.5 ft and 1-2 ft long and open topped, but any box cut 4 inch tall will work well) lined with paper towels. lay them out side by side in rows one layer deep. spray lightly with the lube and lay down another layer of brass, spray and layer till the box is full or you run out of brass(i usually do about 5-10 boxes if i have the brass) then let them dry. don't worry about the light green color, brass turns light green when exposed to water and is NORMAL!!!

as i have a Dillon 550b press, i use an extra tool head and put the resize and trim die (again from Dillon for the RT1200b case trimmer, note the die is a SMALL BASE RESIZING DIE as well as the trimmer) in the third position (counting clockwise from the top starting with the entry point for the cases as position 1, powder die #2, seat #3, crimp #4 and exit) i use a Dillon universal decapping die for the 1st position to decap the case and works on almost all cases (no need for a special!) when the cases are dry, just run them thru with positions 2 and 4 empty (no die at all) don't forget to adjust the trim die correctly
this decaps, resizes, trims to length and deburs the outside of the case all in one pass.
toss 'em in the tumbler with clean corncob with 2 tbs spoons Dillon polish and a cup of ground english walnut shells. nothing else, tumble for about 1 hour. the brass comes out nice, clean, shiny, and no lube on them. run ALL OF THEM thru the swage tool that Dillon makes. it kills ALL deformed pockets by re-swaging them back to spec. mil crimps disappear. this step is worth the time it takes.
these cases are ready to load!!

and what about the corncob stuck in the primer flash holes?? good question!!! see the next step.....

loading; these cases are really ready to load except for some have corncob stuck in the flash holes, NO PROB!!!!

use a universal decapper die in position 1, the powder die on 2, seater in 3, crimp in 4. (yes i said crimp die on rifle cases!! a taper crimp die works wonders on feed problems by flattening the neck to the bullet all the way around the rim. bullets DON'T move in the cases so the oal doesn't change in heavy recoil weapons like 30-06 and larger. stops feed hangs on magazine feed weapons like the AR15 and Mini-14. IT WORKS without an extra step or extra work, what more could you ask?)

as for the corncob, the decapper die at pos 1 clears the hole automatically right before priming. swing the handle, prime the case, dial the plate, add bullet and next case, swing the handle, repeat, repeat, repeat, etc.

this process clears EVERY hole Every time, the icing on the cake factor is that the spent primer catcher cup catches the corncob that was stuck in the hole. you don't even have to sweep up!!!!!! (the 550b has some serious advantages when reloading rifle brass!)

the brass is in the press only twice. all processes are handled in a speedy but precise fashion. and NO lube is left on the cases.

this works so well that my rifle reloads look better and shoot better than factory every day of the week. it took 14 years to prefect this method and it works so well that you can prep the cases to the ready to load point then store them. ready to go for when you are ready. it works for my weapons and i just finished 4000 30-06 this way. its worth it and simple.

this works great on the 550b but will have to be changed to fit other presses, but dont leave out the decapper die, itll clear the flash hole without fail

the snipe

 

[daboone]

Ok Daboone; im lost, just what modifications (mods) did you do here? ( as i have a Dillon setup i dont get lost or "escaping" primers.) sorry but the pics arent too clear. where IS the mod?
please explain thy self!!!

Epoxied to the lid of Lee's primer tray is a thin strip from a tin can. The tip of the tin strip is bent down so when the strip is depressed the primer can't escape when inserting the tray into the primer chute. But because you do Dillon life is perfect so only Lee owners would understand the escaping primer problem.

 

[Roccobro]

Dillon's just have to worry about the spent primers escaping... lol

Justin

 

[sniper1259]

Roccobro; copy that. the spent ones DO tend to Escape/fly out of bottom of the ram deck. but at least they are spent ones, easily vacuumed up. but the guys with the Lees do have the prob of live getting out. you would think Lee would have come up with a better way( or would have at least tested the design before releasing it on unsuspecting customers) but then, this is what this thread/cable/rope is all about.

if you look up some of my other posts you will find some neat answers to simple probs that the Dillon presses have. NO press is perfect. they ALL have some quirk or prob or something that must be dealt with in some way to "get it to work right"

so no the Dillons are not perfect. but Mike Dillon did "reinvent" the progressive concept and did get most of the problems nailed good. one of my posts deals with the problem of keeping the spent primer catch cup empty automatically by never letting it get full in the first place. ( I'm working on one for the finished round bucket to do the same thing)

but i do get a real kick out of the mods i see here!! daboone, sorry for the sarcasm, the mod was just hard to see, but i can now. keep up the good work (tell Lee about this one it really makes sense!!)

 

[daboone]

sniper1259: sorry for the sarcasm,

Well I think I'll manage to survive Someday I'll paint my Lee stuff blue and all of life's problems will dissipate

 

[gearheadpyro]

Case Trimmer

Pretty sure this is not unheard of, but I don't know of anyone else that does this. I mounted my hornady cam-lock case trimmer to a 20" piece of 2x4, when I need to trim I use 2 Irwin clamps to hold the trimmer to my bench top. It doesn't move at all, and when I'm not trimming it gets stored under my bench. Helps clear things up up top.

 

[sniper1259]

Daboone, save your money, don't buy the paint!! it wont work!! tried on the old RCBS rock chucker i had, didn't solve the probs it had!!! but those same probs are what put me on the warpath to find a good press! a lot of my friends were into reloading, they had all sorts of presses and this i took advantage of!! we would get together about once every 4-5 weeks and descend on Buffalo Rock Shooters Supply south of Chicago ( i lived in Downers Grove for 11 years) for parts and to pop a few rounds. (we would make a day of it. you could fire anything you could drag onto the range!!)
because of their choices i had the opportunity to check out almost every press on the market. (how do you get 35 reloaders away from their wives for one saturday a month? they each have to buy a new house for said wife, works every time!!!)

so i did my home work, research, and sold every press i had and bought my first Dillon, after using the RL450 that one of the guys had in his basement. (in a closet actualy, he never came out of it on the weekends)

took me a couple of hours to set it up because i took some time to become very familiar with it while i did the setup. that familiarization came in handy in spotting probs and solving them(yes Mikey, even dillons have problems)

but my production rate went up over 10 times faster than than a turret press and 30 times faster than what i had before! yes faster than i thought possable without buying an automatic loading machine(4 tons of hardware including the motors). with a 550b you DONT use loading blocks(except to count rounds with mabe) but you will need some large bins for the parts (home depot again, they have some large blue ones that will hold about 700-800 9mm brass, about 1000 9mm bullets, 400-500 .30-06 brass, etc) i use the plastic ACRO bins (google it) that are about 2 feet long, 6 inch high, 8-10 inch wide for the most part, these "tub bins" will hold 7000 9mm brass, 5k of 45acp, and more bullets than you can lift without causing damage. if they get dirty, water hose'm. but use whatever works, thats the idea here in this thread anyway.

so paint wont work for problems on a press unless its rust. save your money for a Dillon and nail all of the problems

 

[Rembrandt]

Rembrandt; the mods (modifications) you have on the XL650 are great the sliding rail system on the bench is probably the best one, could you provide some info about it?

i must admit i am already in the process of copying some of them for my setup! the mirror on the brass hopper was brilliant and easy. i found a bolt on mirror in a truck stop of all places! I'm changing the light to a 7 white LED setup (read cutoff super bright flashlight body with a cable soldered into it) on an arm that can be swung out of the way and powered by a 3 volt wall adapter ( hate using batteries...cant see being down for a lousy trip to walmarts for batteries. don't have the time for it!!)

as i have a ton of mech engineering abilities and a huge pile of cad programs. if you have a modification that you cant put into words. send me the pictures and i can draw it up for you and include the descriptions, parts lists, even help building them if you want.

Must have missed your post earlier.....check out post #190 for more details.

 

[oldreloader]

Pretty sure this is not unheard of, but I don't know of anyone else that does this. I mounted my hornady cam-lock case trimmer to a 20" piece of 2x4, when I need to trim I use 2 Irwin clamps to hold the trimmer to my bench top. It doesn't move at all, and when I'm not trimming it gets stored under my bench. Helps clear things up up top.

I do that with my case trimmer,Load All II, and my powder measure.Only I have holes drilled in my bench and fasten them down with 1/4" bolts and wingnuts. Pics are in post 1318 Show us a picture of your reloading bench.

 

[gearheadpyro]

oldreloader,
Pic of my bench...



The Irwin clamps mentioned above are on the far side by the turret press. The case trimmer on the 2x4 is actually underneath on top of the plastic storage bins.

 

[oldreloader]

nice STURDY bench gearheadpyro.That's basically what I started out to build then it kinda got out of hand.My table top is 21" x 54".

 

[sniper1259]

Darrell Davis, heres a thought on lube. (for all case lubing) Get a few tubes of Lee case lube, its water based!! (wait for it!) you get one of the larger spray bottles at Home Depot garden center, get the 1 quart size, mix 4 parts water to 1 part Lee case lube right in the bottle.
put the sprayer top back in and shake for about 10-15 min or till mixed well. I use card board boxes cut to about 4 inch tall and cover the bottom with paper towels (helps soak up the excess) and line up the cases to cover the bottom of the box ONE LAYER DEEP.
lightly spray the cases till coated on the top side. add another layer, spray, repeat till the box is full or you run out of cases in the batch. let this dry for about 24 hours in air conditioning (it helps to draw out the water faster) the lube (which is water soluble wax) is the only thing left. resize the whole batch and (use old corncob for this) dump them into the tumbler and clean as if it was dirty brass. i use a Dillon resize/trimer tool that takes care of the trim to length at the same time. when they come out they are even shinier than the first pass thru the tumbler and the lube is GONE! you get nice trimmed, resized, clean brass (if you trimmed them) with even the trimming burrs eliminated!!

washing your hands after a run is simple soap and water. even washes out of clothes easy. as i reload a lot of .223/5.56 i can prep a few boxes of lubed brass ahead of time before a run. this helps as i usually de-cap the cases (Dillon 550b owner) in the first station and resize/trim in the 3rd station, i get a trimmed de-caped resizes case EVERY time i swing the handle. once cleaned, i store the brass for the reloading run later.

and yes the cases get corncob in the flash holes!! NO PROB!! DON'T BOTHER CLEANING THE FLASH HOLES INDIVIDUALLY!!! takes way too much time!! i just use a universal de-caper die in station 1 (cases are already sized and de-caped, this just punches the hole clear and THEN you prime it on the way down, all you get in the catch cup is corncob, works great, saves time and hassle. try it! it even keeps the dies clean, (just pull a few patches thru the die to remover the leftover lube-wax, the spray the die to prevent rust) this has worked for me for years!!