I have spent the last week or so reorganizing my reloading shack, which of course also is a garage and shop and cat hotel. Plus the possum in the attic, but she's really chill in the day time. Once I could see the bench surface, I arranged things as they should be for reloading. To test the system, I de capped fifty .45LC cases. Then I primed them. That rocked. The playoffs for baseball are imminent, so I wanted to be ready after the Giants took the NL West pennant. The Dodgers get to feel what it's like to win 106 and not get the pennant. Great race up to now in the NL West.

I have a slug of primed cases that I discovered during the re-org, including .45acp, .38 sp and .357 mag. Some rifle stuff, too, so that will be uncovered soon.

Let's see what's there.


I live twelve blocks from Chico State, and the students are back. On my block there are no students, but there are one block over. Now, my wife does cigarettes, but I don't. Being the husband, frequently I find myself going over to Duke's Cork and Bottle to get her drugs. They sell beer, a vital resource as well, so I find myself traipsing by some student rentals. That's where I found a coffee table repaired with sheet rock screws. Very solid but not living room material. Works in my shop. Now I can stack stuff but still have room.

Precision reloading tools such as the worn out nail file doubling as a primer pocket scraper. Wooden bowls for powder. In that 45LC box there is my precision scoop for my target load. I made it from a .45acp case and soldered it to a piece of 12ga wire. I have that loop there for a good grip, and it's bent so as to be perfect when I scoop up powder, tap it twice on the wood bowl, then dump it down my red plastic funnel. I have that single stage press, so I slip the one case in, put on a 250gr LRNFP, and seat and crimp it in the one move.


Since I got the carbide decapping die, I haven't used the other one.


CDFingers

At one point I had 11 progressive presses setup in my "shooting shack". I got rid of most of them because I realized I was getting a bit out of control with my hobby. I have my reloading equipment all packed away. I kept my smallest progressive press (Dillon SDB), single stage, and bullet casting stuff. I recently purchased a bullet mold (if they ever send it to me), so I guess I'll be breaking out the reloading equipment again sometime.

.

I found six primers of questionable parentage on the floor. I put them in a medicine bottle. Understand I can get ten bucks a piece for 'em...

CDFingers

Kind of like my brain, cluttered. All the faculty, staff and teen germ carriers are supposed to be vaccinated for COVID, though some could have religious exemptions. Safer now than this time last year.

Mine’s reasonably well organized … I tend to reload when there is a lull in mid winter - November through April. Most I ever reload these days is 1000 per annum. That was my average 2019, 2020 - this year, I won’t crack 600. I scored a bunch of steel shotgun shells which will last me a lifetime of duck seasons at the rate of this year (one shell expended), lost in the mud when my waders got stuck. No ducks moving yet.

It’s a bit messier at the moment Becuase I had to take my old Winchester 1300 apart to make sure it was completely dry after “ducky” weather.

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Shot shell loading at it's slowest. Don't use it much as attested by the vintage of the powder and primers. Spheres may not be all that impressive from a ballistic standpoint, but let them loose on the floor and they just keep going.

30 hulls, total time 2 ½ hours w/coffee breaks.

I'd buy some LP from Midway, as of this posting they have them, but the price is a bit much for me. Could get worse, I guess.

Very impressive guys. If I ever get the tool room cleaned out I might have enough room. It is built into the garage and gets kinda hot.

How hot is too hot to store powder?

tonguengroover wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 8:29 pm Very impressive guys. If I ever get the tool room cleaned out I might have enough room. It is built into the garage and gets kinda hot.

How hot is too hot to store powder?

Always the advise has been cool, dry. A number in degrees I can't say. That old AA is from the mid 80's and been stored hot, cold, and all points between. Looks, smells just like mom used to make. Took 5 shells out into the hay-field, all went well.

papajim2jordan wrote:

tonguengroover wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 8:29 pm Very impressive guys. If I ever get the tool room cleaned out I might have enough room. It is built into the garage and gets kinda hot.

How hot is too hot to store powder?

Always the advise has been cool, dry. A number in degrees I can't say. That old AA is from the mid 80's and been stored hot, cold, and all points between. Looks, smells just like mom used to make. Took 5 shells out into the hay-field, all went well.

That’s how I store it now; but I agree I had all my supplies in a hot/cold attic for 1.5 years when I lived in my “newly divorced dad shack.” I shot all that stuff up (powder- primers) a couple years ago - no issues.


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Searched “how to tell if smokeless powder is good or bad.

First three hits;

Actual smokeless powder info

Negative health effects of cigarette smoking

How to tell if you have good weed

Could lead one off topic but diversion is good for the soul

Gotta love those polite, well behaved electrons bringing the world to our fingertips

I store my powder in the same closet as I store my old acoustic guitar. No explosions from either one in fifty years.

CDFingers

Strings do go well with percussion

Here we can see the result of a years-ago Harbor Freight sale on plastic screw cubbies. I repurposed them and screwed them to a plywood scrap, and nailed it to the wall. I wanted to leave room for different weights. You'll notice Cleo, the trained ninja hit-cat poised to strike, guarding the project stocks. She's like 13 or 14 now, born four feet from where she sleeps here.



CDFingers

[mention]CDFingers [/mention] let me be the first to give you permission to drill 2 holes on your bench, and bolt that beautiful Lyman single arm bandit down.

As much as I love my cats… I would imagine that a car in the reloading shed might not be the best… as they tend to knock things off surfaces …


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Between the cats and the possums, I can't leave anything delicate exposed out there. I always put away the scale, for example. I'd thought about bolting the press down, but then I couldn't take it off quick to use the whole table. Plus, it's a good place to store two C clamps.

CDFingers

It's always best to check one's notes before a reloading session. Better still to check them while you're setting up for the load.


This page is maybe twenty years old.

CDFingers

LeeMeghc wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 3:44 am Such a nice tool room you have guys,

I'm here because I need some suggestions about the Jigsaw. I want to add a new one for the garage work or other home DIY, and I'm still confused to choose the right one. Just checked about the Bosch JS470E, it has good features. Suggest me if anyone using this.

Since this is a gun board you might not get the answer that you're after. I have a hand jig saw made by Makita or Craftsman--forget which, that I use about every seven or ten years.

CDFingers

My advice is go cheap. It's all about the blade.
Or is that razors?

I"m afraid LeeMeghc won't be joining us anymore