Author Topic: My new reloading area... (Read 1521 times)

tacklebury · « **on:** January 21, 2012, 04:11:56 PM »

Well after seeing all the nice reloading set-ups that have been posted over the last few years here, I finally decided not to wait any longer to do something. I have the base framework and will take some more pics and update as I add in the other parts.

The top is made of Richlite which is a paper/resin type material and is super hard. I have a square piece I've been loading on the table at home for years on using the Rap-n-Tap Lee Classic Loaders and now the hand press and it's none the worse for wear, so I figured it'd be a good choice. Got the strips of this material free too as they discard small strips/pieces at work.

Below the richlite top at the rear are two stacked 2x6's which are screwed together several places and angling braces to come forward. The next pieces of top go from the notch and radius back so as to have a nice stroke area for the lever.

streak · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2012, 04:45:17 PM »

Looks like a project with great potential!!

ButlerFord45 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 21, 2012, 05:36:02 PM »

Awsome! Looking forward to following the progress. Congratulations

necchi · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2012, 06:32:48 PM »

Tips;
*Get some simple brackets and affix those 2x6 to a wall stud near the press. You'll be happy ya did.
*Some peg board with hooks across in front is nice to keep tools sorted and visible for easy use.
* A small shelf in front so the scale is at eye level.

Just throwing out ideas, looks good man, I can think of several things I'd do different if doing a complete new build.

tacklebury · « **Reply #4 on:** January 22, 2012, 07:07:26 AM »

Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. Got a 4x4 sheet of pegboard which will be at the rear and one strip on the left side of the right column. The black material is an old entertainment center that I'm using up for shelving and filler as needed. Unfortunately I cannot hook to the walls here, but I'm making a cart for my bullets that rolls into the bottom of the left column and it'll add a lot of weight to the bottom of the cabinet. On the right column, at the rear behind the powder can storage, will be a large concrete block. Hoping these two things will do a lot to keep the center of balance low.

Hopefully, further pics as I progress will add some details.

Taking a break from construction this afternoon and I'm going to try reforming some .45-70 brass to .40-60 Marlin, which is a big reason I needed something stronger than a handpress. The last time I tried with the handpress, it took me 3 hours and strains in my biceps and chest it took so much force to make one case. I figure if it can handle this job now without the weight in the bottom, I'll be good to go. hehe

charles p · « **Reply #5 on:** January 22, 2012, 07:44:26 AM »

What Necchi is possibly saying is that when you FL size a case, you may flex your table too much. Needs to be very solid where the press is located.

Savage · « **Reply #6 on:** January 22, 2012, 08:47:48 AM »

Looks good TB! We all need a permanent reloading area in a dedicated room. You're well on your way. Congratulations!
Savage

tacklebury · « **Reply #7 on:** January 22, 2012, 01:48:21 PM »

Well, it worked! I managed to form a .40-60 Marlin from .45-70 brass. It still took a couple hours, but my hands don't hurt or my chest.

I loaded one up with 53gr. fffg powder and an improvised drop tube (slightly compressed load) and topped it with a 240gr. Lead that I lubed with liquid alox.

At least I'll finally make the old girl bark again! I want to fire form one and see if I need to trade dies. LEE recommended the 40-60 Win set, but since then I've been reading that the .40-65 Win is closest, so LEE said to try this and if it wasn't right, they'd swap em for me if I pay postage. Just cannot wait til I can test it on Wednesday hopefully.

You can see the taper to the case. Hard to believe it is so hard to do that little taper. lol

tacklebury · « **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2012, 03:26:53 PM »

Tonight I got the top surface finished and splash in and the pegboard installed.

Just hung a few random tools to give a feel for what the finished area will be like.

ratdog · « **Reply #9 on:** January 23, 2012, 09:09:53 PM »

nice set up your going to have fun .

Swampman · « **Reply #10 on:** January 23, 2012, 11:53:36 PM »

Looks nice!

tacklebury · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2012, 03:26:18 PM »

Thanks guys. Tonight I did some detail work because I needed to know exactly how big these items were before I set the shelves in place. These are the vertical sliding die drawers sized specifically to hold my Lee (and probably any other brand) of dies. I'm using rubber bands for testing, but will have a different material in place to keep the dies held firmly in without being too hard to pull out. There will be a drawer pull on the bottom edge of these and there will be a track with separator bars at the top to keep them in line and from twisting. Hopefully the two pictures will convey the intent anyway. hehe I did get all the black shelves fastened down, but it seems like a lot less accomplished than I'd hoped. Thursday, the big goal is to get the last two die drawers made and the finish panels in place. We'll see though.

tacklebury · « **Reply #12 on:** January 26, 2012, 03:39:45 PM »

Well, some more detail work done tonight. I had hoped to get some exterior done, but the shelf and tracks for the drawers took up a bit much time. I've left the larger slot for the bigger slider to decide for sure usage before I make that one. Getting the tracks to be straight, look decent and be solid took a good bit of thinking, so I'm glad to have that behind me. hehe I'm just itchin to get the rest of the backers in place for the cabinet parts and some of the exterior, but I'm finally done with the really tedious stuff for a bit.

tacklebury · « **Reply #13 on:** January 27, 2012, 04:24:13 PM »

Well, finished off the majority of the build except for doors and one shelf today. I've used up all the furring strips I bought and still have some Luan left over for doors. Got to pick up a few more furring strips, hinges and a few misc. items then I can start in on the last shelf and doors. Tomorrow I'm gonna load up the cabinet with all the stuff that's been taking up space in the living room now and get it into the shelves. Since it won't hurt them to be loaded while I make doors etc. Living room has been kind of a wreck and wife is a little tired of it. Gone pretty good I think though and mostly trim work left to do. Will probably just post a few more pics once doors and such are on.

Showing the bottom of left tower now that finished:

Showing the front of left tower now finished:

Frontal view of right tower showing shelves:

Finally a mostly finished unit - showing right finished end:

AtlLaw · « **Reply #14 on:** January 27, 2012, 04:52:45 PM »

Wow!

Quite an entertainment center!

tacklebury · « **Reply #15 on:** January 27, 2012, 04:59:26 PM »

Hehe.

I cannot wait to be entertained too. Just too messy right now and I'm too tired to do it tonight. lol Will probably test some more tomorrow though.

streak · « **Reply #16 on:** January 27, 2012, 05:14:55 PM »

Way to go tacklebury!
That is looking great!

mechanic · « **Reply #17 on:** January 27, 2012, 05:24:01 PM »

Thats some good use of space! Excellent job.

Ben

tacklebury · « **Reply #18 on:** January 28, 2012, 06:12:37 AM »

Thanks guys.

I am getting more and more happy with it as I progress.

I got to shoot the 1881 Marlin 40-60 today with it's bp load. It was snowing so hard I could barely see the milk jug full of water and red food coloring at 25 yards, but I was bound determined to try it! I waited for a break in the gusts and BOOM, let fly lead with a dead center explosive strike! May not seem like much, but I've been drooling on this gun since I was 8 years old and 34 years later, I've finally gotten to shoot it! I'm loading her with BP only and 240 gr. Leads seem to work ok. I will be making or buying more brass and hopefully getting to shoot this old girl some more in the future.

First time she spoke today since 1926!

streak · « **Reply #19 on:** January 28, 2012, 05:37:22 PM »

Like the looks of everything and that 40-60 looks like it is ready to go!
Especially like the walking stick, made me one out of hickory and it is a good one!!
You wouldn`t by chance have any Scottish ancestory would ya!

mechanic · « **Reply #20 on:** January 29, 2012, 01:43:29 AM »

What tartan is that? McKay?

Ben

Swampman · « **Reply #21 on:** January 29, 2012, 03:00:46 AM »

Quote from: tacklebury on January 28, 2012, 06:12:37 AM

Awesome rifle!!!

Lon371 · « **Reply #22 on:** January 29, 2012, 07:35:28 AM »

Nice rifle and Medicine cabnet.
I am sure it will stocked with stuff good for what ails ya

Lonny

tacklebury · « **Reply #23 on:** January 30, 2012, 10:53:12 AM »

McNeal Ancient Tartan. And yep some o that runs through these veins.

streak · « **Reply #24 on:** January 30, 2012, 05:19:55 PM »

Quote from: tacklebury on January 30, 2012, 10:53:12 AM

McNeal Ancient Tartan. And yep some o that runs through these veins.

Mine too!!

tacklebury · « **Reply #25 on:** February 04, 2012, 12:02:13 PM »

Ok, did some more detail work this week and have the upper left door done and on. Well, done except for the pulls. I've decided I'm going to bore out the primer hole on some .45 ACP cases and screw them to the face of the doors and drawers then push a bullet in them. I haven't started that yet though.

Also showed how handy that peg board has already become. I loaded up 20 of my .40-60 Marlin rounds and will hopefully use this little mid-winter warming spell for a chance to shoot some.

For those that might not know, a Drop Tube is a way to neatly pack the black powder payload into the prospective case. This settles the BP as it spirals around the funnel, then falls through the tube and hits the 2nd funnel to swirl again and drop into the case all broken up. It's possible to put way more BP into a case with this method and keeps you from developing dangerous air gaps in your ammo as the BP settles. I loaded the 20 up with FFFg Goex and I was wrong about the bullet weight earlier, they are 315gr. RNFP, not 240gr. hehe Must be my forgetter working overtime again.

streak · « **Reply #26 on:** February 04, 2012, 12:39:28 PM »

Looks like you are almost there tacklebury!
Like that drop tube set up!!

spinafish · « **Reply #27 on:** February 04, 2012, 12:50:03 PM »

you done good!

smokehouserex · « **Reply #28 on:** February 04, 2012, 05:27:32 PM »

Hey tacklebury:

Congrats on the reloading cave, looks good and I know you are exicited about it, as you should be. I bought a 1953 Elcar 8x28 trailer as my first "official reloading place" my wife was afraid of the GP stored in the house so she didn't object to me spending the money on the trailer I loaded thousands of rounds down there. I bought 10 acers of land for a range, it was 200'x 2200', not quite 10 acers but the road served as a range for many years, quite a time with plenty of gunsmoke in the air. Ha Ha Had a 600yd range for a long time. It was "country" when we first moved there but as it became populated the noise was too much so I had to shoot occasionally as opposed to very regularly. so.....
I like your reloading space but...............I really like that 40-60Marlin, I want a 40cal. rifle but have not decided which one I want to build....decisions.......decisions.......decisions?

? I also like the BP weapons in the other post, I admire your taste in firearms.
shootttttttt oooooonnnnn,
HM

tacklebury · « **Reply #29 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:17:50 PM »

Thanks guys, it's getting closer to done all the time.

I got the right bi-fold door done tonight and hopefully, tomorrow night will bring a close to this session anyway. I have it to the point of functionality, so gonna give the wife a break with the messes. I am looking for a large piece of richlite for the final flip up top/door for the bottom of the right side, but have to be patient if I don't want to have to pay and get a scrap one from work.

I've decided to leave off the staining until it warms up. Then can put it out in the garage and stain without the scent in the house. I have 20 rounds loaded for the old Marlin, so hopefully will have some groups to report on that too shortly.