The Beginning of a Come Back of a Reloader, Bullet Swager and Caster

[Jim_Fleming]

Guys, the bench is done, except for a smidgen of touching up I have to do, on the edges of the shelves, but that won't slow things down, I hope...

Anyway, as promised I have final photos that I'm going to add to the linked documents up above, but I wanted to post them here first. I actually set up my presses over this last Holiday weekend. Both my Dillon, and my Lee Turret press, and I spent about 2.5 hours this evening on cleaning cases to make .224 diameter bullets...

Here's the last three photos, taken tonight, if you're interested.

I know that it's been a long time since I started, and a quite a bit of money just in building the wall and bench... But this is the way I build things, strong and sturdy. I won't bother to build something if I can't do it well.

[runfiverun]

looks like you'll need a boolit tray for the 550 and you'll be ready to go.
hopefully one of those shelves is tall enough for the tool head stands also.

[Jim_Fleming]

Thank you RunFiveRun, I appreciate it.

[casullman]

Jim , nice bench very well done Ihope it is warm out there in your garage (mine is about 19 degrees and thats 18 degrees warmer than outside ) happy loading to you

[Jim_Fleming]

Thanks, I appreciate the compliments...

As far as heat goes, I have a 115,000 BTU Torpedo Heater that has a thermostat, that I use to keep myself from freezing.

That was one of the two reasons I built a wall behind the bench instead of merely putting a backer board on the bench. That was to keep a bit of the warmth from the torpedo in long enough to keep me from freezing.

Yeah, sure the torpedo's a bit noisy, but all I have to do is put in my ear buds, turn on the MP3 player, cover my ears with a pair of muffs, and the noisy torpedo don't mean nuthin! LOL! I'm only using the torpedo when it's just plain too dang cold!

Takes a little kerosene, I've used 15 gallons in the last two months... not bad...

I even have a propane fueled Mr. Buddy Heater, that I can literally sit over top of on my stool... Hehehehe I've got a lot of the angles figured out.

I'm still ironing out the bugs... For example I broke a decapping pin tonight, and had to get creative to replace it, temporarily. I've already ordered 30 replacement pins from MidwayUSA.

Now if only I could find my shellplate adapter kits... UGH!!! I'd hate to have to replace them, Dillon wants $44 each, plus shipping!

[eddie56]

Nice set up.I moved last June and am yet to get a good bench put together.I sure will be glad when I get back to casting and loading like I used to.

[Jim_Fleming]

Thanks, Eddie, truly.

It's been a lot of effort, money and mostly time.

However I must report good news. I have completed my first batch of ammo!

I worked up a batch of 44 Magnum, with WW 296 and the good old Keith Semi-Wadcutter cast from wheel weights. I'm not going to publish my exact load, and probably won't make it a point to publish exactly how much powder I use for liability reasons.

Let the newcomers go to the book exactly as I did, and as they should.

Don't mind me, I'm only about half-way kidding...

[Jim_Fleming]

Guys, I am here to report that there is a God! LOL!!!

I have some very good news to report!

It's been a solid two weeks since I was whining about not being able to find my shell plate adapter kits...

No biggie I thought, and I wasn't going to spend a lot of time and effort looking for the darned things, (I knew that I wouldn't throw something like 5 different shellplate adapter kits away!) That I'd find them someday, etc...

Tonight, 21 Jan 2010, a solid two weeks later, I decided to take a look in a tote that I must've moved out of the way when I started building my bench. That tote was labeled, of all things, "Jim's Reloading Books" It actually does contain all of my old issues of Handloader Magazine, and a few Paladin Press doom and gloom books too, lol!

Right there on top were the three AKRO bins, and the five shell plate adapter kits!

I am in business all the way! Now all I gotta do is make a bunch of .22 Rimfire Jackets, make up the bullets, etc... and start feeding a couple of hungry semi-auto toys that like to bark, bite, and make noise...

What a sense of accomplishment I feel! Look out you dang Coyotes! Jim's on his way!

Now if only I could find my shellplate adapter kits... UGH!!! I'd hate to have to replace them, Dillon wants $44 each, plus shipping!

[runfiverun]

dang, i was hoping you'd lost them at my place....
i need some toolheads and stands [for about a decade now]and keep putting it off ,now they are even more costly.
guess i'll have to just order them.

[Jim_Fleming]

I take it that you set up and adjust your press the same way I do time after time...

I, for the life of me, can't justify spending all that extra money for new toolheads and powder measures, when I can make a few simple adjustments and things go well.

Perhaps it's a sign of the fact that I work for a living and just am too darned cheap!

After all, I'm Scots-Irish and I'm dirt cheap to boot...

Sorry, runfiverun, those critical parts didn't make they're way over to Soda Springs, that'd be a long poke, lol!