moonclip storage update Version 2.0

[Smith357]

I was bored over the weekend and built this.

It's made from poplar and sized to drop right into a standard ammo can.
I think I overbuilt it, everything is mortised then glued and screwed. After studying it I might have been able to just drive the dowels clean through the base board, glue and sand. Then I would only have to drill one hole clean trough, and not have to drill twice and couther sink the bottom of the base or cover all the screws to keep them from scratching anything. The handle would still need the screws, that thing is going to get heavy.

 

[Faulkner]

That's actually pretty cool.

 

[cowart]

The clips would stack nicer if you used hexagonal bar stock instead of dowels. Available at
McMaster-Carr

 

[deralte]

Good looking work. Its going to get heavy with 420 rounds - hope the handle is good and strong.

 

[Smith357]

The clips would stack nicer if you used hexagonal bar stock instead of dowels. Available at
McMaster-Carr

That's a good idea but I'm not much of a metal worker, and all my tools are for wood. I thought about going with square dowels, and plane them down, but that would be too much work. It would have been nice of loews had something between 1/2 inch and 5/8ths

Good looking work. Its going to get heavy with 420 rounds - hope the handle is good and strong.

Yup, I hope so too, the handle was glued up well and then driven down into a mortise with a mallet. I then sunk three 2" screws up from the bottom. The dowels were done the same way with a single screw, but they really are not load bearing, they are just guides.

 

[mgjohn]

Nice job, I like. Good idea.

 

[rjjj]

That looks like a GREAT idea!!!!

 

[rags]

Thats a GREAT idea! The cherry on top is that it fits in an ammo can. Good job!!

rags

 

[HAWKEYE10]

Looks good . Great idea. Don

 

[RG45]

Great Job.

 

[J.P.60]

That's a great job and, unashamedly, I'm going to copy it. That stand would go real well on the range bench, too. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Smith357]

Thank you all for the kind words, the idea just came to me while discussing the limitations of my last storage blocks as seen in this photo.

That's a great job and, unashamedly, I'm going to copy it. That stand would go real well on the range bench, too. Thanks for sharing!

Feel free to copy the design. It's not as if there is a great demand for loaded moonclip storage devices. It's what you might call a niche' market, though the idea of making up a half dozen of them for forum members did cross my mind. I would want to make them from nicer wood than poplar.

 

[JohnnieB]

Good looking work. Its going to get heavy with 420 rounds - hope the handle is good and strong.

Not counting the weight of the moon-clips, wood and screws, a full load would be about 19.3 pounds.
Just about right to keep it from blowing off the shooting bench in a cross-wind.

John

 

[Rule3]

Excellent looking work. Better to be over built and last than under and break after a few uses. Nothing wrong with Poplar, you can add a nice finish to it if desired. Dark stain and 6 coats of spar varnish or poly

What's with the Zippo? In case you didn't like it you could torch it?

 

[kennyb]

hmmmm...karma time??

 

[Smith357]

Excellent looking work. Better to be over built and last than under and break after a few uses. Nothing wrong with Poplar, you can add a nice finish to it if desired. Dark stain and 6 coats of spar varnish or poly

What's with the Zippo? In case you didn't like it you could torch it?

Poplar is strong enough, the problem with poplar is it does not take stain evenly and often looks blotchy. It is great for painting but not so good for staining. I just happened to have a good clean piece without any heavy graining laying around so that particular piece stained OK but has zero character. I was also thinking that a varnish or poly finish would chip and was leaning more towards just oiling it for that rough and ready finish. If I used oak it would be a bit harder to work but would stain nicely and then I'm still not sure about a outer finish. That one has nothing more than an oil based stain, no other finish is on it.

Not counting the weight of the moon-clips, wood and screws, a full load would be about 19.3 pounds.
Just about right to keep it from blowing off the shooting bench in a cross-wind.

John

One of the posts would be left empty, that way you have a place to put the fired moonclips for transport home. So, shave a few ounes off that total weight, and then add the weight of the moonclip tool. there is enough space to put your tool there too.

 

[J.P.60]

As I thought. I have just the right piece of birdseye maple for the base and handle left over from another project. Add plain birch dowels and it'll look just dandy! A nice light stain and then tung oiled to death. Nice winter project!!! Thanks, again, for sharing.

 

[roundgunner]

What a good idea! I would like to copy / modify it to carry 42 (appx) full moons. That is what I can fit into a junky plastic bucket I have been using when I practice for IDPA competitions.

 

[Papaw]

It looks much better than the Cool Whip tubs I use.

 

[Smith357]

Version 2.0

I turns out I made a slight miscalculation when measuring out the first unit. I sized it to an old ammo can which is about a half inch longer and a quarter of and inch taller. Oops!

I just finished version 2.0 that drops into a standard modern 5.56 can. I also managed to squeeze in 16 dowel rods as compared to the 14 on version 1 for a 480 round capacity. This piece of wood stained very badly so I ended up just painting it flat black. I made a few other small build modifications to speed up construction time.

There is enough room left over for a few moon clip tools between the handle and the stacks.

Next mission is to figure out a setup for the half sized belted 7.62 cans. The holdup right now is devising a sturdy handle that does not take up too much space.


My next mission is to size one for smaller ammo cans