Tool head storage

[tlawler]

How do you guys store your spare tool heads/turrets etc., or whatever other manufacturers call them? I recently switched over to Dillon from a Lee turret press. When I bought my used 550, it came with a few tool head stands and I thought it would be a cool way to store the tool head, shell plate and locator pins. I only had 4 stands and nine tool heads, so it meant I would have to purchase several more at $30 each. I also realized they take up a lot of space and bench space is always at a premium. Anyway, I have a 6 drawer Stanley storage cabinet that I rescued from a hospital dumpster that I was doing some work at and it has been just perfect for reloading related storage. So long story short, I sold the stands to a fellow forum member who is putting them to good use and I’m back to storing tool heads the same way I stored my Lee turrets.

 

[max]

I bought some plastic containers at the grocery store.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I store mine in plastic tupperware containers sized to fit my tool heads. label the side as to what they are and stack "em" on the shelf. BTW If you wanted more tool head stands a 1"x4" board and some wooden dowels would make a bunch cheap.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

STORAGE

When I first went to a Turret press from Redding, I located some Tupperware containers, one for each Turret. Put a square of foam rubber in the bottom and loaded them up. They are all labeled as to contents and have their own wall cabinet. They have served me very well down thru the years and I keep them dusted with a shaving brush loaded down with Sheath which is also used on my presses. This is the ONLY thing that brush is used on. I also have one just for guns as well. Works for me. Sadly I dont think those containers are made any more. At least I havent seen any in a long time.. Once again, if you find something really useful, better stock up for all current and future needs cause you can be sure they will stop making it or change it somehow.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have a Dillon 550b, I own around 10 tool heads, but only keep 7 with dies in them (45 ACP, 45 Colt, 44 mag, 38 Special, 357 Sig, 9mm Lugar, 300 Blackout) I keep a few spares for the other 111 cartridges. I only have 4 Dillon powder drops, one push bar (from 1984!) and 3 case mouth activated. I keep the shell plates and powder funnels in their little blue boxes, and the loaded tool heads in a filing cabinet drawer, along with all my odd accessories. When I'm actively using a tool head, I leave a powder drop on it. If I want to interrupt that for a while, I leave the powder in it and place the entire set up on a wide mouth plastic gallon jar. (If I'm Using a powder measure, it has a label on it stating powder and weight and Cartridge, even though the dedicated tool heads state the cartridge) I can have 4 active at a time. I hate changing the primer feed, so I load everything I can of one size then switch to the other. If I load 45 Colt, followed by 44-40, 44 Mag, Special or Russian, I don't have to change the shell plates. Same with 9mm Lugar, 9mm Largo, 380, 30 Mauser, 300 Blackout or 223 Rem. Another "family" is 40 S&W, 10mm, 357 Sig, & 7.62x39 (but there is a primer size change.) (I don't mess with 40 or 10mm, but 2 B-I-L's do)

Ivan

 

[Abbynormal]

I machined 550 bases from aluminum and mounted them on a shelf.
So I have 9mm, .38 Spl, .357 Mag, .40 S&W, .44 Spl, .44 Mag,
.45 ACP & .45 Colt.

My buddy has his 550 set up to do; .223/5.56, 308/7.62,
.300 Blackout & .30-06!

We share and trade and swap and keep on.

Debating getting .357 Sig setup too.

 

[nicky4968]

I use the reloader’s secret weapon: Coffee cans. Also throw in useful tools, etc.

 

[jcelect]

I store all my tools heads in one place and a good place to keep the powder dispensers also.

jcelect

 

[Sistema1927]

I have a Lee Classic Turret Press, and put the turret heads with assembled dies in round plastic Lee cases, stored on a shelf in the work shop.

 

[tlawler]

I store all my tools heads in one place and a good place to keep the powder dispensers also.

jcelect

I really like that two-level storage idea.

 

[Jessie]

I like your junk powder container. Apropos

 

[.38SuperMan]

There’s a guy on eBay making his own design tool head stands. They’re more compact and a small fraction of the cost. They come with tabs for the pins as Nd a couple of other items. It seems like they were in the $10-11 range but I can’t remember. They’re 3D printed in Dillon blue plastic and good quality.

 

[tominboise]

I made a rack for my Lee turret heads - screwed to the end of one of my benches. I made a shelf for my Dillon heads, also screwed to the end of a bench. Using scrap materials I had in the garage.

 

[BC38]

Believe it or not Betty Crocker frosting containers with a 1/4" thick disk of high density foam in the bottom are a PERFECT sized container for a Lee 4-hole turret with dies inserted. They stack nicely too. They have a snap on lid, they are easy to mark with a permanent marker - and they are free.