I Thought I Heard Hank Williams Coming From his Garage

I am fed up with Midway USA. I had reminders set for large pistol primers; when they came in, Midway would email me and let me know so I could order them. Twice, the silly things have come in, and they sold out before I could place an order. Today I put them in my cart and then looked for a soft case for my AR10, and by the time I was ready to check out, the primers were gone! Right out of my cart!

Here’s a tip. Powder Valley has lots of Wolf primers. Some people don’t like Wolf products, but I find their ammunition reliable, very accurate, readily available, and CHEAP. You can get large pistol primers for about $25 a box, which is cheaper than the American brands. They are said to be fairly soft, which I like. Powder Valley also has a good selection of powder right now, so you can load up and save on hazmat fees.

They sell Zero bullets. I have not tried these, but the price is very good, and I have read very good things about them. I usually use Laser-Cast bullets, but Zeroes are much cheaper, so I’m going to give them a try.

I use Unique for .45 loads, and I was considering getting something else, because my cases and my gun are so dirty after a day at the range. Two things I read changed my mind. First, I read that Alliant has changed Unique to make it cleaner. Second, I read that the greasy lube Laser-Cast uses is dirty, so it may be the reason I had problems with filth.

I am trying to face the following fact: if you reload, you should always shop big. Buy 10,000 primers at a time, minimum. Buy the big jugs of powder. Buy lots of bullets. You’re going to end up using it, so why lose bulk discounts and pay UPS for extra shipments? It’s moronic. But it sure hurts to see those jumbo charges on a credit card bill.

I tried putting my .40 S&W shell plate in the chuck on my rotab today, and it turned out it was not possible. The shell pockets interfere with the chuck jaws. Bummer. I guess I should try to make some soft jaws, or maybe I could mount the plate on a shaft held in the jaws. I broke down and ordered some carbide cutters, so I should be able to fix the shell plates eventually.

I used my drill press today to put countersunk screw holes in an aluminum door guide I made for some sliding doors in a closet. It goes on the floor, and the doors pass through it. I noticed a few things.

1. Spray Dykem may seem like a good idea, and I know it has its uses, but it’s very hard to use it without turning your fingers blue.

2. Spray Dykem remover appears to be a waste of money, since rubbing alcohol works fine. I bought this stuff a while back by accident. I have not needed to use it yet.

3. Everyone who told me drill presses were not for precision work was exactly right. My drill press is an industrial 17″ Rockwell, so it should be sturdy, but I can see it flexing when the pressure is applied. Small drill presses are apparently totally inferior to mills. If I ever get enough space, I could see buying an old Millrite or a beat-up Bridgeport for drilling. I would expect a Bridgeport in bad shape to be more accurate and rigid than a new drill press.

4. Drill holes have to be a lot larger than the screws that go in them. I measured some screws at 0.132″ diameter, and I had to use a 0.173″ (I think) bit to make them work. I started at 0.15-something, but the screws wouldn’t go in.

I’m getting a tiny Phase II rotab because I have decided I don’t want to rupture myself moving the 10″ job all the time. I looked at Little Machine Shop, Lathemaster, and Vertex, but it seemed like Phase II was the best combination of value and quality. Little Machine Shop sells them, but their price is not the best.

Soft jaws. Is there any hope I can make those? Guess I’ll find out.