Lee Dies

I've recently bought a bunch of Lee Factory Crimp Dies. They've come in two types of containers. One is clear plastic and cylinder shaped. The other is a small red plastic box.

I keep each of those containers, as I store the dies in them.


Bayou
 
Are you speaking of the clear plastic cases that some individual dies come in or the red case with clear plastic cover that die sets come in?

I keep the boxes that the die sets come in, though I do not store dies in them. I use them just to keep the powder scoop, funnel adapter, and booklet that comes with each die. I store all my dies set up in the 4 hole turrets.

The few times I have bought individual dies (powder through die, etc), I just toss them.
 
I keep my decapping die in there.

But usually they are in the turret then in a round case.

If I use the Hornady Bushing they fit but won't lock.
 
I have over 300 dies and when I die the resale will be poor, because I am throwing the boxes away.

I put dies for a cartridge in a plastic bag. The plastic bag goes in the file folder box with brass and ammo for that cartridge.
 
I have all of my die cases, both the four die set cases and the single cases. I do not store the dies in them. I use the Inline Fabrication shelves to store my turrets on.
 
Do any of you who use Lee dies keep those clear plastic containers in which they are shipped? If so, why?

Pogybait, As should be expected I do not store dies like any other reloader. I have RCBS dies in lime colored fiber boxes, I have RCBS dies in dark green fiber boxes, I also have Herter dies stored in their original boxes. I have Lee dies in there original round plastic container and then there are all of those Lee dies that belong to someone else, what a mess.

I purchased 40 pounds of reloading equipment in two fiber boxes at a gun show for $20.00. In the top of one box was a collet bullet puller with a 30 cal collet. It could be said I paid too much for the puller and collet and the rest was free. To my advantage the boxes were full of tools that most could not identify and the bullet puller in all appearance was stuck, not a problem. I had every intension of taking what I wanted and leaving the rest. I started with the Lee dies; the dealer insisted I did not pay for the Lee dies. He suggested in a generous offer he threw the Lee dies in as a bonus, therefore; I was taking the Lee dies with me.

Had the original owner kept the dies in the original box the next owner would know what was missing? I had absolutely no interest in putting all the Lee dies back together nor did I have an interest in finding parts.

In the two boxes of dies and parts were case holders for the Wilson case trimmer and case gages.

I also have fishing lures in the original box; some are labeled Chub Creek Crank Bait.

F. Guffey
 
Yup. I live in a humid area and I only have a single stage press. Also I organise all my stuff by caliber, each caliber gets its own little plastic bin (small dhoe box sized) that holds everything for that cal. IE go nobgo guages, length timmers etc. Dies are in their boxes in the bins. Keeps everything tidy and rustless.

If I were ever to sell or buy dies I would want them in the boxes.
 
I store my dies in the plastic boxes.
Ok when I get around to cleaning up my bench when ever the mess gets out of hand. I usually put them back in their respective cases.:)
 
Chainsaw. Location: Issaquah Washington
Yup. I live in a humid area ... Dies are in their boxes in the bins. Keeps everything tidy and rustless.
If I were ever to sell or buy dies I would want them in the boxes.

I live 5 miles from Issaquah, as the moisture flies, and I have been observing what rusts and what does not for decades. We have mild dry summers and cool wet 9 month winters. Ferrous metal over a pound, and certainly over 100 pounds needs to be a degree F over outside temperature to avoid condensation. As an example, an unheated concrete floor garage with one wall in common with the house, but insulation between the house and garage, the heat leaking to the garage will keep it at least one degree above outside temperature. In a steady state there would be no condensation and no rusting. But when the weather changes [transient condition] and comes from the Southwest through the Chehalis gap, it brings higher temperatures and 100% humidity[rain]. Large ferrous objects, like a 1000 pound cast iron mill, will not heat up fast enough to prevent condensation. The mill had been 1 degree above outside temperature, but now the temperature is much higher, 100% humidity, and the mill is still cold and condensing water droplets. What to do;
1) accept rust
2) paint with motor oil on a tooth brush, and replenish before oil evaporates
3) more heat to the room
4) cover the mill with sheets or blankets to slow down convection currents.
5) move to AZ

Meanwhile, a 12 ounce hammer, stored in the same 1 degree heated garage will stay rust free for 50 years. Put that same hammer in a dirt floor unattached tractor house, and the hammer will rust in 24 hours.
So are all small ferrous objects safe indoors around here? No. If I lean a gun barrel against a concrete wall in the basement, the point of contact and surrounding inch of metal may rust.
I do not have a predictive math model of why the sheets work and the concrete basement wall lean does not [not good enough to invoice for money on an engineering project], but none of my dies are rusting outside the thrown away plastic boxes. I would bet money that the inside of your home is at least a degree above the 52 degrees in Issaquah right now.
 
I have all my original green RCBS boxes for dies sets, stuck case remover kit, bullet puller kit and such. I'm only asking about the clear, plastic, two piece Lee single die containers. I don't see a reason to keep them.
 
I have only one set of Lee dies. The rest are RCBS and Hornaday. I will always own only one Lee die set. There is a difference.

BTW: they stay in their little red box with the clear top.
 
I keep the die sets in the plastic containers they came in. They fit perfectly so why switch to something else?
 
AL45, thanks for jogging my memory. Sorry everyone, I forgot to mention I use a Lee 4 position turret press, which is where most of my dies are kept including my Lee factory crimp dies. The Lee crimp dies and some others do not come as a three or two die set; rather, they come in those clear two piece containers that look like two ice cream cones attached at the wide end.
 
OK. You're talking about the containers with the hook hangers molded in. None of my Lee dies are young enough to have one of those. I would probably keep them for putting dies away in, but if you never do that and they are always out in a removable turret, maybe with a Baggie for a dust cover, then I can see why you don't find them useful.

As mentioned, if you think you will ever want to sell or trade the dies, they will be worth more in the box, though probably not a lot more in Lee's case, since they didn't cost a lot to begin with. I would throw these boxes in a cardboard box and put it in the attic, just in case I decided to sell them, but that's about it. Alternately, you could fill the smaller bottom portion with starter soil and use them as individual green houses for starting your tomatoes. Just hang them on a string.
 
I save all my packages for all my reloading equipment. If I ever want to sell it I get a higher price than without the packaging. Same for instruction sheets and spare parts like decapping pins and manufacturers stickers.
 
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