Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Where do you keep your dies?

More of a question about box storage and what you do with the extra boxes.

Like most of us, I use dies from different makers. Typically, for other than competition dies, I use the boxes that one of the manufacturers provided. I don't like leaving them in the open air. Shiny things attract friends, kids, etc. So, regardless of whose dies I buy, I always get Hornady boxes. They hold the normal dies I need for most of my reloading. In this case, for 222 Rem, a seating die, a neck sizer, crimp die, body die and a case gage.

I tried the Lee box, but it cracks easily and I cannot fit everything inside. The Hornady boxes stack nicely on the shelf and are inexpensive. I bought some from Midsouth for $3.50 ea.

Dies that I do not use from other sets, leftovers or freebees end up in a RCBS or Redding boxes in a milk crate.

Box they came in, in a drawer of my bench.

Even my Herters 30-06 dies are in original cardboard box.

I use the original boxes.

original boxes as other have posted.
i do put a silica gel absorbent or 2 in each box.
i used to have some of those little square cardboard
doo-dads, but ran out long ago and have a bunch of
the silica packs on hand anyway

Steve Redgewell: Die storage is indeed an important issue.
I have a friend who stores (and uses) his dies out on the work bench in his detached garage out in western Washington.
His dies are often found to be rusted!
I store my many dozens of sets of dies in their original factory boxes on shelves in my dedicated home workshop/loading room that is kept warm and dry at all times.
The metal storage locker I keep the dies in has several large packaged desicant (sp?) packs placed throughout it and on every shelf therein.
I take SPECIAL care with my various Wilson dies and tools as they are specially susceptible to rust.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I store mine in the original boxes with some pieces of VCI treated cardboard in the box. I went with the VCI when I found some rust a few years ago when we had an extremely humid summer. No rust since.

For those that are finding rust on their's...

Mine get a routine small application of Amzoil's version of WD40,

Rust has not been an issue on them, here in Oregon's High Humidity during the winter months.

Use original boxes, stacked at back of reloading bench. .

Got tired of them falling over when I used press so ran a bungee cord around them secured to bench works great.

This is for those of you that mix your dies.

For example, I use equipment from at least three companies. As a result, I end up with unused dies. I didn't keep all the individual die company boxes. I would need a storage room for junk. I keep the extra dies in plastic bags, labeled, in milk crates. Where do you store your extra, unused stuff?

I try to keep my most used dies together.

1. collet die (Lee)
2. body die (Redding)
3. seating die (Redding or Hornady)
4. crimp die (Lee)
5. case gauge (Wilson)

On a shelf above the loading bench, in their original boxes.

I'm like kkAlaska, but my reloading room has a dehumidifier in it.

Filing cabinet drawer next to my loading bench.

Same here. I initially clean my dies with a degreaser and coat them with Break-Free or Bullfrog. About once a year to do maintenance on them. I also run a dehumidifier in my house which sits in front of the reloading room and blows dry air in.

I have a bunch of those rust guard six space tackle boxes.
The Crimp, M-Die, Basic die sets, shellholders and decapping pins along with the established loaded (but without powder and primer) Pet loads.
( I use The bullet/case cartridges if I need to re-set a seater die.)
Same for Dandy rotors, snap caps. Bricka and Bracka.
I am over organized!
Clean the dies with MEK, usually preserve with Sheath or whatever they renamed it.

Like several others my dies are kept in their original boxes on a shelf over the reloading bench. My shop is in the basement which is a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house. Rusting has never been a problem. My most used dies (.223) are a mixture of F/L and neck sizers and are stored in an open topped box sitting on the side bench.

Jim