I've been cleaning my guns on a bench in my garage. I want to bring my cleaning inside as it is cold outside and even though I have a heater, I just want a more comfortable area. If you have your bench in your house, what do you do about the fumes from the cleaners? I was thinking of bringing the cleaning indoors and just not using anything with fumes.

I've used Hoppes Elite and that doesn't have any fumes. I'd be more worried about things like the break cleaner spray that I have used from time to time on my tupperware guns. Hoppes #9 isn't bad, but I'm also concerned about flammables in the house. Note that I'm just talking about a cleaning and general maintenance bench. I don't reload.

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18-4, 15-4

I just put down newspapers on the kitchen or coffee table and use non stinky cleaners.Dont do this when any females are home

While at the local home improvement mega store I saw an 8’ piece of counter top that had been ordered in, but not picked up. It was priced very reasonable so I purchased it. I lagged a 2”x 4” to the wall then fastened the back edge of the counter top to it with “L” brackets. I made three brackets that supported the counter top front to the lower area of the wall and had a nice bench to mount my reloading press and still have space to disassemble guns and clean.

I have a section of my garage divided off that serves as my work/reloading shop.

I chose the garage, computer with internet, cable tv,surround sound, refrigerator, comfortable chairs and a gun safe, all mine.
The wife can have the rest to decide on how she wants it.

I use the island in the kitchen and I don't worry about the stink, I do it when the wife is not home, when she comes back and complains, I just turn a deaf ear to her.

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Don

I put down newpaper and clean on my folding TV table in my chair while I watch TV or listen to music....or just clean. These tables also service when priming brass and charging powder. The press is in my garage.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

You guys are all such gentlemen. I built my bench right in the downstairs livingroom. Reloading, gun cleaning, knife sharpening. It sees it all... and so does my wife

After 20 years of ignorant bare skin contact with MEK I don't worry much about fumes unless they be lead. Both of my shops are in basements; one more spacious, the other temporary.

What good is a living room that you can't live in?

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Oh, it's quite comfortable. She can lay on the couch and read, watch tv, or knit while I sit at the bench and do my own thing. Cozy fireplace, beer fridge (not used when reloading), cigar humidor in the corner.... what more could a guy ask for?

Is that the ear she clobbered with the frying pan?

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Gone but not forgotten-RIP Dad

I would like to share a thread on another forum that I have been following since 2011. It has over 3500 entries of many reloading benches and rooms that they occupy.

The start of the thread: Show us a picture of your reloading bench - THR

My bench in my man cave: THR - View Single Post - Show us a picture of your reloading bench

This has provided a lot of ideas for folks that reload.

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Corripe Cervisiam

I keep my Triumph motorcycle in my living room. Why should I care about the fumes from any cleaning solution?

My bench is under a pile of junk. next question....

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Release the Kraken

Instead of backfilling, I had them put a room under the the two car garage. 2/3rds of it are for reloading, the rest for a couple of work benches, and a desk. Since I don't hunt any more, the reloading has slowed down, but the area is still mine. Has worked for 20 years now.

Must be something in the air in Northern Wi, perhaps hoppes?

My reloading press is in the living room, as is the bench. The bench doubles as a coffee table, when it isn't covered in newspaper and hobby paraphernalia. Not leaving open containers, or over soaking the cleaning patches keeps the vapors down.

I have a corner of my shop dedicated to reloading. I have another 4'x8' table that I use for working on guns. The table and shop were originally built for woodworking and working on old cars, both of which I don't do much anymore (shooting takes up the time). It's heated and well lit and big enough that I have a number of practice shooting stages that I can set up to dry fire practice.

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Minimize the variables

Nice bench, how do you keep it so clean.

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Don

Mine is in the basement right next to the laundry room, Under a weeks worth of laundry the wife hasn't had time to take care of.
Rob

Mines in the mother-in-law kitchen in the basement. I have a small, inexpensive kitchen table from Wally World.

I can go out into the "man cave" for priming.

I have a bench in my garage I use for cleaning and maintenance spring, summer and fall. In the winter it's too cold in the garage so I use my reloading room which is in my small barn. No heat in the garage but the reloading room is a nice 68*. I don't like to use solvents in my reloading room as my heater has coils and I would not relish catching the fumes on fire. When I clean out in the reloading room I first run the heat up and then shut the heater off before using solvents. I learned to take all the soiled patches and rags out or the smell (aroma?) remains in the room for days. Here's a picture of my reloading room right after I finished it. Today it is covered with 41 mag reloading components which I plan on assembling starting in a few minutes.

When we build our condo, I got half the basement, and it includes my loading room (21' X 11'). I put counters top all around 3 sides. Two sides for reloading and one side for cleaning & repair. Nice and comfortable year around.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

In my Basement. I am fortunate that it is finished, dry, heated and air conditioned.

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Salty,

Nice clean & neat set up. If I may............

Unless you just finished loading or are getting ready to do so, you should never leave what appears to be an RCBS Scale in the set up position. There are Nylon bearings that flatten out and make the scale inaccurate. The scale should always be taken apart when not in use and it will last virtually forever.

One thing I noticed is that most of us Gun Guys have in common is neatness and shops and reloading benches that are well organized. I often make a mess on my bench while working on a project but NEVER leave the Shop without cleaning it up. Since my Shop is in the Basement I do often go in there without shoes on. Not saying that is the smartest thing, but never the less it's a reality so I always vacuum up the floor as well.

Basement.



Not very neat, because it gets multi use depending on what needs fixin'.

Above pic is when not in use, below pic is right now.

Man...some of you guys are way to organized. Isn't there a junk room in your house?

Can't find my reloading bench which is where I usually clean the firearms. Has been covered with old XS 650 motorcycle parts for a while, Then the little lady started piling some of her junk on it too. Been doing the cleaning on the kitchen table.