Where do you do your reloading?

When I got transferred back to Houston, I made sure that I had a room inside the AC-ed house to reload in. I took over the laundry room and it has worked well. I had a bench put in and put a bunch of strong shelves in so it works well. Nice to be in the AC instead of the garage.
 
Bottom Line is that it is extremely helpful to have a dedicated space. How much space depends on your situation of how your home is laid out, how varied and extensive your reloading will be and (if applicable), how easygoing your wife is.
Tht said, you make do with what you have. I started reloading out of plastic containers and a clamp on press set-up in the den some 25 years ago. Took longer to set up and break down than to reload. Today, now that I'm thoroughly bitten, I have the luxury of a basement with a dedicated bench and storage area.

 
Last edited:
WOW! You all have some great set ups. I am leaning towards building or buying a bench for the garage but keeping the powder and stuff that's temperature or humidity sensitive in my office. The cool thing is my office is directly on the opposite side of the garage wall from where my bench will be located. I have been talking to the Mrs (who is 100% behind this venture) about putting a door into the office from the garage. Well now I'm thinking maybe just a pass-through type door. Something big enough to pass supplies through to the work area. Just a thought.

I see many of you have more than one press set up on your bench, I assume that's for different calibers? Is changing that much of a pia? Also I would assume some are for rifle calibers as well? I also am getting familiar enough to see you have single and progressive type presses?

I'm going to load pistol caliber at first. Eventually I like to load .223 and 5.56 for the evil black gun. I assume I'll need different equipment as far as a press? I'm still doing the recommended research that all you guys post. I'm reading and watching videos to get information so I don't ask too many idiot questions. ;)

Thanks and keep it coming, as always this forum is the best.

BTW: love the pics and links to threads with pics, helps A LOT!
 
Last edited:
SW_shooter said:
WOW! You all have some great set ups. I am leaning towards building or buying a bench for the garage but keeping the powder and stuff that's temperature or humidity sensitive in my office. The cool thing is my office is directly on the opposite side of the garage wall from where my bench will be located. I have been talking to the Mrs (who is 100% behind this venture) about putting a door into the office from the garage. Well now I'm thinking maybe just a pass-through type door. Something big enough to pass supplies through to the work area. Just a thought.

I see many of you have more than one press set up on your bench, I assume that's for different calibers? Is changing that much of a pia? Also I would assume some are for rifle calibers as well? I also am getting familiar enough to see you have single and progressive type presses?

I'm going to load pistol caliber at first. Eventually I like to load .223 and 5.56 for the evil black gun. I assume I'll need different equipment as far as a press? I'm still doing the recommended research that all you guys post. I'm reading and watching videos to get information so I don't ask too many idiot questions. ;)

Thanks and keep it coming, as always this forum is the best.

BTW: love the pics and links to threads with pics, helps A LOT!
Click to expand...



Your most welcome.

The presses set up above are actually modular. I have four stations with identical bolt patterns drilled out and backed by threaded T-nus. All my presses are then mounted to Plywood bases with matching bolt patterns. This allows me to swap presses out quickly according to my needs ( I now reload 13 calibers and four more in shotshells . It gets busy!) I encourage you to build your bench sturdy ( and fixed to the wall )if you can. This one is bolted in 8 places into the concrete foundation so is "rock" sold. IF you look close, there is a grey metal cabinet to the top left of the picture. This is my (locked) powder and primer storage. I do keep desiccant in there but being a basement, it stays around 60 deg year round.
hth
 
Last edited:
I reload in the basement now, but for 35 years I reloaded in an unattached garage/shop with no problems. In the Winter I used a space heater for additional warmth and I kept a thick rug under my feet.
 
I reload in my home office. Just a small work table I got from Harbor Freight in a corner with a Dillon SDB mounted and a side table for holding various tools and supplies. Works well for me to load 9mm and .45 ACP.
 
SW_shooter said:
...I am leaning towards building or buying a bench for the garage but keeping the powder and stuff that's temperature or humidity sensitive in my office...
Click to expand...

I do that. It works well.
My process:

1. Tumbling brass (garage)
2. Decapping & sizing brass (garage)
3. Prepping brass (garage)
4. Priming brass (garage)
5. Measuring and dropping powder charges (office)
6. Seating bullets (garage)

I keep the scale, powder, powder measure, primers, micrometer, and digital caliper in the office (where it is climate-controlled).

Everything else happens at the bench in the garage, where my rock-chucker is mounted.

Of course, I'm not hog-wild into it like a lot of the guys here. I only reload .223, .45ACP, 9mm, .38SPL, and .357 Mag. This set up works fine for me, with just the one 24-year-old press.
 
In the garage, it is very well insulated and gets me out of the house. I do most of my priming in the living room watching tv, good way to pass the time, the weather was pretty cold today for here so I set in the easy chair and primed a couple hundred pieces of brass. Good luck with your new hobby.
 
I do mine in the empty shell casing.

Currently setup on what was an office desk and has become my workbench for electronics - in my basement - half of which I finished to use as my home office - eventually will be moved to the other side of the basement when I get it organized enough to put a workbench over there.
 
My bench in the last 2 houses was in the basement, they were very similar to recurves or wee hookers.

Between houses we lived in an apartment and now we are in one of our small rental hoses until our retirement home is built.

I use a hand held unit that looks like a big nut cracker. Slow? Yes but it gets the job done.
 
Wee Hooker said:
Bottom Line is that it is extremely helpful to have a dedicated space. How much space depends on your situation of how your home is laid out, how varied and extensive your reloading will be and (if applicable), how easygoing your wife is.
Tht said, you make do with what you have. I started reloading out of plastic containers and a clamp on press set-up in the den some 25 years ago. Took longer to set up and break down than to reload. Today, now that I'm thoroughly bitten, I have the luxury of a basement with a dedicated bench and storage area.

Click to expand...

You drink a lot of Coffee!
 
Mine is in the basement. Up 12 steps to my back door onto my patio where I can set up my shooting bench to be able to shoot out to 400 yards if I want.:D

2n03uad.jpg
 
I've been loading in the garage since moving here 17 years ago. Before that it was a spare bedroom.

I keep my larger powder and primer stores inside, what I'm working from in an insulated cabinet near my bench.
 
At the kitchen table

I have a reloading bench in the basement, but it's lonely down there. I like my wife's company.

So I use a Lee Hand Press at the kitchen table. I have a Rubbermaid box with my most-used dies and stuff and keep it upstairs. I load 50 - 150 rounds almost every evening during the Winter to stock up for Spring, Summer, and Autumn.

Steve
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I load in my basement. I am working on getting everything set up. Shotgun, storage, gun cleaning/smithing bench, etc. I have a room in my garage that is storage right now. Lot of work to do. Here is my current bench. Kind of messy compared to the other posts.Reload.jpg
 
I skimmed through the responses so far, then thought about my own (basement) dedicated set-up, but then I went back and looked at what is available to you. Given your parameters, I think I would go with the inside-outside entertainment room. You could apparently put in the bench and storage you need without interfering with current uses of the room (something that could be closed up or covered on Super Bowl days, etc. Keeping the room cool in the Summer is probably more important than keeping it warm the rest of the year, but if you have a safe source of warming when needed, that should make you good to go. I just feel like your garage sounds too inhospitable for storing your components, and I for one don't want to have my reloading in the "main flow" of the house. JMHO, of course! ;)

Froggie
 
I built this bench and load in the basement. I keep a dehumidifier running when needed (depending on the time of year) but the temp is stable. The plans for this bench are online and you can customize it as desired. I made mine a bit taller and deeper plus I laminated the surfaces for easier clean up and improved visibility while working.

I took these pictures right after I got it set up a couple of years ago and have since filled the shelves and added another storage cabinet for stuff. Never enough room it seems!:D Prior to this I used my Dad's stuff in his basement.
 

Attachments

  • Loading bench 002.jpg
    Loading bench 002.jpg
    80.2 KB · Views: 23
  • Loading bench 001.jpg
    Loading bench 001.jpg
    77.9 KB · Views: 20


We moved into this house this summer and I was really looking forward to having my reloading bench in the house for the first time. I was going to move my chair forward and sit the bench right behind it. It is 48" long and 22" deep so it would fit well.
However, I am seriously considering leaving it in the garage. The garage is extremely hot in the summer and cold in the winter, but I can still work my loading in at night with the door up, or on a warmer day in the winter. My hesitancy about moving it in is that I am constantly sweeping up powder, dropping new and used primers, etc. May not want that in the house.
I do keep my primers and powder scattered about the inside of the house in various closets. Everything else is stored in closets/cabinets in the garage. The door on the left of the photo goes directly into the garage.
With the addition of the door you mentioned you would probably have a pretty usable set-up in the garage.
 
I have a room set up in the basement dedicated to reloading, gun cleaning and fly tying. Works great! In the past I've used any available space including extra space in a wood shed, press bolted into the attic stairs, extra bedroom etc. While in college a large wooden box which held a c press, scale and a few sets of dies, primers and powder worked. Lid hinges were screwed along the inside for security and it was locked with a hasp/padlock. An extra 3/4" plywood piece which fit inside the box was drilled to accomidate the press. Press was then bolted to the plywood, it was C clamped to what ever furnature would hold it. this was in the 1960s, early '70s. Probably would not get away with it today.
 
In a spare bedroom but my bench is inclosed and mounted on wheels so it can be moved from room to room if needed.
 
ILLWIND said:
As far away from the wife as I can get....
Click to expand...

I really like my wife, but I must say that it's relaxing to be out in the garage pulling the handle on the Rock-Chucker and listening to opera.

Yeah, I like opera when I'm doing firearms-related stuff.

My wife comes out occasionally and gives me a kiss and tells me to turn down the damned opera. C'est la vie.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
reloaders estate
2
Replies
48
Views
3K
kadams
K
R
Reloading a lot of ammo in November 1999
Replies
0
Views
204
rug357
R
G
check your tax liability
Replies
14
Views
676
greenwellg
G
Kiwi cop
Some Mothers Do Have Them
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
steelslaver
steelslaver
chief38
Mister Wi-Fi does NOT like me! In fact I dread doing anything that involves hooking up a new Wi-Fi devise!
Replies
11
Views
722
oldbrownhat
oldbrownhat

Latest posts

Back
Top