Garage reloading during winter

[GHinNH]

As the title suggests I reload in the garage year round. Summer is easy, cold ...not so much...

I have a large pellet stove to supply heat, but it takes hours for the warmth to stabilize, my bench radiates cold, and drafts from circulating air never cease. This wreaks havoc on my scale and I had a particularly difficult time at it the other day. Reminded me of struggling last winter (which I conveniently forgot)

I finished this yesterday, had nearly everything for the project except for a candelabra bulb base and a piece of plexi, the dump supplied the bits of wood. Sanded, stained and 2 coats of lacquer base matt clear.

I'll likely get annoyed at the hinged opening taking up real estate in short order, and fashion slides instead, but still eager to try it.

With a 40w bulb I can easily maintain 75F near lowest setting, so when I go out to reload I can turn it on at a higher setting to quickly warm the entire scale in it's own little environment with no drafts and stable temp.

 

[savagelover]

Nice set up there. I know about the cold. My casting set up is in a cold shed.

 

[dh1633pm]

When I lived out west, the garage was good for reloading. Now it’s the basement for me. Nice setup.

 

[drband]

Garage reloaders have their own set of climate problems. I finally overcame mine with a self installed mini split HVAC and garage door weatherstripping.

Glad to see your solution!

 

[LiveLife]

"A man's home is his castle"

When I started reloading nearly 30 years ago to support USPSA match shooting, I mounted my presses on 2'x6' and 2'x8' long work benches I already had in the garage made from 4x4s and 2x4s heavy enough to support engine blocks. Living in central CA (Essentially irrigated desert), summer heat got way over 100°F and down to low 40°F in the winter.

After suffering through scorching summer heat sweating like a pig reloading several thousand match rounds a month, I decided to build portable castered benches I could wheel around anywhere in the house to reload in the comfort of air conditioning and heat and roll into closets/room corners for easy storage. Also, when I added a digital scale, I found factory recommended operating temperature range was 59°-95°F and outside of that range, readings got erratic. (When other reloaders complained about digital scales getting funny readings even after fresh battery change, I told them to use the scale inside the house and presto, readings got more stable)

I built several portable benches over the decades for myself and others using casters from Harbor Freight moving dolly (Paid around $7 on sale) that rolled without marring the floor with 1000 lb capacity (Even loaded up over 2000 lbs during house moves with bullets/brass/other reloading equipment) and found shorter 2'x3' bench could turn into any doorway even from narrow hallway and I never went back to the garage as I could spend time with family inside the house while prepping/priming brass watching TV or reloading under the back patio while sipping iced tea with wife now going on 29 years together. With presses mounted at the ends, I could resize thicker military .308 LC brass on C-H 205 single stage press with ease even on empty bench on hardwood floor without moving the bench. Here are 2'x3' and 2'x2' portable benches I used for past decades and put some boxes of bullets from RMR/MBC on bottom shelf and benches become even more stable for reloading - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/diy-reloading-station.873165/#post-11601547

For our retirement house remodel of reloading room with my primary 2'x3' bench PIF to retiring friend who got into reloading, I decided on 52" long Husky rolling bench from Home Depot with adjustable bench top for both stand up and sit down reloading (Bench comes in different lengths down to 46" for houses with narrow hallways) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-unlimited-budget.912629/page-2#post-12474182

And 2'x2' bench currently mounted with Dillon 550 and Lee SPP which will migrate to the Husky bench

Previous set up for pistol caliber depriming and reloading

 

[AJC1]

My solution was very unrefined and I powder in the house and do the rest in the garage. I cast when the temperature is nice and I like a breeze for better ventilation. If it's a temperature extreme I just make small batches of 50.

 

[nevadabob]

Here in Reno it can get pretty chilly in the Winter. My reload area is in the garage. I have a small Harbor Freight propane heater. The kind that sits atop a propane tank. If it gets below 45 I'll fire it up otherwise I'm fine with a sweatshirt and jacket.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Press mounted on barstool, supplies - just enough powder, cases, primers and bullets, plus a priming tool, scale and funnel - in a tackle box, cooler full of ice and a jug of water. The world becomes your reloading room. . You can go from the living room to the bedroom to the porch or wherever desire takes you. No path - or wheels - required. I know, it’s strange. Most guys like their caves. I guess I’m not a cave man.
If that solution is too extreme, @LiveLife idea of using the wheeled carts is a really good one. I know a professional chef who uses a similar setup for his catering rig on-site. He has a complete gas-powered cooktop and oven mounted in a rolling island and another rolling island with a sink and well and flip-up carving board. It’s pretty awesome and the dude makes drool-worthy food on it. He owns four restaurants that all survived COVID because his food is THAT good and he had the catering to bring in the lost revenue from not flipping tables.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

 

[Slamfire]

This wreaks havoc on my scale and I had a particularly difficult time at it the other day. Reminded me of struggling last winter (which I conveniently forgot)

After severe electronic scale drift in cold weather, I pulled this out and began to use it again for weighing rifle charges.



gravity does not seem to be affected by cold as much as semi conductors and transducers. I really don't trust electronic scales in temperatures below 60 F. There is no doubt an electronic scale is more convenient and allows sorting of bullets by weight, for example, something that is impracticable with a mechanical scale. But, a good mechanical scale is a good thing to have when cold plays hob with the electrons.

Look for the scales that have agate bearings in the base.

Note: one has to be very cognizant that the graduations to the scale on the left of the beam are five grain increments. Forgetting that required finding the kinetic bullet puller.

 

[AJC1]

Ii know the topic is in the garage but we have taken a right hand turn into portable systems an in light of that idea, which I very much like, the trusty arbor press is just about at portable and low weight as it gets. It can be used with a wide variety of dies from the Lee loader to the L E Wilson dies. I have considered building a range box like the short range benchrest guys for on the spot load development. Tail gate, kitchen counter or Pick-nick bench under a tree in the yard. The quality and accuracy of said setups is hardly questioned.

 

[Armored farmer]

Ventless propane heater $130.
Check out Northern Hydraulic for Ventless wall heater.
A man needs to be comfortable in his garage/loading room for goodness sake

 

[GHinNH]

Ventless propane heater $130.
Check out Northern Hydraulic for Ventless wall heater.
A man needs to be comfortable in his garage/loading room for goodness sake

There was a hot air blower oil burner where the pellet stove now sits, it went to the dump because the plenum (like most of them) had rusted through and I was breathing oil fumes. I nursed it along for a couple years until it just got bad enough to call it quits. I do miss how fast that thing would heat the garage!

The pellet stove pumps lots of heat but nothing like the oil burner. Since we put pellet stoves in the house and garage, we don't use any oil and haven't for about 5 years.

 

[LiveLife]

Since we put pellet stoves in the house and garage, we don't use any oil and haven't for about 5 years.

And if you reload inside the house, you won't burn any propane/oil or electricity in the garage.

Believe me, and you will be SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE. I ... ga - ron - teeeee.

Life is short, enjoy it.

Did I mention your home is your castle?

 

[Bazoo]

On the occasions I’ve cast or reloaded in a cold environment, a buddy heater has done it for me. I use a hairdryer in my reloading room for the lubesizer when it’s chilly, I turn it on me when I’m chilly. Works great, and I got it at a yard sale for the cheap.

 

[LiveLife]

On the occasions I’ve cast or reloaded in a cold environment, a buddy heater has done it for me. I use a hairdryer in my reloading room for the lubesizer when it’s chilly, I turn it on me when I’m chilly. Works great, and I got it at a yard sale for the cheap.

+1 on Mr. Heater Buddy Heater.

-1 on the hair dryer. Many are 1000/1300/1500 watts and next time you use it, watch the electric meter spin!

 

[dredd]

Neat little contraption. I hope it works out.

 

[GHinNH]

Neat little contraption. I hope it works out.

Haven't even used it yet and I'm already looking at wifi PID controllers so I can run it from my phone and make it automatic temperature control. I love gadgets...

 

[Kaldor]

I never had an issue with beam scale in the garage in the winter.
Ive reloaded with temps down to -20 outside here in WI. Crank up the heater, put on a jacket, get work done.
I quickly figured out that I needed to roll up my bulk ammo in the spring and fall to avoid the nasty cold and stupid humidity in the garage in WI.

Now my man cave is in the basement. 68 degrees year around!

 

[nevadabob]

Slamfire...Nice looking beam scale. I have an old Pacific Press beam Scale (pre-Hornady era). Bought it off of ebay to use when doubts arise when using the electronic.

 

[lightman]

Many problems can be overcome with a little extra work and planning. Also, threads like this pass ideas along to others. Our first reloading set-up was in Grandpa's garage. I remember fighting a constant battle with rust on our equipment.

Thankfully, as an adult, I have always had an inside space. Over the years its been a whole room, a corner of a room, a closet, ect. Currently I have a whole spare bedroom. Like I said, I'm thankful.

 

[doubleh]

I have been reloading in my garage since the early'70's. One side was built as a store room and finished out just like a home and well insulated. I have a window AC for summer and a catalytic heater that uses a 1# bottle for winter time. It can get down right cold here as the northers come roaring down the east side of the central mountain chain of this state and I find something to do inside the house when those happen. Other wise a light jacket with the little heater and I am good. I turned the uninsulated side of the garage into a small machine shop years ago and a larger cat heater that runs off a regular BBQ propane tank keeps that side nice if I decide to use it. Both are surprisingly quite and don't bother me trying to listen to music while working. It has a swamp cooler for summer that makes it good on those 100 and sometimes plus days if a creative urge strikes me.

 

[BreechFace]

The kitchen table is nice and warm, and the couch isn’t too bad for a few nights

 

[kalielkslayer]

I admire those of you that reload in your garage, in the winter, in cold climates.

I did one winter. Even with a Mr Heater blowing on my feet, me dressed in the same clothing I plow snow with, minus the gloves, it was miserable!

I’m fortunate I have a dedicated reloading room now. It’s not part of the houses heating system but a 1500 watt electric heater keeps it above 60 even if it’s in the teens outside. November-February it runs full time and the $40 a month that costs me is worth it. Spring/fall I only turn it one about 30 minutes before I use the room. Summer it stays cool if I leave the door closed.

Again, kudos to those that that brave the cold to reload.

 

[EricBu]

Used to use a spot in the shop with a pellet stove. Also had a wood stove before that, which took way longer! In those days, I used a ventless propane heater as a kicker until the pellet stove had it warmed up good, and I had a little hanging deal with hooks that latched into the heat shield on the heater and I set my scale on it until it was warm, then put it on the bench and kept it turn on. I'd always calibrate, and run through the check weights a lot more often in the winter as well to make sure I was getting any drift during the session. Some of the newer modern pellet stoves are nice, as you tie them to a timer or thermostat and they'll autostart.

Now days, I"ve moved to a finished area above the shop, about a thousand square ft, insulated room. I have a small heat pump for the room, about 14K BTU of heat and AC in the summer (dual hose, so it's like a little portable mini-split). I'll still use a ventless propane heater (Mr Heater Big Buddy now) as a kicker in the morning when I first get going. I have a TEG fan on the Big Buddy...which I'm afraid to bump or drop because the magic smoke will leak out and that little piece of witchery will quit working. I run that Big Buddy for about 30 minutes with the heat pump, and it brings a thousand square ft room from upper 40s to 70 that quick. Then I turn off the propane and let the heat pump maintain. If it's so cold outside the heat pump freezes up, I'll kick with the buddy heater while the pump recovers. TEG fan is a great piece of voodoo for any heater that doesn't have a built in blower or fan, cheap and reliable, and makes a pretty significant difference. Before the TEG, took my Big Buddy about 1.5 hours to heat the same amount of space, and overall cut the use to where I'm using about half as much propane as in the past.

 

[GHinNH]

Couldn't help myself...

I went ahead and bought a wifi temperature controller. It will be here next week, but in the meantime I have a batch of brass to process and load so I'll be using it as is in the next few days.

Thats good though, I can keep an eye on the temp manually to be sure that I have the correct wattage bulb to do the job.