How important is climate control in a reloading room?

[VanGoghComplex]

I'm making an outbuilding on my property into a reloading room. It's a medium sized shed, framed like a house; I can easily insulate it. However, I'm not quite decided on how I want to heat/cool it. How important is it that reloading supplies be in a climate controlled environment? What's the hottest/coldest I should let it get in there?

I've got 240v run to the building, so power isn't a limit, but I'd like to not spend more than I need to.

 

[[email protected]]

I built a 10x10 room in my shop that is dedicated to reloading (casting is done outside). I have a small heater and ac unit that I use only when I'm in the room. Powder and primers are stored in the house. My biggest enemy is rust. Dies and other steel parts will quickly get a flash over of surface rust if I'm not careful.

 

[VanGoghComplex]

Eam3, thanks. I've been considering a wall unit, combo heat/ac/dehumidifier. Now I'll be sure that whatever I get, a dehumidifier will be part of it.

 

[PJSprog]

It kind of depends on what you're loading. Different powders are more or less sensitive to temperature changes, both in their performance and their longevity. Depending on where you live, extreme swings in temperature and humidity can definitely affect both your powders and your equipment. Too high humidity, and of course you get rust. Too low, and you may have a static problem. If your building sits in the summer sun and bakes like the inside of a car, it can easily get over 120°+, which will cause your powders to break down faster.

As a musician, I've always followed the line of thinking regarding instruments that says, "If it's uncomfortable for you, it's uncomfortable for them."
I apply this same philosophy to my reloading components.

Keep it from freezing or getting excessively hot, and I think you should be fine.

 

[Schwing]

I personally would not store any powder or primers in a non-climate-controlled building. I would have no problem using it as my reloading area and just storing my supplies elsewhere.

 

[david bachelder]

I can only vouch for what I do. I think where you live would have a lot to do with it. I live in east Texas on Lake Livingston. The humidity here is normally about 60% or higher. The heat outdoors can be intolerable in the summer, a lot of the time its 90 or higher.

I use a 7000 btu window unit and my room is insulated very well (thanks to my wife). I keep the AC part of the unit at 74 degrees F constantly, night and day. It also has heat .... best of both worlds. I have not used the heat but I'm sure I will before long.

The AC removes humidity, I don't have any humidity control for the winter, so I don't know if I'll need it or not.

I keep everything in my reloading room, powder, bullets, brass and PC. Everything seems to hold up fine, so far.

 

[X-Ring]

My 10 x 12 reloading shed is 27 years old this year. Only heat /cool when I am out there. Every fall I wipe down all presses and exposed steel with an oily rag. The only rust I get is on the press handles so I wrapped them with electrical tape, problem solved. All powder and primers are stored in the house.

 

[oldpapps]

Everyone will have a view on this and they will for the most part be correct for them.

The answer for you will be fully dependant upon where you live.
I live in 'Miserable', the very west edge next to Kansas. Why is it 'Miserable'? Heat and humidity, not as bad as my brother has in central Tennessee, but bat enough.

Your loading equipment, components and loads do well with the same conditions that you do, heat and humidity. To prolong the components, dryer and cooler is better. Loading in temps below freezing or over the century mark is just no fun! A fan can screw up scales. Dripping sweat is worse.

If you live in an arid area where humidity is constantly low, I'll bet it get overly warm. To be energy conscious, keep you components and loaded stuff in the house. A small window air unit and space heater will make loading in those extremes more to the liking.

I keep my supply of powder (and lubed bullets) in an old dead chest deep freezer in my basement (just didn't want to fight with it to get up the stairs). I keep my primers separate, just cause. The room/area has a dehumidifier running year round. About the only things I do outside is run my rattle tub cleaner in a shed, cast and cook powder coating on the deck but not in the summer heat.

Your needs may be completely different. Live in central Montana and a space heater may not keep you warm. Live in Mississippi and a dehumidifier and window air unit just may not be able to keep up with the afternoon heat and humidity.

Keep you tools clean and oiled and components in the house and you will be alright.

 

[VanGoghComplex]

Alright guys, thanks for the several responses.

I specifically wired the building to use a wall unit if needed. It's a fairly small building, so I'll insulate the crap out of it and then plop a 10,000 btu heat/air/dehumidifier in it. That should keep it cozy for me and my gear.

 

[Sunray]

Where you are is what matters, mostly.
It's more about rapid changes in temperature and humidity. Either will cause condensation. That's what cause the rusting.
"...What's the hottest/coldest I should let it get in there?..." How hot/cold does it get outside where you are? Constant temps with +/- 10ish degrees variation is good.

 

[VanGoghComplex]

I'm in central Kansas. 100 degree summers, 20 degree winters.

 

[berettaprofessor]

I'm in central Kansas. 100 degree summers, 20 degree winters.

You wish. I'm sure you meant to say -20 degree winters, didn't you?

 

[mdi]

FWIW; I have lived in So. CA beach area (temps running low 40s to 110), and rainy So. Oregon Coast (temps low 30s to mebbe 100). Both areas fairly humid, and wide temp swings, but the only "environment control" is for me. I cannot say I have done exhaustive testing of my reloads concerning the environment they were loaded in, nor the condition of the components as stored (none hermetically sealed, temp. controlled storage). But I also cannot say that any of my reloads didn't function like they were intended to...

If there is never a problem why look for a solution?

 

[Blue68f100]

It all depends on your environment. If your humidity runs high you will be fighting rust. If too low you will be fighting static. Then you need to add in human comfort. I do not like reloading when the shop runs >80F or < 60F.

I live in East Texas (Piney woods area) the humidity runs 60%+ most of the year. I recently enclosed area in the pole building, 11'x24'. This is being setup as my shop. I had foam Insulation sprayed in the walls and ceiling, min 2", $$$ expensive but worth it. This sealed every thing up real good. Then I noticed I was getting some rust on some equipment. The problem I now have was, I was so well insulated that my window ac/heat unit was short cycling so it was not dehumidifing. I added a dehumidifier to remove the excess, set at 45%. During the hot humid days it would produce 30-35 pints of water in 24hr. When the last cold front came through it took 3 days to get 30 pints of water. Before I did this I was getting rust on bare metal. Now every thing is fine. No static to deal with either.

 

[VanGoghComplex]

You wish. I'm sure you meant to say -20 degree winters, didn't you?

Well, sometimes. I'm just talking averages. =)

 

[VanGoghComplex]

FWIW; I have lived in So. CA beach area (temps running low 40s to 110), and rainy So. Oregon Coast (temps low 30s to mebbe 100). Both areas fairly humid, and wide temp swings, but the only "environment control" is for me. I cannot say I have done exhaustive testing of my reloads concerning the environment they were loaded in, nor the condition of the components as stored (none hermetically sealed, temp. controlled storage). But I also cannot say that any of my reloads didn't function like they were intended to...

If there is never a problem why look for a solution?

I'm not too concerned about match-grade consistency, just safety. I load to target shoot. My only concern is equipment or supplies getting ruined by heat/cold.

 

[gamestalker]

Well, you don't want humidity to rust your dies or other reloading tools, so dry is real important.

But particularly regarding the powders, you don't want them to be stored in temps that get above 80 degree's, warm temps will accelerate break down, the warmer, the quicker they break down. The other concern, is condensation. I wouldn't think it would be wise to let them freeze, I would think there would be a risk of condensation developing on the inside of the canisters when they're introduced to above freezing, or warmer temps.

All of my powders and primers are stored at 75 degree's in the summer months, and they get down to about 70 degree's in the winter months. But my entire reloading operation is indoors, out of the element completely.

GS

 

[cfullgraf]

Get an HVAC system that will operate off a good thermostat. Then get a programmable thermostat and you can optimize the temperature control to be comfy, protect your equipment and supplies and be thrifty.

If you live in a humid area, you might want to invest in a dehumidifier. It may seem like redundancy when running air conditioning, but it will allow to to raise the temp a little when you are not using the room and still keep the room dry.

At slightly higher set temperatures, a few degrees or so, your A/C may not run frequently enough to lower the humidity depending on the ambient temperature.

Your equipment and supplies will thank you.

I have a detached 30'x30' fab/machine shop at my place. With a well insulated building and a programmable thermostat, the heat or A/C hardly runs. When I use the building, I change the temperature comfortable for working. I do not even notice the increase on my gas and electric bill.

 

[splattergun]

I like being comfortable while reloading. It helps my concentration, thus my loading accuracy, if I'm not shivering or sweating in puddles.

Powder and ammunition prefer steady temps as well.

 

[gonoles_1980]

My reloading area is a screened in back porch. I wipe my press down bi-weekly with WD40 to prevent rust. All my supplies are stored in my computer room which is kept at 75F.

 

[WessonOil]

I have a framed workshop that is neither heated nor cooled unless I am handloading, then I use a space heater or a fan.
All primers and powders stay in my house where it's climate controlled.

 

[ku4hx]

Living in the hot and humid sunny South, loading in a comfortable setting is very important to me. For many years I did my loading in an unheated (and uncooled) space. It finally dawned on me I didn't have to freeze or drip with sweat to do my loading. Boolit casting is an entirely different matter however.

Not surprisingly, I feel when I'm comfortable, I'm a better and safer loader.

Flamable components have a recommended temperature and humidity bandwidth, and generally it's best to stay within manufacture's recommendations. Modern powders and primer compounds are not especially deliquescent but long term exposure to high moisture levels may accelerate degradation. Oddly enough, too dry a condition can be worse as it leads to granular cracking that can alter the powder's burn rate. Think dried, cracked river beds during the summer months.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

As a kid, I learned to reload in a garage in the summer in Kansas. We only loaded in the morning, which made reloading tolerable, but that was before a/c was the norm. Swamp coolers were still popular. In the 70s I bought a house with a bench in a metal shed with no ventilation. I soon learned that if you're sweating bullets that you shouldn't be reloading.

 

[Reloadron]

This is a pretty good read on the subject. The environment we hand load in is just as important as the environment we store our powder, primers and other reloading components in. Powder in a sealed container is fine as long as stored in a cool dry location but once we break the seal of the powder and dump it into a powder dispenser or hopper the powder is now exposed to the environment (temperature and relative humidity). While today's smokeless powders are not the sponge black powder is smokeless powders do absorb some water in high humidity areas.

I would guess we want to load with a relative humidity below 50% and a temperature around 70 degrees F. That being pretty much a guess on my part but seems to run with most consensus I have seen.

Ron

 

[Gravedigger56]

My reloading room is in my basement where the temp. remains pretty steady throughout the year, normally around 70-75°F. Since our laundry room is also in the basement it can be damp at times and one day I noticed that some worn areas on my press were starting to show signs of rust. I immediately went out and got a dehumidifier and now the basement can be maintained at the comfort level of 45-50% and the rust situation disappeared.