How much space do you use in the reloading room?

[Goneshoot'n]

After years of reloading using a friend's equipment, last year I finally accumulated everything I need to start reloading in my own home. In the past year, it seems that my collection of reloading gadgets and widgets has more than doubled. In January I will be moving across the country to a new, more permanent home, and I will have a second bedroom to use for a reloading room. First of all, what kind/quantity of reloading do you do, and second, how big of a bench do you find you need? In addition, how much storage space, and the like? How long does the reloading stuff accumulate, or does that never stop?

 

[Allen One1]

I don't think I want to touch those questions. Mine hasn't stopped growing yet. Try to contain it to one room.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

My brother the Physicist answers questions of that nature with one word : entropy.

Whatever the space available, it will be filled.

Reloading tools, equipment, books, and gadgets will, like the universe, continually expand.

 

[George P]

I use Gorilla racks, split into 2 4' sections, set up side by side. The top is 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood glued and screwed together to make a sturdy bench top. I put shelf brackets on the wall above and have dies, tools, manuals, my scale etc. The shelves underneath hold the heavy stuff like bullets, shot, boxes of hulls, brass, and ammo. I use a Craftsman swivel barstool to sit

 

[dh1633pm]

I have an eight foot by two foot bench. It meets my needs.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

This is an easy answer. Planning, planning. And never plan to stop buying equipment.

 

[daboone]

1- 3x3ft, the second one is 1x4ft and another 8x2ft. Plus 2 bookshelves and the closet in that bedroom. Those benches accommodate a 550, a CO-AX and a Mec Sizemaster plus pertinent ancillary tools. Shelves above those benches and in the closet are also filled with stuff associated with each press and powders, primers and shell, wads, shot, etc. There is also a chest of drawers that is stuffed. As mentioned good luck finding enough space.

 

[cheygriz]

I have two heavy duty 8 foot by 2 foot workbenches. Two 14 foot walls with heavy duty shelving floor to almost ceiling.

And when I say heavy duty, I'm not kidding.

My benchtops are two 3/4 inch sheets of plywood and a sheet of hardboard laminated together.

Don't forget to have two 4 outlet electrical plugs added on separate 30 amp circuits, and two large fluorescent light fixtures above the benches

 

[25-5]

I was lucky. The basement had a very substantially built work area, including the shelves. I use stacking bins for brass and loose ammo. 6 pistol & 5 rifle calibers.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The answers are dependent on how many presses you want to set up and how many components you want to store.

I load on a 6' heavy wooden desk with a few shelves above it and storage in a small walk in closet in the basement. I would like more space but I make due and use a switch plate from Lee to change out presses because there is no room to leave them mounted. Not bad at all, my powder measure and brass trimmer are screwed to the bench.

 

[Blue68f100]

My reloading bench is 7' x 32" x 32" tall. I have 2 presses mounted, 1 on each end which leaves the middle section for work space. In the middle I have drawers built to hold prep tools, accessories, bullets, powder. You will need power to your bench. I have 2 4 gang (high) and 2 2 gang (low). I use the low ones for scales. The top is 2 sheets of 3/4" plywood, screwed and glued covered with 3/16" hard masonite sealed. The masonite makes it easy cleanup for spills. This is a old photo before I added the strong mount to the LNL-AP, and more shop tools.

What every you build you will fill it up over time. I have 1 4x8' shelf unit on the other end of the room and needing more. The metal bench is my main work benched used to clean gun and work on what ever (gunsmith work). The rooms doubles as my machine shop, since I have a lathe and end mill on each end of the room. The metal bench got moved across the room.

edit: This room has not been this clean in years........

 

[FROGO207]

I have a 12X16 "spare" bedroom that I use for a reloading room. It is FULL with two walls of bench space. Still I have relegated some less used stuff to closets and the heated attic area is packed as well. I am a rank amateur when it comes to having gun things though. One on here has an entire house he is using as a reloading/man cave, and look at Gunnies things as well. I expect that I will expire at the gun shop while making that last transaction for a few more bullets so I can reload the brass I scrounged that day.

 

[George P]

Don't forget to have two 4 outlet electrical plugs added on separate 30 amp circuits, and two large fluorescent light fixtures above the benches

I do not like fluorescent lights as they can have an impact on things like electronic scales. I prefer the newer LED shop lights; lighter, easier to hang, brighter and less expensive to operate.

 

[doubleh]

I do not like fluorescent lights as they can have an impact on things like electronic scales. I prefer the newer LED shop lights; lighter, easier to hang, brighter and less expensive to operate.

I'm an LED light convert. I only have two florescent lights left. One is over my lathe and the other over a workbench next to the lathe. Every thing else in my home and shop is LED now and the savings shows up on my electric bill plus the work lights aren't hot in the summer. It's a BIG improvement over the old florescent and incandescent setup.

 

[GaryL]

I don't think I want to touch those questions. Mine hasn't stopped growing yet. Try to contain it to one room.

Same here. It's been pushing out everything else.

 

[Charlie98]

My bench moved from the garage to a 5'x6' closet, which doesn't sound like much... but it's better than the garage. The bench itself is appx 3'x4', so space is at a premium. I have my progressive permanently mounted, but I have to mount and dismount my single stage press as needed, to keep the bench clear. Shelves below for powder and components, shelves above for tools and such, shelves on the side for brass. There is still room for my shrine to Unique. I load for about 12 different cartridges, and I'm in there at least once a week.

I'm lucky, though. We 'retasked' our upstairs rooms after the remodel last year... I finally get the entire room for My Stuff. The bench, because it's built into the closet, and because I can secure the entry door, stays... and that's OK. Now I finally have a wall unit for all my books (shooting and otherwise...) and wire shelves for all my loaded ammo and other truck. Folding table for cleaning and other maintenance, etc. It's my Happy Place.

As others have mentioned... I mounted an LED fixture to replace the single florescent light that was there... MAN, what a difference!

 

[Chuck R.]

24' and depending on what I'm doing it can still feel cramped.....





Honestly I don't think there can be too much room. I have 5 presses mounted now and have one more that I swap out when needed.

 

[GW Staar]

1. I started with one Rock Chucker
2. added a progressive....with a bullet feeder
3. then took a corner for a powered trimmer upgrade...
4. then added a summit press,
5. then a bench primer
6. finally another progressive 7 station press

Still on the 2'x8' wall hugging bench, 36" high, except for the case cleaning Island in the foreground. Done for a while.....25 years worth.

Picture below is at step 3. (Co2 tank is for moisture-free air to blow off the mounted shell plates.)

 

[George P]

As others have mentioned... I mounted an LED fixture to replace the single florescent light that was there... MAN, what a difference!

Absolutely!

 

[Legionnaire]

My space is at a premium so my 2x4 foot reloading bench has to double as my workbench. The Inline Fabrication flush mount quick release plates were perfect to my need. I have three presses and a vise that I can swap in and out, and have a fully flush surface when I need it. I do need to get some LED lighting.

 

[frankmako]

No matter the size you build in time it will be to small. Go as big as you can now.

 

[sbwaters]

How much space do I use? All of it.

 

[entropy]

My brother the Physicist answers questions of that nature with one word : entropy.

You called? Hooda Thunkit!

Yeah, space. I have a tiny room to do both gunsmithing/cleaning and reloading, as well as store all my guns (except HD guns) and ammo. I had to clamp my MEC shell loader to the corner of my gunsmithing bench because my reloading bench is a tiny kitchen microwave island.

 

[Iroquois]

My reloading area is relatively small. The bench is 30”wide x 6’ long. It is actually an old kitchen counter top. I have 4 cabinets on top and 2 on the bottom. I built 1 shelf from a 1x6 that runs the entire length of the bench. I only reload one caliber at a time and keep only the components I’m using on the bench. I feel it is much safer and limits the possibilities of mixing components and making mistakes. I store all my powder indoors along with my dies, primers and bullets. When I’m finished with a particular loading all components are put away.

 

[Bfh_auto]

After years of reloading using a friend's equipment, last year I finally accumulated everything I need to start reloading in my own home. In the past year, it seems that my collection of reloading gadgets and widgets has more than doubled. In January I will be moving across the country to a new, more permanent home, and I will have a second bedroom to use for a reloading room. First of all, what kind/quantity of reloading do you do, and second, how big of a bench do you find you need? In addition, how much storage space, and the like? How long does the reloading stuff accumulate, or does that never stop?

You will need at least 110% of your available space. I use a single stage press and reload rifle, pistol and shotgun. I only burn a couple hundred round most months now.