If You Had it to Do All Over Again....

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bersaguy

bersaguy

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I'll be needing to set up a new reloading room. Moving soon, and will have an area in the garage that I will be able to wall in to make a dedicated reloading / workshop area. Not huge mind you, about 9x10, will be installing a mini split, so it will be air conditioned. All my previous set ups have been where ever I could cram in the presses, tumbler ect. So, my question, if you had a blank slate to start with, how would you set up your reloading room?
Now, the equipment I'm working with, Lee turret, Lee single stage, HF tumbler, Hornady digital scale, calipers ect...that's all staying the same, not looking to go all blue at the moment, more just looking for some ideas that you guys have come up with for storage, organization, work surfaces, those types of things.
 
forty_caliber said:
For starters, build the bench the entire length of one wall so that it supported by studs on 3 sides in a addition to legs. Build it heavier that you think you need.

.40
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This^^^^^. I have two benches like this in my 6'x10' reloading room and they are invaluable. 30" deep and strong enough that no flex is present even with magnum rifle resizing. I could mount a swaging press to either one. Its a great feeling.

One of the things I added in mine are shallow shelves above my main bench to set my dies in lee turrets. All assembled and ready to load on top of the die box at eye level. Takes a bit of shelving, but I can easily grab any set I want and be loading in a few min.

I also think direct lighting is necessary, and little LED strips all over can help with shadowy areas. I have some ON my lee turret press and it makes it easy to see everything.
 
^^^ what these guys said ^^^^^

When I moved the reloading room having a very solid and level bench was the biggest priority and lighting was next.
 
My reloading bench is 15' long x 40" wide x 38" high. The frame for the top is made from 2 x 10's. The top is two layers of 3/4" plywood. Legs made from 4 x 4's. I don't know how much it weighs but when we moved it took (6) grown men to lift it.
 
Don't build it too deep.
I didn't build my bench. I rent a house and the bench was in the garage when I moved in. There is peg board on the wall, but the bench is so deep, when I mounted my presses, I have a hard time reaching the tools on the peg board.

One thing it has that is great, is that there is an electrical outlet on both ends of the bench. That is handy.
 
Big and solid like everyone else said. I put a desk underneath mine and use the drawers for equipment, saved me from having to build something and it locks. i put a shelf for my tumbler below the bench, keeps media from spilling on the work surface. I put a clamp on articulated desk lamp on one side that has a very long reach (multi jointed kind with springs attached). Put a couple shelves above and im satisfied. But im simple. Start with a solid work top, the rest you can always change later.
 
Rule3 said:
I would add a 2 car garage to my current 2 car garage and paint it all BLUE with posters of all the Dillon models and have every Dillon press and accessory, then post on forums with all the pictures.:neener:
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Nah, you gotta be like me.
I have 3 presses mounted to my bench. 2 Lees and a Dillon. Can't have anything in the middle, just cheap and blue. Keep people guessing. lol

The Dillon models would be fine though.
 
Arkansas Paul said:
Don't build it too deep.
I didn't build my bench. I rent a house and the bench was in the garage when I moved in. There is peg board on the wall, but the bench is so deep, when I mounted my presses, I have a hard time reaching the tools on the peg board.

One thing it has that is great, is that there is an electrical outlet on both ends of the bench. That is handy.
Click to expand...

I agree. 40" is too deep if access to the wall is desirable. Anything on a bench beyond arms length will become storage area. And as the years go by my arms seem to be getting shorter :eek:.
 
I'm about to do it all over. Recent living condition shifts have necessitated building a new structure, half of it dedicated to storage of my spouse's holiday decorations, ( she REALLY gets into it, her desk at work has been referred to as a 'pageant').

The other half (200 sq. ft.) is all mine..

Still designing in my head.
 
Can't really comment. My press is mounted on an old solid oak door :D. I'm happy. The only thing I'd change in my reloading room is my lighting. And a Progressive press. And a better radio that can pick up my classic country station. And a better chair. Other than that, I'm happy :D.
 
I did do it all over again.....;)
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That's in the back of my Garage......if I had a ROOM, I'd build a partition such that I could build two benches with 4' between them, so that that nice swivel drafting stool you see could swivel 180 degrees and use both without effort. Behind the partition? Storage and noise makers (insulate that part off) I mean noise makers like air compressors, vacuums, & tumblers. I love my formica top....so easy to keep clean, and solvent proof; I love drawers, big drawers, and I have shelves everywhere. My bench is plenty deep at 24". You can design your bench to stand and work or you can design it for when you get old.........and you will. My favorite part?.....my chair....and of course I can still stand and work.....when I want.
 
Thanks guys, I'm definitely using the idea of making my bench the full width of the room.
 
Make sure you have some climate control. It is no fun to reload in the cold of winter or the heat of summer.

All of my presses are mounted on free standing floor stands. It allows me to store the un-used presses in a tight configuration to save space and only have the active press out at the bench. You could make a uniform mounting position on your new bench with storage mounts along the wall for the unused presses. As you add presses, you won't run out of operating space.

Install lots of shelf space. You can never have too much for all your gear and components.

Install lots of lights.
 
Don't for get sturdy industrial shelving to store components and finished goods inventory - lead is heavy; also make sure to have an area large enough for gun cleaning and maintenance.
 
Lots of good ideas above!
Make your bench strong. Anchor it to the wall studs. Don't make it too deep. 32 inches is a good depth. Install adequate lighting. Put a couple of receptacles on the bench. If you build a wall put a few receptacles on the opposite side of the wall. The National Electric Code has requirements on how to space them but one or two on the garage side would be convenient for casting, running a tumbler outside of your room or working on your car. Build sturdy shelves, bullets and brass are heavy. Sometimes you can buy stronger shelving than you can build and cheaper. Put a lock on the door and consider using a heavy door. Browse through someplace like Walmart, Cosco or Lowes and look at plastic storage stuff. I use a set of small plastic parts drawers for small tools and odd parts. Consider shelves on your loading bench for powder, primers and dies and shelves on another wall for heavy stuff like ammo, bullets, casting stuff, tumblers, ect.
 
Make sure you have a place for your scale away from any vibrations from presses or other equipment. If you plan to sit, make sure you have room with an overhang for your knees. IF you go that route, look at Inline fabrication press riser kits - they put the press on top on the bench, not overhanging which eliminated all torque on the bench edge and makes reloading easier on your shoulder as well.
 
The beauty of this hobby. There is no right or wrong way, only personal ways. A reloading Room/Bench is as personal as the guns we shoot, the equipment we reload with or even the cold beverage that we drink. What fits my style may not fit your! We can build it, arrange it and stock it in any fashion we want.

I have an abandoned upstairs bedroom that I have claimed possession of. It's 11"X9' with a nice window overlooking the back yard with a nice southern exposure for light. I am now on the 3rd iteration of my bench. The 1st was just an old computer desk we had sitting around. Next was I found 2 used kitchen base cabinets that were free. One has 3 drawers with the bottom one a double deep drawer. The other has one top drawer and then a cabinet door. With this I set it up with the primary bench at 26" high so I could sit while I load because of bad legs. Then the 2 cabinets gives me 2 separate benches at are 24"X24" and at counter height to stand at. This is what works for me. But you are not me of course.

Just listen to as many suggestions as you can or until you get tired of listening. Then formulate in your mind what intrigues you and but it together. Could be you incorporate 5 or 6 different ideas! One suggestion I will make and agree with others on is bench depth. I find 24" to 26" to be ideal, deeper and you start to stretch and reach, then it also becomes a catch-all. Storage shelving a must and in my case also a locking door. Keeps the grandkids out and everyone else!
 
If you can't or don't want to go end to end, I anchored my front legs back to the wall so I had support on the upstroke to keep from lifting the table. I'd try and figure out a way to make your press locations adjustable. I have three presses on my bench, and they are always in each other's way.
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George P said:
Make sure you have a place for your scale away from any vibrations from presses or other equipment.
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X10.
"One huge bench" may not be enough,,, I have a low budget digital on the bench (just to get me ballpark close when dialing in), a beam scale on a separate shelf, and my digital dispenser on a separate table.
 
greyling22 said:
I have three presses on my bench, and they are always in each other's way
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3 presses wouldn't fit on my little bench. Inline Fab has a 'quick attach' system that lets me swap between the LNL-AP and RockChucker in short order.
(You really wouldn't want to swap back and forth for small batch's and such, but it does make it a lot nicer to 'clear' the bench and use (1) press)
 
I’d have a lazy Susan with ports to store my press heads. Pain in the ass keeping them all straight.
 
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