Multi purpose reloading area

[GravelRider]

View attachment 1040673 I’ve seen posts with nice looking reloading benches. I am curious how many people have to (like myself), share an area and can not dedicate the space for loading. Mine is a combination basement, gym, workshop, loading space. presses are mounted to a 4x6 block chucked in a 10” woodworking vise (back right). COVID made things more interesting as my wife and middle / high school aged kids are working out down there now. Sawdust and cleaning solvent smells get some reactions from them. I am also careful to only wet tumble to keep lead dust down.

Great looking setup! Mine is similar to yours. Reloading/gun/gym area. I love the dungeon gym vibe! Looks like where Rocky would train!


Here's my bench:



Across from it is my gym



The biggest problem I've found is that I tend to get sidetracked working out, and end up messing around with my reloading bench all too often...

 

[HowieG]

Great looking setup! Mine is similar to yours. Reloading/gun/gym area. I love the dungeon gym vibe! Looks like where Rocky would train!


Here's my bench:

View attachment 1046154

Across from it is my gym

View attachment 1046155

The biggest problem I've found is that I tend to get sidetracked working out, and end up messing around with my reloading bench all too often...

I don't think that is much of a problem at all. Obviously, you know what's important....

 

[bcook4321]

Great looking setup! Mine is similar to yours. Reloading/gun/gym area. I love the dungeon gym vibe! Looks like where Rocky would train!

It’s been great having the gym through COVID, especially for my kids. While organized sports are in full swing, There don’t seem to be as many general training and conditioning options available for teens these days, at least in the northeast.

I just wish I had the poured concrete walls and not the fieldstone foundation. Tough to keep everything organized and use space efficiently without flat walls. Your set up looks great!

 

[Chuck R.]

For years and years I loaded in mixed areas like that. Mostly because I was in the Army and moving all the time, I always had unique housing situations to deal with in order to load. I ended up getting an old used school desk, and put big heavy casters on it with brakes. I mounted all my presses on that, and kept it in a closet, then rolled it out to load. Your area isn't bad at all, and most of my life I would have been thrilled for that set up. It's clean, organized, I see no real issues myself, though may not be as comfortable working the Rockchucker over in the corner. You may gain from investing in one of the quick change mounts that are available, put that on the front of your bench then swap in the press you are using.

I was the same for 26 years until I retired and we built our current house. When I was an enlisted MP in the barracks my setup looked like something from Hogan's hero's. I drilled a couple holes in an issue book case, which I covered with a desk lamp. My meager supplies stayed in a cardboard box along with my rockchucker. When loading I bolted the press to the bookcase using wing nuts. The powder measure was 'C' clamped to the top. I could go from inspection state to loading in about 15 minutes..

When I went back in as a 2LT, I started out with a Sears Craftsman work bench with an extended top on it. Then I built an 8' reloading bench with a double 3/4' plywood top that bolted together. We also always bought a house that had a spare bedroom that turned into the gun/reloading room. Every PCS stateside I did a ditty move, just to keep my powder and primers.

When I retired and had the current house built I had a room put in under the 3 car garage as a safe room using reinforced concrete. It's on it's own zone for the geothermal and has a vault door. The bench is a little more permanent now.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Based initially and largely on LiveLife's 24x24 mobile reloading cart, but with inspiration from other posts here as well, this is what I came up with and built this past week.


View attachment 1046061 View attachment 1046062

Fits pretty well in the spare bedroom, and storing items on the shelves and in the built-in cabinet freed up some space in the closet and in my desk. It's pretty well over-built. It weighs 100 pounds without the presses or anything stored in it.

In retrospect, I should have notched the upright 2x6s so they were flush with the 2x4s that are perpendicular to them; that would have made more space in the cabinet. I also should have gone with larger casters. The 2" ones I bought don't swivel as well as I'd like. Overall though, I'm pretty happy with it so far.

So when guests come over they get to load?

 

[EricBu]

I was the same for 26 years until I retired and we built our current house. When I was an enlisted MP in the barracks my setup looked like something from Hogan's hero's. I drilled a couple holes in an issue book case, which I covered with a desk lamp. My meager supplies stayed in a cardboard box along with my rockchucker. When loading I bolted the press to the bookcase using wing nuts. The powder measure was 'C' clamped to the top. I could go from inspection state to loading in about 15 minutes..

When I went back in as a 2LT, I started out with a Sears Craftsman work bench with an extended top on it. Then I built an 8' reloading bench with a double 3/4' plywood top that bolted together. We also always bought a house that had a spare bedroom that turned into the gun/reloading room. Every PCS stateside I did a ditty move, just to keep my powder and primers.

When I retired and had the current house built I had a room put in under the 3 car garage as a safe room using reinforced concrete. It's on it's own zone for the geothermal and has a vault door. The bench is a little more permanent now.

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View attachment 1046196

Hahaha, yep, the ol' "discrete loading" set up. 1SGT: "What's this stuff in the bottle labeled Unique, SGT, and is that a box of primers? You can't have ammunition in the barracks!" Me: "yo Top, I don't have any ammo in the barracks, regs don't mention components". 1SGT: "I see......I am a little short on 45 ACP, can you hook me up"? Me: "Sure thing top, long as there won't be a problem with components in the barracks..."

 

[barnfrog]

So when guests come over they get to load?

More likely I'll just sack out after a late night loading session. I can't remember the last time we had overnight guests.

 

[LiveLife]

Based initially and largely on LiveLife's 24x24 mobile reloading cart, but with inspiration from other posts here as well, this is what I came up with and built this past week ... Fits pretty well in the spare bedroom

So when guests come over they get to load?

Why not? Many of our house guests want to go shooting with me and help me pick up spent brass. If they want to help out resizing/depriming thousands of cleaned/polished brass I have, I will happily cook their choice of steaks and even serve with shrimp appetizers (I do any ways ... Bacon wrapped shrimp is delicious ).

While OP's multi-purpose reloading area concept is nice, having a castered portable bench allows it to be rolled anywhere in the house when not needed. So if spare bedroom space is needed, it can be rolled into another space for temporary storage.

In retrospect, I should have notched the upright 2x6s so they were flush with the 2x4s that are perpendicular to them; that would have made more space in the cabinet.

I also should have gone with larger casters ... ones I bought don't swivel as well as I'd like

Nice job on the portable reloading "bench/cabinet". And good idea on notching the 2x6 to maximize storage space.

I particularly like the cantilevered 2x6 to mount the press ... Neat idea (My Lee ABLP requires recessed notch into bench top to make room for thru-ram spent primer attachment and I was planning to cantilever the entire bench top for my next portable bench as I PIF my 2'x3' bench to a retiring friend).

And note the weight capacity on casters as if you get close to capacity limits, they won't swivel as well (And I tell you, bulk boxes of lead bullets get HEAVY FAST). That's why I decided to go with Harbor Freight moving dolly casters as they were cheap ($7) and swiveled well even when loaded with several hundred pounds as they are rated to 1000 lbs for four casters (I did have my bench loaded to almost 1500 lbs during our last move and cracked one of the casters when it bumped down on one caster into the street from driveway ... When I replaced the damaged caster after lifting the bench with a car jack, bench with 1500 lbs kept on rolling onto the Ryder commercial rental truck 2000 lb capacity lift gate with a big push )

 

[GravelRider]

It’s been great having the gym through COVID, especially for my kids. While organized sports are in full swing, There don’t seem to be as many general training and conditioning options available for teens these days, at least in the northeast.

I just wish I had the poured concrete walls and not the fieldstone foundation. Tough to keep everything organized and use space efficiently without flat walls. Your set up looks great!

My last house had the fieldstone foundation. It did make organization more difficult... But I loved the look of it.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

My last house had the fieldstone foundation. It did make organization more difficult... But I loved the look of it.

There's very very few places in Florida where it's even possible to build a basement - Around Orlando and Clermont area some folks who live along the hills leading north along the central spine can get asway with it but they're pricey to build. Problem is, if you dig down 12 feet you hit water - so we make due mostly with out-buildings and pole barns, if you got more than a subdivision 1/8th acre; or just add on to the existing house if it's older and made of block. I'm seeing a lot of newer homes built from white pine and OSB or some made with Hardie board that got lofts and attics - but they don't usually last too well through our big winds with lots of rain events - leaks and settling can be pretty bad in some places - and the power bills for running A/C in an attic anywhere in the Southeast where it never gets below 60% humidity can be a little breath-taking - in my income bracket, anyways. Maybe some folks can afford a $500/month electric bill but I'm not one of them. Saturday it got up to 85F with on-again-off-again showers, then yesterday it was 81... then it rained again, and this time it came down in buckets. This morning it was 61F and now it's 57F, heading lower. Still damp as can be. My nylon holster smells like wet dog still from Saturday. But my Colt's dry!

 

[barnfrog]

And note the weight capacity on casters as if you get close to capacity limits, they won't swivel as well (And I tell you, bulk boxes of lead bullets get HEAVY FAST). That's why I decided to go with Harbor Freight moving dolly casters as they were cheap ($7) and swiveled well even when loaded with several hundred pounds as they are rated to 1000 lbs for four casters (I did have my bench loaded to almost 1500 lbs during our last move and cracked one of the casters when it bumped down on one caster into the street from driveway ... When I replaced the damaged caster after lifting the bench with a car jack, bench with 1500 lbs kept on rolling onto the Ryder commercial rental truck 2000 lb capacity lift gate with a big push )

I thought the 2" casters were rated to 125 pounds per caster, but it could be that was per set of four. I'll check out the HF dolly casters. Sounds like they might be just the ticket.

 

[kidneyboy]

I had a room put in under the 3 car garage as a safe room using reinforced concrete. It's on it's own zone for the geothermal and has a vault door.

A brilliant move. My dad was a contractor for 56 years and I have seen this done on maybe 4 dozen homes in that time.

 

[Chuck R.]

A brilliant move. My dad was a contractor for 56 years and I have seen this done on maybe 4 dozen homes in that time.

It was actually our builders idea. We originally wanted to do the classic 'under the front porch' type space. The actual additional costs were minimal; deeper footings, a couple of I-Beams and another concrete slab. But it equals about 700 square feet of space: