Ok to reload in the Cold garage?

[halvey]

I have a cramped space and can only fit one reloader in the bench. So, I want to put my setup for rifle in the house and move my 550B to the garage.

Is this ok to do in a non-heated garage? It will be cold Minnesota winters it will have to get through with it sometimes getting to 20 below at night. I'd pull the dies and powder measure off and the only thing, I'd have in the garage is the frame of the press. So, I should be ok right?

Anyone have any first hand experience with this?

 

[rick_reno]

You should be ok. Why are you removing the dies?

 

[halvey]

Why are you removing the dies?

*shrug* I don't know.

It's the Dillon 550B, so it's just a couple pins and the whole dieholder slides out along with the powder measure. I was somehow thinking parts would start to rust.

 

[NavajoNPaleFace]

Reloading in a cold garage or workshop is no problem as long as the cold is not numbing and distracting.

I find a certain comfort zone is needed (an essential) for my mind to stay on the job at hand. That is, of course, for safety reasons.

If the garage is large enough to allow for a space heater........while keeping it away from your immediate work area...go for it. A ceramic or oil heated heater (or any other design without an open flame) is ideal.

The temp doesn't affect the quality of the reloads or the components.

I don't have the nuisance of high humidity so I can't speak for that.

 

[halvey]

That's what I figured. Although my heater is a Nipco Kerosene heater. Yup, better be careful around that thing with the powder!!

 

[Bandit01]

I did my first week of reloading in the garage. I have a 1 car garage--big mistake. At night, here in Charlotte, it gets pretty nippy. For safety reasons, I didn't think that it was a good idea because as my fingers gets numb, I started making mistakes (my biggest mistake was to double charge a 10mm round, that SOB sounded like a cannon going off). Then I didn't want my Trans Am out in the cold.
I actually do my loading in my living room. I bought a great little night table from the Salvation Army for $15.00. I mounted the 550 right on top. It's light weight enough were I can pick it all up and put it in my storage room outside on my patio. And, I keep my supplies and powders in my laundry room. It all works for me.

 

[dmftoy1]

The only knock I can see is that any unprotected metal parts will start to rust over time unless you're careful. In my garage during the winter I'm constantly heating it up to work in and then it cools off, heats back up, etc. This causes condensation on metal as the "cold" metal seems to attract moisture from the warmer air.

I think as long as you keep some sort of lubricant/protectant on any unpainted parts you'll be in good shape.

Have a good one,
Dave

 

[44and45]

I don't recomend leaving anything in the garage that is subject to sub zero weather conditions.

I live next door to Minn, over in northern Wisconsin near Lake Superior about 40 miles south of it.

My shop equipment, especially the Sears table saw, is subject to moisture and rust from such cold temps. I have to keep the top areas of the table saw oiled and give it a good going over in the spring.

I'd never leave any reloading equipment like a press to absorbe moisture and eventually start rusting. I've seen some other folks that did rust from the exposure.

Don't leave it in the garage unless there is heat there all during the sub zero temps.

44and45

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've noticed my digital scale loses a bit of accuracy at low temperatures.

 

[Wedge]

I hate the cold...that alone would keep me from reloading in an unheated garage. Western NY here...

 

[taliv]

would be interesting to hear how a lot of common applicants we take for granted in warmer climates handle subzero weather. for instance, does your case lube still work? what about the oil/grease on your loader?

 

[Murphster]

I think I'd be more likely to rush things or cut corners if I reloaded anyplace where I was physically uncomfortable. Be safe.

 

[DCR]

You'll be fine. I've been doing it for years - sure do wish I had a basement or some other indoor place to load - and have had no problems, other than numb fingertips. You might want to insulate the walls and ceiling/roof and look into a space heater to take the edge off the cold.

Good luck!

DCR

 

[rick_reno]

When I was traveling a lot, I'd take my reloading equipment with me and used a big C-clamp to attach it to a hotel desk/table. It worked fine, tho I did break the base of a Dillon Sq. Deal once (Dillon replaced it for free, even after I told them I'd C-clamped it to a desk). A C-clamp might get you out of that cold garage.

 

[klw]

Heater

It can get COLD in my garage so I bought an electric heater that I set right next to my feet. Also put my feet on my workbench so that they are not on the freezing floor. Works fine.

Of course, if you are going to size any cast bullets you want to get a heated base for you lubricator/sizer.

 

[Mike Kerr]

I have had trouble with bottleneck brass cases in a freezing cold die. The cold seems to impact the steel in the die differently than the brass case.

Our winters are not as severe in Dallas, Tx but we sometimes have overnight lows in the teens or slightly lower. I have just learned to skip those days where the temperature remains well below freezing. Durn it the metal is just different.

I do oil reloading equipment in the garage over the cold months. I use STP silicone spray. Since our winters are not severe it does a good job of controlling condensation etc. Just wipe it down when you use the press.

Regards,

 

[straightShot]

I use a kerosene heater to keep my legs and nearby bench area a little warmed up. The snow and ice outside don't bother me a bit, and I can get my reloading area up to around fifty degrees.

straightShot

 

[stans]

My first reloading set up was in an unheated, non-airconditioned, no electical hook up tool shed/work shop. All I can say is that even in Virginia it gets uncomfortably cold in the winter and very hot and humid in the summer. My next set up was in the garage, much better, especially with an electric ceramic disc space heater. Open flames and powder don't always mix, so the ceramic disc electric heater is a better way to go. Now my set up is in the house and that is nice, but it will eventually move out to a workshop that is insulated and does have electricity. The cold gets to be a real problem when the fingers go numb.

 

[Deavis]

Wipe your press odwn with a light coat of LPS-3 and forget about the rust. That stuff is great for preventing rust and they claim 5 years. It is actually a light wax that you can spray out of a bottle.

My 650XL has been in a garage (Houston, Tx and now Austin, Tx) since I bought it two years ago. Not a trace of rust on it and it looks brand new. I give everything a light wipe down after a big loading session. Plus, that stuff smells really good for some reason.

You can get LPS-3 and from an online supplier, I can look it up if you want. That stuff is worth its weight in gold when you live in humid climates.

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

Reloading consistency

I have sold thousands of tools to some very serious competitors worldwide and getting down to really tiny factors, many of them pick a time when their reloading room is at a comfortable temperature and they take the time to seriously reload their entire years supply of ammunition on their progressive reloaders. Because the temperature of all the components with identical lot numbers and the room TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY during their reloading session is THE SAME ALSO!.

Now that is really being serious and helping the competitor to believe he has done everything possible to create the best and most accurate ammunition possible.

Fitz