Reloading Bench Inside?

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308sc

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Elgin, South Carolina
How many of you reload inside? I am trying to move my reloading inside...so it will not be so exposed to this Elgin, South Carolina humidity. I am thinking about buying a bench to put in the house, Should I build or buy, Im not that great of a builder and once again have no one to show me how, but I do have a good bit of money (cutting grass) so does anyone know any indoor loading bench plans, or a bench/table I can buy that would be suitable for reloading? or should I just leave it outside in the heat and humidity?

thanks,

308sc
 
Definitely move it inside!

There are lots of reloading bench plans on this forum, just do a search or some browsing. It doesn't need to be fancy.

Where I live the basement is the natural place for reloading, but I realize that in some parts of the country most houses don't have basements.
 
I reload inside, as my house does not have a garage... I have a spare bedroom that I put a new craftsman bench with upper unit in (it was on sale). When I move to a house that has a garage, it'll go out there.
 
Good luck DEDON45...keep your equipment wiped down with WD-40 or some other type of rust preventative....or else your nice new hornady LNL progessive press might start getting light rust spots on it...I don't know about you but this Columbia/Elgin humidity is about to kill me..and my reloading equipment.
 
i do it inside.... The only problem is gunpowder and other spills if on carpet. I rent so last time i put a rug down. It caught most stuff but this time i will either do a rubber-backed rug or i have thought of buying one of the big plastic office chair things as a protective. also think if you got a kid crawlin around in that stuff too...
 
I built my reloading bench using the Rockler router table steel leg set and heavy duty casters. I roll it out when I need it, and roll it back into the laundry room when done. I keep the bottom shelf loaded down with bullets and brass, and with the casters locked (both pivot and roll lock) it is very stable.

Andy
 
mines inside.....nice to have the AC.

I built a basic table for about 50 bucks and an hours worth of work. Lowes or home depot cut all the wood to size for me so all I had to do was screw everything together when i got home.
 
Harbor Freight Tools has a sale until Jun 23. They have a 5 Ft. long oak woodworking bench for $150, it would make a very nice loading bench.
 
my stuff is all inside also. the only thing i wish i had that isnt here is compressed air. which will be the next thing when i can get my brother over to help with it. i have to dig and install it underground in conduit, along with electrical cable and a phone line (all going out to the garage from the house). in michigan, you either have your stuff inside, or forget about reloading in the winter!
 
My press/work area is currently in the garage, because the den is already full of computers and music equipment. I'll definitely move the reloading stuff inside once we get a bigger house, for the sake of comfort, but it's OK for now. I keep a fan on whenever I'm out there and lightly coat all metal surfaces with CLP after every session. Use an old T-shirt to cover the press as well when it's not being used. No rust yet...
 
Mine is inside. Spare bedroom in my townhouse. Only problem is that my bench isn't as solid as I'd like. Bolting it to the wall would do the trick, but I rent so I've decided against it.
 
I am about to build my bench for inside...it is almost either too hot or too cold to be comfortable outside so if you have room why not?
 
308sc, my stuff is inside... when I was reloading before, it was done in July, in SC (Sandy Run if you know where that is), in a non-environmentally controlled garage...well, I don't think a fan counts. Never had a problem with rust (the press was aluminum, and I kept a light coat of oil on the ram)... the dies never rusted, and I never did anything for them other than screw 'em in and out of the press. I do know that some folks' body chemistry can cause rust faster than others (I seem to recall a lot of red headed folks have this problem), but I didn't have a problem...

That said, when I do get my man cave setup in whatever house I move to, there will be some form of AC going in that area (window unit or otherwise)... or if I'm real lucky and get a basement, that'd be awesome too.
 
I "built" a reloading stand about 40 years ago that I still use.

I went to a local welding shop that had a good "scrap yard" out back. We dug up a 1/4-inch thick circular steel plate that was 18-inches in diameter (the base), a 30-inch long, four-inch diameter piece of "drill stem" oil field drilling pipe with a 3/8-inch thick wall (the pedistal), and a 12x12 square piece of quarter-inch steel plate (the top). Weld the drill stem to the center of the base, weld the center of the 12x12 plate to the top of the drill stem and you are done. [The "built" above is in quotes because the owner of the welding shop actually did all the welding.]

Take a 22x17 inch pice of plywood and bolt on top of the 12x12 steel plate so that one side of the plywood is flush with one side of the steel plate.

Now when you mount your press you drill the mounting holes through the 3/4-inch plywood and through the steel plate.

Makes one heck of a sturdy stand; no "flex" whatsoever due to the steel plate under the plywood. Mine weighs about 50 pounds which gives good stability. Mount your other acessories (case trimmer, etc.) on the plywood table with wood screws.

Very compact. Can stand in a closet or corner until you need it.
 
Just my two cents....

I went to Home Depot and got some Simpson Strong Tie bench building kits (approx. $22) each. One kit will make a 6' long table by however wide you want it (directions say that any longer than 6' you need more middle support).

Basically metal corners and screws, all you do is add the 2X4's for rails and legs, and some plywood for a top. You can get really fancy and add peg board across the back for tools and such, or shelves as well. Sturdy enough to hold my um....well...."husky" frame without even a wobble. A little more pricey than a thrift store find, but you can adjust the size as you see fit. Hope this helps!

http://www.strongtie.com/products/categories/rigid-tie_diy.html
 
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I went to Lowes and procured 40 bucks worth of 2X8 and 2x6 short drops and some carriage bolts and nuts. 3 hours later I had a bench that Godzilla could not destroy. 2x8 makes a tough top that you can bolt anything to. It sits inside where I can be comfortable and does not take up too much room.
 
I am a basement reloader - keeps everything away from the living area and gives me my own personal place to relax.
 
I use an old office desk and it has held up just fine....

(I'm not sizing .50 BMG)

basement set up here....

fortunately my lovely wife invited me to move into her finished basement office.....which is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Life is good :)
 
reloading inside is great just dont start watching tv and reloadingi bought a nice bench from sams club 200 nice stong maple top
 
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