Where is your reloading room located?

[jef2015]

This question is related to the proximity of your reloading bench and supplies to your family. I thought I had the perfect reloading area, a small room adjoining the living room and separated by french doors. My concern is I have a 2 1/2 year old son and to say he needs to inspect everything dad is working on is an understatement! There is no area safe from his curiosity. My bench will have locking cabinets and everything except the press will be secure when I am not reloading. Tumbling and cleaning of brass will be outside.
So, the question to those who have experience, what are the safety risks for residue that may be on or around a press after reloading? Are there safety concerns during the reloading process with the powder, primers and lead bullets such as inhalation hazards for a small child in the next room? Lead contamination worries me but I was under the assumption the main risk for lead was the cleaning of brass, is this correct?
Thanks to all in advance.

 

[Josh45]

I have a 2 year old niece running around all day long.

I wanted to put it in my room but because I was worried about her, I put everything in the basement. You have to get out of the house, Walk around and open a small door that is on lock to get in

So, I know no one can bother it unless they cut the lock or have a key...Which The 2 year old does not do

 

[snuffy]

Mines in a spare bedroom, no family, just the dog.

Your press will have lead styphonate all over it from spent primer residue. It's a lead salt produced by the burning of the primer compound. Keep the boy away from it and the surrounding area. Unless it's a lee with the spent primer disposal through the hollow ram. Other presses also do that, Forster, IIRC redding?

 

[gamestalker]

I raised 5 boys and a girl and never had to worry myself with them getting into anything. The trick was exposing them to the big bang and showing them that it is associated with the reloading room and it's contents. Now that they are all grown adults, I have asked them questions about them ever getting into anything unknow to me, and to my absolute confidense, they never touched a thing. Hiding it from a child only raises the curosity and likelyhood that they will investigate. Showing them what it does is satisfying to them, and removes all curosity.

 

[mgmorden]

Mine's out in the shed - I have no children but I do have my 3 nieces (aged 10 months to 3 years old) over all the time. They don't go into the shed though.

If I had children of my own, and my reloading stuff was in the house, then I'd probably keep it behind a locked door. Even aside from the chemical risks to them, kids like to play with stuff. There's a possibility that if they found those neat little jars of black powder they might start playing kitchen and mixing them up. If on the odd chance they did this without making a mess and put them back on the shelf, you could have a real problem on your hands.

 

[scythefwd]

In my sunroom off the side of my living room. Have a 19 month old... but I'm not worried about lead (the only things that will have lead are the tumbler which is wiped down externally after every use possibly my dies, which are locked up). Everything else is locked in the "bench".

 

[Zumet]

This time I'm set up in our garage. got heat, music,Sat. tv .and a 15 ft. bench, 2 shotgun reloader's, a Dillon 550 and a Lyman single stage mounted on the bench.

 

[Cherokee]

Basement, no children, wife not intereted, no problems.

 

[cfullgraf]

When the kids where little, my reloading room was first located in a bonus room over the garage, then after a move, in the basement.

Kids, when of toddler age, were included in the activities if they wanted but were instructed to not go into the reloading rooms without Mom or Dad.

Now, the kids are grown and moved out. One of the joys of being an empty nester. Most of the basement is my domain, between reloading, amateur radio, and fabricating/machine/automotive shop.

 

[swiftak]

My sons old bedroom.

 

[jmorris]

Office/reloading room for me. A lock on the door to the room will keep them out.

 

[esheato]

Garage. Have a four year old who spends a ton of time out there with me. No touching bullets or guns unless he asks me first. He's really good about asking too. Reloading is a huge part of my life, so there's really no hiding it or locking it up.

 

[nyc71]

Garage, my children 9 & 12 always ask first if they can help.


---
- "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety"- Benjamin Franklin

 

[lightman]

Mine is in a seperate interior room near the laundry,with a lockable door.And yes,there could be lead around your bench/press.I think there is a sticky on this site about lead poisoning,well worth reading. Lightman

 

[oldreloader]

I use the utility room at the end of the carport with heat and air from the house and an extra little air window unit.

 

[scythefwd]

lightman - Yes, it comes from the dust in the tumbler. My tumbler seals well and I don't sift the material... I dig through by hand (I have to wash my hands a lot, but it keeps the dust from being spread around).

 

[codefour]

All of my reloading equipment, components and benches are in the garage. The powder, primers, and loaded rounds are kept in my large gun safe. I keep pillow cases over the presses to avoid lead contamination.

My 11 year old daughter helps me reload. She deprimes a lot for me. I make her wear nitrile gloves and have good ventilation when she does. I also make sure she washes her hands when she is done. My six year old has no interest.

I wish my house had a basement. Most California homes do not b/c of those earth quake thingies we occasionaly get.

 

[Zotto]

Basement. I bought a metal gym locker to lock up components for when friends with kiddies come over.

 

[Frankl03]

Mine is set up in the garage. I have a an eight foot bench with a Lee 4 hole turret, a single stage for decapping and a dillon 600 supper swager set up.

I tumble in there but my tumbler has a nice tight lid. It is very loud though so while I tumble I usually do something else not in the garage.

 

[CHALK22]

My reloading domain is the garage. My two year. Old really just wants to be where daddy is, so if she comes out, we go play in the yard till she wants to go back inside, then I go back to reloading. Garage door, back door and window are always open when I am in there, so ventilation is not a problem. When she gets older she will be taught about what I am doing, dangers, helping, etc.... my powder/primers are in a cabinet on the wall about 4 feet above where she could rach, so I don't worry about her getting into it....yet.

 

[Old krow]

Now, the kids are grown and moved out. One of the joys of being an empty nester.

Same here sans the wife. I use a spare bedroom, but I tumble everything outside.

 

[stonecutter2]

Basement.

I'm looking into a lockable metal container for storing various components. For the time being we have a kid gate on the door opening, but we could always close the door and put a lockable doorknob on it.

 

[Cosmoline]

In three rubbermade totes and whatever flat surface is available. Bench? I don't need no stinkin' bench!

 

[josephbw]

When we built the pole barn, I had it designed with an office in mind. I then built the office, and since I retired from my business, I use the office to reload in, among other things. I have heat, A/C, and a half bath at my disposal. Great place to reload.

 

[Beancounter81]

Mine's in my woodshop - a detached building behind the house with some climate control. Youngest kid is 17 so I don't have to worry about anybody licking the press or swallowing primers.