"Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

[blacktaco]

I need help! I have a serious problem. Our normal 3bed/2ba house use to have an entire room dedicated to me - for reloading. Well - the wife is about to pop out our second child here in July - and guess who gets my room? lol
We have a living and family room - one of which NEVER gets used (ever). So I kind of got the okay to put a "computer desk" style desk/bench in one of the rooms. What are your guys' opinions on something like this? And I have never ran across a pic of a "nice - in the living room" bench/set-up in any of the thousands of "bench pics" threads I've seen. 90% are in the garage.
Will this work? Or do I bite the bullet - sell my 4wheeler, and use the space to build a bench in the garage (limited space in garage)? I'm pretty confused. I tumble/do the dirty stuff out in the garage already - so none of that stuff in the house.
(current set-up: loosing this room

)

Here is our living room - I'm debating the far right corner - maybe swapping the love seat with the couch - I'd ditch the "box" in that corner. The desk below would fit in the corner.

Here is the family room - we would get rid of the 2 couches - and buy a "L" shaped couch to go on the left - then put the "desk/bench" where the smaller couch is on the right.

Here is the set-up I was looking at buying:

Is this stupid? Can I make this work? Or no.

 

[roggom]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

At this point, with a new baby on the way, I wouldnt move the reloading to a common space. Have you considered a shed?

 

[blacktaco]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Yea, I was kind of up in the air about that. I'm very careful during the process when it comes to handling the primers/powder/lead - and I'd make sure all harmful equip is out of the way.

Yea, I do have a shed. It's just filled full with yard stuff. And it's out in the cold/heat. If I move out to the garage/shed - I just know that I'll never get time to go out and reload. If it's close (inside), like it is now - its very easy to do while the kids watch a movie or something.

That's why I was leaning towards the first room - no one ever goes in there.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

My concern about such questions revolves around distractions. Handloading does not coexist well with distractions.

I would get the process as far away from the higher traffic areas of my dwelling as is possible. I would also ensure that there is no opportunity for powder to spill on rugs.

Greg

 

[former naval person]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

After seeing the quality of construction of "modern" made in China computer desks...I think you would be wasting your money going that way. The pressed wood/quick fit nuts and screws are way too flimsy for the forces involved. Build yourself some firm fixtures in the garage and put up some screening/fold open doors that you can lock. Insulate the garage door and make a (semi) man cave out there. A Motel type (through the wall) heater/AC unit will keep it comfortable. JMHO

 

[ryanjay11]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

You could do like I've done and box in your bench. I made it into a cabinet that locks up.

All of my materials were from an old barn, but you should be able to come up with something that would work.

 

[blacktaco]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Ryan, thank you very much for that pic. Something like that would be perfect!!! If I could somehow manage to make it look decent - the wife would be much happier than a computer desk with junk mounted to it.
In regards to putting it out in the garage - I do all the work on my vehicles (don't trust anyone else) so the garage is filled with tools/quads/ect. No room for a reloading bench.
I think a cabinet like that is a great idea.

 

[Force_Multiplier]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

computer armoire

 

[turbo54]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Ryanjay11:

That picture/reloading setup is very inspiring! Excellent idea!

Luckily, I'm not in a situation or position to need to do a setup like that, but I suspect MANY folks are. That is a clean and compact way to have a heated and cooled reloading area you can "close for business", lock up and look neat nearly anywhere in the house.

Thanks for posting.

 

[blacktaco]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

That set-up is nicely done too - I like the barn-style doors. Pretty cool idea.

 

[blacktaco]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Found something. Kind of small - but I'll have to sacrifice. I'd rip all the interior boards out - and basically build a sturdy bench on the inside. For $160 - I couldn't build a nicer shell. The wife would be happy.

 

[xdeano]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

why not loft the older kids bed and put a crib under it. Keep them in the same room and you get to stay in your room. Win for everyone.

Then when they get older, just get bunk beds.

Or a bigger house.

xdeano

 

[RemingtonSPS]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Due to the economy we had to get a smaller place. We have 2 bedrooms. At my old house i had an entire room for reloading. I have downsized considerably. In our laundry room/pantry their was a pantry closet that i drew up plans for and had a cabinet maker buddy of mine fabricate for me. I installed it. It looks small, and its not ideal, but it is even more efficient and organized than my old setup. Instead of needing all the counter space i used before i designed a "quick change" feature into the bench by milling out a 3/4" recess into it (bottom pics).

 

[blacktaco]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: xdeano</div><div class="ubbcode-body">why not loft the older kids bed and put a crib under it. Keep them in the same room and you get to stay in your room. Win for everyone.

Then when they get older, just get bunk beds.

Or a bigger house.

xdeano </div></div>
Well - they could share a bedroom - I was fine with that. But we ended up with 1 girl (3yrs old) and now soon a boy - so my wife really wants to decorate a boys room...LOL. Damn.

I would love a bigger house (and property!)- unfortunately, we bought in 2008 at the top of the housing bubble. We're stuck where we are for the time being I think.



Mulehunter - that is great! I love the recessed block idea!! way to adapt!

 

[RemingtonSPS]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

At first i was bummed out that all i got was a closet, but i made the most of it. I actually enjoy reloading there now. Everything is well organized and has its own place. Thats one of the advantages of being forced to use limited space, it makes you keep things organized and put away.

 

[blacktaco]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MuleHunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">At first i was bummed out that all i got was a closet, but i made the most of it. I actually enjoy reloading there now. Everything is well organized and has its own place. Thats one of the advantages of being forced to use limited space, it makes you keep things organized and put away. </div></div>
Yea - I'm really going to have to get organized - which I look forward to doing. I don't know what happend - but I let everything get out of hand. Trying to process too many different lots of brass at once - and different calibers - makes a mess.

 

[Whiskey Tango Foxtrot]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

This is what I came up with.. Too damp in the shop so it has to be inside. $400 at Sams. Stainless kinda goes with the kitchen but I keep tellin the wife its better than my junk piled up every where.

 

[rrflyer]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

For about 200 bucks your could just put a wall and a door in on one of those rooms......

The new house we moved into actually had half the garage framed in and has a door into the house.

 

[jcal73]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

I think this is neat! My carpentry skills suck though.

Corner Reloading Bench Plans

Jeff

 

[Mike Sobr]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

A small to med size roll-top or drop-front desk lets you keep most of your stuff at the ready but with a quick closing of the door it all disappears. As mentioned don't get the chinese ones they fall apart before you finish screwing them together. You can find nice wood ones a garage sales or on Craig's list.
Most of these desks also have a few drawers below to store bulky items and powder and even a small 30 inch wide unit holds everything you need.

 

[blacktaco]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rrflyer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For about 200 bucks your could just put a wall and a door in on one of those rooms......

The new house we moved into actually had half the garage framed in and has a door into the house. </div></div>
This is a great idea - and I have considered it. Unfortunately - I don't have the room! The previous owner installed craftsman cabinets on both sides - and in the front, which really cut down on the overall room in the garage. It's still a good idea if I can figure it out though. Which would require selling our quads - not sure I want to go there just yet.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jcal73</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think this is neat! My carpentry skills suck though.

Corner Reloading Bench Plans

Jeff </div></div>
That is sweet! I've seen it before - and yea, my carpentry skills aren't the best. That dark wood "box" in my living room (to the right)- cost me nearly $200 to build - and took me almost 2 weeks....LOL! So much for saving money trying to build a toy box that matched our house....LOL

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

If you want your older child to get along with your younger, don't force them to share a room. Only God knows what passes through the mind of a toddler wen his/her younger sibling cries through a night in the same room.

Kids count more than reloading when space is short. If it comes down to it, you may need to put your personal activities aside for awhile. The world probably won't end in the meantime. I know; I suspended my own personal interests for about 20 years while my Daughter grew up. Doesn't look like it did any harm, and I'm mighty proud of my Daughter (and her family).

Priorities...; got to have priorities...

Greg

 

[Bluesop7]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Man y'all are alot more inventive than me. Back at the old house I got a shed out back which let me tell you sucked. I got really lucky this time around and got my own room.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Indoor issues: unauthorized handling (not child-proof), clutter potential, size limitations, spousal unrest (national security issue), and aesthetics.

Outdoor issues: Temperature variations, humidity differentials, security issues.

These are just the top of the pile for concerns to keep in mind. Comparatively, for indoor subtleties AND convenience there are many possibilities. You are starting to cover that ground with the computer desk type thing. You may want to look at an Armoir (in-room-standalone 'closet' type thing) for storage and major component use AS-WELL-AS a customized sofa-table made into a flip-top workbench/loadbench.

With a little diligence as well as innovation, you can have your stuff right out in the open, and discreetly put away at the same time. Easy to close up/put away, and very little effort needed to start up. After the kids have gone to bed and whatnot, to begin with.

Just my $0.02

Or, as Greg suggested, establish your priorities. Sell the kids!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

'Zackly!

 

[RemingtonSPS]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

I say downsize a little and put a lockable armoire in the kids room. Or get rid of the 4 wheeler in the garage.

When i first got married i lived in a studio apartment, the reloading bench was in my bedroom. When we got married that was the first thing to move LOL. I loved it, talk about convenient.

 

[darkarcher]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Time for another shed. Put the four wheeler and other stuff from the garage in it. Four wheeler will do OK in the shed out of the sun.

 

[Apex Motorsports]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

I think I saw a really nice work bench custom made out of butcher block. Looked like normal living room cabinet. Wasn't cheap but looked high end to match furniture. I recently said F-it and drilled a bunch of holes in the dining room table for the 650 while the woman was away. Can't wait to see her face when she gets home.

 

[memilanuk]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

I wish I'd kept the pics... somewhere (I think on Brian Enos forums) I saw a setup where the guy had a series of very nice built-in cabinets - which opened up and had a full set of blue reloading presses, case prep area, etc. Lower drawers held brass, powder, primers, bullets, etc. Sort of like the armoire idea, but built in so much more solid/stable.

 

[BGE541]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Sell the fourwheeler... With another child and shooting you wont be riding it much.... really, dont loose the room, it looks like you need it.

 

[DP425]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Okay- I'll toss out a couple of ideas:

Basement? I assume you don't have one since that wasn't mentioned as an option.

Depending on how much you can spend, pick up a SMALL (8'x8') shed kit from Lowes or HD, or if you're handy enough, build one of your own plans. Insulate it, run a 40amp 240v line to it with a very small breaker box- Install a through wall A/C & Heat pump combo. One circuit for wall outlets (20a), one for lights (15a) and one for your AC/Heat pump. Put a 36" exterior door on it, a light above it. If you can do all the work yourself or with friends, I could see this being completed for $1500-$2000- 100% ready to go and fully finished. Frame it with 2x4's, toss up some 1" foam board and use 4x8 wood siding up- paint it. Put R48 worth of insulation in the ceiling, be sure the attic is ventilated and use some reasonably price shingles. Put up bench and shelves on two walls, you should end up with around 6'x6' to move around and work. If that isn't enough, bump up to 8x10.

If you can swing that, I'd go that route for sure- it gets you out of the house and away from the family (and the distractions they bring). It ensures all of your stuff is kept totally removed from kids, and it gives you a space that is 100% yours.


Oh, I don't know how far north you are, but heat pumps loose efficiency/function worse as temps really start to drop. So if it gets below freezing pretty regularly and by a decent amount, a separate electric wall-mounted heater would be needed.

Anyway, good luck!

 

[blacktaco]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Thank you very much for all the ideas - it helps. I'm really in a toss-up with what to do right now.
I've been trying to clear/clean-up the office for the past 5 evenings - and it isn't going so good. I wish I could show you guys my closet - it's full of shit (ammo) too.
I think the wife can see that I'm willing to make something work - but we are both at a total loss on what to do.
The above post about riding the quad - is correct. It will be years (like 10-12) before I get to do anything like that again - I might as well sell it. I do have free storage of them (there are 2) at my warehouse/work though. I think they will be headed there soon. This still doesn't leave me enough room to build anything in the garage though.
The wife gave me the okay to keep the room (she really doesn't want all my crap in the living room)- and put the baby/crib in the living room that we never use - she just wants the furniture moved around - which is easy. I feel bad for her though - and not exactly sure I should take her up on the idea. (it could be a win/loose situation...LOL)

I wish this house already had built-in cabinets in one of the rooms - that would be a winner situation.
The shed - that's #2 on the list. I may end up going this route.
I'm going to check and see how much a washer/dryer relocation would cost first though. Our laundry room is 6x5.5x8 - and I know I could make it work as a reloading room - and this would be ideal (always 69 degrees, locks, close, still out of the way from everyone)

 

[Moose72]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Can you make the living room you don't use into another bedroom or reloading room? It will invlove some work and material, but could be done in a weekend.

I'm not sure what room gets used the least, but if you build a wall/s(Some 2x4's, screws,and drywall), and add a door, you have another room in your house you can use for whatever you want.

Just a suggestion.

Congrats on the new baby.

 

[nashlaw]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

I have a storage barn that I use. It is 12x24 and has a pantload of space. Actually, it is far more than I need. I was initially going to get an 8x10 that would have had plenty of room, but I had this one built by some friends that did me right on the price. It is all on 18" centers with a 3/4" floor. Under $1500 should get you in the barn bidness.

 

[JByrd]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

The reloading room is one of the most used rooms in our house. There is no way i would move it to an outbuilding and sweat/freeze my nuts off. My nuts are valuable to me and they and my hodgdon need to be comfy and climate controlled. Large armoure thingy along wall with lockable rollup door and your in. I mounted my press to a plate so i could clamp it where ever i want,i take it in kitchen sometimes if me and wife are jabberin or friends are over and were socializin.

 

[BGE541]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

The valua of those quads in 10-12 years will have dropped alot. Not pushing it but realistically I think your going to have to part with something and that MAY be it. Hoe you get it all figured out.

 

[milo 2.0]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

By your first picture, you have alot of stuff to store. Blending anything into the living room would be hard. Storage is a premium. If the garage can't be an option, lose some cabinets etc.. A shed would be my option, I have a friend who has his setup in one, sweet, heated elec, no ac but don't know why. His wife calls him on his cell phone from the house, doesn't get any better!

I have a gun room, used for storage mostly, after the no smoking ban in the house. In the garage I load off a 3' by 6' free standing table on casters, with two shelves. I load long range stuff on one end with a Forster press, blasting ammo on the other end, powder throwing, trimming, case prep, annealing, priming, in the center. All stuff not being used is stored on shelves. It's wired with 4 outlets, you can sit, stand, walk around it, I've never had a negative comment on this setup. Something like this would take the space of your qauds in the garage, once you heated it.

But a shed out back, sometimes a guy needs a little solitude.

 

[Bloody_Tailgate]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Sell your current washer and dryer and get stackable ones. Move the cabinet uppers to the back wall of the room, slide the stacked washer/dryer to the corner where the washer sits and build a bench in the corner where the dryer is now.

 

[slm9s]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

I recently moved from the detached garage into the house. I have a permanent "storage" area, but bought a wheeled cart off craigslist to wheel into the kitchen and 'dock' it next to the island for more space. Its very messy currently, but you get the idea, and the wife likes that the mess wheels away into the next room in 10 seconds.

 

[blacktaco]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

Okay - so my wife came up with a pretty dam'd good idea. We had a cabinet in the garage that was full of junk that was just wasting space. We emptied out the cabinet, and I'm on the road to building a bench "inside" the cabinet. On top of the 4x4's on the sides of those plastic storage bin will sit a sheet of 1/2" plywood and a 2x12 - that will be the bench. Then I have to figure out press/trimmer/dropper stands - because my old set-up (that mounted to now) I don't think I like.
I don't think I'll like loading in the heat/cold....but it is what it is.
Here is a shot closed:

Here is a shot open:

 

[davjones]

Re: "Blend" a bench into the living room? LOL

That looks like a good setup and the cabinet in not that bad looking on the outside. Couldn't you move the cabinet into one the rooms that you don't use much inside the house? You would then have better conditions to reload in and wouldn't have to contend with the heat/cold in the garage. You may want to put something to the floor to catch any spilt powder.