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Building the Perfect Reloading Room

I’ve been contemplating getting this same Craftsman metal cabinet for my reloading room but wasn’t sure how well the limited number of shelves would hold up to stacking weight on them. What do you store in yours and does it work well?
I added some more shelves in mine. I keep brass, dies and powder in it and it has worked out very well.
 
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Pulled out the old island bench and built a new one a couple weeks ago. Its working out nicely.


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I think the bench rest guys been at it for a long time.

I'm 10 minutes from a local short range and retiered so not worth it for me for testing but can see the appeal.

If I had a patch of land there would be a portal in the reloading room.

As finicky as scales can get it's a wonder how people make it work.
 
I finally finished my 4th bench in my reloading room which is a dedicated gun building bench. Just needs to be stained and cleared but that will have to wait till spring when I can leave the windows open.

1. Dillon XL650 bench
2. Co-Ax / Chargemaster bolt rifle bench
3. Roch Chucker depriming and brass prep bench
4. Gun building/cleaning bench

I went with Inline Fabrications Ultramount with Quick Change baseplate system. Its an amazing setup!! I have 5 baseplates with different tools mounted on each. They have a huge drop down of pre made plates for all kinds to tools, trimmers, presses, vises, etc. Waiting on a second shipment from them with my wall mounting system. Also have a nice sturdy old dinning room table as kind of a 5th bench for whatever I need it for.









Very nice and neat
 
Thought I would share my setup as I got a lot of ideas from here and found it very helpful. Set up is using heavy duty t-tracks from here and I made attachments from plywood that attach with wing nuts. The room is also our guest room with a Murphy bed on the other wall so wanted to keep it looking nice and able to remove everything. Although….it has become my gun room 😄

The Co-ax press I made hangers on each side to hold bins with aluminum pieces from Home Depot and works really well. The vice to hold my guns for cleaning is a pattern maker’s vice from Grizzly which works great. Also have a normal Harbor Freight vice and RCBS Auto Primer attached to a piece of plywood that attaches to the t-tracks as well which is helpful.

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Thought I would share my setup as I got a lot of ideas from here and found it very helpful. Set up is using heavy duty t-tracks from here and I made attachments from plywood that attach with wing nuts. The room is also our guest room with a Murphy bed on the other wall so wanted to keep it looking nice and able to remove everything. Although….it has become my gun room 😄

The Co-ax press I made hangers on each side to hold bins with aluminum pieces from Home Depot and works really well. The vice to hold my guns for cleaning is a pattern maker’s vice from Grizzly which works great. Also have a normal Harbor Freight vice and RCBS Auto Primer attached to a piece of plywood that attaches to the t-tracks as well which is helpful.

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Nice, clean set up dude. I’m very jealous.

Show it again in 3 months and I hope it doesn’t look like mine. Lol.
 
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Nice, clean set up dude. I’m very jealous.

Show it again in 3 months and I hope it doesn’t look like mine. Lol.

Haha…you should have seen it about an hour prior. I had cleaned stuff up today and have been meaning to take pics showing the set up. Just be careful opening those cabinet doors 🤦‍♂️
 
Haha…you should have seen it about an hour prior. I had cleaned stuff up today and have been meaning to take pics showing the set up. Just be careful opening those cabinet doors 🤦‍♂️
Lol. Fair enough. Still looks great.

It would take me waaaayyy more then an hour to make my bench pic worthy.
 
Well you will need granite cleaner to maintain it and an inclinometer to set it square.
 
Pic it up and walk off with it, it's yours.

Nobody with balls enough to stop you. Lol
 
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Pic it up and walk off with it, it's yours.

Nobody with balls enough to stop you. Lol

There are spare Bridgports, surfacing machines and other such cool things at work.....once I started "walking off" there wouldn't be time to do what I am paid for.
 
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What did you use to finish the top? That's a nice looking heavy duty bench!
3/4" plywood. I may be moving soon. I will build a new bench with the same system but I may buy two long butcher block counter tops from Home Depot to moung onto the top of my bench.
 
You guys in your fantastic rooms, I would love to have something like that but not to be.

Really I am quite happy living in the basement with all the other normal "basement type stuff" all around.

I load on a tool box with a wooden top, it has enough space to put all my stuff in, and it is very solid, not going anywhere.

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The long bench is where I do cleaning and repair, just more easy to get a chair around it, I generally load standing up.

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One drawer for example

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These photos are from 2018, and quite a few changes have been made along the line, I no longer store ammo in the drawers for example, the press, trimmer and several other things have changed also. I really like where it is now, it works for me.
 
What a damned mess.
Some people I swere.

Your pretty disorganized.
I thought everyone knew skeletons belonged in a closet.

Get a grip man.
 
What a damned mess.
Some people I swere.

Your pretty disorganized.
I thought everyone knew skeletons belonged in a closet.

Get a grip man.

You have no idea, that is no where near a mess. And very organized.....for me. I have a feeling you would think my shop is worse. I am in the middle....well not the middle, more beginning of a restore on a 1963 bug. Never done an old VW before my "thing" was old british cars did two of those, one Triumph and one MG. Did one Mustang and a 70 Torino cobra....wish I still had that car....and was one of two really stupid people in north america that SCCA raced an Opel GT. Point is I have done a car or two, and this system works for my brain.

A pic I have on the phone of the VW

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To trip your trigger a little more here is where the loaded rounds are stored, and again to me it is very easy to find things.

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It is quite funny really, your comments. And I have fought them my entire life. Back when I was a kid the thinking was little Johnny just needed a swift smack on the bottom and he would straighten up. Well guess what, when your brain works differently there is no amount of spankings that are going to fix it.

I got diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia when I was in my 50's. The wife was just so sick of me screwing things up. Turns out there is a reason I must have chaos in my life. I am really 180 from OCD, I can look at it and see it, but I just can't do it.

I was going to turn this into an ADHD and dyslexia thread, but will save it for the bear pit.

I will leave it at, it works for me.
 
Your shop is fine.
While you are putting your skeleton in a proper closet for storage look inside and see if you can find a sense of humor.

This is a mess for a reference.

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Got a lot of great ideas from the thread. Need some help though- working on a new reloading area in the house. I installed four 36" cabinets and another 12" on the end for support. Got four 6' butcher block counter tops. So far I've got about 90% of the area done, but trying to figure out the best/strongest way to build shelves on top of this side of the counter top. I tend to put heavy stuff on the shelves (bullets) and need them with decent support. Not too deep (12" maybe?) but can build up the whole wall if I want to. Don't really want to do cabinets, but would like some strong shelves.

It's about 127" across (10'7") 47" tall 50" wide on the left side, 43" tall 45" wide on the right side, and 55" tall by 32" wide in the middle.

Any idea best way to build shelves in there that will hold up to some heavy weights?

Right side will be open, with better lighting and T-tracks for press and accessory mounting and doing work on stuff. Need to put the other two tops on the right side and then decide if I want to put a coating or light stain on the wood.

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My reloading shelves are wall mounted and only 7" deep so nothing gets pushed to the back and lost out of sight out of mind. The adjustable wall mount bracket makes it easier to change shelf spacing as your reloading habit grows or changes. Cant remember the brand but the links below should give you an idea. Screwed to the studs at 16" spacing should hold a significant amount of weight
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Adjustable wall brackets: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubberm...r-Wood-or-Wire-Shelving-FG4B8900BLA/100149366

Shelf bracket: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubberm...acket-for-Wood-Shelving-FG4C0402WHT/100042355
 
My reloading shelves are wall mounted and only 7" deep so nothing gets pushed to the back and lost out of sight out of mind. The adjustable wall mount bracket makes it easier to change shelf spacing as your reloading habit grows or changes. Cant remember the brand but the links below should give you an idea. Screwed to the studs at 16" spacing should hold a significant amount of weight
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Adjustable wall brackets: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubberm...r-Wood-or-Wire-Shelving-FG4B8900BLA/100149366

Shelf bracket: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubberm...acket-for-Wood-Shelving-FG4C0402WHT/100042355
thought about doing something like this. I've installed a ton of Elfa shelving in the house over the years, pretty similar and pretty heavy duty.
 
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Got a lot of great ideas from the thread. Need some help though- working on a new reloading area in the house. I installed four 36" cabinets and another 12" on the end for support. Got four 6' butcher block counter tops. So far I've got about 90% of the area done, but trying to figure out the best/strongest way to build shelves on top of this side of the counter top. I tend to put heavy stuff on the shelves (bullets) and need them with decent support. Not too deep (12" maybe?) but can build up the whole wall if I want to. Don't really want to do cabinets, but would like some strong shelves.

It's about 127" across (10'7") 47" tall 50" wide on the left side, 43" tall 45" wide on the right side, and 55" tall by 32" wide in the middle.

Any idea best way to build shelves in there that will hold up to some heavy weights?

Right side will be open, with better lighting and T-tracks for press and accessory mounting and doing work on stuff. Need to put the other two tops on the right side and then decide if I want to put a coating or light stain on the wood.

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I bought oak planks and made this.
I'd recommend doing a dovetail at the joints because it looks better, but I was in a hurry to get it done.
I has a lot more weight on it now and there is no warping or bending.
The planks aren't cheap, but they work well.

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I'm pretty sure you can get them in lengths up to 12'

Figure your layout and design it so the boxes of bullets fit nicely.

Also, note that I built mine with a base. It prevents stuff from trying to get under the bullet boxes.

Build it free standing and then use a few screws to hold it to the bench top.
 
got the countertops all installed and sanding them. Now I am debating a coating or stain. I've prefer to keep the natural look or maybe a very light stain (makes it easier to find small parts when I drop them) and also protecting from stains from chemicals while cleaning...

any suggestions for type? mineral oil and keep it simple or water based and a coating, or oil/polyurethane coating for extra protection?
 
You guys all have amazing reload areas!! I have a 12x12 area in the garage and very happy to have it. The mobile stations are very nice too. What is thPe advantage of the mobile reloading? I see a guy at the range doing it and wonder how he ever gets the powder right.
 
got the countertops all installed and sanding them. Now I am debating a coating or stain. I've prefer to keep the natural look or maybe a very light stain (makes it easier to find small parts when I drop them) and also protecting from stains from chemicals while cleaning...

any suggestions for type? mineral oil and keep it simple or water based and a coating, or oil/polyurethane coating for extra protection?
For me, this depends on the use.

If it's a bench where I will be clamping stuff to and tooling things with chisels or wrenches or sanders, gluing and staining, bluing and painting and cleaning, I usually leave the wood "in the white" and consider the scars and stains as character. This also leaves me with some sense of comfort when I do put a dent or scratch or drip in/on the surface rather than thinking I should "touch that up".

If it's a bench where I will not be doing any of the above, designated for the more delicate and precise stuff, I like to apply an oil finish like Tung or Linseed on top of either natural or light stained wood. Several coats and finished to 600-800 grit. These can be touched up later on with relative ease when compared to a lacquer or poly finish. However, I do like the traditional spar varnishes such as Waterlox (talk about durable!!!). I just prefer the non gloss stuff because the reflected glare at times is annoying.
 
Just wanted to say thank you to all that have provided to this thread. I learned a lot and it helped me design what I could do with the space I have. Here is my contribution of sorts...

Brand new to shooting and reloading (Started purchasing Pistols & Riffles in early 2021. Reloading this June). Might be one of the worst times in my life time to get into both with the costs. However, I find it therapeutic and enjoyable. Surrounded by wonderful people that I feel are accelerating my learning. In addition to my friends, I have also taken three Insight training classes for handguns. I know about 1% of what I think I need to know, happy to be learning. As for my PRC... I am aiming for a mile. Already @ 1" MOA @ 200 and about 4" at 500. I know my tools can do because one of my friends did it already with my rifle.

Here is my reloading area I assembled in the garage. Powders & Primers are all in the home in a wood cabinet. Funny how a $600 Dillon machine turns into a $9200 investment in a couple of months...

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I found it on Global Industrial


They also sell it on Amazon but it’s not assembled and costs more. I had some gift cards so I bought mine off Amazon. Also, you can’t return an assembled cabinet if you order from them instead of the unassembled one you get off Amazon. Took me a bit over three hours to assemble it by myself. I have no complaints with it and would recommend it to someone who was in the market for such a cabinet. The one on Amazon is about 300 more so if I didn’t have the gift cards, I probably would have bought it directly from Global Industrial and took my chances with it possibly getting damages in shipping, which seems to happen a lot these days.
 
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I purchased two Milwaukee cabinets!! Perfect for what I need.
Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.



 
I purchased two Milwaukee cabinets!! Perfect for what I need.
Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.



Will take pictures of my updated room and gun room
 
I am building a reloading room soon (moving). I am reloading on a carpeted floor now and have static electricity issues with my A&D/autotrickler setup. What is the BEST floor? Wood? plastic-luxury vinyl? Rubber????
 
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I am building a reloading room soon (moving). I am reloading on a carpeted floor now and have static electricity issues with my A&D/autotrickler setup. What is the BEST floor? Wood? plastic-luxury vinyl? Rubber????
I have a hard wood floor in mine. Try putting your scale on a block of granite. Also, I run humidifiers and control my load room environment. Constant 68 to 72 degrees and 35 to 45 percent humidity. That seems to have killed the static issue for me.
 
Finally getting to my new reloading room. Had limited power outlets so I decided to fix that. Also went with some T track. Hoping to get it wrapped up soon. Still deciding on what I am doing with the ceiling. The floor will get wood laminate.
 

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I am building a reloading room soon (moving). I am reloading on a carpeted floor now and have static electricity issues with my A&D/autotrickler setup. What is the BEST floor? Wood? plastic-luxury vinyl? Rubber????
What is under the carpet?
If wood I would use heavy duty vinyl floor.
If concrete I would paint the floor and use foam padding (Harbor Freight foam $8-10 per bundle) in standing areas.
Both yield easier cleaning, less static electricity, easier finding dropped items and excellent durability.
 
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This was long overdue…

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Those are In-Line Fabrication’s 4” Micro Ultra mounts for the presses. I raised the presses off the bench surface, and chose these mounts to move the downward force from the presses further back on the table surface (with the way the mounts are designed). The bench is a U-Line heavy duty packing bench with a 1-3/4” thick maple top. Reinforced underneath with an adjustable (IKEA) table leg in the center. Also, the bench is bolted to the studs in the wall. Believe me, it doesn’t move. Which is quite the change from my old set up… a repurposed door. That had a lot of flex in it.

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The bench has power outlets on both sides of the front. I also put in a heavy duty (rated at 1400#’s) shelving unit (on the left) to accommodate the components and firearms cleaning stuff. Again a big change from the plastic shelves that were buckling under the weight (especially from the bullets). Powder and primers are locked up in the cabinets.

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The cleaning station is located on the opposite side of the room from the bench.

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I do firearm cleaning and maintenance on the centre table.

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The powder measuring station is off the bench and levelled with a heavy Corian table top. This station is also situated far away from the AMP annealer’s big magnets to prevent errors on the lab grade scales.