Reloading bench in Garage

[jeo556]

My family is moving and it looks like my bench will end up being in the attached garage(no climate control). Just looking to hear from anyone that is also doing this and wondering if I need to worry about corossion on my dies and other equipment.

Any other opinions are also appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[Bluesop7]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

I have had my bench outside without climate control for the past two years. I would recommend having plenty of oil on hand for storing your dies. I oil mine up about every other time im out there. I didn't do that for a while and found that everything started to rust and corrode. Also be sure to store any sprays, liquids, primers, etc... are stored inside. It's a bit of a pain but those items will go bad if you leave them outside. I've had to replace several times when I first put my bench outside because of corrosion and things just going bad but to high and low temperatures over the course of the year.

So overall no big deal but just be sure to take the necessary precautions and do your preventative maintenance such as oiling your dies and any exposed metal on your press.

 

[Rthur]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Mine has been in the garage for years. It is insulated but not climate controlled. I have gotten into the habit of using surgical gloves. This keeps my brass, bullets and dies from the corrosive effects of contact with your hands. Since I have started this practice I haven't had a problem.

 

[bchibb]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Mine has been in garage for 13yrs.

 

[madd0c]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Garge for 4+ years, VCI chips in the die boxes (those little cardboard chips that alot of people throw away when you open the box- they are actually a rust preventer - replace every year), and keeping things oiled have worked so far. I agree with everything above that Rust is probably your biggest thing to think about in the non-climate controlled garage.

Also, it is not real fun to reload when it is pushing 95 in the garage. Other than that, no real issues.

madd0c

 

[Trovan]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

It doesnt get much more humid than Florida. I have kept mine in the garage for years. I keep the components inside but all tools outside. I use Eezox once in a while and i have never had a problem.

 

[Papagallos]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Boeshield T-9 is an outstanding product.

 

[Deltagunner00]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

I keep the press oiled and have a small cardboard box to carry my dies inside when I am done and keep them inside until I am ready to reload again. I am in the good ol' Indiana humidity.

 

[varmint slayer]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Mine is in a non-temp controlled room and I have had no problems other than freezing my ass off or sweating my ass off as the temps range from -30 to 100 throughout the year. I do like others have said and keep primers and powder inside and everything else stays out there. Haven't had any problems yet.

 

[Radar360]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Mine is in the attached garage too. I keep all components there until after the ammo is made. the Ammo comes into the house into the safe with a dehumidifier running all the time.

No problems.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

I've been doing my handloading in an unconditioned garage for well over a decade. Up here in Central NY, this imposes a seasonality to my activities out there. Each Autumn, I vow to bring things indoors; but so far, it hasn't happened. Yet.

Some of my dies bear a light coat of darker brown patina. On the outside. Inside, they get cleaned and lightly oiled after each use.

All this aside; there is no functional issue.

Greg

 

[heydavemd]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Stock up on Militec-1. then get a new realtor

 

[jeo556]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Thanks for the help guys. I'll will probably end up keeping them oiled up during dtorage.

Do you guys degrease the dies prior to loading? I was under the impression that too much oil is a bad thing when it comes to dies and cases.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Yes I do.

But I also use RCBS water soluble lube, which seems to be not much more than extra thick detergent.

Because it is so effective as a degreaser, I am very careful to clean it out and oil the dies after use.

Greg

 

[milo 2.0]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

You will like it in the garage. I moved my stuff out there a couple years ago, but mine is heated. But I would qeustion running a electronic scale under 50 degrees if you have one.

We had an extremely wet spring-early summer here and I noticed some rust starting to grow on some pieces. I just scrubbed them down, oiled them and it's fine. I contemplated moving stuff back into the basement. About that time the little woman came out barking orders, then I remembered why I was out there in the first place.
A friend has a 10'x16' shed with a high loft barn style roof out back, heated, but dedicated to reloading, guns, and hunting gear. His wife won't come out there, she calls him on his cell phone, it's friggin perfect!
Moisture from your hands will cause more rust than anything, indoors or in the garage.

 

[jonbearman]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

It all depends on humidity.Even in arid areas like arizona it can still get wet enough to rust dies.They are made out of leaded steel for a super finish.Unfortunatly they rust like crazy.For long storage I would just put the dies and little tools in your house or coat them with LPS-3 and then you will have to clean them with a solvent everytime you use them.

 

[fw707]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Is your garage sealed and insulated?
If it is, a window A/C and a dehumidifier will prevent rust from high humidity in the summer months. Winter months are drier and humidity shouldn't be a problem.

 

[milo 2.0]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

Winter is the worst time around my house. If it's snowing you can bet the wife will be in and out of the garage five times with her suv. You can't carry groceries through 1/2" of snow.

I ran a dehumidifier in my garage till a friend who owns a heating-ac business came over one day and started laughing hysterically at me. Asked if I was trying to dehumidify the atmosphere?

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

My car won't fit inside the garage, but th Snowblower does. From November to March; that's the only thing that gets my attention inside the garage...

 

[fw707]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: milo-2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I ran a dehumidifier in my garage till a friend who owns a heating-ac business came over one day and started laughing hysterically at me. Asked if I was trying to dehumidify the atmosphere? </div></div>

Was your "friend" trying to sell you something?

A dehumidifier works wonders in an <span style="text-decoration: underline">enclosed</span> space here where the humidity runs 80% plus all summer.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

I hsve a 10x12 section of my double garage walled off and insulated but the only time it's 'temp controlled' is when I load and use a small electric heater or a window AC unit. Otherwise my dies, powder, etc, have happily ignored the temps (and humidity) for the last 24 years!

I use Automatic Transmission Fluid as a gun oil and it works very well as a light oil for everything I've tried it on. Inexpensive too.

I use Imperial Die Wax as a case lube to there's no fear of rust from it. I give my dies a spritz of any low cost spray oil or rub a ATF wetted patch over them after use for storage protection. I clean them well before re-use tho.

 

[Silverbullet2]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

I had a situation like yours, and I just kept all the dies and case holders ia a tool box that came in with me in the house. Worked great. JPG

 

[snowdog650]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

My se-up is in the garage, and I have had zero issues. Then again, I live in a considerably drier climate than yours for 6 months out of the year. However, it rains an awful lot here in winter.

Nonetheless, you should be fine. Just clean your dies every 6 months or so, and you will be good to go. Also ... be sure to store your powder and primers inside the house.

 

[KLambert05]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

my dad keeps everything in the garage for the last 25 years. only problem is the presses need to be lubed every now and then. Primers are kept in dry boxes, and other than that everything is kept in cabinets. The garage is insulated, but still gets most the affect from the temps. Never had a misfire and everything still loads fine.

Location is in tx about 60 miles from the coast

 

[mavrick10_2000]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jeo556</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My family is moving and it looks like my bench will end up being in the attached garage(no climate control). Just looking to hear from anyone that is also doing this and wondering if I need to worry about corossion on my dies and other equipment.

Any other opinions are also appreciated.

Thanks, </div></div>

In Pittsburg you're probably going to have rust issues year round without climate control.

Zero issues where I'm at. That's where all of my equipment resides 100% of the time.

 

[Jeffvn]

Re: Reloading bench in Garage

I move to the desert from Houston, where I reloaded in my garage and needed to stay on top of everything to protect it from corrosion. I used various methods, including desicants, but the easiest was a corrosion preventative tab or sheet inside each container (like a die box). They are sold most anywhere. I put them in the dies, and in the drawer with the dies, and never had a problem. Items sitting in the open were a bit more problematic, but I got it all dealt with over time.

good luck and stay on top of it. No need to ruin gear that you like.

Jeffvn