Setting up a new reloading room.

[wburke2010]

I just moved out of my parents house and got my own place. I have a 12-22 metal building that I am building my gun room and reloading room in. Down one side I have a 12' counter top with cabinets underneath the on another wall I have a 5' counter with a sink where my tumbler and ss tumbler will go. Now that I have more room tomorrow I am picking up a Dillon xl650. And ordered a Giraud annealing machine since they are 14 weeks out. I also ordered one mounting brackets that hold the Akron bins from inline fab to go behind the Dillon and then one for behind my co-ax that is on a inline mount. Next to those two will be my chargemaster then the Giraud trimmer and the annealing machine. There is a light in the middle of the room now and I am going to instal some track lighting to go above the counter and I also have the inline lights on the co-ax and ordered the inline skylight for the Dillon.

If you were to setup a new reloading room, what is something that you would change or like to add. I want to do this right the first time so I do not have to change anything or do it over again. I always like to keep everything organized and put away so that I have a clean area to work in and do not get anything mixed up.

Thanks


Walter

 

[mdmp5]

You interested in loading rifle and pistol? I would get a dedicated press for rifle rounds and use the 650 for pistol and cranking out 223. If you are just gonna use the 650, then you have powder charges taken care of already. I would look into a trimmer of some sort, either a Giraud or lathe type. Have plenty of shelves to put your brass, bullets, powder, and primers on.

 

[wburke2010]

You interested in loading rifle and pistol? I would get a dedicated press for rifle rounds and use the 650 for pistol and cranking out 223. If you are just gonna use the 650, then you have powder charges taken care of already. I would look into a trimmer of some sort, either a Giraud or lathe type. Have plenty of shelves to put your brass, bullets, powder, and primers on.

I am loading all my precison stuff on the co-ax I already have the giruad trimmer..... The 650 will be used only for 45acp once the funds recover some, I will either get a new toolhead and such for 9mm or get another 650 just for 9mm those are the only handgun rounds that I shoot and will load for.

Walter

 

[mdmp5]

Missed the part where you mentioned the co-ax

 

[Boogie]

An air conditioner. It's going to get hot as hell in that sheet metal building in summer time.

 

[djskit]

You interested in loading rifle and pistol? I would get a dedicated press for rifle rounds and use the 650 for pistol and cranking out 223. If you are just gonna use the 650, then you have powder charges taken care of already. I would look into a trimmer of some sort, either a Giraud or lathe type. Have plenty of shelves to put your brass, bullets, powder, and primers on.

I wouldn't store any primers or powder in a metal building. I keep all mine in my cloest in my bedroom so that it is 24/7/365 climate controlled.

 

[shurt]

djskit ... is right. Primers and powder should be stored in a climate controlled room.

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

Don't forget lots of good lighting
Put thought into the height of your bench.
Don't make your bench too deep, its wasted space and accumulates clutter.
Have ~twice or more bench space than you think you need.
Plenty of shelving for brass/bullets etc.
Power outlets
filing cabinet or chest of drawers for tool and die storage

 

[wburke2010]

Right now I have 12' of counter top like in kitchen with cabinets under it down one wall. With my Dillon 650 on one end then the chargemaster then the co-ax then the Giraud case trimmer then the Giraud annealer. behind the Dillon and the co-ax I have a 32 inch inline fab rail on the wall with die holders and other bins on it. to store stuff I use all the time. Then on the short wall I have a four foot counter with a small sink in it with my ss media and vibrator media tumblers. There is a three foot outlet switch mounted on the wall behind the bench. Above the bench I have a light. By next week I will have a window unit ac in there that will keep it at a stable temp. The building is insulated.

I will get some pictures posted in the next day or so.

Thanks

Walter

 

[FN in MT]

Lots of LIGHT.

Containers to store small items and a LABEL MAKER to label them.

I've found that the labels come off of Berger bullet boxes easily with little glue left to clean up. I label whats in them and it's REALLY cleaned up the clutter on my bench.

 

[Clark]

I reload at 4 basic places:
1) my reloading room with lots of presses
2) in front of my computer, on which I watch TV
3) in my vehicle
4) in a few other guy's reloading rooms 1,000 miles from here

When a guy first sets up a reloading room he puts the dies together on a shelf, the bullets together on a shelf, etc.
Now I have 100 file folder boxes on shelves and a big label on the front of each box.
32acp, 32S&W, 32 S&W Long, and 32-20 may all share a box.
.223 may have 10 file folder boxes.

When I set someone else's reloading up, they typically have all the dies on a shelf, etc.
I get them set up so they can do one thing at at time in front of their TV.
Then they put it back in the box, and put the box back in the reloading room.
The area around the TV is cleaned up so no reloading gear is there when not in use.
A single press mounted to a board is clamped in front of the TV, and then later moved back to the reloading room for storage.

In my vehicle I have two lightweight RCBS partner presses, a powder measure, and a scale. I take the beam off the scale and tape up the powder measure when not in use.

When I use other people's reloading room, I try to get everything back to the way I found it after I am done. If they have a die in a press, that may be adjusted and they don't want it moved.

 

[EricCartmann]

Well Heated in the Winter, and well cooled in the Summer. Also need a TV, that is crucial. Case prepping can be very mundane sometimes, so watching Sports while you are prepping cases makes it all worthwhile. You care going to watch sports anyways, so might as well get something done while you are doing it.