Thinking about reloading, but have some reload room placement questions

[SSGSAD]

I would've thought that the constant change would ruin the components? Does your brother or you, BBI, put anything to keep your stuff dry?

Not as far as I know ..... He might use dessicant, in his locked cabinets .....

Which he got on sale from Menards, IIRC .....

Anything you need help with, just let us know .....

I am always willing to help .....

 

[oldpink]

Hey, there's nothing wrong with planning ahead for your first ever foray into reloading.
I originally got into reloading when I was 20 and in the Navy, with my first ever rounds rolling off my cheap little Homak bench that I stuck in my folks' basement while I was on leave.
Once my enlistment expired and I got married, I couldn't reload because I was living on a college campus, then after that in a house too small and totally lacking a place to do it.
It's nice to finally have a place to reload again, even though it's a garage, and it's like putting on a comfortable old shoe running the old Rock Chucker when it's not too hot or too cold.
You'll love it once you get the hang of it.

 

[gmcttr]

Epoxy injection Crack Repair

With 25 years in commercial construction I've been involved with epoxy injection and it can work well with poured concrete walls.

I made an assumption (yeah...I know) it was an older home with concrete block walls that can't be fixed with epoxy injection.

 

[gregkl]

I just want to make sure I cover my bases and think everything through. I'm REALLY good at overthinking/overanalyzing things!

This may take longer but by me doing this also I end up with highly functional, aesthetically pleasing and long lasting projects.

 

[Contender]

I loaded in my garage for 15 years or more with limited bench space. I used a single stage so equipment was not huge. Kept all the equipment in a cabinet on the wall, got it out to reload and then put it back up. Did keep powder, primers and dies in the house in a closet. Now have a dedicated bench in the basement. Be creative, it don't take much room to make it happen.

 

[CraigAPS]

With 25 years in commercial construction I've been involved with epoxy injection and it can work well with poured concrete walls.u

I made an assumption (yeah...I know) it was an older home with concrete block walls that can't be fixed with epoxy injection.

Yes, I do have a block foundation, but there aren't cracks in it. It really just seeps in in a couple spots. Mostly, now that I think about it, where rabbits and raccoons are getting under my deck. I wish I could get the little bastard out without tearing up the deck.

This may take longer but by me doing this also I end up with highly functional, aesthetically pleasing and long lasting projects.

Take longer? Yes. But, and I assume you're similar, when I do it, it's done once and exactly how I want it which means others may get it done faster, but they do it over more often!

Anything you need help with, just let us know .....

I am always willing to help .....

Hey, there's nothing wrong with planning ahead for your first ever foray into reloading.

You'll love it once you get the hang of it.

These last two epitomize why this forum is great! The helpfulness and support continues to astound me!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I'm leaning toward the Lee Turret. The problem with the garage is space. I have a 2 car garage, but I also have 2 work benches in an "L" shape and a stand alone table saw already.

Mount your turret to a small piece of plywood. Use C-clamps to clamp it to your work bench. Just remove it when you need to use your workbench for something else. Do the same with your powder dispenser.

 

[CraigAPS]

Mount your turret to a small piece of plywood. Use C-clamps to clamp it to your work bench. Just remove it when you need to use your workbench for something else. Do the same with your powder dispenser.

So, I take it you would advise against a through die powder measure?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

So, I take it you would advise against a through die powder measure?

Not really, I wouldn't advise one way or the other. I've never bothered to use one because I like to see my powder in the pan before I pour it in and I re-verify a measure of powder by scale every now and then.

 

[Twangbanger]

Really a side comment, given the trajectory of the thread, but just curious to the OP...where did you put your gun safe?

 

[CraigAPS]

Really a side comment, given the trajectory of the thread, but just curious to the OP...where did you put your gun safe?

That's none of your darn business!!

In all seriousness, it's inside a closet. I keep my edc next to me at all times, either on me or on the nightstand. So, getting quick access wasn't a concern.

 

[CraigAPS]

Not really, I wouldn't advise one way or the other. I've never bothered to use one because I like to see my powder in the pan before I pour it in and I re-verify a measure of powder by scale every now and then.

What type of press are you running?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

What type of press are you running?

Lee 4 hole turret. It's not the fastest, but it's really easy to swap between calibers. Somethings, like .45 ACP or .38 wadcutters, I load 1000 before swapping. Others, like .44 mag or .45 Colt, 100-200 is plenty before I'm ready to swap to something else.

I'm set up to load:
.45 ACP
.45 Colt
.44 Mag/special
.38 Special
.357 magnum
9mm
.40 S&W
.30-06 (haven't actually loaded any yet, but I've got the dies and have saved my brass)

 

[CraigAPS]

Lee 4 hole turret. It's not the fastest, but it's really easy to swap between calibers. Somethings, like .45 ACP or .38 wadcutters, I load 1000 before swapping. Others, like .44 mag or .45 Colt, 100-200 is plenty before I'm ready to swap to something else.

I'm set up to load:
.45 ACP
.45 Colt
.44 Mag/special
.38 Special
.357 magnum
9mm
.40 S&W
.30-06 (haven't actually loaded any yet, but I've got the dies and have saved my brass)

Wow! Do you set up each time you load each caliber or do you have them in different turrets and fine tune each time? So, do you take each round out to add powder, funnel it in as it's sitting in the shell holder, or as it's in the flaring die, or...?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Wow! Do you set up each time you load each caliber or do you have them in different turrets and fine tune each time? So, do you take each round out to add powder, funnel it in as it's sitting in the shell holder, or as it's in the flaring die, or...?

Each set of dies is in its own plate. You just pop the plate off, pop the new one in, replace the holder on the ram that actually holds the brass, and make sure you've got the right primer holder (small or large) in place and you're done. It's easily done in less than a minute. I just keep all my dies on the top shelf in my box.

Obviously you'll want to verify OAL with calipers, but with the Lee locking dies they don't move very often. The only time I have to adjust something is going from wadcutters to semi-wadcutters or RN on .38 and .357. I've kicked around getting another set so I can just leave one set for .38 wadcutters and one set for .357 semi-wadcutters, which would cover most of what I load for those.

The Lee has a pour-through flaring die. Lee also sells a plastic funnel that fits in it. I dispense into a little pan (that came with my scale) and then pour it through the funnel.

Anyway, the only thing I have to adjust is the powder dispenser, which is pretty easy to do. When I used a tri-beam scale it took a little longer, and I finally got a digital scale. It's way faster, but not quite as precise (to within .1 grain, plenty close enough for pistol rounds unless you're taking them to the Olympics...)

 

[gregkl]

Yes, I do have a block foundation, but there aren't cracks in it. It really just seeps in in a couple spots. Mostly, now that I think about it, where rabbits and raccoons are getting under my deck. I wish I could get the little bastard out without tearing up the deck.

Animals can be a pain. I have lived in my house for two years now and am finally getting some control over them. Previous owners let them do what they wanted, where they wanted. It was bad.



Take longer? Yes. But, and I assume you're similar, when I do it, it's done once and exactly how I want it which means others may get it done faster, but they do it over more often!

Agreed! That has been my experience also.

Mount your turret to a small piece of plywood. Use C-clamps to clamp it to your work bench. Just remove it when you need to use your workbench for something else. Do the same with your powder dispenser.

This is similar to what I do only I have a couple holes drilled in my top and use bolts with wing nuts to clamp it down. C-Clamps are easier, but I was too OCD when I designed mine.

Not really, I wouldn't advise one way or the other. I've never bothered to use one because I like to see my powder in the pan before I pour it in and I re-verify a measure of powder by scale every now and then.

I use a powder measure attached to the same board as my press. I weigh before I start at the end of a session and every 10th round as I charge.

 

[Twangbanger]

That's none of your darn business!!

In all seriousness, it's inside a closet. I keep my edc next to me at all times, either on me or on the nightstand. So, getting quick access wasn't a concern.

Ok, so yeah...I was wondering why you don't just reload in the same room, but it sounds like that room is devoted to other uses, and you are pretty space-limited.

 

[CraigAPS]

Ok, so yeah...I was wondering why you don't just reload in the same room, but it sounds like that room is devoted to other uses, and you are pretty space-limited.

Haha. Yeah. I still need to hang my clothes somewhere.

 

[LarryC]

I wouldn't worry about a temperature swing or humidity, the only worry I would have is storing the brass or ammo in a humid location as it may tarnish badly. One of my friends when I was a teenager (in the 1950's) was an avid collector of firearms and reloader. He built a freestanding building on a farm dedicated to reloading. As this was about 60 years ago there was no air conditioning, can't remember if it was heated. His family had a large farm and money was not an issue, remembering his collection of firearms and equipment, I am quite sure they would be worth 7 figures today. He reloaded for several calibers and I never knew of any issues at all. I shoot many high power military rounds, I purchase a LOT of surplus rounds from many countries. I am sure these have been stored in conditions (God only knows) that I probably couldn't survive. I have had only one batch of Russian handgun (Nagent cartridges probably from the 1930's or so) that have given me any problems. From the looks they may have been stored underwater for 70 years!