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guywitha3006
02-01-2019, 04:23 PM
We are moving to a new house in the next few weeks and the basement is unfinished. I have a space that is about 12.5' by 32.5' that is all mine (rest of the basement is spoken for for other use). Being that everything is packed up, I have had lots of time to think about it. In the space I need two separate areas. The first is a small closed off area for my mini lathe/metal working, the rest would be for reloading/gun stuff/"man cave" (I have a separate space in the garage to do all my casting and wood work). I was thinking about 8x10' for lathe room, because if I add a mill it will just be a bench mill anyways (I barely want to get my 8x12 lathe down there, let alone a large mill/other equipment) So I think that should be plenty of metal working space, but that leaves me with a good 12'x22'+ reloading room. I am thinking I will build a 2' wide bench with cabinets on at least one L shape of the wall. Lots of bench/storage space but also a lot of empty floor space. Right now the kids are young so I will probably pig pen a section off so that they can play in the same room as me so I can keep them occupied until they are old enough to actually help. Basic size, benches, and lots of LED light is about all I have really thought about.


This will be an ongoing project as we plan to be at the house for a long time... so does this seem like a logical layout? Any other ideas...all are welcome I am going to have a long two weeks to think about it before we even move...then lots more time as we are unpacking boxes.

Thanks,
Guywitha3006

M-Tecs
02-01-2019, 04:33 PM
Mine is 28' x 28' and it is packed full of stuff. The bigger the space the bigger the mess. Other than that it's wonderful.

GregLaROCHE
02-01-2019, 04:35 PM
Do you really have to separate your metal working area from your reloading? For sure if you will be welding. I just installed my new mini lathe where I reload. I don’t have the same luxury of space as you do.

guywitha3006
02-01-2019, 04:49 PM
Bigger space bigger mess is exactly what I am hoping to avoid, lol. I am hoping by carefully laying it out and building cabinets I can keep everything need and tidy, the past few years my reloading has all been done a wheeled cart and I had to dig through bins and shelves to find what I needed. My goal is to have a "station" for each press that has everything for that press is right there.

Greg, as far as separating the lathe/metal working stuff, I definitely want to separate this space. Reason being I turn a lot of steel (4140 especially) and the shavings (along with sparks from the grinder) get every where. I plan to keep the metal working room with a concrete floor so I don't drag metal shaving through the rest of the basement, as I plan to eventually put flooring (Vinyl plank?) in the reloading room and then eventually the rest of the basement. The little bit of welding I do (if you can even call that mess welding lol) is limited to outside in the garage.

jeepvet
02-01-2019, 05:15 PM
In my experience, if you need a 10 X 10 room, build a 20 X 20. By the time you get it finished the 20 X 20 will be too small.

Handloader109
02-01-2019, 05:31 PM
I've a 1600 Sqft basement. And a roughly 800 sq ft building for my woodworking, casting and any junk welding/grinding etc that I do. (plain concrete floor).

My basement is carpeted, loop indoor/outdoor stuff. I've a 20x24 for my lasers and minor storage along with bathroom in that area. (shower, toilet and sink). Did that as it includes the door to the walkout area and could actually be rented as a single room apartment if we so wanted. Adjacent is a 12x24 so could add door into laser room for bedroom.
Then I have a 8x10 area walled off for reloading.
Has a HF bench, small table and some shelves around three sides. Plenty of room for what I do. If I had several presses, I'd have extended another 6-10 feet along the long side and I could do pretty easily as I made free standing shelves from 2x material and ply to store a bunch of plastic totes containing my wife's stuff and holiday items. One end could be turned 90 degrees and open up more room for loading.

Make it as big as possible. we still have about 700 square feet of open area that could be 'kid' area if I still had small kids.

marek313
02-01-2019, 05:53 PM
I'm the same way I have pretty much full 1300sq ft basement to myself. i have everything from a small gym to computer/electronic table to a full 8x4 table for my reloading gear plus computer desk, tons of storage and if I didnt keep my wifes **** in check I'm sure i would run out of room. Its one big open area with 7 foot ceilings because I'm 6'6" and i've banged my head on support beams at other peoples basements before so i had it done extra tall which i love. You can never have too much room but you can have too much stuff lol.

lead-1
02-01-2019, 06:22 PM
I have an 8'x10' area and less than 1/4 of that is loading bench so to make up for that all my presses are mounted to plates so they interchange using the same four mounting holes. Make your loading area as big as you can.

Taylor
02-01-2019, 06:33 PM
No, absolutely not. There is no such thing as too much room.

Blammer
02-01-2019, 06:36 PM
put it all on rollable carts. :)

move as needed.

Winger Ed.
02-01-2019, 06:37 PM
Put the reloading stuff in a corner and get a chair that rolls & swivels.
You'll have 2 walls to arrange the shelves and benches. Everything will be close, compact, accessible, and expandable.

It shouldn't stick out far enough to get in the way of anything else, and if ya get a messy project going,
You can hang tarps from the ceiling along the top of the wall to cover all of the reloading equipment and shelves.

largom
02-01-2019, 06:50 PM
My reloading/gun room is 12x26. I sectioned off one end for a 5x12 gun room. My reloading bench is 16 ft. long along one wall. Opposite wall has my desk, book shelf, and three metal cabinets for ammo, powder, brass and misc. tools. In the center of the room I have a 4x6 table with two gun vice's for gun work. Over this table I have suspended a double sided piece of peg-board to hang gun tools on. Works well but wish I had made it bigger.
Larry

shortlegs
02-01-2019, 07:05 PM
Thats more room to grow! Like was said earlier, it will fill up fast.

guywitha3006
02-01-2019, 07:20 PM
Lots of good points ...I have a feeling this is going to be a long few weeks lol... I wonder if my wife will let be take a satirical from work for a few months to build my shops...something tells me her and the bank would frown on an sabatical lasting longer then Friday evening to early Monday morning. Oh well only 26 to 35 years until retirement, but who's counting?

Hossfly
02-01-2019, 07:20 PM
I’ve built 3 shops and 3 barns, in my married lifetime, keep getting bigger each time. Barns now 40X50’, shop now 40X50’ reloading room 14X32’ and still not big enough.

jsizemore
02-01-2019, 07:26 PM
My smith has a 12x24 space for reloading, supply storage and cleaning. His mill and lathe are in the garage downstairs. His interests in guns range far and wide. You'll eat that space up quickly.

jmort
02-01-2019, 07:29 PM
We could get into a lot of is this big enough? I have 8x16 and I make it work with 6 foot front and back porches. Cast on front porch and shoot off back porch. Within reason how can you have too much? This seems like trolling. I do have a 2500 square foot metal barn but it is not a controled environment, so I only go in if I have to.
Good for you, enjoy.

RogerDat
02-01-2019, 07:32 PM
Stuff does grow to fill the available space. Guess one has to consider what they think the final use case is that the design will have to support. I didn't plan for shotgun reloading. That entailed more storage shelves and crowds the bench if I clamp a shot shell press on one end of the bench. Not unacceptably crowded but if I had known I might have gone a bit longer on the bench.

Plan for power and light that exceed your expected needs. Well lighted space with plenty of outlets can always have a use found for it.

The nice big free standing island tables or work tops seem like they would be very useful. The one in the kitchen sees daily use and is a welcome addition that uses "wasted" space in the middle of the room. My location has too much of a traffic flow past the bench so I can't do in this in the reloading area but I like the functionality where I have had it in shops. I'm also big on the corner locations for compactness.

Seems like there is a thread of reloading room pictures or maybe a few threads. One thing I noticed is some have presses on shelves and rotate them into work space. Others tend to have multiple presses set up already at work spaces. Either one can be neat and organized from what I saw. Or a cluster of whoflungpoo from my own experience.

Starting with the basics, how many press or work stations do you need? How much will you desire to swap out presses? I have two on my bench. Larger area for the turret press, smaller area for a C press. My presses are removable but don't seem to get taken off much. Those two do what I need for metallic. Shot shell gets clamped for working but may end up getting a stand or I might do a docking station for swapping bench area between the C press for the shot shell press

IF doing it over I might consider starting out with a press mounting system. Lee has one, and Patmarlins has the RockDock system. There are I think others. Both of the ones I mention allow for fairly quick release of press from mount to switch presses. Might be worth considering now. If you're in the 6 presses set up group maybe not so much use from docking plates but if you are more inclined toward one or two presses max on the bench at any time and shelves or cabinets to store the other presses set up to use then the docking systems could really work out for you.

Have had good luck with the tight loop indoor outdoor or swimming pool area type carpet from Home Depot. Glued down. Water proof glue has some pretty strong off gassing, the water based less so but if it gets soaked it needs to be allowed to reset without being stressed or moved. This carpet gives part of the basement a warmer and softer floor. Easy clean too. Epoxy 2 part garage floor paint with sprinkles, lots of sprinkles on the concrete has worked out well except a dropped primer or small part is really hard to spot against the sprinkles. Don't like slippery floors.

Whole basement huh? Hate you is too strong, jealous likewise a little too much, I think we will go with prepared to dislike you due to my shop space envy. :bigsmyl2:
Our basement is divided into hers, mine, and ours. I have no complaints but it does seem like another bench would fit if only.....

guywitha3006
02-01-2019, 07:36 PM
Jmort...not trolling my reloading prior to moving was a 2x6 wheeled bench that at shared a 10x10 space with my wood working tools, metal lathe, gun cleaning space, chest freezer and general storage. Lol I have never had this much space and was looking for ways to utilize it. I know people have all different size shops and was curious how others utilized their space. When I started in college I had half of a solid door for a bench in the living room. I honestly can't wait for eveything to have a permanent home...sick of multipurpose/use carts and benches.

guywitha3006
02-01-2019, 08:05 PM
"Whole basement huh? Hate you is too strong, jealous likewise a little too much, I think we will go with prepared to dislike you due to my shop space envy. :bigsmyl2:
Our basement is divided into hers, mine, and ours. I have no complaints but it does seem like another bench would fit if only.....[/QUOTE]


Rogerdat..no not the whole basement. She has declared a bathroom (has to be nice no toilet on concrete lol), bedroom/office, a family room and then storage for the rest of the basement. I Just get the back 1/3 or so,but I get to put the sweat equity into the whole basement lol.

jmort
02-01-2019, 08:12 PM
"Jmort...not trolling..."

I was joking, not hating. My hate is directed to Brady, Bundchen, and their $500 plus million dollars and unending success. Seriously, just trying, and failing at some humor. Actually rooting for Brady. Never used the purple font. I have used the white font. Good for you. God Bless and God speed,

guywitha3006
02-01-2019, 08:33 PM
Jmort...don't worry laughing on my end too. Although I don't think I can root for Brady in good conscience but if you are I won't hold it against you...for me it's two teams I care nothing about in a sport that I moderately care about.

lefty o
02-01-2019, 11:16 PM
id kill to have that much room.

RED BEAR
02-01-2019, 11:34 PM
You can never have to much room or a big enough loading bench.

nueces5
02-01-2019, 11:41 PM
I have a girl who is not two years old yet.
It has helped me a lot to have an old personal computer that she can play without me worrying, and with a couple of good speakers where I put the music that she enjoys on youtube
That allows me some time without putting your hands on the shelf of the primers, etc.
Another thing that I did well, was to distribute the electricity plugs as if they were never enough
My bench is 2 x 1 meters, a press is exchanged with other tools and the dillon 550 has been fixed
It is the third reloading room that I developed and I think the best way to do it was to start using it while I was developing it, hopefully I will enjoy it as much as I did
my two cents ...

Oily
02-02-2019, 12:35 AM
Quality shelving can make a small room into a adequate room. I only have a corner in my bedroom now as kids and grandkids have been living with me for almost 4 years now. Thank the Lord they are closing on a house now. Son in law now has a great job and daughter just got her settlement from medical malpractice suit. We have to take care of our family. I digress my loading is done on a 3'x5' table that is covered in molds,dies,powder measures,dippers,brass,cast boolits,powder coat,gas checks and whatnot. Only have a 3' tall 2 shelf plastic unit for storage for other supplies.Powder and primers below table with NOE expanders and LEE flair tool. Am I jealous Heck yes. But soon I may have my own room 12X12 And 2-4 shelf X 6' tall heavy duty shelving units. I will be in heaven and organized for about 3-4 months and then I will run out of room and become disorganized and can't find anything again.

dale2242
02-02-2019, 08:45 AM
My loading room is 10X16 with benches on each of the 10' ends.
I have a door on one long wall and a window one the other.
There are shelves above the loading benches. and on one of the long walls.
There are shelves under each of the benches. I can`t seem to have enough shelf space.
Place your lights directly over the benches or you will be working in you own shadow.
Floor space is of no value to me, only shelf and bench space.
I do my casting out in the main part of my shop away from my components....dale

GhostHawk
02-02-2019, 09:11 AM
30' long, if it was me I would include a small indoor airgun range into that.

I used cheap butcher block formica counter top laid on 2x4 frames to make a bit L shape for the computer side of my reloading area. Casting is on a metal table from Harbor freight. Shotgun and my big press is on the Harbor Freight desk/work area. The rest is odds and sods of old tables.

Take your time, plan ahead.

Skunk1
02-02-2019, 09:21 AM
Mine was big enough many many years ago. Added on to the bench 4 times, creeped into the next room, and the next and added another bench in that room. That doesn’t even included all the casting in the shop outside. Never thought I’d get this far and now trying to rid myself of all the things that crept into these rooms so my wife and kids are not burdened with what to do with all this “stuff” should something happen to me.

brass410
02-02-2019, 11:05 AM
the only problem with a large room is the money required to fill it with all the "necessary" gadgets widgets and dodads to make it all look used.

lightman
02-02-2019, 11:21 AM
No one has ever complained about too much space! Lots of guys here are going to be respectfully jealous! You have enough room to build some nice shelves or cabinets for component storage, tables for gun cleaning, tables for tumbling and sorting brass, about anything you want.

I suggest that you draw it out on paper. Take some time to look at it, think about it, even go through the mental motions of using it before starting work on it. Add a comfortable number of receptacles and lights. You can divide the space up and switch groups of lights separately.

RogerDat
02-02-2019, 12:39 PM
"Whole basement huh? Hate you is too strong, jealous likewise a little too much, I think we will go with prepared to dislike you due to my shop space envy. :bigsmyl2:
Our basement is divided into hers, mine, and ours. I have no complaints but it does seem like another bench would fit if only.....



Rogerdat..no not the whole basement. She has declared a bathroom (has to be nice no toilet on concrete lol), bedroom/office, a family room and then storage for the rest of the basement. I Just get the back 1/3 or so,but I get to put the sweat equity into the whole basement lol.

Well that sounds like the typical married guy arrangement. I finished ours with a room for her use, a room for my use which is sort of an office with an after the tornado vibe. Big room which sounds like your family room. Then a couple of areas walled off for storage and furnace.

My bench and most shelving sits across from where one comes down the stairs and enters the basement. Surprised I was able to homestead in that front and center spot. Concrete floor was part of it. Kids grown so "family room" mostly accumulates stuff. If old exercise equipment ever has a collectable value I'm gonna be rich. And that big family room space will be empty.

Layout could easily become teenager "bedroom" and computer/game area open to larger family room with egress windows for a perspective buyer when we go to sell the house. I worked hard to avoid the "two tunnel" room layout. The support posts are inside closets or storage rooms so the walls don't have to follow the posts.

I find I use a surprising amount of electrical outlets. Wet tumbler, dry tumbler, case prep, cordless tool charging, drying brass, Dremal tool, and lights.

If you like many cast outside then consider where you are going to store the cast bullets handy to the reloading bench. I store cast bullets in 30 caliber ammo cans. I made the bottom shelf of work bench high enough to allow for a hard rubber mat I can slide the cans on so the cans go under that bottom shelf without damaging the floor. I can move a 30 caliber can full of bags of assorted size and weight bullets in same caliber. 50 caliber can would be too heavy.

Depending on size, weight, and your bench stability you may find pegboard or shelving is better mounted to walls or anchored to floor joist overhead and hung down behind bench. Forming 8mm from 30-06 the force on the press can make the bench "jiggle" hasn't been too bad in my layout but if I was doing it over again..... Just something to consider during your layout phase.

Wow bathroom in basement! What fun. Gave that idea up since I'm on a septic system. Sinks, toilets, tubs located in basement all have to pump the waste water up to the septic tank. Costs more and having had to deal with failed garbage disposal in kitchen sink I'm sure I don't want to do one coming from a toilet. Let any future owner convince themselves they can add a basement bathroom after they buy it. :)

If it had been a walkout rather than a daylight basement I'm sure my wife would have asked and I would have been more inclined if I gained a backyard accessible toilet. Myself a painted concrete slab is fine, but dear wife would tell you I lack a sense of style.

Planning up front is a rare situation, I think most of us just start here and spread to there as time goes on. I know I planned a bench and set of shelves. Where I ended up it's surprising I'm not single.

Considering how much "fun & frolic" it was to finish our basement I decided I am not in the least envious of your situation. Slepping sheetrock around nope. Waaay too much work to be jealous of you having to do it.

dverna
02-02-2019, 01:03 PM
First thing is draw up a plan of where you want stuff. We all have different needs/interests, but they change over the years . Build really strong shelves. Here is an example.

I used to do a bit of shotgun shooting and this is the space I needed (wanted?) to store my shells. I doubt anyone else has this need but it is/was mine. The buckets hold bulk shells for practice shooting (over 500 shells per bucket). Each cubby was built to hold 15 cases - 22,500 shells total; plus the buckets underneath and more storage on top for over 25,000 shells. That was about 14-15 months of trap shooting.


235093

I shoot less trap now but that strong shelving holds anything else I need. BTW, I built two identical shelves as above but decided not to post a picture of the other to protect the keyboards of other members who may drool uncontrollably. Suffice to say, I have enough components to last a life time LOL

One thing to bear in mind is that as you can afford to do so, start stocking components, plan space for that now.

You will find your space adequate but it should fill up fast. it always does.

snowwolfe
02-03-2019, 07:53 PM
How will you heat a basement in Wisconsin and keep the humidity low?

dragon813gt
02-03-2019, 08:30 PM
How will you heat a basement in Wisconsin and keep the humidity low?

Heating a basement is easy and lowers the relative humidity in the process. A dehumidifier will remove any moisture and heat the space at the same time. Unfortunately it does this in the warmer months when you don’t want it to.

Ohiopatriot
02-03-2019, 11:52 PM
14x24 and can barely turn around. No such thing as to big.

mold maker
02-04-2019, 02:17 PM
Even in a large space, a dedicated reloading area is necessary. Space invites clutter that tends to overtake purposed flat spots.

guywitha3006
02-05-2019, 01:37 PM
How will you heat a basement in Wisconsin and keep the humidity low?

Snowwolfe,

My house will have standard forced air Heat/AC, it is just a matter off adding a few runs before I seal up the sealing (no real plans to do that anytime soon anyways). As far as moisture, we are in the habit of running the dehumidifier most of the year anyways. But the new house actually has a passive Radon system that I want to upgrade to an active (add a blower) and I have heard its way cheaper and more efficient then a dehumidifier. So hopefully the regular dehumidifier will hardly run.

Lance Boyle
02-05-2019, 01:42 PM
Do you really have to separate your metal working area from your reloading? For sure if you will be welding. I just installed my new mini lathe where I reload. I don’t have the same luxury of space as you do.

My metal lathe is in the garage and reloading is in the basement. I am trying to limit metal chips on the hardwood floors in the house.

Randy C
02-05-2019, 01:53 PM
I did not have time to read what everybody else said, I think the best thing I did in my basement is added 2 extra heat registers, the basement is cooler and has more humidity than the house with the registers open it stopped all the moisture it's still cooler down there,I'm in ND. I don't have to worry about things rusting this winter, I will have to see how it does this summer. I do not own this house I wished it had more electrical outlets. I run 4 foot LED lights along the whole basement above my benches and some of the storage they are daisychained and plug into a pull string light. I pulled the string and it turns them all on I can do them separate but I like it this way.
Good luck on your new project.

JonB_in_Glencoe
02-05-2019, 02:06 PM
My old house has a crawl space with two dug cellars, both of which leak in ground water during heavy rain events...both have an undersized sump pit and a sump pump.
BUT...
If I had a newer house that had a mostly problem free basement with more space than I think I needed...I'd add a walk-in gun vault, maybe 6' by 6', cement walls and strong steel door.
If you are putting metal machining equipment down there, I can only assume your basement is mostly problem free, in regards to moisture?

guywitha3006
02-05-2019, 03:31 PM
My old house has a crawl space with two dug cellars, both of which leak in ground water during heavy rain events...both have an undersized sump pit and a sump pump.
BUT...
If I had a newer house that had a mostly problem free basement with more space than I think I needed...I'd add a walk-in gun vault, maybe 6' by 6', cement walls and strong steel door.
If you are putting metal machining equipment down there, I can only assume your basement is mostly problem free, in regards to moisture?

Hey Jon B,

I really hope water is not a problem, as it it was built in 2018 (It was already built when we bought it, just empty). A gun vault would be nice, but WAAAAY out of the budget at this point in my life.

JonB_in_Glencoe
02-06-2019, 01:36 AM
Budget?
Put it in a corner and you only need two walls, A few hundred bucks for cement blocks, several bags of sand mix and mortar mix ($100 or so) and a heavy duty all steel door, which could be found second hand (surplus industrial or recycled/recovery at a construction supplier) $100 to 200...probably $400 to 500 for a new door.

Handloader109
02-06-2019, 09:55 AM
One thing that you must do if you ever have visitors is to make a "room" not just a corner. You can at least hide from prying eyes that might wander by

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

RogerDat
02-07-2019, 09:32 PM
A gun room is probably not a lot more than a decent gun safe but... there is the ease with which a concrete block wall can be breached. Sledge hammer goes right through it. So one has to consider adding some rebar verticals that make it more work. Or filling block cores with concrete and rebar. Or going with poured wall which probably requires cutting holes in floor above to fill forms as well as drilling into existing basement walls and floor for rebar anchors.

Gun room is nice but done right so it is secure is a lot of work and more expense than just the block, cement and door. Gang tool box for job site is cheaper and probably harder to break into and easy to anchor so it can't be removed. Put a 1/2 dozen bolts into floor from inside box, or better yet make a few inch raised concrete platform with bolts. Raises the box above the floor in the event of minor flooding from say a water leaks etc. Don't put it under a water pipe or vertical water run and being a few inches raised should cover most situations. Go ahead an be especially evil. Put a chain in addition to the bolts. Bet any thief will work on the chain... only to find the dang box won't move after the chain is cut. All that work and nothing gained, so sad, too bad.

One does have to think a bit about how one might break into the basement if one is putting a bunch of valuable equipment and firearms there. How easy is it to be hidden and look through or break into a window? Amazing the number of people that plant big bushy shrubs that block view of side doors or basement windows. I went with big bush very thorny rose. Winter or summer the "hidden" window doesn't have extra cover and what is there would be unpleasant to deal with. I still get some sun, and can open the window in summer for a breeze. I have debated adding some semi reflective film to make it harder to see in.

Motion sensor or decorative lights can help if they point at house not toward road from house. Making people passing look into light doesn't let them see well, you want "stage" foot lights that make being at your wall like being on a stage. One can also put a motion sensor light in the basement. If half way through a window and a light comes on... leaving might just happen abruptly right then. Can be extra effective if blinding or if separate sensor and light with light in another room so it looks like someone is "coming" and turning on a light. I won't suggest hanging fish hooks on clear line in front of windows because that could be considered a trap. However if you ever paint or have items that you would like to hang and dry then right in the window seems like an oblivious place for the hooks to hang them on. Just saying.

Oh and to the original subject. +1 on lots of shelving. Sturdy shelving. Drawers are nice. Even the plastic 2 and 3 drawer sets that just go on a shelf. Some cabinets are great, might be able to get them at scratch and dent prices if you have a kitchen and bath place around. Floor to ceiling shelves can be useful but leave room on top for bulky items that don't weigh much. Or are seldom needed. Measure some presses if they will be stored on shelf so you can get the right height. Shot shell presses are pretty tall. If you unhook the return spring from the handle the handle will drop and the height needed will be less, at lest with the MEC or Pacific that I have. Only takes a second to re-hook the return spring. If you have a college or university in the area check out their surplus & salvage sale. They sometimes have incredibly sturdy shelves for as little as $20 bucks. Library quality book shelves 7 foot high. If you are fussy hit them with some paint but they often don't need it.

guywitha3006
02-12-2019, 10:37 AM
Thanks for all the advice so far. I already have a safe so for now it will probably be bolted in out of sight, I can upgrade to a gun room at a later date. As far as shelves and cabinets go, I am hoping to make custom cabinets when I get a chance, hopefully this spring or summer.