Is too big of a reloading room a problem?

[jmort]

"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]

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]

id kill to have that much room.

[RED BEAR]

You can never have to much room or a big enough loading bench.

[nueces5]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

"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.
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]

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.




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]

How will you heat a basement in Wisconsin and keep the humidity low?

[dragon813gt]

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]

14x24 and can barely turn around. No such thing as to big.

[mold maker]

Even in a large space, a dedicated reloading area is necessary. Space invites clutter that tends to overtake purposed flat spots.

[guywitha3006]

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]

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]

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.