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Thread: Am I the only one?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Am I the only one?

    OK true confession here. I had a Lee Turret press mounted on a bench. But mine never, ever looked like the nice tidy photos you so often see posted on these forums. My bench was always buried under junk. I sold the press for a number of reasons, but part of it was that I didn't use it because to use it meant a long time spent cleaning the bench off just to get at it. I don't have the blocks of time to sit and reload for hours - or even an hour. Maybe 20 minutes - 1/2 hour here and there. So it was hardly worth it to spend 20 minutes clearing the bench so I could spend 5 minutes reloading.

    I switched to a Lee hand press and that has solved some of my problems. I don't have a bench to mess up anymore, but I still dream of a nice progressive press and cranking out a few boxes of ammo each sitting.

    Maybe I just need some ideas on how to keep the bench clean. Some of it is discipline no doubt, but I know that some guys just have better ideas than me.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Don't pile "junk" on your reloading bench. Works for me.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

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    NRA Benefactor 2008

  3. #3
    Boolit Master


    kungfustyle's Avatar
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    Any hard flat surface tends to collect things. Same can be said for a treadmill, tends to collect clothes etc. Solution move the bench to a part of the house that no one uses much and don't stack stuff on top. Make it a house rule...keep away....

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    JBinMN's Avatar
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    Learn to store things in an organized manner... Off the bench. Leave the bench clear with the exceptions of what things you "know" you will be using & need for "that" particular run of rounds, or "prep" type of operations.

    Not unlike , if you were working on your vehicle, to only bring the tools you need up near the car & not keep all the tools you have, along with all the fluids, ectra stuff, etc. to the vehicle when just working on doing one particular thing.

    If you are going to change the oil, there is not need to bring any more tools than the ones needed to do the job.


    The first steps is to evaluate what space you have, what you need to do the job at hand & only bring to the bench what you need, leaving the rest in an appropriate place & container until you need it.

    Anyway, I could get more detailed on how to organize & all that, but I will leave it to others to do that.

    Besides... I need to go clean my reloading bench & area , as well as do some organizing.


    Be back later.
    LOL


    G'Luck!

    P.S. - You are not so alone as you might think. ( I have most organized, but I am a bit of a slacker somethings to "keep" things organized like I should. You should see my garage...
    )
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  5. #5
    Boolit Master
    CastingFool's Avatar
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    Sounds like my bench. I just try to keep one square foot area open, and reload in steps. I do have two single stage presses mounted semi-permanently. Usually do 50-100 rds at one time. My powder measure is on a shelf above my bench, just about eye level.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

    dragon813gt's Avatar
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    Clutter happens because people let it happen. Hard flat surfaces don’t collect anything outside of dust at my house. This is because I don’t pile things on it. Tools and any other items used are put away when I’m done using them. Even if I will be using them again the next day I put them away.

    A lot of this comes from working out of a van. Worked w/ to many people over the years that had trash falling out of vans when doors were opened or having to climb over said trash to get to the shelves. It creates a very unprofessional appearance and not someone who I would want to hire. So I’ve always kept my van neat and tidy which carried over to my garage at home.

    Spending a few minutes putting everything away when you’re done keeps everything neat and tidy. It can also save you money because you won’t be buying duplicates, or even more, of items because you can’t find them. And I certainly don’t subscribe to the “empty desk, empty mind” way of thinking. Someone who’s unorganized came up w/ that to justify their mess of a desk. I do know the origin, actual quote and who said it. I won’t ever question that man’s intelligence but people have twisted the words to make themselves feel better.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    Any cluttered space is nothing more than laziness. I dont mean to be harsh but thats the facts. Pit stuff away where it belongs, if it doesn’t have a home, make one for it. Organization doesn’t just happen, it’s incremental, steady work towards getting there. If you dont get there, a press wont help.

  8. #8
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Nature hates a vacuum, and seeks to fill it. Like gravity, you have to fight that too.

    Clutter is another thing you have to fight.
    If clutter is more important than a space for reloading- it will win.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chainsaw. View Post
    Any cluttered space is nothing more than laziness. I dont mean to be harsh but thats the facts. Pit stuff away where it belongs, if it doesn’t have a home, make one for it. Organization doesn’t just happen, it’s incremental, steady work towards getting there. If you dont get there, a press wont help.
    Don't worry. No offense taken. That last sentence is the kicker. I know if I don't get there, there's no point in getting a press. Making a home for stuff is a difficulty for me. I tend to clean the garage, only to find that I moved all the **** to the basement. Then I'll clean the basement only to find I can't park in the garage anymore. TMS - too much stuff? Part of the other reason I sold the press was to cut down on clutter that I wasn't using - and here I am reloading for 9mm.

  10. #10
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    There is a youtube video to answer any question.

    Here you go...
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  11. #11
    DOR RED BEAR's Avatar
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    I fully admit my bench gets cluttered because i am lazy. I keep building bigger benches but it never helps no matter how much room i start with it gets filled up. When ready to reload i will clean off a fair space. But after reloading it will get cluttered in short order. I have got lazy down to an art form. Different strokes for different folks.

  12. #12
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    I'm building my 5th shelving unit for my reloading area. I got everything cut to width, BUT I got the garage so cluttered up I need to clean it before I can cut the plywood to length sand, assemble and stain.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Part of my bench is covered with bullets and brass and sometimes other junk, but the center where I work always is clean. I've always worked that way in everything and it works for me. I always put my tools and dies back up either when I'm done or if I have another project that takes over in the middle of a project. And I'll clean the whole bench whenever the notion strikes me. I find it's important to have a catchall space too so the work bench doesn't get cluttered.

    This is as it sets right now.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  14. #14
    Boolit Master



    atr's Avatar
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    I share my shop space with rebuilding older motorcycles but I NEVER let that intrude on my reloading space. The reloading space itself is not large 2 ft x 5'-6" but what I do a lot of shelves going up the walls. The shelving stores brass, powder, books and bullets.
    atr
    Death to every foe and traitor and hurrah, my boys, for freedom !

  15. #15
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bazoo View Post
    . I find it's important to have a catchall space too so the work bench doesn't get cluttered. ]
    I thought I was the only one that did that. I toss 'questionably needful things' into a 5 gallon bucket. When its almost full,
    I'll start stacking them. If I need something back out- its there. After awhile, I'll sort a little, then dump them in the trash.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

    dragon813gt's Avatar
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    I started tossing items that I don’t use after six months. Tools don’t fall into this category. Obviously food and necessities don’t either. This is keeping them longer than statistics say you should. You’d be surprised how much stuff you keep for no reason. And how much more space you have when you throw it out. I’m young and I don’t want to burden anyone w/ having to sift through worthless junk when I pass.

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
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    Build a reloading bench only big enough to mount your press, then you can't fill it up with ****!

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
    Tom W.'s Avatar
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    And some people have OCD.....Or just got out of the Marine Corps....
    Tom
    μολὼν λαβέ


    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy


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    My bench stays neat because I put things away when I am done with them. That way I can find what I am looking for in just seconds.
    L.E.C.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master


    HangFireW8's Avatar
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    Mount your reloading press on a folding table. Then unmount it, fold up the table and put them away when you're done.
    I give loading advice based on my actual results in factory rifles with standard chambers, twist rates and basic accurizing.
    My goals for using cast boolits are lots of good, cheap, and reasonably accurate shooting, while avoiding overly tedious loading processes.
    The BHN Deformation Formula, and why I don't use it.
    How to find and fix sizing die eccentricity problems.
    Do you trust your casting thermometer?
    A few musings.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check