New Reloading Room Help

[rayatphonix]

OK, here's the game. We're building a new house and the basement will have a room dedicated to my firearm addiction and I can make it whatever size and shape I desire. My current setup uses whatever space was available so the layout isn't ideal and I've got stuff spread out all over our current basement.

I reload for pistol and rifle and probably do a dozen or more different cartridges. I have 1 turret press (pistol) and 2 single stage presses (rifles). I use an old drill press for case trimming. Three different powder drops (manual, not electronic) and one scale complete my setup. Oh yeah, I also have a brass annealer. I'll probably put my safe in there but definitely want to do all of my cleaning and maintenance in the same area.

This will be our home for the rest of our lives so I want to do it right. If you were starting from scratch, with a clean slate, what would your ideal room look like? Sketches and pictures would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

lots and lots of lighting

 

[Ditchtiger]

Reloading bench 3' deep and at least 10' wide.

 

[beatledog7]

My basement would look like a combination of a Scottish snooker pub, a Belgian pastry shop, a Swiss ski lodge, a chapel, and to a lesser degree an America sports bar. The reloading and gun cleaning/working areas would be integrated into that overall scheme.

Sound a little bizarre? At the moment I can't put that into more exact words, but the image in my mind is very clear.

 

[Edster12]

Bare min 10'-0. I used kitchen cabinets make nice storage. Dehumidifier a must for basement dwellers.

 

[Edster12]

Here is mine

 

[Ks5shooter]

I did a 20 ft x 20 ft block room.Rebar in every other hole in the block filled solid with cement.Wire mesh in every horizontal mortar joint.Diamond plate lag bolted into ceiling joist so you cant drop in from floor above.Seperate zone alarm for the room only with wireless battery backup alarm to local police.You want this as so someone cant cut your phone line and bypass alarm.The entire home has this but room is on seperate zone.8 ft reloading bench with 6 ft outlet strip .Steel safe door made for the purpose of entry.Drop ceiling with lotsa lighting.Drylock paint on all walls to seal out moisture.Dehumidifier to keep it dry.Did the floor in gray epoxy with black ,white and gray flakes.Apt size fridge for beverages .And last but not least a 32 in flatscreen with cable tv and dvd player.Cost for you should be minimum as you are doing it as you build the house.The biggest expense will be safe door entry around 2500 bucks(Amsec). If you are getting a concrete poured foundation ,have the walls poured when basement is built.This is a representative picture of vault door.

 

[Gadawg88]

Ks5shooter...You are my hero!!!

 

[ole farmerbuck]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=707473&goto=newpost

 

[Ks5shooter]

These are the gun racks I bought from Fort sand flat inc for long guns storage in the room.

 

[Ks5shooter]

and the pistol racks

 

[gahunter12]

This is not my setup, but my dream setup! Ever since this poster started posting pics of his build I have loved it! I am working on building a 16x16 building now just for reloading.

 

[Potatohead]

My basement would look like a combination of a Scottish snooker pub, a Belgian pastry shop, a Swiss ski lodge, a chapel, and to a lesser degree an America sports bar. The reloading and gun cleaning/working areas would be integrated into that overall scheme.

Sound a little bizarre? At the moment I can't put that into more exact words, but the image in my mind is very clear.

Beatle,
I get the picture and it sounds great but the Belgian pastry shop kinda threw me

 

[Arkansas Paul]

This thread will give you countless ideas for your bench. There is literally a little bit of everything in it from simple portable setups to loading rooms that will blow your mind.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=218720&highlight=show+us+picture+of

 

[grubbylabs]

Like a couple of post above suggested cruse the thread on reloading room for lots of ideas.

Things I would include are
Dehumidifier depending on location

Air compressor in an insulated closet so you don't here it much

A separate area for the drill press with a vacuum set up to help control chips and shavings

Cleaning and solvent area with negative pressure hood to control chemical vapors.

I also like the idea of a island in the middle of the room, it just seems like they make great working areas.

 

[Moreno]

rayatphonix, you made this post some time back (2011) by now your man cave should be complete? How about a picture?

 

[buck460XVR]

Tape out your layout on the floor before making anything permanent. What looks good on paper does not always work when cabinets and furniture are in place. Remember to consider door swings when allowing space for chairs, traffic flow and other equipment. I would also recommend an exhaust fan if possible for removal of tumbler dust and fumes from annealing.

 

[rayatphonix]

Moreno, 2011's my join date. I do wish I had everything done though as building a house is more difficult than I imagined.

Grubbylabs, I've thought long and hard about an island too. I've got a solid steel 3' x 5' table I got out of a welding shop. It's got a 3/8" thick steel top so it's extremely heavy. I thought about putting the press's in the middle as I could never find anything more solid.

Ks5shooter, poured walls on all sides are already in the builder's budget. I've got tile floor overhead so I've wondered about the necessity of steel in the ceiling. I'll work up an estimate on the diamond plate, I'd not thought of that.

Paul, thanks much for the link.

Please keep the ideas flowing.

 

[Schwing]

I had the opportunity to do this in my basement. While I am pleased with how it turned out, there are several things I would do differently. Some have been mentioned.

1. I would have more bench lighting wired in. I have added some but it would have been nice to have it wired in place.

2. Plumbing in my air compressor was in my original plans but then I just dropped it and got a small compressor for my room... I wish I had plumbed it into the one in my garage.

3. A central vacuum was not in my budget but, if it is in yours, I can't recommend it enough. You don't have to worry about unhealthy dust getting blown around because it all goes into a canister outside.

4. I wish I had added an exhaust fan. I am in the process of trying to add one as an afterthought without too much collateral damage.


As someone mentioned above, I chalked off where all of my stuff was going to go before I started building. This paid off since all of my outlets, network/phone jacks, stereo jacks etc are all exactly where I need them. I doubled up on my studs and put braces in all of the locations where I was going to hang shelving, cupboards or counter space. I also ran conduit between walls for future expansion. Here are some pics.

 

[burrhead]

I have a 15X20 reloading room and, like you, I started with a clean slate. I have two benches, one 12' long by 36” high and another 5' long and 27” high. The are topped with varnished, double thickness ¾ sanded plywood glued and screwed with 1+3/8” sheetrock screws. Mount the benches to wall studs with lag bolts. I like to sit while using a progressive and stand while single loading. Also, the larger, higher bench is good for gun cleaning, etc. I sheathed the room with 3/8” plywood put up with screws. That way if I want to make any electrical changes I can easily remove the wood, make changes, and put it back. It also allows me to hang small items from cup hooks and staple up “show off” targets.

General lighting is four, 4' double florescents and wall mounted lights over the benches. I put electrical outlets every 4 feet around the room except one short wall on which I built floor to ceiling shelves. You can't have too many outlets. Used file cabinets are nice for storing dies, loose reloading tools, components, etc. Get them at garage sales cheap. Bottom line is build it so you can easily make changes in the future.

Good luck.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Op why risk it 400 bucks in diamondplate is stronger than an 1/8 inch of non deterent tile why risk it for the cost of a couple of nice dinners MHO there is no second chances....Don

 

[788Ham]

Not to be too ridiculous, but my reloading room is 1475 sq. ft . On one wall, I have my bench, 34" wide, 7 ft. long, and if I remember, 42" high. The bench top is a screwup the builder made on a counter top in the house across the street….. bet he wondered where that danged thing went !! I got a couple of cabinets w/dual doors for storage on the wall, an old dresser for ammo storage, and my gun safe. I have 2 4' fluorescent lights above the bench, a 6 outlet bar for hooking up drill motors, tumbler, whatever. I'd eventually like to enclose everything, keep it outta sight from prying eyes, but I can't afford a bank vault door like someone else has on theirs ! lol Nothing fancy for sure, but it keeps me out of the bars and off the streets, plus, I make some danged good reloads down there. Oh, I about forgot, that 1475 sq ft. I'd mentioned earlier , thats my full unfinished basement.