Reoading location - Garage vs. Inside

[Chrisw0118]

Looking for some advice or help from some experienced reloaders out there. I am about to set up my reloading bench either outside in my garage where it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter, or upstairs in a finished bonus room above my garage that does have heating and A/C. But the A/C just does not keep the room completely cool due to that the ceiling is virtually right up next to the roof. So what does everyone think about my locations for setting up my bench.

Thanks for your help.

 

[VinceU1]

Do whatever is most comfortable for you.
Having said that, keep in mind that ammo, powder and primers will last a lot longer if kept at a constant temperature. I've open cans of powder that had set in somebodies garage and heat cycled for a bunch of years and wound up throwing out the powder. I tend to keep all my supplies and ammo in the basement and do my actual reloading in my garage. I use a 35K gas fired heater to warm it up in the winter and reload in the evening during the summer.
One other thing, if you are using an electronic scale, they are very susceptible to errant gusts of wind and need to be turned on an hour or so before hand when it's cold.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Inside would get my vote. I reload in the garage and face a few challenges. Humidity can play havoc with dies and tools leading to surface rust. This can happen pretty quickly in the summer. I have learned to keep everything coated in SQCG or similar to keep rust at bay. As stated previously, electronic scales do not like the temperature changes and particular cold. My electronic calipers don't even work very well when it is cold in the garage.

 

[usmc6153]

I like the garage due to the oil/Lube and the noise.

 

[Leo]

Where ever I have lived and where ever I have reloaded, I have always kept the powder and primers in the house in the same environment that makes me comfortable. If it is too hot to reload in the garage on a given day, at least my supplies are not suffering deterioration. Mostly my requirement is good lighting, and when I am using the powder scale, no wind, breeze, HVAC ducts, etc. I am pretty flexible on other stuff. I have even reloaded in the back of my van.

Fishersjohn brought up a good point about rust. After living 6 years in an area of Texas that has about 1/2 the humidity as Indiana, I forgot how fast unprotected steel can rust. I have learned to keep an aerosol can of some kind of oil near the bench. pretty much everything I touch gets a mist of oil and wiped down with a rag before I store it again.

 

[amboy49]

I've loaded shotgun shells in my garage for 20+ years. My garage is attached to the house and connected on two sides. The temp never gets below freezing but it does get chilly. I have a kerosun heater that I fire up and it warms up the garage nicely. I've kept the powder out there all this time as well. I have sometimes wondered about humidity in the garage - but when recently coming back to reloading I found a 4# can of 231 that I've had for over 15 years. I started loading first in .45 acp - no powder ignition problems whatsoever. If you keep the container tightly closed I don't think you'll have any issues. I've never had primers longer than a year before using them up so I can't speak to stockpiling them for use years later. Perhaps if you just ensure you use up the oldest first. I would not care to store components in my house if for no other reasons that the fire hazard powder creates. Remember the recent sad news re: Wayne Mays who was severly burned while trying to burn outdated powder supplies ? Unless you plan on loading in a room with tile floors there is a real possiblity you'll have powder spillage on your rug - which can, of course, be swept up with a vacuum. See how your wife or girl friend, if you have one, likes that ! ! I suggest you load in the garage for safety and to maintain your marital bliss !

 

[BKExpress]

If you choose the garage option buy a dehumidifier. I load in the garage and noticed some slight surface rust at first. After buying the dehumidifier I've had no problems. I got a great deal on a lightly used one on Craigslist.

 

[warthog]

I reload both places depending on how cold it is outdoors. I am starting to feel the cold deep in my bones as I age so I tend to try and stay as warm as I can now. Indoors (where I store my primers & powder in separated areas of course) I use a Lee Reloading Stand and in the garage (where I store my bullets and cases as they take up a lot of room) all my presses can be mounted to the bench with the Lee Mounting System. I found this mounting system to make it a lot easier on me and it works for whomever's brand of presses you use, just make sure to use the STEEL and not the wood bases. The wooden ones work for powder throwers and other thing that don't need take much pressure to work but they will slit for a press and other things like that which do. My presses and ies have been fine no matter where they wind up. I have a desiccant pouch and a little rust inhibitor chip in all the die cases and the presses I use so much no rust can occur.

This is how I do it, YMMV.

 

[tatic05]

For me personally I reload in one of my spare bedrooms, that is setup as a computer/office. Though its really the computer/gun room.

 

[gopurdue02]

For safety reasons I would recommend reloading in the garageand keeping all your reloading components inside. As other posters haveindicated it is best to keep primers/powder at constant temperature to ensurethe longetivity of both. Personally I keep both in a secure cabinet in my office for both primers and powder that is temperature controlled and only accessible by me. The reloading process itself (IEpress, cleaning, etc) i strongly recommend either an isolated basement or agarage not attached with the HVAC system. Even if you are working with plated bullets you are essentially working with lead with a .001 copper plating onit. Lead can cause a verity of problems in infants/children or those with weakened immune systems that you want nothing to do with. Also, keep in mind wile reloading you WILL spill a fair amount ofpowder. In the garage it is a dust pan and clean up is done vs a house whereyou have carpeting to deal with. Also, keep in mind if you reload rife you will have to trim brass at a high frequency level which will throw brass shavings everywhere creating a mess. As other have indicated personal comfort is anissue so I insulated my garage thatmakes it comfortable to reload in 2/3 of the year. The other 1/3? (IE the 120degree days?) I stay inside and play video games. With winter it is pretty easy to heat the garage and reloaded for hours on end since there is nothing else todo anyway If you have children to worry about I strongly urge the garage.

 

[AceDerringer]

I have been loading in my garages for over 15 years without any issues.... I keep everything sealed up until time to use it and dont have any ignition problems whatsoever with primers or powder.

 

[Sniper 79]

I reload in the garage but store all components, scale, and dies inside.

 

[sloughfoot]

I require comfort for my reloading. The TV in view and the beer fridge close by.

Those of you who have visited know that I am telling it how it is.

 

[kwatters]

I require comfort for my reloading. The TV in view and the beer fridge close by.

Those of you who have visited know that I am telling it how it is.

I have all that in my garage as well! Gotta be prepared...

 

[Chrisw0118]

Thanks guys for all of the great tips. Out of the blue today my father asked me if I would go in with him to start reloading. I told him I all ready had a lot of the equipment, but not such a great temp and humidity controlled place to reload so I told him if he would build the shop in his basement I would bring over my equipment.

 

[wolfy2]

Good for you Chris. Win win there. Inside gets my vote. No rust in a "conditioned" space. Happy reloading.
But truth be told I would rather be using my unloader!

 

[LeftEyeBill]

Another vote for a spare bedroom in the house, or some space inside. Sometimes I kind of wonder about having all those explosives in the house in case of fire, but frankly they probably wouldn't do any better in the garage either. (Fantasy time)... it would be nice to have a separate "Workshop" building, with heat, air, water and electricity to do all my reloading in, but then my wife would probably get mad that I spent too much time in the workshop, and not enough in the house.

 

[rvb]

Also, keep in mind wile reloading you WILL spill a fair amount ofpowder.

Really?? I've probably spilled at most 30gr of powder in, oh, nearly a decade and 150k rounds loaded.... Only my kids have to have plastic under their chairs at dinner, too...

In the garage sucks. Did it for a few years when I didn't have an option. Sweating your ass off in the summer, freezing your nuts off in the winter. Humidity issues. condensation issues as you move components in/out. It just sucked. Now I reload in the basement... 65-75 all year round. I can keep the press set up and not worry as much about it turning into a ball of rust (I would bring it inside if I knew it would be a few weeks between uses due to MD humidity).

There are a few steps I still do in the garage (cleaning brass and media separation, trimming brass [before I got my dillon power trimmer!]), but I would never willingly torture myself by loading in the garage again...

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/9840/workbench1.jpg

-rvb

 

[No2rdame]

Thanks guys for all of the great tips. Out of the blue today my father asked me if I would go in with him to start reloading. I told him I all ready had a lot of the equipment, but not such a great temp and humidity controlled place to reload so I told him if he would build the shop in his basement I would bring over my equipment.

I started framing out our basement recently with a similar intent in mind. When I first laid it out I had no gun room, but I have since decided to reconfigure things a bit so I can have a room with better, more secure storage and a place to clean guns and begin reloading. Two things to consider, though. Be sure to add a dehumidifier in the basement and I would think ventilation is going to be an absolute must. For cleaning, I love the smell of Hoppes but I'm not sure inhaling concentrated fumes in a smaller room is such a bright idea.

 

[rvb]

I require comfort for my reloading. The TV in view and the beer fridge close by.

Those of you who have visited know that I am telling it how it is.

I like the way you [STRIKE]drink[/STRIKE]think!

-rvb