Design and building a reloading room

[KKG]

Jim; In reference to the heated floors. It's a great idea if you are starting from scratch but pretty pricey as an aftermarket idea. If you already have a concrete floor it means you have to tear that out and start over. Good Luck.

 

[fxdc]

What.....
No Shag Carpet?????

LOL

 

[SHPD_Retired]

I have 4 led shop lights bought from costco in my shop. They work great.

 

[Member 5605]

Now for the next question since I have my bench and desk already built, what type of lighting should I incorporate into a reloading/gun room?
I hear LED (the latest and greatest and most expensive, a lot).
I have some fairly new 8-foot, 2 bulb fluorescent lights, will that be over powering, maybe too bright with white walls and bench?

Please ensure not to use bright white.

Overhead lighting should be the softer, yellow tinge. Spotlight can be white but if you use all bright white you may end up with sleeping problems due to the blue hue in the light. I used to run bright white (5k) and has sleeping troubles. Switched lighting color to softer without the blue hue and problems went away.

LED's aren't too much different in cost than Flourescent, they just last a lot longer.

 

[Certaindeaf]

.1: standing height bench should be no more than 24" deep. Slight downslope towards the wall. Comfortable to reach wall and whatever may be there..

National engineering labs make sure to have non-level benches so their scales give the most accurate readings.










not really, lol

Speaking of which, I make sure to keep my mechanical scales stored not on my bench, even though they've all been very stout. It kinda bugs me to see most everyone keeps/stores their scale set up right on their hammering bench.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Please ensure not to use bright white.

Overhead lighting should be the softer, yellow tinge. Spotlight can be white but if you use all bright white you may end up with sleeping problems due to the blue hue in the light. I used to run bright white (5k) and has sleeping troubles. Switched lighting color to softer without the blue hue and problems went away.

LED's aren't too much different in cost than Flourescent, they just last a lot longer.

Think grow lights??? Maybe I build a bigger room. Hmmmm

I may have to rethink the white vinyl walls a bit and look at the off colored light brown (same price) becaise i already have insomnia...
I want to set it up to where I have task lighting over each reloading workstation. Maybe I need to look at track lighting so if I change positions on the bench I could just move the light instead of placing another.

 

[Caveman Jim]

National engineering labs make sure to have non-level benches so their scales give the most accurate readings.










not really, lol

Speaking of which, I make sure to keep my mechanical scales stored not on my bench, even though they've all been very stout. It kinda bugs me to see most everyone keeps/stores their scale set up right on their hammering bench.

I always set my scale up to where it is at eye level while I'm loading so I look directly at it and can see it properly.
I am going to upgrade from my lineman that I've had for years because it has been banged around, dropped and gently abused, unintentionally I might add.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Think grow lights??? Maybe I build a bigger room. Hmmmm

I may have to rethink the white vinyl walls a bit and look at the off colored light brown (same price) becaise i already have insomnia...
I want to set it up to where I have task lighting over each reloading workstation. Maybe I need to look at track lighting so if I change positions on the bench I could just move the light instead of placing another.

I'd look at studies on what different color shades do to one's mood.. brown sounds kinda..
Light can do it too of course.. maybe a full spectrum bit to add to the cheer?. anyhoo
nothing beats natural light but you're the cave man, man!

 

[Caveman Jim]

I'd look at studies on what different color shades do to one's mood.. brown sounds kinda..
Light can do it too of course.. maybe a full spectrum bit to add to the cheer?. anyhoo
nothing beats natural light but you're the cave man, man!

Are you saying that when you reload that you need mood lighting to get in the mood??? Hey, why not just put a disco ball in there to boot...
The brown tint vinyl board base color is cream with splotchy brown marks and not all one color like the "blinding white" one...
Natural light aint gonna happen in this cave & I'm not bustin out no walls for it...

 

[American123]

concrete floor is perfectly fine IMO, I'd paint it white. Just put one of those kitcken rubber mats in front of the bench so it is nice to reload. If you put a card board box underneath your bench loading area all the spilled powder, bullets, primers that you will inevitably drop will land in there and it makes cleaning up far easier.

 

[Caveman Jim]

concrete floor is perfectly fine IMO, I'd paint it white. Just put one of those kitcken rubber mats in front of the bench so it is nice to reload. If you put a card board box underneath your bench loading area all the spilled powder, bullets, primers that you will inevitably drop will land in there and it makes cleaning up far easier.

I made a cardboard tray for my temp bench and it caught about 50% I'd say but those pesky spent primers on the RCBS could slip through a hairline crack in a glass jar with a lid on it...

 

[Caveman Jim]

Jim; In reference to the heated floors. It's a great idea if you are starting from scratch but pretty pricey as an aftermarket idea. If you already have a concrete floor it means you have to tear that out and start over. Good Luck.

This is what I was told; "the heated inserts replace the matting and do the same thing" they would go under the engineered flooring.
No tearing up the slab...

 

[Ura-Ki]

This is what I was told; "the heated inserts replace the matting and do the same thing" they would go under the engineered flooring.
No tearing up the slab...

That's correct, the heated insert replaces the styro matting under the wood flooring. Remember, these types of floors are designed to float and the floating element keeps it from binding and allows it to flex!

 

[KKG]

This is what I was told; "the heated inserts replace the matting and do the same thing" they would go under the engineered flooring.
No tearing up the slab...

I hadn't heard about that system. Might have to look into it for this new place. Thanks

 

[Ura-Ki]

This is one of many methods you can use, I find it to be about the easiest high strength version you can get!

 

[Caveman Jim]

I hadn't heard about that system. Might have to look into it for this new place. Thanks

See post #35, Rusty IS the man!!!

 

[American123]

I made a cardboard tray for my temp bench and it caught about 50% I'd say but those pesky spent primers on the RCBS could slip through a hairline crack in a glass jar with a lid on it...

I started on an RCBS and although it works, I'm strictly a Dillon 550 progressive man now. I save the RCBS for SHTF I guess.

I think you need a bigger card board box/ tray if it's only catching 50%.

Spent primers on the floor are easy to sweep off to the side anyway, then when the pile on the floor gets big enough you can take the time to vacuum or dust pan it.

I used to be a sitting reloaded, but I've switched to standing.

My only thought regarding your new man cave is give yourself a lot more storage than you think you need. That way you can bulk buy for the bulk savings and only buy every once in a while and save quite a bit by only doing volume purchases during sales.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I started on an RCBS and although it works, I'm strictly a Dillon 550 progressive man now. I save the RCBS for SHTF I guess.
I have two Lee presses for loading but I like to prep cases on the RCBS (deprime, resize & a Lee hand primer).
I think you need a bigger card board box/ tray if it's only catching 50%.
The new one will be bigger and of better quality on the new bench.
Spent primers on the floor are easy to sweep off to the side anyway, then when the pile on the floor gets big enough you can take the time to vacuum or dust pan it.
That's what I've done in the past.
I used to be a sitting reloaded, but I've switched to standing.

My only thought regarding your new man cave is give yourself a lot more storage than you think you need. That way you can bulk buy for the bulk savings and only buy every once in a while and save quite a bit by only doing volume purchases during sales.

I have been using the "buy once cry once" method for yearly purchases but will have to ratchet it up a bit when I get this play room completed & set up...

 

[osprey]

One thing I have found since finishing a dedidcated reloading space that is warm and organized, is that I reload more often then before. Even when I don't have a pressing reloading need I will sort and prep brass while listening to or watching a game. It is nice when you do have a reloading mission in mind, to open a drawer and find fully prepped bagged and tagged brass ready to go.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Now for the next question since I have my bench and desk already built, what type of lighting should I incorporate into a reloading/gun room?
I hear LED (the latest and greatest and most expensive, a lot).
I have some fairly new 8-foot, 2 bulb fluorescent lights, will that be over powering, maybe too bright with white walls and bench?

LED lighting isn't as expensive as it used to be. I just bought 6 4' led shop lights the other day at bi-mart for $19.99 each. They are the ones you can interlink, very bright, and quiet. They will last a long time and are quite a bit more efficient than florescent.