Design and building a reloading room

[osprey]

Yep led has come a long way and is the way to go. I bought two new dedicated led strip fixtures for over my bench area and converted two more older 8' flouro fixtures for the higher ceiling portion of my room. The older fixtures were surplus out of a local school and are well made. They harken me back to when we still made stuff in this country and made it well. Definitely worth the effort to convert. Any flouro fixture can be converted with the new led bulb offerings. I recommend the type that bypass the ballast altogether for the most efficiency. So basically you sh!tcan the ballast and rewire the power in to the tombstones to work with the new led replacement bulbs.

 

[Caveman Jim]

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.

In an 8 x 12 room with 8 foot ceiling with white walls, I'm wondering if they will be too bright.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Yep led has come a long way and is the way to go. I bought two new dedicated led strip fixtures for over my bench area and converted two more older 8' flouro fixtures for the higher ceiling portion of my room. The older fixtures were surplus out of a local school and are well made. They harken me back to when we still made stuff in this country and made it well. Definitely worth the effort to convert. Any flouro fixture can be converted with the new led bulb offerings. I recommend the type that bypass the ballast altogether for the most efficiency. So basically you sh!tcan the ballast and rewire the power in to the tombstones to work with the new led replacement bulbs.

I was talking to a guy who bought some lumber from me on Craigslist last month about this very same thing, I surely did not know what he was talking about or how to do it but he said it's very possible. The sad thing is that I've already deleted his contact information off my phone.

So you're saying that the good old 4 bulb fixtures that I have hanging in my woodworking shop can be converted to LED for not a lot of money?

 

[osprey]

I don' think they will be too bright . If you convert older flouro fixtures you can pick led bulbs with different color renderings and lumen ratings. This also goes for new dedicated led fixtures. You could start with decent quality flouro fixtures that are appropriate and convert to led at a later date. A four bulb fixture would be about $50-60 to convert.

 

[osprey]

Prices have come down since I checked last. Here are some for a 4 bulb 8' fixture.

https://www.amazon.com/Hyperikon-Du..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=KZXHD0Q6VZFASE0JAFBH

 

[Ura-Ki]

Lowes Has them, I didn't check price, but they weren't that bad what I did see of them!
I know you have lots of choices in hew and color with both types, L.E.D. and Floro, I just replaced the tubes in Dads shop with Super bright ( 100 W equivalent) work lights that have a slight "Warm" hew to them, they are really nice and are easy in the eyes!

Paint colors, I did my walls in a sort of sand color and my bench top is a Pool Table type flat green. I find the colors help keep the "Starkness" out of it and make it more like a Den, it's a more comfortable space to enjoy being in! I like the Green bench top, it makes it really easy to see if I spilled powder or a little spring or "E" clip went missing, and I also have a slight lip to the edge of the bench to help keep things from rolling off and getting lost forever! I like to sit when i'm at the bench, So I got a really nice captains chair on casters and it's adjustable for every thing! Another really cool thing is it has a foot bar on it, so I can be up off the floor and comfortable and don't cramp up! One thing I did was build the bench to a comfortable height for standing, so that I can do ether and not get pizzed off that I built it too short or too tall!

 

[SHPD_Retired]

In an 8 x 12 room with 8 foot ceiling with white walls, I'm wondering if they will be too bright.

I do not think it will be too bright. I have a 12 x 14 with 4 of the lights from Costco and definitely is not too much light. They have the pull strings on them so you can just turn one off if you want to.

 

[SHPD_Retired]

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...

For all of those primers that get away you should buy one of Chris Alticks' primer catcher upgrades.

 

[Caveman Jim]

For all of those primers that get away you should buy one of Chris Alticks' primer catcher upgrades.

Thanks for that it will surely be on the upgrade list after construction and set up. I appreciate it!

 

[bsa1917hunter]

In an 8 x 12 room with 8 foot ceiling with white walls, I'm wondering if they will be too bright.

I was talking to a guy who bought some lumber from me on Craigslist last month about this very same thing, I surely did not know what he was talking about or how to do it but he said it's very possible. The sad thing is that I've already deleted his contact information off my phone.

So you're saying that the good old 4 bulb fixtures that I have hanging in my woodworking shop can be converted to LED for not a lot of money?

No, I'm saying you could just buy and use the led shop lights. 2 4' led shop lights would only cost $40.00, and are worth every penny. For your 8×12 room, 2 would be just about perfect.

 

[Caveman Jim]

No, I'm saying you could just buy and use the led shop lights. 2 4' led shop lights would only cost $40.00, and are worth every penny. For your 8×12 room, 2 would be just about perfect.

Gotcha! Thanks.

 

[CarlMc]

Let me throw in that plastic coated, vinyl, or linoleum floors increase the likelihood of you generating static when you walk across it. There are anti-static sprays for floors and such if you go with plastic, though. While I find it unlikely that static electricity can be a serious threat to reloading in your context, it's definitely unnerving.

 

[Vettewine]

I have a cement floor in my reloading area as it's in my shop area off my heated garage and on the same slab. I found that the interlocking rubber floor pads at Costco work great as they are about 2' x 2' x 3/4" thick and come in packs of 4 (I think). Warm to the feel and very good if you have to stand for awhile which I do quite often. I also have them laid down in my wine cellar which is also on a slab so if I drop a bottle it usually just bounces a bit...!

 

[Caveman Jim]

Let me throw in that plastic coated, vinyl, or linoleum floors increase the likelihood of you generating static when you walk across it. There are anti-static sprays for floors and such if you go with plastic, though. While I find it unlikely that static electricity can be a serious threat to reloading in your context, it's definitely unnerving.

Not going plastic. The flooring I have is heavy like cement... The walls are going to be vinyl covered press board.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I have a cement floor in my reloading area as it's in my shop area off my heated garage and on the same slab. I found that the interlocking rubber floor pads at Costco work great as they are about 2' x 2' x 3/4" thick and come in packs of 4 (I think). Warm to the feel and very good if you have to stand for awhile which I do quite often. I also have them laid down in my wine cellar which is also on a slab so if I drop a bottle it usually just bounces a bit...!

I'll definitely have some sort of anti fatigue mat, thanks.
Gotta protect those bottles of special nectar.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Well boys & girls, I decided to get busy today with some excess lumber I had stacked in the corner.
One wall is framed at near zero cost to me... Now for some pain meds and a good night sleep, gotta go fishing in the AM....

This is the existing outer wall that has 2" thick poly foam insulation so 2x4 framing worked perfectly!

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Very cool man. We all need our "man caves". I don't know what I'd do without mine. Probably go crazy. It's nice to have a place to go to where you can work on things and enjoy your hobbies. For me, it's working on cars, reloading and working on guns. So a garage is the best type of environment. I like the ideas these guys have given you. Things like a nice metal lock box/cabinet that you can lock your powder and primers in, and plenty of cupboard space. Here's how I have part of my man cave set up:






This may give you some ideas. The main thing I feel is important is good lighting, plenty of counter space and cupboard space and a good lockable place for your powder and other explosive material (primers etc.)... Have fun with your project. Looks like you are off to a good start...

 

[Caveman Jim]

Very cool man. We all need our "man caves". I don't know what I'd do without mine. Probably go crazy. It's nice to have a place to go to where you can work on things and enjoy your hobbies. For me, it's working on cars, reloading and working on guns. So a garage is the best type of environment. I like the ideas these guys have given you. Things like a nice metal lock box/cabinet that you can lock your powder and primers in, and plenty of cupboard space. Here's how I have part of my man cave set up:

View attachment 507412
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This may give you some ideas. The main thing I feel is important is good lighting, plenty of counter space and cupboard space and a good lockable place for your powder and other explosive material (primers etc.)... Have fun with your project. Looks like you are off to a good start...

You have a man palace!!!!
Way too organized by the way...
Just doing a little bit at a time, not as young as I once was....

 

[bsa1917hunter]

You have a man palace!!!!
Way too organized by the way...
Just doing a little bit at a time, not as young as I once was....

Thanks, it's a freeking mess right now though. I'm working on 2 rifles at the moment and also have my daughters honda accord up on jackstands. Pretty much rebuilding the damn thing, since it was stolen while she was in Portland and then we recovered it. So now I have to put it back together . I have guns and car parts all over the garage now..

 

[Caveman Jim]

Still looks very organized.
I'll do a project & then clean up.