In Home or Garage?

[Hundy]

I have a full set RCBS reloader with all the dies for the firearms I own. I used to reload in the early 90's. I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with a roomate, so I reloaded in my bedroom. No big deal at the time. Few years later, different apartment, wife, and children. Packed all the reloading stuff away.
Fast forward to today. House, 3 out of 4 children moved out, and a need to reload, due to demands on ammo.
I would like to set up in our spare bedroom, my wife would like me to set up in one of the garages. I do not have a basement, so that is not a option. I like the idea of having it in a room in the house. Stay cleaner, nice enviorment to reload. I wont admit to the wife, but the idea of the garage has its pros also. I dont have to worry about dust paritcles and powder throughtout the room, If I spill on the carpet that would create a stain and mess. Using the vibrating cleaner would be easier in the garage.
Just curious of how many do it indoors/inhome vs basement/garage.

Thanks

Jay

[lah2420]

I moved from the house to the garage after I built my bench and the wife said that monstrosity was NOT going in her house. Being happily married for almost 35 years, I chose the wise route and said "yes dear". Now she rarely interrupts my reloading.

[Hundy]

Yes I hear ya, that is the way I am leaning. I have been married almost 18 years and together almost 20. I do beleave in the saying "A happy wife, makes for a happy life". I just got the material to build my bench. I can see her having the same reaction.

Thanks

Jay

[azjohn]

Cleaning brass in the house is a very bad idea.

[hbhobby]

I'm in the garage cuz the wife has the house ull of crap. Plus i can crank the stereo out there

[lah2420]

"Cleaning brass in the house is a very bad idea."

That would have probably had me finding my reloading equipment laying in the yard when I got home.

[Hundy]

When I reloaded in the 90's I cleaned the brass by hand. You guys are right, that would be bad, and I probably would find my stuff in the trash. I just bought the vibratory cleaner, have not used it yet.
I see a new bench and a clean garage in my future.

Thanks

Jay

[rlc323]

Carpet is not so good for the reloading room. I like a bare floor with the rubber mat to stand on. You know you will eventually spill powder and lose primers in a rug. Get rid of the carpet and you may be alright inside.

If you take it to the garage plan to have to an AC, fridge, and stereo out there. Then a few lawnchairs for the inevitable neighborhood loafers. Only drawback to the garage is having powder and primers in uncontrolled climate. You may have to keep them in a cabinet in the house and haul them out to use.

[MarkGlazer]

Question: where do you live?

Why do I ask, the humidity question comes into play. As an example, I live in Atlanta and my shop is in my basement where it is always cool and I have a dehumidifier. I have no worries about my powder or primer being corrupted by humidity. So I'm not worried about the components nor rounds that I may produce and store down there.

Can you control the temperature and humidity in the garage? If so, there's your new shop. I don't think your wife will care what it looks like, as long as you don't set the house on fire or make it go "boom." As for cleaning the brass inside, no. I wouldn't even tolerate the noise level in the living area so I can't expect my wife to do the same, nor the Jack Russell. She's a nervous wreck as it is.

Good luck.

[Fire_Moose]

I like being inside. Again tho, I'm on tile. Carpet's a different story.

Brass cleaning/trimming is done in the garage.

[lamarw]

I have my workshop and reloading bench set-up (three connected benches with two turret presses and three shotgun presses) in a walk-out basement room. From my bench, I have a beautiful water view of a 40,000 + acre lake 50 feet from my stool. It appears the surface of the lake is higher than the floor in the room (optical illusion), and the view along with reloading have a very soothing affect upon your soul.

[Misssissippi Dave]

I have a good size garage with a work room. Reloading is done in the work room. It has a window A/C unit and electric heat. I prefer to not be disturbed while reloading, so it is a good place to get away from distractions. I would never consider running the vib. tumbler in the house.

[oldpapps]

How about both?

No, I'm serious. Noisy, nasty processes go to the garage. Storage is in the house.

I rattle tub clean on a shelf outside of the 'outhouse', but keep everything pertaining to it inside the 'outhouse', out of the weather. The majority of all else is done in my basement garage. OK, the 'outhouse' isn't a real one and is both heated and does have air-conditioning. And the basement garage area is fully temp and humidity controlled and is only a continuation of the down stairs part of the house.

Point is: Who says everything must be done at one place? I often watch TV in the family room as I prime and have trimmed brass too. I could move my 'WorkMate' but with the presses mounted it would be a pain to do.

Enjoy,

OSOK

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

House or garage? Depends on your location. You want a stable dry climate for your components storage and reloading tools. Here in Minnesota too cold most of the year to be out in a unheated garage. Louisiana to damp. We have a den or family room. This is where I reload. One 6X6 small corner is my agreed too designated space. I run my Vibe brass cleaner out in the garage. Out of site out of mind and quiet. (Keeps the peace indoors.) If intending to take a spare room that's carpeted. There no reason why a throw carpet couldn't be used over your main carpet to control accidental spills. The interior of a house is not only hers. But yours too.

[DaleA]

rlc323 said

You may have to keep them [components] in a cabinet in the house and haul them out to use.

I hadn't thought of this before rlc323 mentioned it but it could turn out pretty good.

Your reloading equipment is set up in the garage, you come in and get the powder and primers for what you're going to be reloading during JUST THAT SESSION and leave everything else in the house. You'd never have a problem mixing up the stuff on the bench cause you'd always have the right stuff and only the right stuff on the bench.

I reload in the basement (read man cave) with everything all around me. When I read of folks sometimes grabbing the wrong powder I think that's something I could probably do myself and it makes me a little uneasy.

[Black01Jeep]

I tumble and trim in shed, everything else in house. I live in Va and summers in the shed were terrible, daughter moved out reloading equipment moved in.

[Lost Sheep]

I tumble in a "dirty room". Just like a "clean room". Serves the same purpose; keeps contamination and dust localized, easy to sanitize/clean.

Don't any of you guys who set up in a non-sterile environment use a drop cloth to catch spills and make dropped primers, etc easy to recover/find?

Lost Sheep

[hammie]

Many have mentioned humidity and rust in a garage or basement, but no one has mentioned rust inhibitor chips. Throw a treated cardboard square in your die box, tool drawer, etc, and the rust inhibitor works like magic.

I solved the location problem by building a reloading shed in the backyard. It's insulated with heating and cooling. It provided an opportunity to get away from the noise and commotion of the kids for a few hours now and then.

[TheNatureBoy]

Another vote for the garage.

[LE-28]

I tumble my brass and clean my guns in the garage, basically anything with a smell to it, goes in the garage.
My reloading room is the laundry room in the house that can be accessed from the garage so I have the best of both worlds.

My whole house air conditioning has caused me problems in my reloading room, with static and moving air messing with my scales. I've had to almost completely close the ceiling vent and sometimes open the door to the garage just to let some humidity in to so the powder measures don't suffer from static cling so much.

My garage is finished inside like the house, but my woodworking shop is also in the garage so I don't have room for my 8'long loading bench out there also.

My wife of 34 yrs doesn't complain to much about me taking up most of the laundry room with my reloading equipment.
Until she steps on a spent primer in her bare feet. Then I get reminded of some things.

[ricklaut]

Another vote for 'both'. I live in Las Vegas, so reloading in the summer is - um - miserable in the garage. That's where I started out, and suffered through it for quite a while. It worked.

But, when our son moved out, my wife came up with the idea (via Jedi mind tricks perhaps... ) that I should do some of it in the house. Yes! When she comes up with the idea, who am I to argue?

Tumbling / casting is done in the garage; presses are in the house in a 10x10 room that doubles between a reloading room & my office.

[Live45]

I was confronted with the same problem, garage or house, until I viewed a thread of other reloading setups. While viewing I came up with the perfect solution for me. A "portable" reloading station. Being that I live in central FL the heat and humidity is unbearable in the garage many months of the year. During the winter it's very pleasant. So when it gets hot I just pick up my reloading station and move it into our kitchen and place on the kitchen table. Any powder or primers that hit the floor are easily spotted being that the floor is made of white ceramic tile. See here: http://thefiringline.com/forums/atta...5&d=1365370494

[cvc944]

Both. I load in a spare room in the house we call the gunroom. It is climate controlled so I don't have to worry about humidity or temperature swings. All the gun cleaning and brass cleaning gets done in the basement workshop.

[Hundy]

Thanks for the many replies. I live in Southern California and we have a short spell of humid weather in the summer. I am going to set up the bench in the gargage, but store primers and poweder in the spare bedroom. Do all the work in the garage, and keep some supplies inside. Sounds like a plan. I kind of thought this was probably the better idea, does not hurt to check.

Thanks Again

Jay

[rebs]

I do all my reloading in the basement, that is my man cave, my domain and I have my wife's permission to say so. lol