Need HELP to do a Reality check for reloading in RENTAL apartment with TIGHT SPACE.

Thanks BCRider and Stranger. I didn't know about the extra noise from case and bullet feeder. yes, my neighbors are sensitive to noise, even complained my wife's piano once during normal daytime. So, I guess I have to think about sacrifice some of the speed to avoid the noise. And have to take one some practice on the both hand moving the torrent and feeding brass and bullet with both hands. it's kind of cumbersome when watching the dillon demo online. well...

for the balcony, I was only thinking about storage with big drop cloth cover it up. since you mentioned bare steel. I guess that's out of the window. I am not that crazy and try to reloading on balcony. Lol...

in term of the tables tip over. how heavy is the 550 or PRO1000? I saw the B&B bench has one side leg extends pretty far out which should prevent the tipping? And forgot to mention, since I will only play with handguns, would the 550 overkill? Besides, it still looks bigger than the PRO 1000. what's the difference between 550 and PRO 1000, other than Dillon being the cadillac of the press? do i really need it?

thanks again.


BCRider said:
The little Ikea table and even the B&D workmate will not serve well as a reloading press stand unless they are secured to the floor or wall. They are both way too light and will tip and basically be a PITA unless secured or weighted down with lots of goodies. And once weighted down both are going to be anything but portable. You need to have the press mounted to something that is heavy enough to not move around or that is attached to the floor or walls.

500 to 600 rounds an hour also implies case feeders and possibly bullet feeders. Those things are all noisy as blazes even if they are the hand stirred models and not the powered ones. And in an apartment setting that might just draw the sort of attention you're trying to avoid.

With my Dillon 550 I can run off around 300 to 350 an hour without a panic like pace. And the setup I'm using is not really too noisy as I'm hand feeding both the cases and bullets. And this also includes stopping for a couple of minutes every 100 rounds to use the primer pickup tube and then transfer them to the press' primer magazine. Overall this is just about silent other than my fingers in the bin of empty cases and a little rustle picking out the next bullet.

For the setup there are options. Any chance you would have room for a classy looking armoire in the bedroom or as a "storage" unit in the living room? If so then behind the doors you could build in a compact reloading setup that is just a snap of the doors away from being invisible. But you need to figure that out for yourself. We don't know how much room or re-decorating options you have.

In any event do NOT stick a press on your balcony. Most of the parts are painted so those won't rust. But a lot of the parts are just bare steel on any of the presses and those will rust. Taking it all off between uses is just not an option. Also you're worried about the word getting out. But you're OK with reloading out on the balcony? Huh?

There's no doubt that when you want to do stuff like this in a tight apartment that you need to make decisions and you need to move stuff around and jump a few hoops to adapt something to make it all work. And much of that will depend on how resourceful you are and how many folks you know that have home shops that can help you out with adapting or making cabinets or other ideas for a working area.
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I am in the same boat, but am not cramped for space. Honestly from everything I've read I would skip the Lee and be looking between Hornady and Dillon 650. I personally am leaning toward the Hornady as it's quite a bit cheaper and relatively the same thing. Can do about 400 an hour with no bullet/case feeders and is quiet.
 
550 c/w strong mount , bolted to .75/1" plywood 12x20 +/- , clamped to the kitchen counter , KD & repack in orig box . takes about 30min to reset/kd & pack .
 
Thanks everyone! Yes, another member also warned me about some issues with LEE. Since the progressive press will easily pay for itself, I think it does make sense to get the best just to be safe.
I think we can bring it back from States, right? Is it much cheaper than buying it here? I am in Toronto area.
 
just found this. should be the solution for my problem?

http://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Ars...-1&keywords=Frankford+Arsenal+Reloading+Stand







BCRider said:
The little Ikea table and even the B&D workmate will not serve well as a reloading press stand unless they are secured to the floor or wall. They are both way too light and will tip and basically be a PITA unless secured or weighted down with lots of goodies. And once weighted down both are going to be anything but portable. You need to have the press mounted to something that is heavy enough to not move around or that is attached to the floor or walls.

500 to 600 rounds an hour also implies case feeders and possibly bullet feeders. Those things are all noisy as blazes even if they are the hand stirred models and not the powered ones. And in an apartment setting that might just draw the sort of attention you're trying to avoid.

With my Dillon 550 I can run off around 300 to 350 an hour without a panic like pace. And the setup I'm using is not really too noisy as I'm hand feeding both the cases and bullets. And this also includes stopping for a couple of minutes every 100 rounds to use the primer pickup tube and then transfer them to the press' primer magazine. Overall this is just about silent other than my fingers in the bin of empty cases and a little rustle picking out the next bullet.

For the setup there are options. Any chance you would have room for a classy looking armoire in the bedroom or as a "storage" unit in the living room? If so then behind the doors you could build in a compact reloading setup that is just a snap of the doors away from being invisible. But you need to figure that out for yourself. We don't know how much room or re-decorating options you have.

In any event do NOT stick a press on your balcony. Most of the parts are painted so those won't rust. But a lot of the parts are just bare steel on any of the presses and those will rust. Taking it all off between uses is just not an option. Also you're worried about the word getting out. But you're OK with reloading out on the balcony? Huh?

There's no doubt that when you want to do stuff like this in a tight apartment that you need to make decisions and you need to move stuff around and jump a few hoops to adapt something to make it all work. And much of that will depend on how resourceful you are and how many folks you know that have home shops that can help you out with adapting or making cabinets or other ideas for a working area.
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Like others mentioned, there's lots of options for portable mounting a press. I bought a metal folding tool stand from Canadian Tire that has a bunch of slots in the top for mounting whatever, and the legs also telescope up and down to adjust the height easy. I'm only using a single stage press on it right now, but can't see any issue mounting a progressive on it.
 
Here's my newest setup. Stainless steel workbench, which is permanent as a workbench table or whatever it needs to be used for.

Set up for cartridge sizing, where only the presses are used...





A bolt on board in the middle with all powder and bench mounted priming tools.



All removable so you have a clean work surface to use for cleaning bench or just a basic workbench, and all you have is a few small holes. Takes about 20 seconds per item to remove or install the wing nuts/ carriage bolts per press/ board.

 
luckey said:
just found this. should be the solution for my problem?

http://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Ars...-1&keywords=Frankford+Arsenal+Reloading+Stand
Click to expand...

IMO that is even worse than the Ikea table or the Workmate. The first time you pull on the lever to pull against the four or five stations all doing something at once you'll pull the whole press and table over onto your lap. The only way to make that sucker work is load the legs down with about 200 lbs of sand bags. And even then I'm thinking that all the joints will wobble and flex. Frankly I wouldn't trust a table like that to hold my glass of beer.
 
just found this. should be the solution for my problem?

http://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arse...eloading+Stand
Click to expand...

IMO that is even worse than the Ikea table or the Workmate. The first time you pull on the lever to pull against the four or five stations all doing something at once you'll pull the whole press and table over onto your lap.
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I would agree that with a progressive you will need a REAL TABLE or bench. Doing one or 2 stations is completely different than 4 or 5. Anyone that had run out of cases will easily notice the difference in force required to cycle the handle.

Since you have limited space you will most likely not have room for more furniture, so your best bet is to have your press attached to 3/4" plywood and then you "C" clamp it to a solid table, desk or counter. And I mean "SOLID". With the clamps it will be very fast to remove or install and you don't need a large footprint for the press.

FWIW, the Lee Loadmaster works just fine if it is set up correctly and monitored for condition. I usually make about 400 per session and seldom have a glitch or problem. Your hand will get a bit sore if you grind out 1000+ in one session, and do it for a few days in a row.
 
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I think wheels are a bad idea. OP, do you have an existing coffee table? If you do throw it in the trash and make a new one that can contain the Dillon, that way you don't have to wheel it around, and you can take it out of the "coffee table" and bolt/clamp it to the top. As the others have mentioned anything light will not be any good as the press is not that heavy, but when you pull the lever you will have issues.
 
nada said:
550 c/w strong mount , bolted to .75/1" plywood 12x20 +/- , clamped to the kitchen counter , KD & repack in orig box . takes about 30min to reset/kd & pack .
Click to expand...

Here's how I did it when I lived in an apartment:
DSC00254.JPG


The Strong Mount is one of the nice features of the Dillon presses. It spreads the load of the press over a greater area and makes a nice, unitized package that can be easily moved.
 
I'm thinking of bolting my Lee 1000 to a kitchen island. Tell me, is this a bad idea? The thing about my kitchen island is that I don't actually do any cooking on it. It seems to be a place I just throw my papers on. I'm just worried polluting the rest of my kitchen.
 
OP - Noise from brass- and/or bullet feeder could be a problem, it looks like Dillon 550 is the best all-around solution for you. And it's cheaper to buy from Dillon directly (smaller box) than 650.
Shipping fees from Dillon can be intimidating but if you buy all the stuff you need at once - conversions, roller handle, dies, powder setup, mount, spare parts kit, etc..., it's a better deal than buying piece by piece locally... unless you get lucky and find a reasonably priced used setup. Make a list and check it... twice? ;) Shipping is usually gets priced on dimensional weight (volume of the box, not the real weight), so small and heavy "extras" don't change a thing price-wise.

Another good thing or two about 550 is a cheaper conversion kits and very fast caliber change routine (especially with Quick Change Assembly). I miss this with my 650.

Good luck! ;)

s>
 
If you are near the border I would have it delivered to the American side and just drive and pick it up. You could save a large chunk of change.
 
Tumbler, Dillon Trimmer, and even your Case Media Separator are your biggest noise problems.


twoicebergs said:
What are you guys doing to get any noise that would be loud enough to be heard outside of a few feet from the press? If it is thumping, it is not secured very well. My tumbler is the only thing that makes any noise.
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I was once in the same position as you are, While not a rental unit, I started raising a family in a 12x 54 mobile...space was at a premium for sure. I built a reloading station out of a 2 door stand-up coat closet. Outside it looked like what it started out as, a box store bought, cheap panel board closet taking up an area not much more floor space than a kitchen chair.

Inside it was very different from its origin...beefed it up considerably to withstand the vigors of press use and securely fastened to a wall stud for stability. The whole re-mod took about a 1/2 a day tops.While I didn't own a Dillon at the time, it was tall enough to allow one to be mounted with case feeder if I would have.

This set-up sat in the corner of the living room for a # of yrs, hiding from every visitor who came inside with not a soul knowing what it contained unless I wanted them too.
 
Silveragent said:
I'm thinking of bolting my Lee 1000 to a kitchen island. Tell me, is this a bad idea? The thing about my kitchen island is that I don't actually do any cooking on it. It seems to be a place I just throw my papers on. I'm just worried polluting the rest of my kitchen.
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This is a bad idea for the pollution reason you stated. While it would be possible to clean between reloading and cooking most folks would not do the "hospital operating room" sort of scrub down that would be wise to perform. We just are not that detail oriented.

I like the idea of Lead Hammer's coffee table modification. Although a coffee table is way too low. But if the table were replaced with a slab sided monolithic box that has a top which lifts off, flips over and bolts back down a support stand could be fixed to the new top side.

Going back to the stands. Of the three shown so far that would be considered portable the B&D workmate would be best. Still not as good as solidly clamping it to something fixed to a wall but head and shoulders better than the Ikea or Franklin tables.

It's not that the press will just over balance the table and flip it. There's the lost motion that will occur on just about any free standing lightweight portable table of this sort. Even the nicely clamped table setup in tjhaile's pictures above looks a trifle spindly and wobbly in the legs. It may have worked but I'll bet there was some give to it with every handle pull.

And in the end that's the issue. If the stand or table moves around you're working harder than you need to work to run the lever. And in the case of overly wobbly stands like that Ikea or Franklin table there's going to be a few times you need to catch it from simply falling over from even a slightly enthusiastic lever pull. And that's the two reasons why you need something solidly mounted or solidly stiff and heavy to use as a base for the press.

You asked about the use of a progressive as being possible overkill for hand gun ammo only. Nope, it's the other way around. The higher consumption and reloading required for competitive handgun shooting pretty much demands a good progressive. So you are most certainly going in the right direction. What is needed is a slight compromise to suit your confined living accommodations as to noise and size of the setup. If you can't spare the room for even a compact vertical cabinet which would allow for the closed doors covering up the press then you need to set up something that lets you easily lift out the press and clamp it to somewhere that won't shake around or fall over. For example even if the missus did let you clamp it to the dining table I've seen only a few which I would consider as rigid enough to use for reloading over the long term. Far better to rig up something that allows clamping it to a bathroom counter top or a sturdy dresser top or something of that sort.

It would be different if you were only loading a few rounds now and then In that case even a wobbly surface is fine. It's not great but we can work with it for a short while. But you're talking major numbers of lever pulls so ANY flex or wobble to the mounting surface will become old REAL fast.

I was originally given three boxes of Lee presses and other reloading gear by a helpful sort after I gave them a hand with cleaning up their storage area. It was the gear he started with before seeing the light and going to Dillon. I started out with this and suffered with a lot of little niggling things that I modified to make the Lee 1000 into a decently relliable press. Then along came a used Dillon 550b setup and I jumped on it. I've since passed the always frustrating Lee gear on to a shooting buddy. And I can easily say I won't miss it. There's just too many iffy things going on with the Lee 1000 to make it a nice press to use. I ended up performing a solid 6 modifications to it before I would say that it was as reliable as the Dillon. Even then the silly little "ski slope" primer feed would require cleaning on fairly regular intervals with brake cleaner to remove some little spot of oil that got onto the plastic and caused the primers to stick.

So for your situation where you'll be reloading somewhere around 10K a year I'd say you're going in the right direction with a Dillon or a Hornady. My needs are well supported with the 550. But if you're looking ahead a 650 would keep the doors open to somewhere in the future eventually going with the case and bullet feeders once you move into a house. So if you can spare the added cost keep the future in mind. And of course the Hornady progressive also has the options for all those add ons. But for now in your apartment it sounds like you're in agreement that these add ons are going to be too noisy.

One way in which a wheeled small table would work is if it were made so it wheels into place then clamps to some sort of stub of wall. If you can set up something like that then you get a small size easily rolled away stand but the rigidity of being clamped to something that won't move. Again without seeing the options you have in your apartment it's hard to make anything more than generic suggestions. You need to take these as inspirations and open up your mind to the options for good solid mounting while still being small and easily put away in the blink of an eye.
 
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