Future Reloading Room Build

Looks good in there - and I see you've got both trimmers up and running now. I've been following that thread.

Thanks!
What you don’t see in that pic is the lazy boy and the sound system.
Brass prepping can easily turn into a liquor drinking music listening evening, the perfect spot!
 
I am currently using 1x Home depot, 1x Canadian tire and 1x Rona worktable setups.
Love it for the clean look of a finished room.
The canadian tire one I found it for 80$ on kijiji, cut the overhead cabinet section off, and replaced the countertop by a butchers block countertop.
I also added some shelving under the tables for projectiles and brass.
By the way, the 2 tables are screwed in the wall studs for extra stability, the cabinet I kept it movable if ever I should need it.

Took a panoramic picture so may look funny, but at least you get an idea how it looks.

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Like the lamps attached to your presses. Are just just store bought lamps or did they come with the presses and how did you attach them?
 
I mounted an old kitchen cabinet above my bench, and if I'd had one to use as the bench, I would have done that as well. If you're going to be sitting on a stool reloading, definitely make sure the from of your bench is either open or the top hangs over the front a decent amount.
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And this is after I added the kitchen cabinet above. Pretty awesome that it fit as good as it did.
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I've got led strip lights under the cabinets, and a repositionable lamp above the bench. I think I need to come up with some sort of quick change mount for the presses and just keep one on there at a time so I have more room for gun cleaning and working on RC cars on the bench. The wood cabinet to the left of my reloading bench is a gun cabinet with a small work bench as well as bulk ammo storage underneath. My safe is beside that, with more old kitchen cabinets on the wall above and on the floor beside the safe. It works pretty good for me, but I'm also more concerned with function than looks, as it's just an unfinished basement room that I share with a bunch of storage shelves, the pellet stove, hot water tank, and central vacuum cleaner.
Kristian
 
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I mounted an old kitchen cabinet above my bench, and if I'd had one to use as the bench, I would have done that as well. If you're going to be sitting on a stool reloading, definitely make sure the from of your bench is either open or the top hangs over the front a decent amount.
mIqQqKhAxNvq8KIdbDU7S3VAN7VXSFVneeG-ngizFpfyO0flTusf9-ufmW0DK9aRV62UyFJQB7XR3S_hIONUEd7dZFdQO7_QLHMK8yWT9UeS8h2uTnFGMmaw7Twq0cqHpQLMZMLMABs=w2400

And this is after I added the kitchen cabinet above. Pretty awesome that it fit as good as it did.
MFRzqppKdwjScPMU61F7QgzwMBBLOVj56hsphVDv9kNUjQCoMegRylb4lUpDgJdwc_P_VMrmzJuDuivD6V6iXEO-wmeXAuOgBcuBPR_0PgGdqmQUZ-b9niiyzlI6dz8pbqtkA8wuUrI=w2400

I've got led strip lights under the cabinets, and a repositionable lamp above the bench. I think I need to come up with some sort of quick change mount for the presses and just keep one on there at a time so I have more room for gun cleaning and working on RC cars on the bench. The wood cabinet to the left of my reloading bench is a gun cabinet with a small work bench as well as bulk ammo storage underneath. My safe is beside that, with more old kitchen cabinets on the wall above and on the floor beside the safe. It works pretty good for me, but I'm also more concerned with function than looks, as it's just an unfinished basement room that I share with a bunch of storage shelves, the pellet stove, hot water tank, and central vacuum cleaner.
Kristian

Man your bench is as cluttered as mine.:)
 
Man your bench is as cluttered as mine.:)

It's not usually that bad, I had just gotten the cabinets up and had piled the stuff that had been on the shelves on the bench to get it off the floor. It's still never as tidy as I wish it was though. The downfalls of a multi use work area and never enough time or space for everything.
Kristian
 
It's not usually that bad, I had just gotten the cabinets up and had piled the stuff that had been on the shelves on the bench to get it off the floor. It's still never as tidy as I wish it was though. The downfalls of a multi use work area and never enough time or space for everything.
Kristian

Yep. My bench is 16 feet long and 3 feet deep and there is not enough space. I think I have too much reloading stuff. Not.
I need to put up more shelves or cupboards like you have.
 
My local C tire had a huge tool chest with a work top on it with scads of draws in it, on sale , it was about 6 ft long on casters, It was 600.oo reg1200.oo but I don't know if you could get something like that in a basement., I have a walk out , so no problem, and I stopped reloading after I moved. I have some Ca. Tire cupboards, cheap, quick, prefinished, But don't handle heavy weight good as the shelf ate 5/8" chip board . 3/4" plywood is the way to go for ammo. Power and what not, chipboard is O.K. Cost wise, You can't build for what those cabinets cost, when they put them on sale
If you wanted to close it off , I would suggest white bifold doors, 2 set with a center post. You can go up to 12 ft with 2 sets.I will snap a picture, this is my citified setup, I don't have a picture of my loading setup it was 2/4 and solid core doors out of a old school, 3x7 x 2 in thick fir. There are lots of good oak kitchen cupboards tossed out with remo going on, if you could find some.This picture is under a sunken living room which was the big rage in the mid 1980's, so low head room and a heat pipe, but for 6 ft cabinets , O.K.
The bench is a old one from the farm.P3010001.jpg
 

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Yep. My bench is 16 feet long and 3 feet deep and there is not enough space. I think I have too much reloading stuff. Not.
I need to put up more shelves or cupboards like you have.

Used kitchen cabinets are great, especially if you can get the old ones made from real wood. And the price generally can't be beat either.
Kristian
 
Just realized I never updated this thread with the final build pics....for those interested. Pretty pleased with the end result and really glad we tore out the carpet that was in there, stank like cat piss when we started pulling it up. Negotiating with wife for shuffle board table and might add a dart board to the mix when she's not looking.


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No matter which design you chose, make sure you install some T-Slots. That way you can make unlimited amount of adjustments, move, store away your tools, etc.

Sorry I’m on my phone, not sure how to rotate it.

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One thing to consider is the possibility of mounting your press(s) on the side of your bench or possibly on a smaller side table? I mounted mine to the end of my bench just because I really like drawers and mounting to the front would make them inaccessible.


Other small things that can take it up a level in my opinion:

Good lighting including a flexible LED light that can be positioned directly over your press to light up marks on my seating die when adjusting seat depth.

Small compartments in the shelving that fits die boxes, bullet containers, etc. As opposed to a big cabinet with gear just stacked inside.

Wooden or metal blocks drilled out to hold common tools like pencils, calipers, comparator dies, etc.

Glass doors in the upper cabinets, or no doors at all so you can see inside for whatever you're looking for.

A dispenser for shop rags and wipes.

Personally mine is standard desk height. I don't find stools comfortable for extended periods so I wouldn't want it to be workbench height. I like being able to roll around on a comfortable office chair.

I'm not a fan I t-slots just because they are a trap for powder, bullets, primers if/when you spill. I'd rather just clamp things for the first month or so until you figure out the perfect position for your gear to create a solid work flow and then mount it.
 
Most people here have a fairly similar setup it seems. Build it big. Build it solid. 4x4’s, doubled 2x4’s, a good top, and bolt it to the wall. Build shelves from 2x6es on the back of it, with one at the right height to have your scale at eye level. Putting it up there will make things much easier on your neck. Build it at standing height, and get a bar stool. That way you have the option of standing or sitting.
 
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Just realized I never updated this thread with the final build pics....for those interested. Pretty pleased with the end result and really glad we tore out the carpet that was in there, stank like cat piss when we started pulling it up. Negotiating with wife for shuffle board table and might add a dart board to the mix when she's not looking.


Nice clean setup there Devlin. Good to keep the small stuff tucked out of the way (closed cabinets) in a multi use space like that.
 
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