Putting the Reloading Bench in the Garage? Yes or No?

I just opened a fresh tin of IMR 4198 last week that I have owned for a couple of years. From the time I owned it until now it has been stored in my basement, never going below 18 C. When I poured the first batch out of the can, it came out more rust than powder. Somewere in it's lifetime, the can was subjected to temp changes that really got the can started in to rusting
 
I reload in my garage and prefer it over making a mess in the house. . Store my powder in the basement. . My garage is attached to the house and has heat. . Works for me. .
 
All my reloading is in the garage. I have in floor heat and keep it at a constant 12C all winter. It gets warmer in the summer tho but not for terribly long. Not as long as I would like it but thats another topic. Also because we have vehicles in the garage we have a dehumidifier running 24/7 in cooler weather. So far no spoiled powder or primers.
 
My stuff is in my detached garage. Powder is in 1 pound kegs. Lids screwed on tight. +8 all winter. No problems. Over head radiant heat
 
The garage is fine as long as you are not evaporating puddles of water dripped from your car (ie snow and ice melt), and having the moisture condense on cold surfaces. Edmonton is very dry in the winter, more so than Calgary as you don't get the chinooks. If your garage is well ventilated and the humidity does not build up it should be fine. I've got all my reloading stuff in the garage and no problems, but then it is also detached with no humidity creeping in from the house. Note many of the comments are from folks in high humidity areas (BC for example) where humidity is a big problem.
 
i just got a reloading setup passed down to me, and i have not set it up yet, although i currently have all of it in boxes in a garage detached from the house no heat. im about an hour outside of Vancouver, should i be reconsidering where i set it up. i jumped on this website to find out information so i am glad i found this thread.

what sort of things will happen to the supplies if they are stored in an unheated garage?

thanks,
 
tribal said:
i just got a reloading setup passed down to me, and i have not set it up yet, although i currently have all of it in boxes in a garage detached from the house no heat. im about an hour outside of Vancouver, should i be reconsidering where i set it up. i jumped on this website to find out information so i am glad i found this thread.

what sort of things will happen to the supplies if they are stored in an unheated garage?

thanks,
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Nothing happens from my experience and I am talking Nova Scotia winters unheated. The only thing I do differently is powder I know I will not be using up in a year I buy in smaller sizes so I don't open the factory seal on a large jug.Bit more expensive yes but . I also try to buy powder in plastic jugs if possible vs steel tins.
Stuff I use weekly I still buy in bulk. Sunlight and heat is what I worry about not cold or humidity
It is like storing my antique cars. No heat or heat is fine for storage but having heat some days and none the next kills them and they will drip condensation.
Also have no insulation in the area and all kinds of open vents. In fact some days a few snow flakes if the wind in blowing right will build up around and on top of the storage box.
 
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I live in Edmonton and I have reloaded in the garage for 30 years both detached and attached and have never had a problem either heated or non-heated. The only thing I have ever found rust on was garand enbloc clips, a quick polish with oil and steel wool took care of that and kept in a zip lock bag till needed. Powder and primers have been fine as well as all my presses and equipment.
 
As already stated, humidity can be an issue. Basements can be bad as well. I have my reloading room in the basement and I run a small 1500 watt heater year around, just to keep it a bit drier. I also have a fan on 24/7 to keep air moving. This keeps it dry. My home was built in the late 40's, basements of that era can be dungeons. Lube up your dies when you finish using them, especially if you won't be using them again for awhile, spray lube works fine.
 
As junkdude said in post 27, the real source of humidity in a heated garage is a car coming and going through the winter, covered in snow and ice. I've had homeowners get it so bad that their man-door iced up and wouldn't open.

If you don't use it for parking (I don't park in mine... 22' garage, 24' long truck LOL), the humidity will stay fairly low and stable. No problems. If you do, make sure as also mentioned to oil your dies and tools. I'd also recommend storing your stuff in rubbermaid type bins with desiccants like silica gel to keep condensation at bay.

Otherwise a garage is a great place to work and reload... it also keeps the smell of powder and cleaners etc. out of the house.
 
I am still not convinced on this humidity issue with smokeless powder vs heat and sunlight which for sure causes problems.Please share if you know of any
As posted on another reloading forum I visit
Unfortunately, there is plenty of empirical evidence out there to suggest that reloading ammunition or storing
loaded ammunition and powders in a high humidity environment can cause problems. There are postings in
Internet forums of alleged humidity effects ranging from clumping of powder in the powder measure and
grain weight changes for a given powder measure setting, to changes in powder burn rates and velocity
changes in loaded ammunition. But, to date, no one has been able to produce or find any actual scientific data or testing regarding
these so called humidity effects including powder manufacturers.
 
I have been reloading in my garage for the past 15 years, and have had no problems, i keep the garage around 10 degrees and have a wood stove when i want to work in there, i love it, got a tv and fridge out there, perfect man cave for me
 
olbar70 said:
I set my reloading bench in the garage (not directly heated, but has new insulated doors and room over) . At winter I had to run the heater and dress jacket during the reloading. Now, I worry about the summer heat. Will see, but maybe I will have to keep my ingredients in the house then.
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My house was built in 1910, so I only have a cellar with a sewer man hole size entrance...hardly big enough to fit a table in. My cellar reminds my Wife of her tour to Auschwitz when she went to Europe for a college trip for her program.....but I digress

I'm working on my setup this weekend and it will be all going in my garage built out of scrapwood more than likely, but very handsomely sided and roofed. I'm willing to bet, and am confident that adverse temperature fluctuations won't be a problem as long as reasonable precautions are taken to protect ones inventory of components...ie ziploc bags, surplus ammo cans for their rubber seal etc. etc.

Once I get things going, and complete my apprenticeship in loading from my very competent cousin and CGN'er, I am thinking about opening up my own business...... Uncle Schlomos deli, car detailing, dog grooming, and ammunition! (CGN and military discount of course!!)
 
samsplacci71 said:
I load in my garage as well. No problemo.
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Any pictures of your setup? Advice? I have an assembly table at my house from my Mother in-laws work (before they shipped it all to Mexico) and its pretty sturdy. I'm thinking of just drilling through the table top to secure my press. It's rock solid.... The Wife has been using it to cut material for quilting.....such a waste (Of a good table)
 
For those who are looking for a great dehumidifier... Look up "Drizair". Alot of people use them for their RVs. They don't require batteries. I have wondered myself about the garage. Its a great idea except that the garage i would use is detached. Althought it is heated and insulated.
 
3macs1 said:
I'm confused here??
Smokeless powder is NOT hygroscopic,(does not absorb water from the air).

I'd be much more worried about heat and sunlight to deteriorate the powder. I have stored powder and primers in an outside building with no heat many many times and zero issues some is now 20 years old. All of my powder and primers in fact are in the outside unheated shed now due to insurance requirements
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I've never taken into consideration about insurance. If you don't mind, what is the name of your house insurance provider? I think I may have to look into that....mind you I was never asked specifically about what sort of tools and recreational equipment I have.

I know I have asked this before, but I want to make sure I am not doing something wrong to effect my gunpowder etc.

Currently, my powder and primers are in the house and I reload in the garage. I haven't had the chance to do any work in a few weeks so I've yet to be out there below 0'C.

In your opinion (I'm new to reloading) would it do anything to the quality of the ammunition or to my ingredients by working outside in my garage (house built in 1910, no clue how old the garage is, non heated) and if I were to store all of my stuff out there? Currently I use a wooden box with 2 16oz dessicant packs for moisture. I work in the garage because I don't actually have a basement, I just have a cellar and the only thing down there is my water heater and my furnace. With 2 bedrooms 1 bathroom I don't want to monopolize our spare room for reloading so the garage is my only option. At the moment my garage has no heat whatsoever but with the overhead storage that I built over the summer I have some options for hanging a heater down off of that to at least heat my work area when it gets ridiculously cold out.

Cheers!
 
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