I have very limited choices to set up a bench. The utility room is big enough but the furnace is in the middle of the room about 10 feet from where the bench would be, about 20 from the water heater. This would be cool, dry and secure lockable. If i were to use the attached garage, i think i'd have to remove the press after use and not have a permanant set up. Should i have huge concern with setting up in the utility room?
Reloading area: utility room or garage
- Thread starter Jstoon
- Start date
ok thanks, my wife was concerned about it, which made me a bit concerned all of a sudden. But, with your kind reassurance, i can build a nice new bench for that shiny red machine and get started on loading 45. Apparently i have to build shelving in the garage first for all the junk in the furnace room. Good thing its the long weekend...
i was thinking about that too, it wouldn't be a clean cut operation with all the overhead stuff going on but could do a partition wall i guess. the house is new and the he furnace and water heater have enclosures protecting the flame so i wonder if this would be necessary.
Every book I've read about powders, etc., suggests not handling it near open flames (or sparks). That's only a suggestion mind you, but then most books about jumping from moving aircraft suggest using a parachute, so maybe there's something to it.
Try to picture a way that powder could get to the flames from the appliances. Suppose you drop an open container of powder on the floor, could the powder get to the flame and start burning? If not then you've nothing to worry about.
Merely handling powder a few feet away from an enclosed flame is not dangerous at all. Its not like there are fumes that will ignite or anything.
Your utility room sounds like a great spot.
Merely handling powder a few feet away from an enclosed flame is not dangerous at all. Its not like there are fumes that will ignite or anything.
Your utility room sounds like a great spot.
peter2772000
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
My 650 is set up on one of the two work benches in my garage. My theory was that I was gonna load 1000 rounds of every handgun calibre I own and then put the reloader away for a year. 
So much for that theory, it's reloaded 5 times that much and still bolted to my workbench...
So much for that theory, it's reloaded 5 times that much and still bolted to my workbench...
unless the garage is as comfortable as the house, forget about it- there's condensation to worry about as well as temperature swings - you don't want to reload in -40 ,trust me- and you really should also think "outside the box" as far as yourreloading bench goes- i do all the standard pistol calibers except 40 and 357( because i don't want to) and a couple of heavy rifles, and my set-up has 3 lee 1000, a dillon 550, and a lee turret on it- and it's all on 2 tiered microwave cart with a braced top - and it's on locking wheels so i can move it wherever i want
If the appliances have sealed combustion chambers, I wouldn't worry about risk of fire from the loading bench, but I'd still segregate the two - if nothing more than to keep dust and airflow down in the loading area and, in the event of needing service to those appliances, keep your personal business private.
stormbringer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S.W. Ontario
Mine is in the utility room..........
As long as you are not tossing powder into the furnace you should be ok.
As long as you are not tossing powder into the furnace you should be ok.
mine is too, and no problems here. i think you'd have to try to get something to go wrong
gushulak
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
I chose the Quanset
I only load for rifle and shotgun and shoot very little during the colder winter months (no indoor range etc) so loading in a cold Quanset doesn't happen. I have the room to load in the house, but chose the Quanset for that little extra piece of mind. IF and it's very unlikely, something were to ignite my powder/primers I can live with the Quanset going up in flames. The cement floor is also easy to clean up the grains of powder that always seem to migrate, as opposed to carpet. I also store all my ammo and reloading supplies out there, about 200' from the house. The temperature swings are not what you would expect since it is fully insulated, and humidity in S Alberta is a non-issue.
This also works very well for when I'm developing loads (from April through October). I load a few, step out the Quanset door and I'm about ten feet from my bench and test firing.
Use what you have, safety first and enjoy. With good safe practices you have less to fear from reloading in the house than the explosive, flamable, poison etc. that every house has under the kitchen sink and in the Wifes beauty Storage locker (hairspray, alchohol, polish remover).
I only load for rifle and shotgun and shoot very little during the colder winter months (no indoor range etc) so loading in a cold Quanset doesn't happen. I have the room to load in the house, but chose the Quanset for that little extra piece of mind. IF and it's very unlikely, something were to ignite my powder/primers I can live with the Quanset going up in flames. The cement floor is also easy to clean up the grains of powder that always seem to migrate, as opposed to carpet. I also store all my ammo and reloading supplies out there, about 200' from the house. The temperature swings are not what you would expect since it is fully insulated, and humidity in S Alberta is a non-issue.
This also works very well for when I'm developing loads (from April through October). I load a few, step out the Quanset door and I'm about ten feet from my bench and test firing.
Use what you have, safety first and enjoy. With good safe practices you have less to fear from reloading in the house than the explosive, flamable, poison etc. that every house has under the kitchen sink and in the Wifes beauty Storage locker (hairspray, alchohol, polish remover).
To satisfy yourself and your wife, lay out a thin trail of powder on something (Outside) and light it. You will get a much better appreciation of what it takes to light it and how it burns. The burning speed in a gun is because of the HIGH pressure it is under. Without that pressure, it is not very impressive.
A solvent soaked rag or a can of oil based paint is MUCH more dangerous than powder.
A solvent soaked rag or a can of oil based paint is MUCH more dangerous than powder.
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blacksmithden
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
+10 for the utility room. Reloading in the winter in an unheated garage isn't much fun. I used one of those radiantpropane heaters that screws on the top of a 20 lb tank to keep from freezing my you know what's off in Edmonton. That was always within 8 feet of my bench, so I had to be pretty careful not to have any major spills. Your furnace room is a lot safer than my setup was as your flames aren't really open per say.
blacksmithden
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
If you really want to impress her, use an extruded powder like 7828. Make a trail and throw lit matches at it. I bet you can't get it to light unless one actually stops on the trail. It takes quite a bit to light.
