Author Topic: Reloading Man Cave (Read 1945 times)

dw06 · « **on:** June 23, 2009, 10:37:18 AM »

Anyone have a small building they have built or turned into a reloading room? I'm thinking of building a small shed type building devoted to just my reloading area. Please feel free to share any thoughts or even pics of your setup!

Cheesehead · « **Reply #1 on:** June 23, 2009, 10:52:34 AM »

I sectioned off 1/4 of my basement, built countertop on all of the exterior wall, and will be there tonight since it is 92 in the shade right now, perfect timing.

Cheese

cwlongshot · « **Reply #2 on:** June 23, 2009, 02:40:34 PM »

For about 4-5 years mine was housed in a 10x10 metal shed on the side of my deck at a rental property where I was living. It worked!!

My first place dedicated half a counter in a pantry!!! I GOTTA have a place to reload!!!

Good luck,
CW

charles p · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2009, 02:55:06 PM »

I've had a "man cave" for about 20 years, in two different homes. If your wife is always smarter than you, and tells you so every day, you also need a man cave.

burntmuch · « **Reply #4 on:** June 23, 2009, 03:17:33 PM »

Ive got a 15 X15 room in my basement that is being remodeled right now. I built a 12 ft workbench, some shelves. Im getting a 5 ft piece of countertop that will hold the press & scale. The room will be for hunting equipment & reloading. Ive been working on it since CWlongshot posted pics of his setup. Will post pics when its done. Gonna be working on it this week. Too hot to be outside

45-70.gov · « **Reply #5 on:** June 23, 2009, 03:40:05 PM »

I HAVENT MEASURED MINE ABOUT 10 x20

small heater and a/c window unit

lots of lights and ceiling fans...lots of work bench and shelving air compressor
refrigerator ..micro wave coffe maker and sink with water
covered porch for a casting area soon to get big fan for the mosquitoes

its not at my house but it is within rifle range if i ever see some one there

only one old rifle and shot gun there in ....so i can cover my house from there

dw06 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2009, 01:14:02 AM »

I've had mine in basement for 30 years, it stays between 68-72 degrees all summer so was nice place to be in the dog days of summer. With having to move and build much smaller house with no basement, just trying to decide between a small building just for all my reloading stuff, and putting small A/C to keep cool.
Guess I'm more worried about the swings in temp than anything else, the basement sure was nice and kept powder and primers in great shape.
I remember CWlongshots pics and will have to look them up again!

Bullseye · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2009, 06:56:22 AM »

I loaded in the garage for 15 years. Moved two years ago and lived in a end of a pole barn for a year and built a new house. Those two years I have reloaded anywhere where my table was at and could clamp the press down.

I laughed when I read Man Cave because I am finishing the basement right now. One end is 18 x 12 which I have termed my Man Cave and my wife hates the term. I even labeled the breakers in the electrical box Man Cave. She also thought it should only be about 12 x 12 but I finally won that argument since her sewing room is 25 X 25. Anyway I put a closet in it for my reloading stuff. Put an electrical outlet in the closet so the tumbler can run and I do not need to listen to it. Will put a bench about 6-8' long on one wall for reloading. Add the computer, tv and a recliner and I am set. Maybe I am beginning to see why she does not like the Man Cave, she likes seeing me!

davem270win · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2009, 11:10:38 AM »

Mine's only about 12 x 8. It's in the basement, the area used to be a ground cellar with dirt floor. Had concrete poured and built walls. I've got my reloading bench, books, gun tools, and gun safe in there, and can close and the lock the whole room. I got it because we spent a bunch of money on a bathroom redo! But we also moved the laundry upstairs, so now my wife almost NEVER comes into the basement. So, the rest of the basement is pretty much mine, too.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #9 on:** June 24, 2009, 11:18:07 AM »

Quote from: dw06 on June 24, 2009, 01:14:02 AM

I've had mine in basement for 30 years, it stays between 68-72 degrees all summer so was nice place to be in the dog days of summer. With having to move and build much smaller house with no basement, just trying to decide between a small building just for all my reloading stuff, and putting small A/C to keep cool.
Guess I'm more worried about the swings in temp than anything else, the basement sure was nice and kept powder and primers in great shape.
I remember CWlongshots pics and will have to look them up again!

you need the a/c for humidity control too

Couger · « **Reply #10 on:** June 25, 2009, 11:30:10 AM »

Quote from: dw06 on June 23, 2009, 10:37:18 AM

Anyone have a small building they have built or turned into a reloading room? I'm thinking of building a small shed type building devoted to just my reloading area. Please feel free to share any thoughts or even pics of your setup!

I agree reloading is a high priority, along with guns, hunting, dogs fishing, fly tying, other "man" crafts, wood working, R/C airplanes-sailplanes-cars-boats-etc., .....

But if a man needs a man cave, he better damm well be gittin' it! And protecting his mind and sanity!

I haven't built a dedicated reloading center - yet, but besides having more than enough counter space to support however many presses, I've always thought a long enough bench would be appropriate for building a radio-control glider with 2-meter (regulation) wingspan, as well as 1/4th or 1/5th scale powered R/C aircraft.

I also have interests in rod building - that requires space too!

The best reloading bench designs I've seen had plenty of room to provide rigid space for every press a fellow might have, but each one of those presses could quickly be taken off and stored in a prearranged space.

One design I saw depicted several years ago in a gun magazine had every press mounted on thick squares of aluminum about 1/2inch thick - with the side-edges cut like an extra wwwwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidde dovetail! When the presses are taken off a huge work space appears to accomodate infinite other actvities.

If a fellow had such a work space and a really overbearing wife, I bet she'd be hounding him often to move in on his space and "man cave!"

No doubt Dr. John Gray would be envious of such as "man reteat."

cwlongshot · « **Reply #11 on:** June 26, 2009, 03:38:24 PM »

Here is a couple pics of my loading room, I also built a gun safe/room when I started pricing safes large enough to accomidate my "collection". I was cheapper to buy the safe door and build the room to house everything!! Sorry, I don't take pics of the safe room...

CW

anweis · « **Reply #12 on:** June 27, 2009, 05:15:58 AM »

Quote from: burntmuch on June 23, 2009, 03:17:33 PM

Ive got a 15 X15 room in my basement that is being remodeled right now. I built a 12 ft workbench, some shelves. Im getting a 5 ft piece of countertop that will hold the press & scale. The room will be for hunting equipment & reloading. Ive been working on it since CWlongshot posted pics of his setup. Will post pics when its done. Gonna be working on it this week. Too hot to be outside

Exactly the same here. It will be nicer than my living room

. Will have bench, shelves, and safes, for everything (reloading stuff, fishing, hunting, cayaking, stands, optics, boots, backpacks, tents). Except that i need to focus on the cracks in the walls, leaky and slanted floor, non-existent electric cables, stupid window, and spray on insulation first. It's fun, and i am learning stuff. Now, if i could only figure out how to get a cable from the electric panel and how to wire this room...

45-70.gov · « **Reply #13 on:** June 27, 2009, 05:59:10 AM »

Quote from: cwlongshot on June 26, 2009, 03:38:24 PM

Here is a couple pics of my loading room, I also built a gun safe/room when I started pricing safes large enough to accomidate my "collection". I was cheapper to buy the safe door and build the room to house everything!! Sorry, I don't take pics of the safe room...

CW

so far we have a winner in the man cave competition

C Sharp · « **Reply #14 on:** June 28, 2009, 01:41:52 AM »

Its even 100 yards from the house & the 200 yard range starts on the porch.

GameHauler · « **Reply #15 on:** June 28, 2009, 02:40:35 AM »

C Sharp,
You are a man whom I must respect.
Barn boards and never enough outlets.
Very Nice

C Sharp · « **Reply #16 on:** June 28, 2009, 03:15:12 AM »

The outlets are flush with the overhead & I cut these boards myself. Of course it does match the barn, on the outside at least.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #17 on:** June 28, 2009, 12:52:50 PM »

Quote from: GameHauler on June 28, 2009, 02:40:35 AM

C Sharp,
You are a man whom I must respect.
Barn boards and never enough outlets.
Very Nice

I agree!! Thats a beautiful functional setup you have built there!! LOVE the barn wood!!!!!!

You say you also have a range as well... Lets see the pics of that too!!!

CW

C Sharp · « **Reply #18 on:** June 28, 2009, 10:06:25 PM »

Be awhile on the range pict, I'm in Nigeria for another three weeks. I live way in the country so a range for me is any place with a back stop. I have a 100yd range with a dirt back stop off the east side of the porch, 200yds to the south (down the drive way, in between the horse pastures into some old cross ties I have stacked up). It don't get used much since right across the road I can get 450 yards up a power line to the east or 400 yards across a pasture to the south. I make a backstop out of dirt with my tractor where ever its needed. I've got enough places that anytime of the day I can be in the shade with target in sunshine. A country boy can survive.

davem270win · « **Reply #19 on:** June 29, 2009, 08:16:48 AM »

And yes, I have a dehumidifier running 24/7. Plus central air upstairs, which helps.

Ladobe · « **Reply #20 on:** June 29, 2009, 09:03:31 AM »

I got a kick out of some of the comments about wives, I guess because I never had to work it out, play the head games to have my private places or buy whatever I wanted. My wife had her's, I had mine, we both respected each others, simple as that. Worked for 35 years anyway, and I had some great Man Cave's.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #21 on:** June 29, 2009, 10:44:04 AM »

we once ha a sewing/reloading room

she is gone now.....
i for a while had the press on the kitchen table
figured that might interfere with interviewing her replacements
i measured the new cave it is 10 X 23 porch is 8 X 23 for casting
wireing the ceiling fans today