A reloading setup

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Mon May 26, 2008 4:10 pm

Occasionally someone will post photos of their reloading area, here's mine. This setup has served me well for about 25 years. The benchtop is a molded countertop 8' long. I reenforced it by glueing to the bottom a sheet of 1" floor underlay. The bases are bathroom cabinet bases, shortened about 2" IIRC. All were purchased as freight damaged goods at a local lumber yard for less than $40.00. The ammo and powder storage is an old used refrigerator a guy gave me. I keep it closed and locked to help prevent young burglars from grabbing stuff out of it, and it is somewhat fire resistant. I am 4 blocks from the Fire Department and the powder is 3 sheetrock walls from an ignition source, so I am probably as safe as I need to be.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Mon May 26, 2008 4:17 pm

I like the whole idea. Especially the damaged freight discounts. And that refrigerator idea is cool ....... oops, I just had to say that.

Joe

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Mon May 26, 2008 4:22 pm

J Miller wrote: . And that refrigerator idea is cool ....... oops, I just had to say that.

Joe

I had faith you'd come through, Joe.

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Mon May 26, 2008 4:31 pm

Looks like you're ready. Nice setup and thanks for sharing.

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Mon May 26, 2008 5:06 pm

You can stuff a lot into a small area!!

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Mon May 26, 2008 9:28 pm

Very "cool" set-up!

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Mon May 26, 2008 10:48 pm

One of the best threads on the old forum was the one where everyone put up pics of their reloading setups. Lots of good ideas, and it was just nice to see how I'm not the only guy with all that 'gun stuff' to organize.

Good photos to show the wives, so they realize that it truly IS a 'guy thing.'

(No offense, Miss Kitty...it can certainly be a 'gal thing' too, but the problem is mostly when us guys do it, it is our gals who tell us how messy we are about it...

)

It helps to have pics to show them how many other women have to put up with guy-messes of reloading gear.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Mon May 26, 2008 11:42 pm

Like that quote from Sun Zu

oldmax · Post by **oldmax** » Tue May 27, 2008 5:17 am

Thanks, Lot's of new ideas...

AndyM · Post by **AndyM** » Tue May 27, 2008 6:31 am

+1

J Miller wrote:And that refrigerator idea is cool

Joe

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Tue May 27, 2008 6:31 am

Here's mine I build over a year ago. The shelves are full now and I need to expand . It also hasn't looked this clean in a while.

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Tue May 27, 2008 2:13 pm

that old fridge for a powder magazine it a good idea.

Never thought of that.... but I did have one full of welding rods for a long time.

Old chest freezers make good grain storage for horses or other livestock... just make sure they can be locked or kept from locking at all if a kid crawls inside by accident.

Jeff
(ready for this leg to heal... I wanna walk

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Tue May 27, 2008 5:22 pm

Those are pretty neat. I'll be posting pics of my new setup as soon as I get it finished. I'm moving into the wife's house and have to relocate/redesign my bench.

BenT - Why don't you keep with your pattern and build a couple of "doors" with shelves built in and attach them to the sides of the existing shelving such that when closed they look like cabinets and when open they look like the shelves you have already, only wider.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Tue May 27, 2008 8:47 pm

Your refrigerator is a great idea and you keep everything neat and simple. Give it another 30 years and you will give your heirs a nightmare like mine are gonna get.----------Sixgun

Steve Collins · Post by **Steve Collins** » Wed May 28, 2008 10:30 am

Wow, I can only dream...

Pete 22 · Post by **Pete 22** » Wed May 28, 2008 11:44 am

Sixgun wrote:Your refrigerator is a great idea and you keep everything neat and simple. Give it another 30 years and you will give your heirs a nightmare like mine are gonna get.----------Sixgun

WOW!!! just WOW!!!! it looks, well...comfortable!

Pete 22

Big Bore 94 · Post by **Big Bore 94** » Wed May 28, 2008 2:10 pm

I would not use a fridge for the storage of powder without making some ventilation holes. Please read SAAMI storage rules. The airtight seal could cause a big problem duing an ignition. I once saw a door missing off a small one in the army. So I inquired. A Pvt. had set off a large firecracker to "See what it would do." His roomates said the door flew across to rather large room and hit the opposite wall.

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Fri May 30, 2008 9:48 am

I am familiar with the SAAMI rules, that's one reason I settled on the fridge. Remember, the doors on a fridge dont fit snug metal-to-metal, there is a large thick rubber seal around them. In case of a fire, the fire is going to have to burn thru that rubber seal before it gets anywhere near any powder or ammo. If it gets thru the seal, there will be PLENTY of ventilation.

I will tell you what convinced me to use a fridge for ammo and powder storage. About 25 years ago, I worked with a guy who was a member of the Volunteer Fire Dept. They had responded to a trailer house fire out in the country, which of course was totally engulfed by the time they got there. They concentrated on saving adjacent structures and other property, letting the trailer burn itself out, which as you know doesnt take long. After everything got cooled down, they were inspecting the remains of the trailer which had burned to the floorline. The fridge was still standing and this guy opened it out of curiosity, the contents were undamaged and still cool!!

I feel this setup is as safe as any other. I am only a few blocks from the Fire Department. The only source of ignition in my basement is the furnace and hot water heater, which are three sheetrock walls away from my reloading room. While I am aware that nothing is fire PROOF, I believe this setup is about as safe as I can get.