TLeath Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 (edited) I've spent quite a few hours pouring through all the info on this site and it has been a huge help. What reloader, how to build a bench, specific info on loads, etc. Great stuff! Here's a question that I couldn't find an answer to. Can I setup a reloader in my garage? I'm real pushed for space in the house and I don't want to start yet another war with the spouse. So, I have a large bench in my garage with good lighting (I work on my Harleys a good bit) but this area isn't heated or cooled. Now, I can certainly stand the hot or cold but can the reloading equipment. The supplies (powders, primers, casings, bullets, etc) can easily be stored in the house but the actual reloading would have to take place in the garage. Is humidity a problem if I'm not storing in it, just reloading? Accuracy a problem (both power measurement and dies)? I really need a solution here. I'm probably shooting around 1500 rounds a month and with ammo prices on a steep rise this is really begining to cost. Bottom line, I'm either going to have to get into reloading or severely curtail my shooting. But, the only place I can setup to reload will be in the garage. Is this workable for a location? Edited March 3, 2008 by TLeath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMBOpen Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I can't speak to humidity issues, being located in the high desert.. I reload in my garage year-round, and keep supplies there as well. An oil-filled electric radiator style heater warms the area when I'm working in there in the cold months. No climate issues with the two 550B's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I have my reloaders out in the garage mainly because of the space issue. Even if I had enough space to put it in the house, I don't know if I would due to the accumulation of dirt/dust, lead from spent primers, etc. The nice thing about having it in the garage is that you can just sweep/blow everything outside when you're done. The reloaders are susceptible to moisture from a wet car but I take a patch with CLP and put a light coat of it on anything that might rust every 3-4 months. I'm sure a dedicated preservative might work better but the CLP works fine for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvb Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 (edited) I load in the garage w/ no problems so far. I don't see where you're from, but winters are pretty mild here in MD. I keep tool heads in the house to keep dies from rusting and keep powder in the hoppers at a reasonable temp/humidity. I keep the press itself well lubed to prevent rusting. Several years now and it still looks/runs great. If it's cold out I run a space heater and try to get the garage up to a decent temp (55 or so) before reloading so 1) I don't freeze and 2) no condensation forms on the powder or powder hopper as a result of temp swings going in and out of the house which could spoil the powder. If the garage is cold (like 40s or less) I don't bother for those reasons. When it's 100 degrees and 90% humidity in the summer I don't load much either for the same reasons, so most of my loading is done in spring/fall. I just try to get 6 months worth of ammo cranked out (if I do 500-1k per day I can do 6 mo worth in a 2-3 weeks). I really wish I had a bigger place and/or basement to set up to reload inside......... but, you gotta do what you gotta do. -rvb Edited March 3, 2008 by rvb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeath Posted March 3, 2008 Author Share Posted March 3, 2008 I guess I should have mentioned my location - duh! I'm located in AR so the winters aren't too bad. The summers can be pretty warm but I'm used to that. What I'm more worried about is the humidity. We have it, plenty of it. I'm pretty sure I can keep the actual reloader protected from rust so I'm not too worried about that. I'm more worried about reloading in humid conditions. I can't do much about that. It isn't any problem storing everything but the bolted down press in the house so I only have to take into account the few hours at a time that I'll be setup for production. Hopefully, powder and primers won't absorb too much moisture during that time. I would take care to setup the press with tool head, dies, powder, and scales and let them sit for a bit to acclimate to the temp change from the house but I don't know what else I could do. Hopefully, I'm looking for you guys to tell me that this is sufficient, not perfect at all, but sufficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgary Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I've lived in the Great North-Wet (Washington State, north of Seattle) for 15 years and have always had my reloading stuff out in the garage. Garage is unheated (other than the space-heater I fire up in the winter months. Have never had a problem with moisture affecting either equipment or components. Keep your press well-lubed, keep your powder jugs tightly closed, keep your primers in their original packaging, it'll all be just fine. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganShootist Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I reload in a "semi-heated" workshop in my pole barn. It gets up to 40 - 50 thanks to a kerosene heater..... but not if the temp drops below zero. When it's below freezing.. I bring all the components that I'll be using into the house for a couple days before I reload. I don't know if it's mandatory... but the first time I tried to reload with frozen bullets and brass,,, they were sweating in the 45 degree workshop.... and that made me nervous about dampness getting in the cartridges.... plus they were damn hard to handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heavy Metal Only Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I've reloaded thousands of shotgun shells in my uninsulated shed here in ok and never encoutered a problem with any humidity related problems. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1911jerry Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I reload in my garage. I store powder and primers in the house. Works out good for my family life. Attached is a picture. JS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeath Posted March 3, 2008 Author Share Posted March 3, 2008 Guys, you don't know how much I appreciate all your comments. I think it is a go for reloading now. I've been eyeing a Dillon RL550B for a while now. I've watched every YouTube video I can find and I've poured through enough threads here that I'm probably legally blind. I'll stop at the gun shop this week when I go to the range (the shop is connected). They have pretty good prices and I do like to support my local shop whenever possible. Now, I've got to read through all the threads about where to buy supplies. Geez, I hope my eyes hold up! Thanks again guys, you were all extremely helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganShootist Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Since you like forum and found it valuable... consider buying your Dillion from our host. BE will take good care of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket35 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Here in Wisconsin we can get pretty humid and I have had all my loading equipment and components in the garage with no problems for the last 4-5 years. My garage is heated, but my loading bench and components are on the opposited side of the garage from the baseboard heating element. I think you should be ok- otherwise just store your components indoors. But I am sure it would be adviseable to keep the powder and primers separate....and free from static electricity. Good luck and welcome to the world of reloading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dajarrel Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 (edited) My shop, which is attached to my carport, has a small air conditioner and a de-humidifier in it. I keep a small dessicant package in my powder hopper on the 650 and 550 just to make sure. During the monsoons of lower Alabama, my shop occasionally gets about 1/2 inch of water in the floor. Shop vac and fans and the next morning it's dry and hasn't seemed to affect my loading components. Temp swings from summer to winter run about 100 to 40 inside the shop. FWIW dj edited becuz i cant spel Edited March 3, 2008 by dajarrel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 If it wasn't for the garage, I would have no place to reload your good to go. Keep the powder in sealed containers and there should be no problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeath Posted March 3, 2008 Author Share Posted March 3, 2008 Since you like forum and found it valuable... consider buying your Dillion from our host. BE will take good care of you. I have been through the store here and you do have a good point. He makes it easy to configure and make sure that you've got everything. I may just do that. I'll order my brass and bullets but probably buy my powder/primers at my local shop (at least for now). Good idea, thanks. My shop, which is attached to my carport, has a small air conditioner and a de-humidifier in it. I keep a small dessicant package in my powder hopper on the 650 and 550 just to make sure. During the monsoons of lower Alabama, my shop occasionally gets about 1/2 inch of water in the floor. Shop vac and fans and the next morning it's dry and hasn't seemed to affect my loading components. Temp swings from summer to winter run about 100 to 40 inside the shop.FWIW dj edited becuz i cant spel I didn't even think about about putting a desiccant pack in the hopper. That should help with the humidity problem for sure. I see you're from the south also so you know what I mean about humidity. Thanks for the suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 My stuff has always lived outside in a shed or the garage one. Never (to my knowledge) a problem because of it. Humidity here is always pretty high too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I have beem using the attached garage for 8 years or so. We don't have a wide temp variation but do get humidy and some salt atmosphere from the ocean about 1 mile away. I just keep the non-painted stuff lubed with synthetic oil or CLP, store the primers in a Rubber Maid tub and keep the powder in the jugs when I am not reloading. Works fine. Later, Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Been reloading in my garage for 20+ years. No problems so far. Being in Georgia we do have some very humid days in summer and cold dry days in winter. PS:Buy Dillon from our host! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNorth Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Only issue I had with reloading in the garage was with the electronic scale. The change in temp from the house (cool) to the garage (hot) would cause the scale to change. Easy solution, let the scale sit out in the heat to acclimate before reloading. Just something I had to remember to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce282 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I have been reloading in my garage since I got my 550 last year. Everything is out there, powder, bullets, primers, scales. I have a little space heater I run if it's really cold. No problems so far. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slavex Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 gotta ask of the pic above, is that a water softner unit and water filtraion unit to the right of the reloading bench? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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