Using garage space for reloading?

[Olen_4504]

I am in the process of selling my house and moving in with my in-laws to help pay off our student loans and save some money to build in a few years.

Anyways, the house has a two car detached garage with unfinished upstairs that is going to me for me and my fiance and all of our "stuff" and my boat on one side.

I will be starting reloading once I am moved because I will have significantly more space than my current house. (right now I have a tiny tiny little guest room with all of my gun stuff/camping/fishing stuff in it, literally no room for an organized reloading set up

My question is:

Since the garage isn't climate controlled, is it a bad idea to set up a reloading station? It's either this or wait until we finish the upstairs part of the garage. BTW I'm located in Virginia so hot in the summers, cold in the winters.

 

[jd138]

I hand load in a non climate controlled garage with zero issues (other then being hot..or cold). I set up a large oscillating fan close to me and have an electric heater at my feet. I do have to turn off the fan when charging with my Chargemaster, it causes variances in the drops.

 

[Olen_4504]

I hand load in a non climate controlled garage with zero issues (other then being hot..or cold). I set up a large oscillating fan close to me and have an electric heater at my feet. I do have to turn off the fan when charging with my Chargemaster, it causes variances in the drops.

good to know. I figured it would be okay I just wanted to double check before i started investing in equipment.

 

[spife7980]

Just keep your stuff oiled so it doesn’t rust on you and store your powders somewhere climate controlled

 

[Olen_4504]

Just keep your stuff oiled so it doesn’t rust on you and store your powders somewhere climate controlled

noted. that was my biggest concern was the powders. not sure why I didn't think of just taking them in the house

 

[jd138]

That's a good point on keeping things oiled. It took me a bit to realize after every session to wipe down both dies and my press.

 

[Olen_4504]

Cool guys thanks. I can probably get some of the water tight fishing storage containers to put some things in too if needed. Thanks for the suggestions and help

 

[Supersubes]

I store my powders in ice chests in the garage. The interior never sees the temp extremes.

 

[Sheldon N]

I reload in the garage also. Most powder/primers stay indoors except for a small quantity that stays in the garage as it gets used. I'll top off a 1lb container from an 8lb jug and label it with the lot number. It gets used up pretty quick so no long term storage issues, and this saves me from having to go fetch primers/powder every time I load.

+1 on rust prevention, stuff will rust if not oiled. I've been using the WD-40 Specialized rust preventer, seems to work pretty good.

 

[black5.3]

I would keep primers in side as well. Also try to avoid a fast temp swing that will cause your equipment to “sweat”... like if its 40 degrees dont put a heater 2 feet from your press and dies and cause them to heat up quick.

 

[Milo 2.5]

I've loaded in my garage for 15 yrs, it is heated in the winter. I will keep small amounts of powder that gets used often in the garage, 8lb jugs in the basement. I always bring 1K boxes of primers to replenish from out too, not an issue. I prime brass and store in plastic containers out here too. Yet to have rust issues here in WY.
I can say though, if it gets close to 90 deg out here, powdering cases just plain sucks, you cannot have doors open and with the heat you can feel the humidity rise.

 

[TX_Punisher]

I've loaded in my garage for 15 yrs, it is heated in the winter. I will keep small amounts of powder that gets used often in the garage, 8lb jugs in the basement. I always bring 1K boxes of primers to replenish from out too, not an issue. I prime brass and store in plastic containers out here too. Yet to have rust issues here in WY.
I can say though, if it gets close to 90 deg out here, powdering cases just plain sucks, you cannot have doors open and with the heat you can feel the humidity rise.

I would be happy if it only got up to 90 here in East Texas to mention 80% humidity. Feels like 105 today. I wd-40 my presses and dies often.

 

[ruebarb]

Run a dehumidifier in the summer. I load in my basement, dehumidifier runs all summer long, desiccant packs in my cabinets, stove in the winter for heat. Spring and Summer is just right.

 

[Milo 2.5]

I would be happy if it only got up to 90 here in East Texas to mention 80% humidity. Feels like 105 today. I wd-40 my presses and dies often.

Be interesting to know at what % of humidity could cause adverse effects. I quit if charge does not slide out of the scale pan nice and smooth. I was talking 90 deg inside the garage with no air movement, 90deg outdoors with a little breeze is not too bad, at 105 I'd off myself, lol

 

[lightman]

What the others have said. The main issues will be your comfort and watching for rust on your tools and possibly the effect of the temperature swings on your powder. I would store my primers and powder in a controlled space if possible. Grandpa started us loading in the garage as kids and I don't really remember any problems except the comfort level.

 

[Olen_4504]

Cool, I can manage that. The goal is to re-finish the upstairs part into a "hangout" spot for when our friends come over. so in one corner I'll set up a bench for reloading once that upstairs is done.

 

[ruebarb]

Cool, I can manage that. The goal is to re-finish the upstairs part into a "hangout" spot for when our friends come over. so in one corner I'll set up a bench for reloading once that upstairs is done.

Make sure you alot enough space, I started with 1 bench and now use a couple. Plus storage space.

 

[Olen_4504]

Make sure you alot enough space, I started with 1 bench and now use a couple. Plus storage space.

that won't be a problem in the garage that's for sure. upstairs will be tricky if I decide to move it all up there.

 

[ruebarb]

that won't be a problem in the garage that's for sure. upstairs will be tricky if I decide to move it all up there.

Re-Loading is addictive, I have way more $$ in equipment than I do firearms. Sometimes I have to remember the point is to go shooting, not make ammo.

 

[Midwestside]

when you get around to building, just follow a floor plan similar to this:

 

[Olen_4504]

when you get around to building, just follow a floor plan similar to this:

Hahaha exactly!

 

[Kadams1563]

I am what you call a fair weather reloader... I have my own realoading\gun room. I wouldn’t reload in the Texas heat or cold. Screw that.

 

[spife7980]

Just make a small table or tap some holes in your current coffee table if its substantial enough. Reload everything from inside on a cozy couch. Then when youre done it can all break down into a tidy cabinet. Thats what I do at least but instead of inside a cabinet its sprawled all over the counter top with cabinets empty but thats just because I dont bother to put it up and I dont have anyone nagging on me to do so.

 

[supercorndogs]

when you get around to building, just follow a floor plan similar to this:

I need a couple more closets..

 

[Lucky Se7en]

I keep all my dies and everything inside and bring it out when I am using it. I remember seeing one of Elfster's videos where he recommended putting the dies in ziplock bags with some WD-40 sprayed on an index card, I've been doing that recently and time will tell how much it helps. Always have to wipe down the press with WD-40...fighting rust is a constant battle over here.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I live in the High Desert in SE Arizona. My shop is in a large two-car garage, with a wall separating the rear shop from the garage proper. It is not climate controlled, but the building construction (Mission Tile roof over a crawl space with some serious insulation) keeps the interior temp a bunch more stable than outside.

Right now we are entering our Monsoon Season. Temps have hit 109 this week, but inside the shop is tolerable until early afternoon. Humidity is low nearly all the time, except right during and after passing showers. In Winter (yes, we have Winter), I basically refrain from shop work from about the end of November until nearly April. In most instances, my restrictions are very little different from where I came from, in Upstate NY. But the Winters are a lot more bearable. I do the bulk of my loading from April through October. The rest of the time, I retire to the house proper, which is air conditioned and heated by a single Trane unit. I am actually thinking about setting up another such unit for the Garage-Shop which is an added-on unit that is only accessible from outdoors. Having grown up in Newark NJ, all my property tends to be locked up tighter than a crab's ass in a Hurricane.

When I'm doing a run, I make up several hundred rounds of a particular load in a single batch. I just did a run of 200 rounds of 30-06 168gr economy match. Commercial brass (nearly all R-P), WLR, 48.1gr IMR-4064, 168SMK; suitable for the Garand. I also keep a couple of hundred rounds of 30-06 150gr FMJBT (Same as above except for the bullets and 50.0gr of IMR-4064) loaded in 8 round Enbloc Clips. Both of these loads in a tight Garand shoot somewhat better than N/M spec.

The great majority of my shooting and handloading is with .223/5.56 for two bolt rifles, two Varmint ARs, and three 16" Uppers mounting various weight barrels (Bull, HBAR, Lightweight). I do my load development with an effort to come up with effective generic loads. My Loads are 55gr, 65gr, and 75gr. I also have some Hornady 75gr Steel Match, Frontier 75gr (T2) 'Match', and IMI 77gr Razor Core for comparison testing against each other and my Hornady 75gr HPBT-Match Handloads.

I don't take any special precautions storing powder or primers. I have a pair of powder magazines made from 20MM ammo cans, a large 50cal for my Black Powder substitutes (Pyrodex and Triple 7 are actually smokeless powders with a smoke producing additive), and keep primers in a pair of 30cal ammo cans, divided by size, and separated from the powder magazines by the length of the shop. As far as humidity is concerned, the powder jugs provide enough of a seal, and are inside the 20mm Ammo Cans, that I really don't see any problems. My primers date back to ten or fifteen years ago when I bought a big bunch at a gun show. They all work fine, and the ammo shoots quite well.

All of my complete ammo is stored in Ammo Cans inside a locked heavy wire cage.

Greg

 

[texastonk]

I’m in Texas and have loaded in my garage for years. Just like Greg I store my primers and powder in ammo cans. Never had an issue with any moisture or my hand loads. The press and dies do get cleaned and wiped down with oil every few months to prevent rust. I use fan in the summer and electronic heater.
I dream of a indoor climate controlled room.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

If I have a need to work in the shop during the colder times, I have a pair of small forced air electric heaters, but have never actually put both of them to use simultaneously.

Since I employ an RCBS automated Lite powder measure, I refrain from generating air movements; I can handle the heat until it goes over 80. That's when I shut things down, clear the bench, and head back inside the house to take advantage of the A/C. We have become accustomed to higher temperatures, probably because of the especially low humidity during almost the entire year. Our thermostat is usually set at 78 degrees, especially during the months for air conditioning.

Evaporative coolers ("Swamp Coolers") are very common in our locale, but I stay away from them because they are least efficient when the ambient humidity climbs, and the last thing I want in my home/shop during our Monsoon Season is more humidity. Normally our humidity is 10%, and often it's less than 5%. It's very therapeutic for Celia's Arthritis, etc.

My press is an ancient RL550b that I acquired second- (or third-?) hand in the early 1990's. It gets stripped down to major pieces for a complete scrub-down with rubbing alcohol at least twice a year, followed immediately with a basic lube oil (like 3-in-one) for corrosion protection and lubricity on all the moving surfaces. Although I've had it for about 25 years (for several of which it served as a club reloader) and have no real idea of its prior history, there are no apparent instances of noticeable wear.

I also stay away from WD-40, it tends to gum up quickly in our climate, and as the Post's Garand armorer, I'm still fighting that gum in our VFW Post Garands. It just seems to come out of the metal between Memorial Days, usually gumming up the Magazine follower.

We had two of our seven Garands fail to feed the last of three volleys this Memorial Day, and I'm going to insist on getting them for a thorough receiver cleaning prior to their next use. The prior maintainer, a good friend of mine, has an obsession for WD-40, and he would saturate the actions with it several times each year.

I've restored our eight Garands, and they look simply stellar as of this past Memorial day, with light rose colored stocks and jet black metal. Nothing on them but Boiled Linseed Oil, Brownell's 44-40 Instant Blue, and Hoppe's Gun Oil; a purist/collector might writhe at this but these babies will knock your eye out.

I like surplus-style ammo cans for storing combustibles because their latch systems are designed to open under significantly increased internal pressure. This helps reduce the potential for a detonation in the event of a fire. We have the occasional wildfire in our locale, and I think it's a necessary precaution. Last season they were directly visible within 2-3 miles of our home; we were on pre-evac alert. Our home is mission style, and seems to be more fire resistant than the sorts of architecture we left behind in the N/E.

My shop is also the default storage center for Balsa Wood, Colored Tissue Paper, and other Modeling Supplies intended for my other hobby, Rubber Powered Free Flight Scale model airplanes. I've been trying to get back on the rails with that, but it's not going very far right now. Maybe later this year.

Greg

 

[BullGear]

My advise would be to ask your in-laws if they would give you permission to reload, then ask them where you could do this. After all, you are a squatter at this point. Secondly, if you have room to do it in your apartment, then do it there. You will have a much more enjoyable time than in a cold/hot garage.

Good luck!

 

[Shoots 700's]

I was shocked that you are moving in with the in laws! Seriously keep things oiled and neat. I don’t think all my stuff would fit in a garage.

 

[Olen_4504]

They are very nice people and have basically taken me in as their Son. With my dad passing a few years ago and my mom moved to FL and re-married, they are my closest "family". They are giving us the 2nd master bedroom and the whole detached garage for our stuff.

without me even asking, my fiance offered to let me put my one gun bench in the extra space/corner of our room. this would be much better IMO.

might be able to convince them to let me set my stuff up in one of the guest rooms

thanks for all the advice guys. i'll figure it out from here

 

[elfster1234]

yup, go to 14:30 of the video... ive been doing this for years and not a single spec of rust on my dies

I keep all my dies and everything inside and bring it out when I am using it. I remember seeing one of Elfster's videos where he recommended putting the dies in ziplock bags with some WD-40 sprayed on an index card, I've been doing that recently and time will tell how much it helps. Always have to wipe down the press with WD-40...fighting rust is a constant battle over here.

 

[Yellowhammer]

I keep all my stuff in the garage without ill effects. I've got a 12000 BTU A/C I run when I'm out there when it's hot and a space heater when it's cold. I do have to shut everything off to run the charge master though or it does weird stuff. I only keep small batches of powder/primers out there and the larger stash stays inside with the A/C.

I'd love to have a dedicated inside spot but that's not feasible when you get surprised with twins.

 

[Horuskills]

I hand load in a non climate controlled garage with zero issues (other then being hot..or cold). I set up a large oscillating fan close to me and have an electric heater at my feet. I do have to turn off the fan when charging with my Chargemaster, it causes variances in the drops.

Yup, my chargemaster does not like any fans nearby either...even with them on the floor. Using the guard helps. I reload in the garage as well and havent had any issues. It has pissed off a few ex wives though

 

[DellaDog]

Best thing I ever did was put a window unit AC in the garage. Went through 3 different sizes from Lowe’s before I found one that could handle the Texas heat. Ended up running a dedicated 220 line to the window unit for AC & heat. Frigidaire unit. Keeps the 2 car garage a comfortable 75 with 100 plus outside.

 

[Strykervet]

when you get around to building, just follow a floor plan similar to this:

I'll be moving eventually now I'm divorced and that looks to be about ideal!

I load in a garage too in WA. Rust is really only an issue in fall and spring; in winter it's cold enough and in summer it's hot enough. Keep powders and primers inside but stored carefully. 1000 primers has the explosive potential on par with a hand grenade.

 

[Howland]

Your biggest problem will be convincing your in-laws that you're "saving" money while you quite visible indulge in a not so inexpensive hobby.

If your father-in-law is a shooter at all, you're screwed. Just put all that stuff in storage, set a drop-deadline to build and move, put your nose to the grindstone and get to it.

Best of luck!