Like many people (probably) I started out clamping the press to the dining room table.
My next one was a work bench in my father-in-law's garage.
The next one was back to a counter top in the apartment kitchen while in college.
The next one was a purpose built "room" on the side of a shed out behind the house.
The present one is just inside the door of the garage (that has become cluttered badly with all manner of junk that has nothing to do with reloading.)
The new one is going to be in MY new shed beside the garage. Shed it in place, preparation are being made to get it ready for the inevitable county "inspection/approval" so they can increase the property taxes they charge me twice a year (sort of slowed down by the messed up thumb on the left hand).
The "benches" will be a very old teacher's desk from the days when the only drawer was in the center and the sides were open book cases. It has a leather top on the wood. I've had it since the early 80's just sitting in one shed or another. It will soon be out in the "light" and used by me to make ammo. I'm thinking the leather top will work okay for sitting a desk top computer on (my new reloading logbook will be an excel file), setting a powder can on, and the open book shelves will be perfect for storing bullets/primers/dies, etc. in.
The second bench (and the one that takes all the strain) will be a very old cafeteria table (thick wood top and heavy cast iron legs/frame) from an old DuPont plant. That plant had not had a cafeteria for many years (2400 employees at it's height in the 40's, 50's, and 60's) that had fallen to around 200 employees when I spent a few years there. The table had been setting in a storage area for decades and during a "clean up" the stuff on top of it was tossed and someone decided to "toss" the old table, too. I got a scrap pass for it from management and loaded it up in my truck for the trip home. Used it for a couple/three years in that reloading shed out behind the house till I moved stuff to the garage. Now I'll be using it again.
As I move stuff into the new shed/set stuff up I'll be taking some pictures for this thread and I'll bet some guys here will have some ideas on better placement/organization/set up of equipment/supplies.
I hope, eventually, to get electricity (lights, winter time heat/summer time AC) in the shed, but that depends on how much the county wants to restrict my efforts through their rules/regulations and charges. I've already had one conversation with a county official in the permits/inspection section and when we were done talking my wife asked, "Did you get answers to any of your questions?" I just sort of laughed and said, "Nope."
It's sad when "they" say, "Well, you'll need to put anchors and cables to tie it down, like a trailer." I ask, how many anchors and how deep?" The response is, "Well, how many depends on how long the shed is." I say, "32 feet." The response is, "Well, you need enough to insure it's safely anchored." I say, "does that mean 4 per side, or 6 per side, or???" The response is, "Well, enough to make sure it's secure. The inspector will let you know if he thinks you don't have enough anchors."
Then when I ask how long the anchors have to be (I see 15" and 30" anchors at Lowes) the response is, "Well, I'm sure the inspector won't be screwing one up out of the ground to check." Building stuff around here is a real zoo, though this is a pre-built hauled into my yard on a trailer type shed, getting answers to questions on inspection needs is still a "zoo."
Was that a rant? Having dealt with county inspectors in the past (on my garage/wiring) I really don't have the time to get upset/rant very much as it won't fix a darn thing. Having vague enough "rules/regulations" insures job security for the government folks (or so it seems to me).
Still, having an uncluttered reloading/gun maintenance area will be great.
One more neat thing. I'll be getting a fence around it that will be attached to the corners of the existing dog pen. That way I can go to the shed, open the door, then go to the dog pen, open the gate (get mobbed by the dogs) and then they can hang around while I'm working in/around the new shed. All three of them will enjoy it. Two of them will quickly get used to the idea and find a cool spot to lie down and chill out. The middle sized guy will be a pain in the butt for awhile, maybe forever as he has his own "style".
