Author Topic: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days  (Read 6656 times)

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Offline M1A4ME

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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".
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline timetofly

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2019, 09:13:47 AM »
Sounds like you have a plan! 
All of life’s journeys begin by putting one foot in front of the other.

Offline Dwb57

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2019, 09:34:21 AM »
It?s always exciting to start a new project especially one that?s got something to do with reloading and shooting.

Offline daved20319

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2019, 09:36:11 AM »
You do realize that there are no inspections required if you do all your "wiring" with extension cords (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)?  There's also the attitude of "what they don't know they can't charge me for", and once occupied, the building department has zero right to demand entry to your home or other associated buildings, unless they have a warrant, just like law enforcement.  Although frankly, I'm surprised that you needed to mess around with permits and inspectors for what amounts to a portable outbuilding, in my neck of the woods, those are invisible to the building department, even when sitting on a slab and wired.  All that said, I do have to admit that I live in a part of the country that's still a lot more Wild West than Big City, and that makes a big difference.  Regardless, good luck with your project, and looking forward to seeing what you put together.  Later.

Offline M1A4ME

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2019, 10:58:52 AM »
The shed is in place.  Just got done running the anchors and tie down cables yesterday (nice job on those hot/muggy days.)  Now I have to get the drawings ready (I was informed that since the blocks it sits on are not the same as the drawings that accompany the building it cannot pass inspection with the original drawings).  Also have to do all the measuring to insure it sits far enough from the back, side and front property lines (it does, I have a 3/4 acre lot and my house is over 30 years old so all the newer rules don't apply).  Then fill out the permit and pay the "fees" so they can tax me more on my improvements.

Hopefully the insurance company will kick in some money on it since it is replacing two buildings that hail store we had a couple years ago shreaded the roofs on.  Hail the size of my wife's fist does a number on roofs/sheds, cars and trucks.

Already have some stuff moved into it.

Yeah, I thought about no permit/approval but the county officials around here can be a real pain.  Many years ago I replaced the cheap/flimsy front porch the builder put on my house.  Not the roof over it, just the frame, decking, hand rails and steps.  One day someone rang the doorbell and when my wife answered there was a county car in the driveway and county official on the new front porch inquiring about the permit to "improve" the front porch.  My wife told her we didn't improve it we just replaced the old one due to it's condition.  The woman disagreed with her and said she could look  at it and tell it was a bigger porch than the original.  My wife told her she was wrong and the woman told my wife she knew my wife was wrong.  She went back to the car got a tape measure, came back to the porch and measured the length/width of it and consulted her notes.  Then she looked up and told my wife that my wife was correct, the porch was the same size as the old one.  My wife shut and locked the door in her face.  The wife was still "spittin' bullets" when I got home a couple hours later.  And yes, that BS took place right here in the state of Virginia in the USA.  We don't even live in a town or city but out in the country.  Horse pasture across the road.  Woods and a creek behind the house. 

Still have stuff to move from the old shed to the new shed, get it cleaned up and get the casters put on the bottoms of the storage cabinets so they're easy to move when it comes time to wire, insulate and wall up the insides.  I was amazed at all the stuff I'd been accumulating for years I no longer needed.  What was stored in two cabinets will now fit in one.  Means I've got room for stuff sitting on shelves in the garage (power, primers, reloading manuals, CZ pistol parts, etc., etc.

Did I mention I need to take some pictures of the caster mods?
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline DeltaGray

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2019, 10:02:26 PM »
M1A4ME, Have you ever heard of gunsmith Laurence Pylinski?  I know him.  He is known by others mostly for his shotgun smith work including warranty work.  He has some skills. 

Offline timetofly

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #6 on: June 20, 2019, 08:05:27 AM »
Gotta love the revenuers and their tactics.  At least your wife stood up to the BULLY and received a bit of an apology from the woman.  Hopefully things go smooth with the permitting process and your new setup works extremely well.  As soon as things dry out here I'm going to get a prefab shed and move the loading out there.  No need for a permit if it's not permanently held down and utilities are not permanently ran to the shed. 

Good luck with the permitting process.
All of life’s journeys begin by putting one foot in front of the other.

Offline M1A4ME

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2019, 09:56:15 AM »
Sorry, Delta Gray, I have not heard of him.  I really never got into shotguns like some people do.  They are mostly just hunting guns to me and I only bought a couple/three over the years.
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline M1A4ME

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2019, 10:19:31 AM »
A front porch to sit on when there's a rainy day.  A place to sort brass, trim brass, inspect it, prime it, etc.  Or clean guns there if the weather is right.



The front corner there where the reloading bench, desk, etc. will go (might go down to the old shed today to see if I can get that bench in the back of the truck and a load of "stuff" on it/around it.  The idea is to put the bench against the right wall there so I can sit and see the dogs, the house, or turn around to see the garage.  Oh, and open the windows to catch nice breeze.



The kayaks stored overhead/out of the way.  More than enough room up there for the paddles, tackle boxes, life jackets, etc.



Couple old chest of drawers with the casters/frames under them so I can roll them around anywhere I want them in the shed.  Already organizing stuff in the drawers and still have a couple of empty drawers in each one for more stuff.  Two more of these in the shed, one old gun cabinet and a pile or two I'll have to sort through to see what to keep and what to toss.  And the new shop vac in the corner.  Every "shop" needs a shop vac.



Edited - realized I had the kayak picture in here twice but not the roll around chest of drawers.

The wiring, insulation and interior walls/ceilings will come later in the summer/early fall a little at a time based on money and my time/health.  I had every intention of building my own shed till I hurt my back this spring and then got some kind of month long respiratory virus/infection/something that I'm still working to get over.  So, no promises on when it'll be done.


« Last Edit: June 25, 2019, 05:57:50 AM by M1A4ME »
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline Wobbly

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2019, 09:26:51 PM »
When you wire the new hut, don't forget the front porch outlet for the brass tumbler and daiquiri blender !!

Hope you get over your breathing issues.
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Offline M1A4ME

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2019, 07:49:58 AM »
Wobbly, I was planning on a "quad" outlet for the porch.  Too many is better than not enough. 

Where I ended up setting my (quickly made) reloading bench in the garage there was a single receptacle.  I ended up with two power strips plugged into it.  Sounds bad, but there is seldom more than a couple things "on" on that circuit at the same time.  A radio, a light over the reloading set up, a drill press on one end of the bench and a couple tool battery chargers.  Oh, and a cordless phone charger.  Probably a couple other things, too.
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline Wobbly

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2019, 08:24:47 AM »
Oh, and a cordless phone charger.  Probably a couple other things, too.

Don't forget a light and outlet upstairs for the cordless kayak charger.   ;D
In God we trust; On 'Starting Load' we rely.

Offline DenStinett

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2019, 11:01:55 PM »
Looking good so far M1a
Once you get it all set-up, the pics of your "Shop" would make a good addition to a thread here:
https://czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=105233.0
And "Let's see those Reloading Rooms" on the M14 Forum:
https://m14forum.com/ammunition/131958-let-s-see-those-reloading-rooms.html
It's always cool to see what others have done
« Last Edit: October 06, 2019, 07:54:44 PM by DenStinett »
So tell me again how Trump was worse then the 8 years before .... AND what's coming after HIM !

Offline M1A4ME

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2019, 06:06:10 AM »
I got the big table up from the old shed a couple days ago.  Darn thing was so heavy I could not get it out of the shed by myself.  I had to flip it over and take it apart (that was an experience - I hate those old timey common screws with the slots so thin a regular/modern screw driver won't fit in them - had to look around for a real thin bladed screw driver bit).  Got the legs/frame (cast iron and still heavy) in the truck and then the top (almost 2" of laminated board/sheets of plywood covered by formica??) in the truck and got them up to the new shed.

Got both unloaded, brushed off, scrubbed off and then painted the legs/frame with more black spray paint.  Got both pieces horsed into the new shed and put "modern" Philips headed screws through the frame into the top.  Got it turned over with the feet on the floor and got my wife to help me pick it up/move it into the corner.  She could barely pick up her end (good thing we go to the gym so she can work out  O0).  I plopped my 270 lbs. down on it and it didn't even sway/sag.  It's a really stout reloading bench.  I need to get a picture of it. 

I had a newer/cheap sort of book shelf sitting on it in the old shed, for dies, tools, books, etc. but I won't be able to set it up that way in the new shed without blocking one of my windows.  I might have to put those shelves on top of the old school teacher's desk I have in another shed.

With that bench/table in the new shed I'm already looking at the presses, powder measures, etc. as I walk into the garage and wondering if I should start moving them over....
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline recoilguy

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Re: I will begin setting up my last reloading area in a few days
« Reply #14 on: June 25, 2019, 09:20:03 AM »
Dude that is awesome!
Very nicely played!

RCG
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