Compact Reloading Setup

Looking to move my reloading setup out of my uninsulated/drafty shop that has lots of room, and into a smaller space that has climate control. Any pictures of some really compact setups? Just looking for ideas in general

I don't have any pictures of it but when I started handloading in 1974 I lived in an apt and worked in a walk in closet. Had my RC press mounted to a small oak desk with a shelf on the back where my scale and powder measure were mounted. The shelves in the closet held bullets, brass, some powder and primers. It was tight in there at times but it worked

I'd do something like one of these.

Add some in-line fabrication mounts/adapters to everything. Roll it next to a dining room table or kitchen cabinets for work space. I'd beef up the wood on the tool chest. Maybe liquid nails or some bolts/screws through the top of the metal cabinet.

The Milwaukee Packout system (or one of the 10 other brands) could help someone get organized and easy to hide away in a closet or whatever.

nubraskan said:

Looking to move my reloading setup out of my uninsulated/drafty shop that has lots of room, and into a smaller space that has climate control. Any pictures of some really compact setups? Just looking for ideas in general

Click to expand...

I'm set up in the corner of my office. Would be nice to have more room but it works.

RCBS Summit press is very compact.

What's your definition of compact?

It's not compact, but I bought a work bench from Uline for my reloading bench. I would suggest looking at their products over the big box home improvement products. Hopefully there is a bench in a size that works out. These benches have lots of options for shelves, peg-boards, etc.

Area size and equipment list will help folks give you comparative pictures that are relevant.

I personally have a 6ft long 10 drawer craftsman toolbox with a 8ft wood counter top slab on top and it T's into a workbench similar to what @ntsqd posted. I then put a shelf in the bottom of that. Then I have a 3rd small "Kobalt" bench that came with the first reloading setup I purchased.

If I needed to condense my setup I would just take all the unrelated crap off that first bench which accounts for about 75% of that space and then put a shelf either on the back or on the wall behind it.

Think in terms of building upward and having room to store things. For instance, I just bought those magnetic tool strips to hang all my magazines on the side of my bullet storage shelf. They were all stacked on the bench before. Now they're neatly out of the way. If you run multiple p
Presses or equipment that needs bolted down, maybe run T-track on the bench and have hangars for stuff not currently in use.

When I was a lot younger I was in an apartment, bought a dresser from good will,mounted my press to it. Stored bullets and dies in bottom drawer for ballast. It worked.

At one time I had an old steel government issue desk that was about four feet wide. I mounted a RCBS press on one corner and a shotgun press on the other corner. The drawers were for component, dies, primer and powder storage. It took a corner in the living room. I have seen those steel desks in used furniture stores and second hand shops.

You can reload in a very small space.

Unless you are insane like many of us. Then you get started in a very small space which grows to cover all available horizontal surfaces in the building.