Man cave/reloading room ideas

[chas]

I'm in the process of framing a room to put all of my gear. Hunting cloths, gun safe, gun cabinet, fishing gear, packs etc. I'm looking for advice on overall layout ideas for the room. I'll be doing reloading, fly tying, gun maintenance, bow work, etc. It will also be an office. I'm very good at carpentry and cabinet work but lack experience in the layout of this particular type of room. Any advice or suggestion at this phase would be great. The size is 10' x 16'. Thank's in advance for any input. Pictures would be a great visual.

 

[Southtexasboy]

I made our sun room into a reloading room/office/all my junk room. I went to IKEA and bought the cheap book shelf’s to cover the whole wall on one side, the selfs work great to organize gear, reloading equipment and so on. I have a desk in the middle and a good comfortable desk chair to sit in.

 

[Wapiti1]

I would suggest making a space for a small gun safe to stow work in progress and other high dollar things. I have a big safe for the bulk of my guns elsewhere in the house, and a smaller one for camera gear, binos, scopes, the odd handgun and rifles that I am working on in the hobby room. I used to tend to not think about locking up my optics, but changed my mind when they started costing more than my guns.

Hard surface floor like tile, laminate or hardwood. I can't keep powder off the floor in the reloading area and hardwood is easier to sweep up. Usually my auto press gets a hang up and the case I just powdered shakes and spills. Or some version of that.

My room is more square than yours (12X14 I think), but I put benches completely down the north wall under a window. The entry door is in the southwest corner on the south wall. A desk sits along the east wall under the window there along with a shelving unit, and a standup wardrobe on either side of the desk. The west wall is empty save a few photos, and space for heads/skulls. The south wall is where the entry door is and houses a double door closet. It is mostly shelving plus the small gun safe.

Jeremy

 

[elkguide]

Make the room bigger! Never seem to have enough room in mine.

Make the space flow. What will you do the most in the room? If it's reloading, then use more of the space for that. Then start filling the rest of the room with the other necessary items.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I did the same thing about 8 years ago. My room was a 20 by 14 framed in deck. I insulated and finished it like a normal room. I have 3 windows along the side that I can open for a breeze and give great ambient light. I have a over sized door going directly outside too. Allows for heavy objects to come through the door better, like a gun safe. Along one wall, I built a bench. I use this bench for reloading. I store my hunting clothes, reloading stuff, gun safe, etc in this room. It is also my workout room with weight bench and weights.





My advice is this, you can never have too many benches. This summer I'm going to build two more. Trying to single stage and progressive load off just the one, plus use it for fletching and bow work, is getting cluttered. For benches, make them super sturdy. Frame them out of 2 by 4 studs, and plate them with 2 by 6. It allows for presses and such to be screwed directly to them and you don't have to Worry about ripping them out of the table after a couple thousand pushes on the handles. Bolt the backside of the benches to the wall in the framing studs and, use simple 2 by 4's for the legs out front. I made mine 30 inches deep. This allow you to put over head shelving above them for storage and be able to reach them all the way to the ceiling. And make them standard height.. Meaning as high as a kitchen table. This allows for storage tote beneath them that is easy to identify, easy to get to, and easy to maintain organization.




Depending on your hobbies, you need to ensure you have enough bench space. Did I say that already? :^) Good luck and God Bless

 

[chas]

Thanks for the advice. I'm going with deeper benches to store tots underneath.

 

[N2TRKYS]

You can use one bench for all your needs. I attached my press to a piece of 2x8 and then C-clamped it to my kitchen table. That way I can remove it and have the full use of my table. This setup is as rock solid as if it were bolted straight to the table.

It doesn't take an overly built, extra heavy table either.

Good luck.

 

[mtswampfox]

just one small part of the puzzle. for tools dies small parts and what ever a rollaway tool cabinet and chest are nice, mine is craftsman but harbor freight has some nice ones, no you dont need snap on!!

 

[5MilesBack]

You can use one bench for all your needs. I attached my press to a piece of 2x8 and then C-clamped it to my kitchen table. That way I can remove it and have the full use of my table.

I set up my work bench similarly. My reloading stuff is all attached to some plywood that bolts to the bench, and my bow press uses one of the same sets of bolt holes for it to secure to the bench. It's about a 2 minute operation to switch them out.

I also have my bows hanging from hooks between unfinished studs.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Mine is more of a shop in my garage. A couple of years ago I put in a mid sized TV with a amazon fire stick. Gives me the option to listen to radio, podcasts or half watch tv while working. Next step is to run cable so I can watch games.

 

[Mt Al]

Same here with more of a shop in my garage. Personally, I like simple, fewer items. Suggest spending time thinking about how to make your bench double stout, deep and modular. I tripled-up stout plywood under my bench area where my had press is, used bolts with wing nuts, cut off the bolts and finished the ends so the press is easy-on-easy-off but holds well when in use.

Agree on a solid floor that's easy to clean. Tough to beat an epoxy floor if your on concrete. Other is lighting. Not just task lighting, but overall. I've never regretted getting expert advise on what type of light and where. Makes such a huge difference.

For task lighting I rigged up a pretty bad looking but great working system where flexible neck lights come from above vs. having a base on the bench. I can turn/twist/aim the lights where I want, twist them up out of the way if something larger is on the bench.

Love the TV/firestick idea. Just cost me some money.

 

[Downeaster]

I like the flow of a T or an L shaped bench setup. Ive got more presses than id care to admit, so its a great way to have different setups all in workable locations. A computer chair on a hard floor makes movement and cleanup a breeze. Also im inclined towards narrower benches if space is at a premium. Hanging shelves can house all your tools and supplies. When ive had bigger benches, i just have bigger messes to clean up because i can go longer before tidying up.
Post pics of what u come up with.

 

[prconnection]

Those with rooms setup could post up pics so the orignal poster can get ideas. I'll start

Mine is in the attached house garage. I used the single bay for my stuff
One wall is a complete set of cabinets with all my reloading and casting




Then seperated the double bay with shelves and installed pegg board on my side


Pics are worth a thousand words

 

[full choke]

Those with rooms setup could post up pics so the orignal poster can get ideas. I'll start

Mine is in the attached house garage. I used the single bay for my stuff
One wall is a complete set of cabinets with all my reloading and casting
View attachment 64328

View attachment 64330

Then seperated the double bay with shelves and installed pegg board on my side
View attachment 64329

Pics are worth a thousand words

Nice use of space!

 

[Nuke Man]

Yes more pictures! I've got a finished 14 x 32 shop area in my pole barn I'd like to get set up.

 

[chas]

Thank you for the response. That's a great looking room.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

That clean! Looks good.

 

[chops24]

This is on one wall, just finished it. Shelving for boots and smaller gear will go below it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Schism]

I am in the process of finishing a similar use room in my house. Here is a company that came highly recommended for modular press and tool setups. Welcome to InLine Fabrication. – Inline Fabrication

I like the idea of keeping only one or two presses mounted to the bench at a time to free up bench space for other projects.

 

[Molon Labe]

Since you are going to be doing fly tying and reloading I would highly suggest a central vac unit.
All the feathers, thread pieces, powder...just a quick sweep to the wall and it goes bye bye.

Also good lighting fixtures...have two sets of LED bars on different switches.
I like lots of white light when I'm tying bugs but softer light when I am reloading.