How To Set Your Reloading Bench Up For Success

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If there’s any place where it behooves us to be OCD about organization, it’s at the reloading bench. After all, we are creating small items that harness the power of explosions and use that energy to drive projectiles downrange at extreme speeds. A simple mistake can cause a catastrophic failure. And although good organization isn’t a cure-all for temporary stupidity, it goes a long way toward circumventing an absent-minded oversight that just could blow up your favorite shootin’ iron.

Plus, it just feels good to work in a clean, organized space. Tidy up your loading area, and you’ll impress your spouse and make your workbench the envy of your shooting pals. Here’s how to get started.

When I began this project I was embarrassed to even look at my loading bench. My last reloading project had been weeks before, when I loaded a bunch of 9.3x62 ammo for an upcoming hunt in Namibia. A winter's worth of garage dust and Christmas bedlam and winter clutter choked my handloading area. It needed help.

To get started, I ordered several of Hornady’s Square-Lok wall panels along with appropriate organizational bins and shelves and hooks. Then I swiped a broom and dustpan from the kitchen pantry and got to work.

Clean and Declutter

Because there was so much dust and dead-bug detritus behind and under my bench and the boxes under it, I pulled everything away from the wall. I swept and dusted and scrubbed until it was the cleanest place in the garage. Then I began reassembling my loading area with an aim to make it organized—and easy to keep organized.

I added a rubber floor mat where I stand at the bench. I’d had enough of aching feet and back from standing for hours on the hard concrete. Next, I unboxed four 18x36-inch sections of Square-Lok wall paneling ($159 each) and hung them on the wall behind where my bench would go. This was the crucial addition to my reloading setup that would make it easy to become organized and stay that way.

Usually Hornady’s Square-Lok panels hang easily. They’re designed to marry up with the standard 18-inch spacing of the structural studs inside the wall. However, the studs inside the wall behind my bench don’t have standard spacing. They support a big window and are spaced about 15 inches apart. And there’s an electrical plug smack in the middle of the wall, which is convenient for powering my electronic powder charger and case trimmer and so forth but awkward for easy Square-Lok panel installation.

Not to worry. With the help of a stud finder and a power drill, I created fresh holes in the paneling for the 15-inch stud spacing. My wife ran to the hardware store and bought me an electrical box extender, and with a jigsaw I cut a rectangular hole for the extender. With 18 square feet of Square-Lok paneling in place, I heaved the reloading bench back into place.

Work With The Space You Have

Handloading doesn’t require a ton of space. My entire operation is only about seven feet wide and two feet deep—although it’s a far cry from the tiny 30-inch-wide bench under the basement stairs when I was in college.

As the old-timers used to say, have “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” It’s an adage I’m not good at following, but the older and more forgetful I get, the more I value order.

Whether working in a small space or not, it’s necessary to create positions for the unique gear that is your reloading setup. Attacking the stack of Square-Lok accessories in the middle of my garage, I began adding shelves and hooks and bins of various sizes. These range from $15 to $35 apiece.

The cool thing about Square-Lok accessories is they’re easily set in place and shifted around until you figure out the best positioning. Then, using the little black grommets and screws provided, you secure the hanging bins and shelves and hooks to the wall. And even after that, they’re still movable if you find a better spot. You just use the tiny supplied plastic crowbar to pry out the black grommets.

Ease of Set Up

It was like a giant Lego set. I gleefully wasted more time than was strictly necessary shifting bins and shelves and hooks around before settling on the setup I liked best. I was amazed at how much “bigger” my work area seemed with just a few organizational bins and shelves hanging on the wall above the bench.

An organized reloading operation has a workflow. The smaller your workspace, the more seamlessly the flow must be. I start in the center, where I lube, size and prime cases. Shifting to the far left, I charge cases with propellant, then slide to the far right, where I seat the bullets. Strategically placing shelving and tool hangers and parts bins streamlines your flow.

On a heavy shelf beneath my workbench, I stack my reloading dies, an Apple computer box top that I use for a case lube spray tray, and whatever cartridge blocks I’m not currently using. My reloading logbook lives there, too.

On the floor beneath I keep case-cleaning tumblers and boxed-up reloading dies I don’t regularly use. The key is having the tools and accessories you need ready to hand where you’re going to need them.

Everything Has a Place

What about components? I store them separately. Boxes of component bullets require extra-sturdy shelves. Propellants should always be stored in a different location than primers.

Like most of us, I am always on the go. Deadlines rule my work scheduling, and I’ve a bad habit of leaving the remnants of an article project scattered about, and moving immediately into the next project.

It’s a poor method. No doubt I’d save time by cleaning up after myself rather than ahead of my next project’s needs. So that’s my reloading repentance confession, folks: From now on I intend to maintain the near-industrial organization of my reloading operation. Try it. I’ll wager you’ll find it makes a difference too—and make you a better handloader.

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