Reloading Bench

[SakoAlberta]

I'm planning my new bench and, having quite of bit of experince, I have a good idea what I want, however, I'm looking for any ideas of that you might have or a layout/plan you really like.

[packhuntr]

Hey Sako. I dont reload yet,,,have been wanting to get into it for years now, but am just getting rigged to the point where im ready to get at it without any hassles etc. We just got into a great acreage about 3 years ago now, and ive pretty well got my room set up the way i want it, least i hope so come time to start loading. The room is set up perfectly for everything else i do, though in the pics ya cant see all of it. Heres a couple pics of my bench. The right side is to stay set up for gun work, maintenance etc, and the left is for arrow fletching and reloading etc. Prob some nicer benches out there, but this is about the best i was able to come up with,,,,im no carpenter, nor do i have a very creative imagination, it is what it is though i suppose..... Never mind the mess...

keep a strain on er.

[slopeshunter]

Here's an interesting article. I like how he built the inserts so that he doesn't have assorted presses bolted to the bench at all times.

Reloading Bench Design

[Rusty P. Bucket]

I bolt my press to a maple board with 50 holes drilled into it to hold the cartridges I am working on. That gets clamped into a vise which is mounted in turn to another board which bolts onto my bench. All my reloading junk is kept on seperate shelves. My work bench is huge and allows me to spread out during an ammo production run and then everything can be quickly unbolted and stowed away and the bench turned back to carpenter duties when my bench is covered with saws and drill presses and such junk.

For me personally, the dedicated reloading bench is a waste of space and time.

[triggerpress]

Sako:
Here's how I did my reloading bench after addressing some of the same issues as you. This is working well for me, so far.

I built a top by screwing and glueing two layers of 3/4" plywood together. Nice birch on top, D grade fir on the bottom. Edging is oak strips. I built nice white cabinets with oak doors as well, but that's not necessary; you could do this on sawhorses....



Look at how each tool is mounted. They all have a seperate 3/4" oak plywood plate and then only the tools you are using are put on the bench. the rest go back against the wall or for the "overhanging" designs, on a mini-bench which is up against the wall.

When I took this pic I only had one press mounted on the bench and still more than what you see in the background. The key to making this work is T-nuts. These great little devices lock into the plywood from the bottom and stay in place semi-permanently. No nuts and washers to drop or lose. Here's a look from the bottom.



Note the pattern. I laid everything out so that the spacing of the holes will work for a wide variety of plates. When I built the system I made a ton of plates. Now, when I get a new tool I just pick the best plate and drill and mount the tool on it. I know it will fit somewhere.

Here's one of several case trimmers I use, ready to be mounted to the bench.



I put a T-nut on the bench so you could see what they look like, but in practice they never move from their spot in the bottom on the bench. Note the wooden plugs. I made these from dowels and drop them into the unused holes so that the benchtop is smooth and flush. That means you could use the space for other purposes. I don't, I just like to have elbow room.

The case trimmer in the photo is easy to mount on a plate, just a couple of short screws. But for tools that need bolts, just use more T-Nuts. Here's a plate with a tool mounted on it using bolts, looking from the bottom. A Forstner bit cuts the holes for the T-nuts and they fit below flush so the plate sits nice and level. Easy!



Moving presses and tools on and off the mounting spots is quick and easy and I suspect the tools are more solid than the slide in method mentioned previously in this thread. An added bonus of both methods is that, if you want, you can take your press(s) to the range and C-clamp it/them to the shooting bench, working up loads on the spot.

Let me know if you need any more info, and I'll add to this post.

triggerpress

[SakoAlberta]

Thanks guys. I knew there would be great ideas here.

[slopeshunter]

TriggerPress, I like how you used the T-nuts. I'm going to make use of that idea when I build my bench this summer. tks

[packhuntr]

Man alive, and i thought my concoction was pretty skukum!! Very nice work Triggerpress. Maybe i will try to do better on the next one.

[Mulestalker]

SA,I use a double hinged (piano hinge) wood cabinet that stores all my powder,primers,etc and doesn't take up much wall space.Once you are done you can close it and lock it

[Rackmastr]

I just picked up a new bench at UFA today.....it was a bit costy, but its a hell of a heavy bench and very well made.....nice metal cabinet on the one side as well....

Will post some pics tomorrow when I get it set up....and I like some of the ideas I'm getting for making it a bit easier to use....

[Prdtrgttr]

Triggerpress! Wow! I'm impressed. Plus I love the organisation.
I don't have any pics of my bench, but I built mine from a plan from the National Reloaders Manufacturer's Association. It's a great design. You can purchase the plan from them or if you search enough on line, you might find it.
What's nice about the plan is everything is nicely laid out for you. The plans show you how to measure out your plywood so that nothing is wasted. I have basically zero carpentry skills, and after I had a carpenter make the wood cuts, I put together a sturdy and very user friendly bench.
I might still have the PDF file of the plans too.
Let us know how you make out.

[SakoAlberta]

Prdtrgttr

I'll do a search but if you have those plans, love to see them. Some great benches guys. With my carpentry skills, or lack thereof, I might be shy to post pics when its done after seeing the benched here.

[RickF]

Here's my latest bench. The one constant? No matter how large you build them, they are never large enough!

[SakoAlberta]

Thanks to all those who posted pics/ideas. Also, an extra thanks to those that actually sent plans!!(well beyond any response I was hoping for) I'm very grateful. I'll post pics once its built.

[CaberTosser]

Rackmastr, We'll be using the same benches for our loading chores. I liked those suckers so much I got 2 of em. Considering all of their features and the sturdy construction of them, I thought they were a bargain. That bottom drawer will lock away quite a bit of powder.

[ABwhitetail]

Them some sweet looking set-ups there boys.....

[wynyard]

RickF - just wondering how your bench is supported? Is it attached to the wall?
Nice benches all, and thanks guys for posting pics!

[Duk Dog]

CaberTosser or Rackmastr - any pics to post of those benches?

[Rackmastr]

Here it is......nice and heavy...very nice drawers.....oh and a wet dog....heh

[Roebag]

I'm the troll under the stairs. As like everyone else, these rooms sure fill up fast. I built mine from the spare room under the stairs.

[Rackmastr]

I like yours Roebag.....nice little 'cave'.....I gotta share my room with my wife's sewing stuff....heh

[RickF]

Originally Posted by wynyard

RickF - just wondering how your bench is supported? Is it attached to the wall?
Nice benches all, and thanks guys for posting pics!

That room is 12' wide. I'm attached to the studs on both sides, with 12' 2X4's between. Also attached to the studs along the back wall. The 8' on the right is reloading bench, the 4' on the left a small work area with vise. The bench is reinforced to every solid thing within reach, and has about 4" of near solid wood. It's as solid as I could make it.

[Pathfinder76]

Thought I'd bring this to the top.

[kjohn]

Hello. Just searched for "reloading bench" and this thread was one that popped up. I am just moving in to my "gun/reloading" room. It was a cistern, and is 7'x22' inside, with mostly 8' ceiling. We have it all insulated, lined with pine and spruce boards, laminate floor. I only have two things that are coming for sure - a computer desk, and my old 10 gun cabinet that an old friend made for me in 1966/67. I will also be bringing in a mechanics tool roller cabinet. Other than that, I am still in the... uh, planning stage....

I have a big (30"x60") heavy wooden RCMP desk I could use as the base for a reloading bench, but I fear that I will regret having anything so deep in a 7' wide room.

I plan to use the slide-in press mount idea. I built a rough one years ago from scrap ¾ plywood, and it worked like a charm. This time around, I will use nicer wood, plus I have some decent tools to work with now.

This is where I will be making my "last stand", so to speak. The house is the one I was raised in. My Dad built it for his family in 1949. My parents are both gone, and I have retained ownership, except for a short spell after a divorce, when my ex gave me a good deal to buy it back.

I won't be rushing into anything, as I have a bathroom to finish and a complete kitchen reno coming up.

[Slannesh]

Originally Posted by triggerpress

Sako:
Here's how I did my reloading bench after addressing some of the same issues as you. This is working well for me, so far.

I built a top by screwing and glueing two layers of 3/4" plywood together. Nice birch on top, D grade fir on the bottom. Edging is oak strips. I built nice white cabinets with oak doors as well, but that's not necessary; you could do this on sawhorses....



Look at how each tool is mounted. They all have a seperate 3/4" oak plywood plate and then only the tools you are using are put on the bench. the rest go back against the wall or for the "overhanging" designs, on a mini-bench which is up against the wall.

When I took this pic I only had one press mounted on the bench and still more than what you see in the background. The key to making this work is T-nuts. These great little devices lock into the plywood from the bottom and stay in place semi-permanently. No nuts and washers to drop or lose. Here's a look from the bottom.



Note the pattern. I laid everything out so that the spacing of the holes will work for a wide variety of plates. When I built the system I made a ton of plates. Now, when I get a new tool I just pick the best plate and drill and mount the tool on it. I know it will fit somewhere.

Here's one of several case trimmers I use, ready to be mounted to the bench.



I put a T-nut on the bench so you could see what they look like, but in practice they never move from their spot in the bottom on the bench. Note the wooden plugs. I made these from dowels and drop them into the unused holes so that the benchtop is smooth and flush. That means you could use the space for other purposes. I don't, I just like to have elbow room.

The case trimmer in the photo is easy to mount on a plate, just a couple of short screws. But for tools that need bolts, just use more T-Nuts. Here's a plate with a tool mounted on it using bolts, looking from the bottom. A Forstner bit cuts the holes for the T-nuts and they fit below flush so the plate sits nice and level. Easy!



Moving presses and tools on and off the mounting spots is quick and easy and I suspect the tools are more solid than the slide in method mentioned previously in this thread. An added bonus of both methods is that, if you want, you can take your press(s) to the range and C-clamp it/them to the shooting bench, working up loads on the spot.

Let me know if you need any more info, and I'll add to this post.

triggerpress

Not to totally necropost, but I built my reloading bench over the weekend and just wanted to say thanks to everyone who put pics up in this thread. You made my job a lot easier.

No pics yet but I happily stole ideas from a lot of guys especially triggerpress.

Pics will be forthcoming once I get all my construction junk out of the way.

Thanks again guys, i'm excited to be getting into reloading!

[Arn?Narn.]

Here's mine, which is still a work in progress but does have me reloading...

[gitrdun]

Roebag, nicely thaught out. Even though you have limited space, keeping it tidy as you have provides the advantage of having everything within arm's reach. Nice