Reloading bench

[260 Rem]

[darren32]

I got the inline fabrication riser for my rockcrusher.
Made a huge difference standing with a regular height bench.
I do everything standing.





Got in on ebay for around a hundred but shipping was stupid. Can't remember how much.

Thanks

[Deer Hunter]

Nice setup Darren

[darren32]

Thanks Deer Hunter!

[sns2]

Really really nice setup!

[elkhunter11]

Right now with the basement renovations beginning, my loading bench is dismantled, and I can't reload for a bit. But in a short while I will be moving everything into my new gun/loading room, where I can finally set things up on a more permanent basis. After making do with working out of Rubbermaid containers for the past year, that will be a nice treat.

[Smokinyotes]

My bench is rock solid with 4x4 legs, 2x6 frame with 3x 3/4" G1S plywood glued and screwed. But being a noob when I first built it I only made it 36" tall. Good thing my butt is close to the ground as I'm 5'9". If I were to build a new bench it would be 42" tall.

[Bergerboy]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Right now with the basement renovations beginning, my loading bench is dismantled, and I can't reload for a bit. But in a short while I will be moving everything into my new gun/loading room, where I can finally set things up on a more permanent basis. After making do with working out of Rubbermaid containers for the past year, that will be a nice treat.

Black and Decker work mate will work until you get rigged up.

[qwert]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

My bench is rock solid with 4x4 legs, 2x6 frame with 3x 3/4" G1S plywood glued and screwed. But being a noob when I first built it I only made it 36" tall. Good thing my butt is close to the ground as I'm 5'9". If I were to build a new bench it would be 42" tall.

My current custom (V3.0) hand-loading workstation is ALL STEEL, (most galvanized) not one piece of wood in it, VERY solid.
It has 96 ft2 of 1’ deep shelf space, + 12 ft. of floor under for tumblers & heavy storage.
I am 5’ 11”, my 5 presses, 2 sizers, a swivel vice and other tools are mounted @ 44.25”.
Lots of flexible lighting + a moveable cart & Workmate,
Makes work a pleasure.

IMHO, wood is a poor material for workshop bench or shelf construction,
it is structurally weak, shelves sag, it takes up excessive volume, and joints shrink & loosen.

Good Luck, YMMV. (FUBb)

[Dead Mule]

I designed and built my reloading bench based on my workbench, which proved to be a very solid plywood and lumber type.

The workbench has a 1 1/2" flush plywood top, a 2x6 lumber front apron, lower plywood shelf, and a plywood backboard between the shelf and the top.
It is rigidly screwed and glued together, (5' x 2' top, 36" height) and fitted with a large Record woodworking vise and a Record #5 bench vise on the right end. Replaceable 1/4" Masonite, held on with brads only, covers the top.

For the reloading bench, I wanted a compact and easy-to-move unit, which I could sit down at. It ended up being 1 1/2 inches thick, 4' wide and 30" deep, like a table. Also, the top overlaps the sides and front by, 3 1/2 inches to facilitate clamping tools like powder measures and bullet lubricators to it. It also makes it easier to mount the press.

The benches are far from weak, nothing sags because of the bracing and 3/4 plywood

The shelf and backboard are also still there, except that the shelf is cut away and the lengthwise bracing relocated to the middle, allowing for leg room. That shelf is used for larger storage and is very useful.

On top is a bolt-on plywood and cleat shelf unit, about 10 inches deep, and 20 inches high, allowing the bench space to be all used while storing stuff on top of the shelf.

All in all, it works well. The only thing that I would change, if I was less concerned about transportability, would be to make it about 5' wide.

Of course, a removable top secured with bolts would solve that problem.

The workbench is fifteen years old, and the reloading bench is about 14 years old.

Both are as solid as a rock, with no warping, cracking, or deterioration of any kind. It's all a question of design and environment. In my basement, no problems. In a wet and soggy shed, another story.

The leg trusses are double thicknesses of 2x4s with the single 2x4 horizontal braces locked in to open mortises created by layering the outer leg pieces. Everything is glued and secured with 3" screws. The top and shelf are braced with 2x4s.

The shelf and backboard are 3/4" plywood, acting as vertical and horizontal braces themselves, and also holding the benches rigidly in square.

These benches are far from weak, the joints are all as solid as day #1, and nothing sags, due to proper bracing. You could park a car on top of them.

As far as volume, they occupy the same amount of space (LxWxH) as any bench, and you can easily build them at home with a circular saw, power drill, maybe a hand-held sabre saw, and a few hand tools. (A table saw and chop saw would be great to have, though.)

I built the workbench on my basement floor, (without a table or chop saw) and the reloading bench on top of the workbench.

[rugatika]

Luckily I took a picture of it before it was too cluttered up.

Thanks to everyone for all the advice and help.

[6mm rem]

Looks mint! I like the ample storage space .

[lyallpeder]

I used a bunch of scrap 2x4s under my plywood to stiffin it up.