New Reloading Bench

Demonical

Demonical

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Whitecourt, Alberta
Tore the old disaster of a bench out today and I'm building a new bench. I've got the frame built and the bench top ready to install but I ran into a snag; I'm not sure what's the best way to secure the table top, so the fasteners are not visible. I'd kinda like to make it look neat.

How would you secure the table top, so no fasteners are visible?

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I've got room for a 54"x54" L-shaped bench.

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I re-used my old laminated 2"x4" table top to give the new bench strength, plus I wanted to keep something of the old bench...

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The top is 3/4" birch plywood.

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I'm gonna build shelves above the bench after I get the top finished.
 
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I agree. I've built two benches and both have had a double layer of 3/4 inch good on one side plywood.
 
The fellows above are giving you some good advice. The more solid the bench, the better. Your idea of building the bench, independantly of the shelves is also a great idea. The only thing I could add, is to add a leg to that center corner. It can and will become soft with use.

Good looking design and it will be quite functional as well as optimise space.
 
Thanks for the ideas guys. :)

BTW I was a bit screwed up in my dimensions; the bench consists of 2 24"x54" frame sections, that are screwed together. So that creates an L-shaped bench that gives me a working area of 30"x54".

Because I'm right handed, I will mount my press over on the righthand side of the thing, facing the shorter 30" section. I will have lots of space on the larger left portion of the table top to strew #### all over. :p

I am not done with braces, bottom shelves, braces etc... when I do finish it up... likely be some time next week now, I will post up more pics.
 
bench

Looks great. I just made a free standing bench last year and used 2" solid birch for the top. working great so far. I would brace the corner to add support, but instead of a leg that you will run into time and time again, put in a couple of industrial L shape brackets. I got some that are 24" at Lee Valley for a computer bench that I mounted to the wall. Each bracket can hold around 300 lbs. You could mount them to the studs by the electrical outlets in the wall on the two walls and this would give you all the support that you need and you would never run into them with you legs when you move your chair around.
Thanks and have fun.
Piping
 
I put a 2x10 top on mine, then used used "Lumber Lock" to glue down the the maple top I made. There is NO way that top is going to move. Wouldn't suggest Maple if $$$ is a problem. $220 for 27"x 60".
Clint
 
bearhunter said:
The fellows above are giving you some good advice. The more solid the bench, the better. Your idea of building the bench, independantly of the shelves is also a great idea. The only thing I could add, is to add a leg to that center corner. It can and will become soft with use.

Good looking design and it will be quite functional as well as optimise space.
Click to expand...

exactly my thoughts
 
I'm thinking the center leg is not required.
The weakest point of the design is that a lot of the weight will get transferred to the two end screws at the far left of picture number 2.

Picture# 3 has a solution to that issue..Just toe screw back to the wall plate and face screw the crap out of the added 2X4 (the piece that starts the other run).

If you glue the plywood to the frame it will act as a shear panel and should be extremely strong. My new reloading bench spans 8 feet using a double sided shear panel design....No more knee banging!
My 270 pound buddy sits on the bench so it has to be good!

You might want to cut in a couple of electrical renovation boxes and drop a short length of 14/2 down to each of the plugs below the bench. Call an electrician if you are not sure what to do here...Should be dead simple.


Fill the finish nail face holes with a coloured plastic fill crayon after you seal up the wood. Will look marvelux! ;)

You can do it ...WE can help! :D
 
Tonight I got the bench braced and the wall-shelving support panels up, plus the brackets. I also anchored the bench to the wall with 3-1/2" screws. It is solid as hell!

Still a ways to go...

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What are you going to do with the edge of the plywood?
Take it from personal experience that this is a bad place to leave potential slivers. :redface:

The brace will make it plenty strong.
 
^ X, I bought a piece of 1"x3" planed fir, it's really smooth. I am going to glue and brad nail to the face of the bench to cover that plywood edge. Yeah, that stuff gives wicked, fine little splinters!
 
Put up the shelves, face board on the edge of the bench and mounted the press. I might still add a melamine top and router the edge... hafta add a shelf underneath the bench... electrical outlet...

I still have lots of #### to do, to get this finished!

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I tied the shelves together with metal brackets, to reinforce the corners.

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Very nice.

One thing I have done is to make up a few roller dollies to go under the bench, and then roll them out when needed to get at supplies. This is also because I have a shelf under my top and can't get far underneath the bench. It helps when loaded up with a couple hundred pounds of supplies.
 
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