Best Reloading bench on a budget?

[ATOM]

Some good ideas here.

You don't need really Big. My first bench, which I used for a long time, was 2' square. Made a lot of good ammo on it. And while the top especially should be solid, there's no reason why you need massive and heavy.

If space is at a premium, then the idea of using a clamp-in-place sheet of thick plywood with you gear mounted to it on top of a kitchen table or WorkMate is a good one. You can always use the kitchen counter or table to lay out the bits and pieces if there isn't room on your bench. I would get a sheet of that non-skid rubber sheeting to place between it and the table. Canadian Tire sells it.

 

[luckey]

$100 just for the lags is too expensive. 2 x 12FT 2x4 is only $20~ and strong enough for any workbench.

h ttp://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/work-bench-kit/A-p8479974e

I used these legs to make a bench. Just buy the legs, some 2x4's and some plywood and good to go. Easy to do a bench for less than 200 bucks with a work surface and a storage bench underneath.

 

[sail32]

$10.00 bar stool from a thrift shop.

 

[lone-wolf]

$100 just for the lags is too expensive. 2 x 12FT 2x4 is only $20~ and strong enough for any workbench.

Glad I wasn't the only one thrown back at the price of that

 

[Qball-16]

Picked up this Canadian Tire bench up for $60 off a local buy & sell. It was unused, still in its box, and works great for me!
They're $199.99 regular price, but regularly on sale for a lot less.

 

[89crxtech]

Picked up this Canadian Tire bench up for $60 off a local buy & sell. It was unused, still in its box, and works great for me!
They're $199.99 regular price, but regularly on sale for a lot less.

May I ask what is between the Lock n Load and the bench top?

I have the same bench and am looking at getting a Lock n Load single stage or progressive. - Thanks.

 

[nomad 68]

Picked up this Canadian Tire bench up for $60 off a local buy & sell. It was unused, still in its box, and works great for me!
They're $199.99 regular price, but regularly on sale for a lot less.

i have the one with the cabinet overhead and the drawers on one side. I believe it's the heavy duty model.I replaced the top with two pieces of 3/4 plywood laminated together and topped with maple flooring.Perfect set up.

 

[Qball-16]

May I ask what is between the Lock n Load and the bench top?

I have the same bench and am looking at getting a Lock n Load single stage or progressive. - Thanks.

I had some 4x6 lumber from a landscape project left over, so I just cut a chunk off, spray painted it black & bolted it to the bench top - simply to raise the press up enough to allow the drawer to open underneath.

i have the one with the cabinet overhead and the drawers on one side. I believe it's the heavy duty model.I replaced the top with two pieces of 3/4 plywood laminated together and topped with maple flooring.Perfect set up.

Yeah, my only complaint (and it's a minor one) would be that the supplied particle board bench top flexed when using the press. I screwed the bench top to the frame, and attached a 2x4 underneath to provide a bit more rigidity. I thought about replacing the bench top entirely, and might at some point, but it works well enough for now.

 

[wanos]

Here's one I built a couple weekends ago...


Front view ...

Side view ...

It's 22" deep (will fit in a normal closet if you so choose), 60" high, the bench-top is 22" x 36", first shelf is 11" x 36" and the top shelf is 6" x 36". Its big enough for me for now. If I find I'll need a larger bench, I'd have to re-make the bench-top, shelves, and backing, but for now I'm good.


Bench-top ...

I built this with a 18"-19" chair in mind, making the bench-top 29 1/2" from the floor just like a normal kitchen table. The first shelf is 12" above that, placing the reloading scale at my eye level. Reversing the drum in the powder measure means that I work it with my left hand, hold the scale pan with my right, then place the scale pan on the scale and trickle from there. Ergonomic efficiency ya know.


Bench-top underside ...

The bench-top is 3/4" (19mm) OSG fir plywood. The leading edge is reinforced underneath with a 2x6 laying flat; and right behind that is a 2x4 in the vertical plane (glued and screwed to the 2x6 and the bench-top plywood) to lend more strength and stability. I probably didn't need all those screws, since it's PL-Premium glued; only hindsight is 20/20.

The reason for the leading edge flat 2x6 is that I remember building the previous iteration of this when I had a vertical 2x4 as the leading edge; with a Rockchucker I needed to notch out a bit in order that the swing arm elbow would clear that leading edge. So there's that, plus with the Coax front mounting holes being 1" from the leading edge would mean that I'd have to drill through 3/4" + 3 1/2" to mount the front bolts, necessitating another trip to the hardware store for a longer 1/4" drill bit that would probably be used only once, and even longer 1/4" bolts.

Shelves and backing are 1/2" (11mm OSG fir plywood.) You can disassemble the frame from the shelves and backing in about 10 minutes and store underneath a bed if you need to.


MS Paint Specs (obviously not to scale) ...

All in, including glue, bolts/washers/nuts, screws, about $125 and an afternoon (not including libations). You could save a bit by not using OSG plywood.

This should give more ideas to the reloading nimrods here.

 

[DarkSyd]

I used a 2x4 Basics kit...2x4 on edge w/ 2 layers MDF for the top and bolted it to a wall (which you probably can't do in an apartment).

http://www.2x4basics.com/WorkBench-Legs.html

 

[vagrantviking]

Great design wanos. Hope you don't mind if I borrow from that as I have to fit into new smaller space myself.

My local Costco has a garge tool bench deal similar in concept to the mastercraft one pictured but bigger and with many more drawer for $500. Looks very nice but big and a bit pricey.
Next to it they have a good solid work table, maybe 24x60 for $129. Still pretty big but a reasonable deal to my mind.

 

[koesdibyo]

another vote/user of the workmate bench. Easily set up, collapsible for space saving, and can be found for pretty damn cheap.

 

[Bluedevil25]

Another vote for the Black & Decker Workmate!

 

[supernova]

I had too many spare tires for the same truck so I grabbed the crappiest one and a couple pieces of free steel to build a small press stand. I sold the truck for a profit so the extra spare tire didn't cost me anything nor did the steel I brought home from work. Anyways, I welded a 4"×1/4" round plate to the backside of the wheel, welded a length of 2" .250 wall pipe to that and welded some 2x8x1/4" channel with the press' bolt pattern drilled into it, on top. It is solid and doesn't take up much space, and I can quickly move it around. No flexing no matter how hard I'm cranking on the lever.

 

[fingers284]

I had too many spare tires for the same truck so I grabbed the crappiest one and a couple pieces of free steel to build a small press stand. I sold the truck for a profit so the extra spare tire didn't cost me anything nor did the steel I brought home from work. Anyways, I welded a 4"×1/4" round plate to the backside of the wheel, welded a length of 2" .250 wall pipe to that and welded some 2x8x1/4" channel with the press' bolt pattern drilled into it, on top. It is solid and doesn't take up much space, and I can quickly move it around. No flexing no matter how hard I'm cranking on the lever.

Sounds a lot like the press bench I learned on as a kid at home, only it was two 3 ft lengths of the 8" channel welded side by side with 4 drill stem ( 4 " heavy wall pipe) legs...."quickly & easily moved" was not part of the program but it sure as hell was solid.

 

[fingers284]

Here's one I built a couple weekends ago...


Front view ...

Side view ...

It's 22" deep (will fit in a normal closet if you so choose), 60" high, the bench-top is 22" x 36", first shelf is 11" x 36" and the top shelf is 6" x 36". Its big enough for me for now. If I find I'll need a larger bench, I'd have to re-make the bench-top, shelves, and backing, but for now I'm good.


Bench-top ...

I built this with a 18"-19" chair in mind, making the bench-top 29 1/2" from the floor just like a normal kitchen table. The first shelf is 12" above that, placing the reloading scale at my eye level. Reversing the drum in the powder measure means that I work it with my left hand, hold the scale pan with my right, then place the scale pan on the scale and trickle from there. Ergonomic efficiency ya know.


Bench-top underside ...

The bench-top is 3/4" (19mm) OSG fir plywood. The leading edge is reinforced underneath with a 2x6 laying flat; and right behind that is a 2x4 in the vertical plane (glued and screwed to the 2x6 and the bench-top plywood) to lend more strength and stability. I probably didn't need all those screws, since it's PL-Premium glued; only hindsight is 20/20.

The reason for the leading edge flat 2x6 is that I remember building the previous iteration of this when I had a vertical 2x4 as the leading edge; with a Rockchucker I needed to notch out a bit in order that the swing arm elbow would clear that leading edge. So there's that, plus with the Coax front mounting holes being 1" from the leading edge would mean that I'd have to drill through 3/4" + 3 1/2" to mount the front bolts, necessitating another trip to the hardware store for a longer 1/4" drill bit that would probably be used only once, and even longer 1/4" bolts.

Shelves and backing are 1/2" (11mm OSG fir plywood.) You can disassemble the frame from the shelves and backing in about 10 minutes and store underneath a bed if you need to.


MS Paint Specs (obviously not to scale) ...

All in, including glue, bolts/washers/nuts, screws, about $125 and an afternoon (not including libations). You could save a bit by not using OSG plywood.

This should give more ideas to the reloading nimrods here.

Outstanding...a perfect example of a very simple inexpensive design that offers pretty much everything a new re-loader would require (until they need more room), sturdy as well as functional with only a couple hrs work to build. One aspect I really like is the room for your knee's under the bench, so many store-bought units close that area up and quite frankly, I would become very uncomfortable in a short while using one. Good Job

 

[roadcarver]

This is a B&D workmate bought used for $25. Purchased a Russian birch plywood 3/4" 24x48", cut in half and stacked on top of each other. Bolted the plywood down through the existing holes of the bench.

 

[Lead hammer]

My workmate bench is only used for holding up my mini fridge in the garage. No way I would use it for a reloading table. Way too wiggly. I welded a simple 2x2 steel bench with 3/4" plywood top and lower shelf. Adjustable bolt feet to level.

 

[rookie wildcat]

Well, my first bench was an old, 2", hollow-core plywood door that was recycled from a construction job. It was 5/8" plywood on either side and it was all covered with arborite. it was a perfect 5' X 2'.That was when I was loading with a Lee Loader. Next place I used a kitchen sink cut-out with a piece of 2"X2" screwed across it and then clamped in a workmate. I resized plenty of 303Br and .03-06 cases, shotgun, and .45ACP on that table. I don't know why people say they are unstable. Unless, I guess, you're just too rough and have no finesse.
That being said, my next one was a large, heavy workbench that came with a house. Left that in NS when I moved. First bench in Cold Lake was a 3'X7' solid-core birch door with a shelf across the back. I bolted 2-1" pipe flanges each to two pieces of 4"x4" screwed in 3' lengths of pipe and put a flange on the other end. Then I screwed those to either end of the door and stood it against the wall. I used the flanges to level the bench , then bolted a 2"X4" across the wall at the right height. I did EVERYTHING on that bench!! I even helped a friend reload .300RUM cartridges on a ... What?!, No WAY!! A LEE CHALLENGER?? Can"t be!! Won't they turn to dust if such a magnum cartridge was even brought into sight of such? I think I had to tip them to get them in the die, though.
Now I have my own house and an ENTIRE room devoted to ME!!! My bench is the same door with cabinets under it and a proper set of shelving across the back. I am slowly adding drawers and pull-outs to make it better.

 

[titch--]

This is my 20 dollar reloadin bench when I first got it. Works for me,