Building a bench - want some advice

blacksmithden

blacksmithden

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Ok all you woodworkers out there. I'm building a reloading bench. It's going to be 4 ft by 8 ft since I finally have the room. It'll also double as a general purpose work/woodworking bench. Does anybody have any links to any sites on the web with some plans ??? All of the materials will be coming out of Home Depot or Rona. I can't get anymore red oak 4"x6" beams like the good old days. :(

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated. I want to have some drawers, and below that, some doors that can lock. This thing is going to double as my powder magazine. If anybody has built something like this before, I'd love to see some pics.

Thanks....
BSD.
 
Are you building it in the basement? Your bench should be as sturdy as possible. Either bolting it into the wall or into the cement floor. I built my ~3.5x2.5ftx1.5" (two sheets of 3/4" ply) reloading bench for my Dillon 650 in the basement. Instead of bolting it down to the floor or wall, i just sent the bench legs all the way up to the ceiling joists. It works well. I just did a quick stetch and built it.
 
However you decide to build it, may i suggest that you use screws to put everything together? That way, should you decide to remodel it in the future, it will be a lot easier to take apart.
 
4' X 8'; Can you walk all around it, or will it be against a wall? If against a wall I wouldn't make it that wide, the back 14-18" will just collect dust and junk.
Keep in mind you can put cab's/shelves/tool storage above the bench on the wall. Perhaps sort of an L shape would work better for you? Small part would give you access to upper cab's while the 4' wide section would be good for projects.
If you're planning on using it for a woodworking bench with cab's/drawers under, make sure to overhang the top so you have "knee room". Otherwise you'll be swearing at it constantly. A few corbel type supports will do it. Knapp&Voight make full and over extension 36 ball bearing drawer slides that support 100lbs each. You want these. I've sold lot's of cabinets by walking up our drawers.
Grab a beer, sit down in your basement, and draw a 1/2 dozen different sketches. Don't look at them for about a week. Grab a beer, sit in the basement and look at them again. You can now throw them all in the trash and draw one up that will work for you. Take your time with this!! A two level bench may be a better idea? A simple adjustable support(like a roller stand on the end of the low area would effectively give you an 8' long support area if you needed it for a project.
Don't forget lighting and plug ins.
If you need more specific advice, feel free to pm me.
 
Denny, Here is a picture of mine. Heavy built and solid to the wall is a must.
This one started out smaller, then when I went into reloading for the Hornet I got the little Lee press, just for it. That additional bench starts just to the right of the Lee press.
The sizer/lubricator unbolts easy when not in use. In fact, I just put it back on the bench for the picture. Also, the powder measure clamps on a little lip, because the bench is too thick for it, then I remove the powder measure, when not in use.
The bench is 32 inches deep, the original is 64 inches long and the addition another 4 feet.
I like all the little shelves, keeps things where they are easy to see and get.
No, the old keresene lamp is not used for lighting! It is merely an antique, lacking a better home, along with the Yukon and North West Territories little polar bear licence plates, Japanese fishng float, etc.
I have a seperate, locked room, for powder and ammo.
Yes, the tidy types would say it is very cluttered, but I would rather think it has that well used look.
I would not want to use teh bench for either general shop use, or wood working. Especially wood working.
Hardly visible is a couple of jars, with their lids screwed to the bottom of the center shelf, to hold sizer dies.
I guess it is plain that I am not the tdy type. Instead, I like to keep everything handy, and visible, if possible. That is why i hang every small item that I can.
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Here's mine, just built a couple weeks ago. 1x4's 2x4 legs and 2x6 top and shelf. Each one is 30"x 30" x 10'

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Thanks for the pics guys. I should have elabourated more.

I've got all my reloading stuff on shelves around the outside of the room. Reloading presses will be mounted to the bench. If I build a 4x8 foot bench, I can still walk around it on 3 sides. The last side that I won't be able to walk around will be a 4 ft. That's going to be blocked by my furnace and hot water tank.
Suka, thanks for the knee room tip. That's one thing I had forgotten all about.

I was thinking of a pile of 2x4's, set on their sides, screwed and glued together for the top, then a sheet of plywood on top of that. If I've got to hammer on something, I don't want it bouncing.

Bruce, this is going to be my workshop.....man-cave if you will. Any projects I do will be done in this room, so whatever I wind up building will have to be a work bench, reloading bench, wood working bench, general purpose work on everything surface.

I'll think about it for a few days. If anyone else has pics of their benches, please post them.

Thanks guys.

Den.....
 
Here's my setup. I just started and built this as cheap as I could. Scrap plywood from friend's basement project, so I just bought the 2x4's and screws and slapped this all together in ~1 hour. Didn't want to drill holes into wall or floor. Legs go all the way to the floor joists. It's pretty sturdy. Not a very big table but good enough just for reloading. I don't think I'll be storing that a lot components on the bench, but elsewhere.

All you guys have nice and neat looking DIY reloading benches. I like!

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I use an end of my wood working bench (3" top, 5x7" edge) .. the top is around 400+ lbs.. ) since you probably won't find anything like that, here's what I'd consider.. take a piece of 3/4 plywood, then screw planed 2x4's (straight and consistent width) on to make a box core.. before screwing on the top sheet of plywood (3/4"), fill the spaces with sand, or even lead (last resort stash for casting).. will give you the weight and hence stability.. If you want more info , I can probably did up the plans for the trestle supports as well..
 
ciPeterF said:
I use an end of my wood working bench (3" top, 5x7" edge) .. the top is around 400+ lbs.. ) since you probably won't find anything like that, here's what I'd consider.. take a piece of 3/4 plywood, then screw planed 2x4's (straight and consistent width) on to make a box core.. before screwing on the top sheet of plywood (3/4"), fill the spaces with sand, or even lead (last resort stash for casting).. will give you the weight and hence stability.. If you want more info , I can probably did up the plans for the trestle supports as well..
Click to expand...

Nice! a 400 lbs table would be really sturdy on its own. :)
 
Greentips started a thread a few weeks ago on this..
Wrong Way..posted a few pics of some nice desk set ups..
i tried to do a search for it . but it might have been posted in the OT forum..and we all know how well the search works there:runaway:..
 
I put one together as a general reloading/workbench from a 2x4Basix kit. I have *zero* woodworking skills, and it went together quite nicely on a Saturday afternoon. Works great for my needs.

The kit can be assembled to any width/length you require.

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