OP. The title of your post was a bit misleading, as in you were building a bench to put your stuff onto.
A sturdy rock solid bench is a blessing that a lot of hand loaders don't have or understand why it's important.
Go with the best equipment you can afford, or you will pay a lot more upgrading later.
The Forster is a great choice, but RCBS, Lyman, and a few others are OK as well. If I was only allowed one press, it would be the Forster, everything you need for putting the cartridge together can be done on this press, and it has a tube out the bottom, with a small container on the end to catch ejected spent primers, which can be a real pain to chase after when they pop out of the slot cut into most presses.
Many sing praises about "aluminum frame" presses, which is fine if you're only loading for one cartridge. Aluminum threads take a beating when changing out steel dies.
As you saw in Potashminer's post, you need lots of space. I have a 3.5 meter bench, that is a meter deep, and it's not big enough.
It's in my shop, so it gets to hold other things not related to hand loading, so it gets cluttered, just like Potashminer's bench.
You don't really need a large bench to reload, but you do need space for the bullets, primers, powder, and all of the other accessories we accumulate to "enhance" our end product.
If you're a neatness freak, be careful, because the accumulation can drive you insane.
I have lots of shelves and no more cabinets, other than two small steel cabinets for primers, cast lead bullets, odd ball stuff for antiques, and the other for lubricants, glue, blueing, acetone, etc.
At one time, I had four presses on my bench, two single stage types, a progressive for shot shells, and a turret press. I'm down to two, an RCBS Rockchucker and a Forster.
You also need space for a powder throw and scale. Balance beam scales are fine, but you might prefer a digital.
Make your bench high enough to be comfortable when you're standing, so you don't have to bend over to use the reloading tools. Most folks build them from existing tables or something they've picked up from CT. My bench is 40 inches high, and I should have made it a couple of inches higher. When you're making up a big batch of cartridges, a low bench will pay hell with your lower back after a few hours hunched over.
I like to sit on a stool that is high enough to easily get off, as you will be going back and forth after materials, or using different work stations on the bench.
RCBS makes up special plats and stands, so you can switch out tools, which is OK, but I prefer to have the tools permanently attached to the bench.
From your post, you have purchased "some" of the accessories you will need for reloading.
Don't forget, if you want to load consistent length cartridges, that you can easily check with your measuring instruments, you should get a "nut gauge," or an attachment to fit your vernier, or one of your micrometers to fit the same spot on your bullet ogive.
The nut guage is simple and has six holes drilled onto the hex flats for different calibers.
A sturdy rock solid bench is a blessing that a lot of hand loaders don't have or understand why it's important.
Go with the best equipment you can afford, or you will pay a lot more upgrading later.
The Forster is a great choice, but RCBS, Lyman, and a few others are OK as well. If I was only allowed one press, it would be the Forster, everything you need for putting the cartridge together can be done on this press, and it has a tube out the bottom, with a small container on the end to catch ejected spent primers, which can be a real pain to chase after when they pop out of the slot cut into most presses.
Many sing praises about "aluminum frame" presses, which is fine if you're only loading for one cartridge. Aluminum threads take a beating when changing out steel dies.
As you saw in Potashminer's post, you need lots of space. I have a 3.5 meter bench, that is a meter deep, and it's not big enough.
It's in my shop, so it gets to hold other things not related to hand loading, so it gets cluttered, just like Potashminer's bench.
You don't really need a large bench to reload, but you do need space for the bullets, primers, powder, and all of the other accessories we accumulate to "enhance" our end product.
If you're a neatness freak, be careful, because the accumulation can drive you insane.
I have lots of shelves and no more cabinets, other than two small steel cabinets for primers, cast lead bullets, odd ball stuff for antiques, and the other for lubricants, glue, blueing, acetone, etc.
At one time, I had four presses on my bench, two single stage types, a progressive for shot shells, and a turret press. I'm down to two, an RCBS Rockchucker and a Forster.
You also need space for a powder throw and scale. Balance beam scales are fine, but you might prefer a digital.
Make your bench high enough to be comfortable when you're standing, so you don't have to bend over to use the reloading tools. Most folks build them from existing tables or something they've picked up from CT. My bench is 40 inches high, and I should have made it a couple of inches higher. When you're making up a big batch of cartridges, a low bench will pay hell with your lower back after a few hours hunched over.
I like to sit on a stool that is high enough to easily get off, as you will be going back and forth after materials, or using different work stations on the bench.
RCBS makes up special plats and stands, so you can switch out tools, which is OK, but I prefer to have the tools permanently attached to the bench.
From your post, you have purchased "some" of the accessories you will need for reloading.
Don't forget, if you want to load consistent length cartridges, that you can easily check with your measuring instruments, you should get a "nut gauge," or an attachment to fit your vernier, or one of your micrometers to fit the same spot on your bullet ogive.
The nut guage is simple and has six holes drilled onto the hex flats for different calibers.
