Building my reloading bench
- Thread starter Gabrile
- Start date
midnightpossum
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootneys
Get a Mac.. less cleaning and reloading... more time to play 
If you get a desk with a skinny 3/4" ply or worse, particle core or MDF, you'd want to double up on the thickness with a sheet of 3/4" plywood. The sucky thing about those kinds of desks in your pic is that the joints aren't very solid and could break/weaken over time.
greywolf67nt
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Stony Plain, AB
This right here. You will wind up with a pile of sawdust in no time.
I had a similar desk and was always worried about snapping it - it flexed quite a bit. So I bought a six foot bench like this at Sears when it was on sale. Very solid. I didn't want to drill holes so just C - clamp the things in place to use. Not sure this will work and hope not breaking any rules..
http://i1.adis.ws/i/searsca/5142101_P_M?$pdp-tab$
I should say - I have a whole spare bedroom set up for my reloading/hunting stuff and wanted a large bench for other things. In smaller spaces a smaller one would work fine
http://i1.adis.ws/i/searsca/5142101_P_M?$pdp-tab$
I should say - I have a whole spare bedroom set up for my reloading/hunting stuff and wanted a large bench for other things. In smaller spaces a smaller one would work fine
What kind of press will you be running? If just a simple single stage press, you may be able to get away with it if you double up the the table top under the press.
If you are going to run a turret or progressive press, you are definitely going to want something more solid as you want your press to be as stable as possible. If you are not going to bolt your table to the wall or floor, it helps to have very strong shelves under the table that you can weigh down with your stock of projectiles.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toon Town, Sk
I found an old desk similar to this on kijiji for $25. It is rock solid and the top is around 1.5" thick.
If you can get a workbench while it's on sale from a Home Depot or a Canadian Tire, it will work quite well. The model I got weighted about 80 lbs before being assembled and weighted with tools and things. It has adjustable feet and the top is a 1" thick compressed bamboo plank, very solid and stable. Because it was on sale, I think I paid about $150 for it.
The workbench top I would prefer to use for reloading is 3 layers of 3/4" plywood glued together. I would guess the top in something like the desk you asked about would not last very long with any heavy use (full length re-sizing).
The bench I'm using now is just shy of 1" particle board, with the press bolted to a 1/2" steel plate. The plate preads the load over a lerger area than just the press mounting bolts, but there's still way too much flex in the top.
The bench I'm using now is just shy of 1" particle board, with the press bolted to a 1/2" steel plate. The plate preads the load over a lerger area than just the press mounting bolts, but there's still way too much flex in the top.
RangerPark
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Near Edmonton, AB
If you can get a workbench while it's on sale from a Home Depot or a Canadian Tire, it will work quite well. The model I got weighted about 80 lbs before being assembled and weighted with tools and things. It has adjustable feet and the top is a 1" thick compressed bamboo plank, very solid and stable. Because it was on sale, I think I paid about $150 for it.
I use the exact same bench. Got it on sale last year. Absolutely love It!
Kijiji is your friend here, i scored an all steel "old school" bench/deak whatever you call it for 50$ has built in power bar and is built like a tank. Comes with lockable drawers, when i picked it up the guy had school lockers for 10$ what the heck i picked one up as well.
Cant beat that!
Cant beat that!
I just bought an big old table from the local thrift store for 5$. The table is so thick and solid I bought it on the spot to cut the top to the proper measures and cover my bench top with it. Stability and strength makes a great working/reloading bench.
The price was 25$ but who stamped the price had the stamp gun defective or something so the 2 ahead of 5 was not visible with the naked eye. Lucky me the gal at the front counter didn't see it either so I got it for only 5$. Home I realized the real price but it was a bit late for "complaining". Ya can't buy 1 1/2 inch of solid wood that size for 5$ anywhere.
The price was 25$ but who stamped the price had the stamp gun defective or something so the 2 ahead of 5 was not visible with the naked eye. Lucky me the gal at the front counter didn't see it either so I got it for only 5$. Home I realized the real price but it was a bit late for "complaining". Ya can't buy 1 1/2 inch of solid wood that size for 5$ anywhere.
I tried loading on my dining room table that was a similar top, but had thin metal reinforcements underneath; I bent the reinforcements and had to jump on the table to get the bow out of it.
I used a plan off the net for building my reloading bench; it had a 3/4" plywood top to it with 2x4 on flat around the edge. I found even that flexed. I put a 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" steel angle under the lip that extended to reinforce for the Rockchucker, which worked well. The LnL AP was another problem. The bench was not really meant for this type of press. I ended up laminating two section of 3/4" plywood together with construction adhesive to extend pas the table for the press. I made a plate for under the top the same way and anchored it all together with Simpson Strong Drive Screws (400lbs per screw capacity) through the bench top. I found it still flexed a bit so a buddy lent me a welder and I tried welding for the first time by making a support rod that bolts to the extended lip and then anchors to the 4x4 leg of the table. I store about 150 lbs of lead on the shelf below in the back, as well as most of my bullets above on a shelf on top of the bench; she does not move anymore.
I used a plan off the net for building my reloading bench; it had a 3/4" plywood top to it with 2x4 on flat around the edge. I found even that flexed. I put a 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" steel angle under the lip that extended to reinforce for the Rockchucker, which worked well. The LnL AP was another problem. The bench was not really meant for this type of press. I ended up laminating two section of 3/4" plywood together with construction adhesive to extend pas the table for the press. I made a plate for under the top the same way and anchored it all together with Simpson Strong Drive Screws (400lbs per screw capacity) through the bench top. I found it still flexed a bit so a buddy lent me a welder and I tried welding for the first time by making a support rod that bolts to the extended lip and then anchors to the 4x4 leg of the table. I store about 150 lbs of lead on the shelf below in the back, as well as most of my bullets above on a shelf on top of the bench; she does not move anymore.
I designed and built mine myself. $80 for the lumber, bolts, nails and glue. It's not large, as you can see, but perfectly adequate for my set up, which is fairly basic. Single stage press, manual trimmer and beam scale. The legs are 4X4 and the bolts that secure the press screw down into the top of the front right leg, making things pretty solid.
if you have limited space or like me a lousy carpenter I found this and bought it works first rate and doesn't take up a lot of room. Store your heavier supplies on the bottom. and no tipping and not a bad price.
ht tps://www.amazon.ca/Stack-WB-402-Steel-Reloading-Workbench/dp/B0049JP7A6
ht tps://www.amazon.ca/Stack-WB-402-Steel-Reloading-Workbench/dp/B0049JP7A6
Get a big thick piece of nice sanded plywood or equivalent cut the size you want then run 2x4 around the outer edge then put in some cross beams every foot or two then some 2x4 legs in a ( L ) shape and there ya go easy pleasy chicken squeezy a super solid bench ! Now just varnish or stain it to make it so the gun oil and carbon doesn't make a mess into the wood grain. A couple of those metal shelf brackets and you can make some easy shelves. Cheap, and easy a kindergarten level of carpentry skill required, strong and built to the dimensions you want
You need a bench that is thick and well supported and one that will not flex. I've heard of people breaking their presses because of a bench that flexes too much. You'd be surprized at how much force is needed to operate a reloading press the last thing anyone needs is to have one of the mounting lugs on their press snapping off due to flex. I have my press mounted to an old bench/table that used to be in a school science lab, I could park my car on it and it wouldn't budge, its heavy duty stuff
You definitely want something thick that won't flex. I recently had to move from my old reinforced workshop counter to a new bench, and I had to do major reinforcing just so it wouldn't flex with the pressure on the press. (Thanks for my BF for all the help!)
A flexing table top won't last long!
