Ever since I got into reloading, I was unable to set up a proper reloading bench at my place due to a shortage of available living space. The house is just too darn small for all my projects & ideas, haha... reloading being one of them 
So, for a long time now, I've been reloading on a piece of a converted wooden cabinet that I was going to throw away. It gave me a good portability, but it still lacked some key features (like a large bottom tray) and ergonomics. So, after giving it some thought, I decided to improve on my idea and build something from scratch with some left over wood in the garage ("surplus" from various renovations).
Anyway, the key features I was looking for is portability once again, good ergonomics and a base that's larger than the upper portion (where the press sits) so that this new reloading station would have a solid base that won't move during press operation. Here are the parts I cut out on the bench saw:
Note: the two largest pieces are for the base... I cut out two because I wanted the base to be extra thick (more weight = more stability). They were joined together by glue and 9 screws to form a 1" thick laminated wood base.
Now all I needed is some 1 1/2" screws (either for wood or gyprock, they'll both do), carpenter's glue for added solidity to the entire structure and some collapsible ammo crate-type handles that I'd screw in on both ends to make portability easier (optional, but good to have). Here is the final product after roughly an hour of work. Total cost ran me somewhere in the 10$ range, the handles being the most expensive part at $3.89 a piece at Home Depot).
Note: I am right handed, therefore the press sits all the way to the right for ergonomics and to give me better access to the bottom tray. For lefties, the opposite would be true.
Note: Top is reinforced by a long piece of wood (1x1") underneath. That piece of wood had to be installed towards the rear to allow room for mounting the press screws.
And here are the dimensions. Please keep in mind that I did not AutoCad this thing to get the 'perfect' dimensions and that I used approximate dimensions that would work well for my press and wouldn't be too bulky (you can of course make it bigger, which will make the whole rig even more sturdy and solid).
Total length: 22 1/2"
Total height: 12"
Vertical (triangle-like) columns height: 10"
Base width: 12 1/2"
Top width: 6 1/8"
There you go... that's all you need to reproduce a copy of what I've made. The small pieces of 1x1" wood to make the tray sides and to reinforce the structure were cut to length in accordance to the other parts... so you can pretty much figure it out from there, as you cut out the biggest chunks first and put them together to get an idea.
Overall, I think it turned out pretty darn good for the money I've invested into it (and an hour of my time)... I loaded some 7.62 x 54R tonight to give it a good try and the entire platform sits rock solid on the living room table. Now I can watch the big screen AND load my bullets! Awesome!
So, for a long time now, I've been reloading on a piece of a converted wooden cabinet that I was going to throw away. It gave me a good portability, but it still lacked some key features (like a large bottom tray) and ergonomics. So, after giving it some thought, I decided to improve on my idea and build something from scratch with some left over wood in the garage ("surplus" from various renovations).
Anyway, the key features I was looking for is portability once again, good ergonomics and a base that's larger than the upper portion (where the press sits) so that this new reloading station would have a solid base that won't move during press operation. Here are the parts I cut out on the bench saw:
Note: the two largest pieces are for the base... I cut out two because I wanted the base to be extra thick (more weight = more stability). They were joined together by glue and 9 screws to form a 1" thick laminated wood base.
Now all I needed is some 1 1/2" screws (either for wood or gyprock, they'll both do), carpenter's glue for added solidity to the entire structure and some collapsible ammo crate-type handles that I'd screw in on both ends to make portability easier (optional, but good to have). Here is the final product after roughly an hour of work. Total cost ran me somewhere in the 10$ range, the handles being the most expensive part at $3.89 a piece at Home Depot).
Note: I am right handed, therefore the press sits all the way to the right for ergonomics and to give me better access to the bottom tray. For lefties, the opposite would be true.
Note: Top is reinforced by a long piece of wood (1x1") underneath. That piece of wood had to be installed towards the rear to allow room for mounting the press screws.
And here are the dimensions. Please keep in mind that I did not AutoCad this thing to get the 'perfect' dimensions and that I used approximate dimensions that would work well for my press and wouldn't be too bulky (you can of course make it bigger, which will make the whole rig even more sturdy and solid).
Total length: 22 1/2"
Total height: 12"
Vertical (triangle-like) columns height: 10"
Base width: 12 1/2"
Top width: 6 1/8"
There you go... that's all you need to reproduce a copy of what I've made. The small pieces of 1x1" wood to make the tray sides and to reinforce the structure were cut to length in accordance to the other parts... so you can pretty much figure it out from there, as you cut out the biggest chunks first and put them together to get an idea.
Overall, I think it turned out pretty darn good for the money I've invested into it (and an hour of my time)... I loaded some 7.62 x 54R tonight to give it a good try and the entire platform sits rock solid on the living room table. Now I can watch the big screen AND load my bullets! Awesome!
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