Thoughts on reloading benches
- Thread starter m777
- Start date
colt45cz75
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
No matter how big you go, it won't be big enough. You'll just buy more stuff to fill the space. Make it solid, and fasten it to the floor if you can. Mine are 10 feet x 30" x 30" made of 2x6 and 2x4 and I can shake hell out of it resizing large brass. Some of the screws pulled out when I was sizing 50's. Plus , you don't want s**t rattling around on you. Here's mine.
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350tracker
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Interlake Manitoba
If you have room the bigger the better but it has to be mounted solid to the floor or wall as previosly mentioned...
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
I built one out of 4X4's, 2X8's and 1" plywood. Its heavy but would still benefit from screwing to the floor and walls. Its solid but it would be nice it if was still stiffer.
You will never be able to over-build a reloading bench. Lots of shelves and drawers are important too.
You will never be able to over-build a reloading bench. Lots of shelves and drawers are important too.
+3 on the solid part. It needs to be beefy and solid to keep it from jumping around when sizing cases.
Mark
H4831: Imagine people saying that a loading bench is cluttered! Jeez!
This where my bench will be going. The wall is 13' 6", although it doesn't look it in the pic. I have a heavy old wood desk to start with, then will add more work surface. My press(es) will be mounted to the desk. The wall is 2x4 Hiltied to cement and 1x6 screwed to the 2x4.
This where my bench will be going. The wall is 13' 6", although it doesn't look it in the pic. I have a heavy old wood desk to start with, then will add more work surface. My press(es) will be mounted to the desk. The wall is 2x4 Hiltied to cement and 1x6 screwed to the 2x4.
anthonyfrechette
CGN Regular
- Location
- Dryden, ON
I've currently have the Professional series workbench from Sears. Nice heavy, sturdy bench that you can add back wall storage as well as other storage option. This stuff is similar to the Gladiator Garage Works stuff.
Pricey stuff but I think it is worth it, go with good stuff right off the bat and you only have to do it once (well other than adding more stuff down the road).
Pricey stuff but I think it is worth it, go with good stuff right off the bat and you only have to do it once (well other than adding more stuff down the road).
MuleyMadness
Regular
- Location
- Kamloops, BC
I have a pair of these:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...ches/PRD~0570113P/Mastercraft%2BWorkbench.jsp
Got them for free from a guy that was hauling them to the dump..I took a 1" sheet of one side good plywood and pulled the old top off, put a double layer of the 1" on each and bolted them together..TONS of room, though you could always used a bit more
Total cost about 60 bucks and an hour of my time, but of course not too many times are you gonna get something in that good of shape for free...that being said, if you are not the 'build it out of matchsticks and ducttape' kind of guy, or not a skilled carpenter, my way would still really work well for you.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...ches/PRD~0570113P/Mastercraft%2BWorkbench.jsp
Got them for free from a guy that was hauling them to the dump..I took a 1" sheet of one side good plywood and pulled the old top off, put a double layer of the 1" on each and bolted them together..TONS of room, though you could always used a bit more
Total cost about 60 bucks and an hour of my time, but of course not too many times are you gonna get something in that good of shape for free...that being said, if you are not the 'build it out of matchsticks and ducttape' kind of guy, or not a skilled carpenter, my way would still really work well for you.
RancheroMan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Sherwood Park, AB
I just got finished building my bench. It's a NRMA bench, and the plans are available online. I am very new to reloading, just did my first 20 at a buddy's house, and haven't yet used my bench. It seems so well planed out though that I'm sure it will work great!
for mine, I happened across the local IKEA's odd and end section and got a 6' long x 24" deep laminated countertop thing, really heavy, for about $50. Add legs, bolt to wall, and you're done. Plus, the laminated top is so much easier to clean up.
Bruce, your bench looks like you cleaned it up for the pics.
Heavier the better. If you're loading pistol or small (223rem) in any quantity, you just need all the rigidity and strength you can get. If you're only loading a couple of boxes at a time and are limited for space and money, take what you can get. That's reality.
The same goes for your tools. Cast steel presses are better than aluminum but are a lot more expensive. They don't necessarily make better ammunition but they will last a life time of reloading over the whole spectrum. I personally don't like the bayonet style lock in systems either but each to his own.
I have a friend that has great bench. His is fastened to the floor with anchor bolts and the frame is steel, with a 4in. thick plywood top, glued and screwed together. Overkill, maybe. He has four different presses mounted to the top. All older RCBS models that are aligned perfectly to the die seat and piston. He can size anything without any noticable movement. The presses are through bolted, rather than screwed or lag bolted in place. Much more rigid again.
My new shop will have a very similar bench. It will be a pain to build and install but after working on such a bench, it's like getting into bench rest shooting, nothing but the best will cut it any more.
Heavier the better. If you're loading pistol or small (223rem) in any quantity, you just need all the rigidity and strength you can get. If you're only loading a couple of boxes at a time and are limited for space and money, take what you can get. That's reality.
The same goes for your tools. Cast steel presses are better than aluminum but are a lot more expensive. They don't necessarily make better ammunition but they will last a life time of reloading over the whole spectrum. I personally don't like the bayonet style lock in systems either but each to his own.
I have a friend that has great bench. His is fastened to the floor with anchor bolts and the frame is steel, with a 4in. thick plywood top, glued and screwed together. Overkill, maybe. He has four different presses mounted to the top. All older RCBS models that are aligned perfectly to the die seat and piston. He can size anything without any noticable movement. The presses are through bolted, rather than screwed or lag bolted in place. Much more rigid again.
My new shop will have a very similar bench. It will be a pain to build and install but after working on such a bench, it's like getting into bench rest shooting, nothing but the best will cut it any more.
Here's my recently improved bench. Frame is 2x4's, bottom shelf and bench top are 3/4 inch plywood. The top is topped with 1/8 inch hardboard for a smoother surface. Hutch is 12" pine boards.
After mounting my presses and loading my first bigger batch of 9mm on the Dillon.
After mounting my presses and loading my first bigger batch of 9mm on the Dillon.
Here's my reloading room and general purpose man cave. Shelves go all around the outside, and I've added some since the pic was taken. Sorry about the clutter on the bench in the 3rd pic. I'm still building this room, but....build your bench big (4 ft by 8 ft). Build it solid....2nd pic is view from the bottom. Mount your presses...c-clamps are a pain.
I have one that I made off the plans that Rancheroman used; mine is not as nearly as detailed as his (no doors), but it works well. I ended up having my father make section of 1 1/2"x1 1/2" steel angles to put under the lip since the lip flexed under the force of the RCBS press. I also used structural adhseive and glued two layers of 3/4 plywood together that projects from the bench that I mounter the Lee Pro 1000 to.
I thought it would be plentry big; I have a RCBS press on one end and a Lee Pro 1000 on the other. I now need to mount a MEC to it, but I am try to figure out how to mount that one so it will come on and off; same with the Lyman Lubrisizer. I also have just the bottom portion of the bench made as a cleaning bench; you run out of space fast.
I thought it would be plentry big; I have a RCBS press on one end and a Lee Pro 1000 on the other. I now need to mount a MEC to it, but I am try to figure out how to mount that one so it will come on and off; same with the Lyman Lubrisizer. I also have just the bottom portion of the bench made as a cleaning bench; you run out of space fast
.
I just got finished building my bench. It's a NRMA bench, and the plans are available online. I am very new to reloading, just did my first 20 at a buddy's house, and haven't yet used my bench. It seems so well planed out though that I'm sure it will work great!
Very nice bench.
