RELOADING BENCH,HOW TO BUILD ONE.

[sjones]

whats a good way to build a heavy duty bench that wont give any? I have been using a folding table made out of pressboard and it gives up and down and makes it hard to seat the primers every time I would appreciate some good ideas. thanks sj

[Ricciardelli]

There are plans for building a heavy-duty reloading bench on http://www.again.net/~steve/page8.htm

[swifter...]

I bought a 4X8 sheet of good plywood, and the chipboard they make floors with. Had 'em cut down the middle so I had 4 2X8 pieces. Bought a gallon of carpenter's glue,laid a plywood sheet down, slathered it with glue, laid chipboard, glue, chipboard, glue, plywood. Squared them up as best I could, and put several C-clamps on the edges, stacked all the bullet lead, bullets, brass, and other heavy stuff I owned on it and left it for a week.
Trimmed the edges with a circular saw, added 4X4's for legs. It does not "go up and down"! :D
If I ever escape PDRCA, it's staying, I will not move that heavy so&so!
Hope this helps, I'm as tool challenged as any, if I can do it, you can! :D

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The Bill of Rights, and the Golden Rule are enough for civilized behavior. The rest is window dressing. Shoot carefully, swifter...

[HankL]

sjones, here is a link from a while back on this subject. http://www.thefiringline.com/NonCGI/Forum9/HTML/000068.html

Quite a bit of info there.

Good Luck, Hank

[Nukem]

I just wait until sears has a sale on work benches and use those. They have real heavy tops with plenty of storage. Once you load them up with components they get pretty solid.

[alan]

see my post under reloading room-suggestions. just an idea that seems to work.

[labgrade]

I got a hold of a surplus solid entry door = cheap. lagged a 2X4 into the wall at proper height & bolted horizontal door to top of that. 2X 4X4s for legs up front. Angle brackets hold 4X4s to door bottom & to the floor = rock solid.

A old dresser w/many drawers fits just right under bench for lots of storage & an old bed headboard on top gives me lots of shevling.

Ugly as hell & total functional. Don't have more than $50 in the whole shebang.

[Mendocino]

[Nevermind]

[This message has been edited by Mendocino (edited February 08, 2000).]

[Kingcreek]

I'm putting my reloading room together (see other thread) and I am exploring options for the bench also.
I looked at some of those bracket kits tonight. metal hardware- everything you need but the 2x4s. looked solid as heck:

bench hardware/bracket kit 18.95
4 shelf kit (2000lb/shelf cap) 28.95
extra shelf kits 4.95ea
8' 2x4s@ 1.73ea
something for the top ??
I'm going to use scrap 2 bys with plywood and white poly-tuff on top.
I think I'm also going to make an island bench with locking castors for cleaning, scope mounting, etc.

(my wife says I overdo these things. Of course she also didn't understand why a dog house should be 16'X18' with water and electric.)

[HankL]

Links to a great bench design have been posted here http://www.reload-nrma.com/orderform.html for $3.00 or as Steve has put up for download for free. He has it down on this page http://www.again.net/~steve/table3.html listed mix and match named reloading bench plans. I am sure he sends 3 bucks to NRMA. This design could cost you some bucks to build as specified but it will also give you some great ideas.
Hank

[TheOtherMikey]

My first real bench was a metal framed, pre-fabricated unit which used 1/4 " fiberboard for it's top and shelf. I had a 4x8 plywood 3/4" cut to replace the fiberboard. It still works out well and I have my Dillon and my RockChucker mounted there.

For my MEC 9000G shotshell reloader, I just made a frame and legs using nice straight 2x4 studs and then topped with a 3/4 plywood top.

Of the two, I like my all wood homebuilt the best. REgards, Mikey