How did you build your bench? - Page 2

Jason280 · January 9, 2007, 09:58 PM

Here's the last bench I built. The room I reload in doesn't have sufficient light, so I designed the bench around a 4' fluorescent light. I also wired a plug-in on the bench itself, which eliminates the need for an extension cord for my Dremel and electronic scale (which hasn't been affected by the light). The top was framed up with 2x6's and covered with a sheet of 1/4" plywood. I then used up some extra laminated flooring for the top of the bench, which has proven to be pretty durable. I have a shelf built under the top for extra stuff, such as powder, tumbler, etc. I left sufficient room under the lower shelf to fit four tupperware tubs, which I keep my brass in. The legs were made out of landscape timbers, which are considerably cheaper than other similarly sized wood.

I use a Dillon 550B for .223, .44, .45 Colt, and 9mm. The Lyman turret press is for .308 and other centerfire rifle cartridges I hunt with. I have thought abou building another reloading table, only because I bought a crap load of woodworking tools and need a reason to use them!

**Shane Tuttle** · January 10, 2007, 09:21 PM

That's a nice setup. Did you use lag bolts on the legs there? Looks like you maximized the space you have(cleaning rods, etc.)

Ben Shepherd · January 11, 2007, 05:40 PM

I used a piece of white countertop(particleboard with a white veneer surface). The white color helps with lighting, and makes any spills easy to see for clean up.

I mounted a 2X4 across the wall screwed to the wall studs. The I used L brackets and liquid nails to mount the rear edge of the bench to the 2X4. (Sat the rear edge of the bench on the 2X4 surface, glued in place with liquid nails, then L brackets for an exta measure.)

The front legs are lathed semi-facy type prefab units from home depot. Stained and lacqured(can't spell

), with nice decorative L brackets going out both directions from the front legs to the benchtop.

Total invested under $100. And it looks fairly nice.

Sturdy? I weigh 225, and I can jump up and down on it.

**Shane Tuttle** · January 11, 2007, 08:18 PM

I didn't think of using white for the top to maximize lighting. I thought maybe a wood laminate/mesonite type, but I think at least a lighter color might be in store.

Peter M. Eick · January 11, 2007, 09:54 PM

I just had a bench built into my house as part of the laundry room.

Here is about 1/2 of the setup.

It sure is nice to have AC in the summer!

**Shane Tuttle** · January 11, 2007, 10:04 PM

Nice stuff. But, I think you might try looking at RCBS products. Heard a rumor that they make great presses, powder measures, etc.

rem33 · January 11, 2007, 11:15 PM

Old office furniture. It's built like a tank, dirt cheap, and I like the fomica tops.

maggys drawers · January 11, 2007, 11:44 PM

+1 on old office furniture. I made a riser out of a 2x12, put 4x4 corners on it, made a couple 'wings' to attach it to the desk. Put on 2 layers of 1/2 inch plywood for a top. I had all the lumber laying around except the 2x12, which cost me about 14 bucks IIRC. The space under the riser is nice for storing dies and stuff I use a lot, the drawers are good for storing all the other stuff. All in all, not a lot of wood butcher skills needed, and the cost was right. It's sturdy, I can FL resize 30-06 which is about as much stress as it will get from me, and it doesn't flex, shake, creak or groan a bit while doing it.

Peter M. Eick · January 12, 2007, 08:13 AM

Tuttle8,

Ya know I heard that rumor.

I have a bunch of other "green" stuff laying around that was not in use at the time. I tend to have good luck with all of the "green" so I stick with it.

WmCC · January 12, 2007, 08:35 AM

Peter,

Nice bench but where's the Pro 2000 and (required) cup of coffee?

Peter M. Eick · January 12, 2007, 09:37 AM

Look in the corner on the table. There is my pro2000. Cup of coffee is on the edge of the bench out of the view of the picture.

I tend to load rifle single stage still and I don't want to have both presses up due to limited space.

Next house, I will build a bigger loading room and not share it with the laundry!

**Shane Tuttle** · January 12, 2007, 09:59 PM

If you have a "moving sale" I take dibs on the green stuff!

jkmola · February 2, 2007, 03:50 AM

I'm just finishing mine. I'll try and post a pic of it tomorrow. Basically, you take 2 sheets of oak plywood and rip two pieces out of each sheet 18" wide. Glue and stack the 4 pieces together. Lag an 8' 2x4 to the wall studs, or I fastened it right to the cement block wall in my basement. Fasten the rear edge of the table to the 2x4, and use about 1 1/4" black pipe for the legs (3) on the front. Put flanges on each end of the leg. This way you can run each flange in or out on the pipe to aid in leveling the table. When it's level, fasten the flanges to both the table and the floor. Ends up being rock solid. The two leftover pieces of plywood that are 12" wide can be used for shelves under the table, or cut up into different lengths for shelves on the wall. Table is trimmed by 1x3 oak, and uses the same for a backspash. Finish it off by coating it with a couple of coats of tung oil and it looks great.

Ben Shepherd · February 2, 2007, 10:01 AM

Peter, a couple things:

1. My bench is similar to yours, but it doesn't touch the wall on either of the short sides. I did this so I can use the sides as work stations instead of just the front. But I'm spoiled. I have a dedicated gun room, so I wasn't worried about space.

2. Since you share your loading area with the laundry area in your home, have you ever had humidity problems? If so, how did/do you deal with them?

rwilson452 · February 2, 2007, 10:12 AM

I have a space issue. I live in a small 1 bedroom apt. The landlord will not allow me to attach anything to the wall so it had to be free standing. After doing the measuring I decided that a 2' deep and 4' long bench was it. I built the frame out of 2X4 and braced the sides with 2X4 and a piece of 1/2 plywood 1' wide. the back was braced with a similar piece of plywood. Everything was glued and screwed together This makes the frame ridgid. the top was made of 2 custom cut 1X12 1" maple. This was mounted to the top of the frame by screw coming up from the bottom of the 2X4 side braces thus the top is all wood. It's nice to know the guy at the mill. I put an additional 4X4 brace under where I mounted the press. put in another piece of plywood across the braces underneath to make a shelf. Everthing got a nice coat of urethane with the top getting extra coats and polishing. It leaves me lots of room to load and doubles as a work space for doing things with my firearms. When cleaning firearms I cover the top with a mat I got from Midway some years ago. I slid a piece of 1/4" plywood between the bench and wall to make a splash shield.

**Shane Tuttle** · February 2, 2007, 10:50 PM

jkmola,
Hope to see the pics!

I'm going with a lazy susan in the corner. Short cabinets on the sides. 3/4 plywood for the first layer. The top layer I'm thinking of the solid pine planks at Menard's or Lowe's.

Anybody heard of Pour-On? Got some at Menard's. Suppposed to be an epoxy resin and polyamine hardener that gives the hard, thick clear finish similar to what you see on bar tops.

Texas_XD · February 2, 2007, 11:07 PM

Well, just getting started out but here is mine below. Constructed for about $75, using 4"x4" Douglas Fir legs or it would have been cheaper by $15. Top is 2ft x 4ft at 36" high, shelves are 1"x8" w/9" spacing between levels. Use the ends for hanging cleaning rods etc. Below the bottom shelf (w/new Stevens 200 rifle in 7mm-08 on it) lays my Lyman Turbo 1200 tumbler. PPM is mounted yet as I have decided it's almost perfect place.

**Shane Tuttle** · February 2, 2007, 11:32 PM

Got that exact press. Good ole Lee.
Nice bench! Sometimes simplicity looks sharper than overkill.

jkmola · February 3, 2007, 11:44 AM

Here's a couple of the pics I promised. Remember this bench is 8' long. If space was an issue, you could use one sheet of plywood and make it 4', but still 3" thick. I set the height at 42" so that I could either stand or sit (using a tall stool) and be comfortable either way. This shot I'm trying to show how clean looking and how open it is, with lots of room and access beneath where the shelves will go.

These nex pics are trying to show the grain detail of the plywood. With it being hardwood, it will be very solid and durable, and with the finish just being tung oil, repairs or touchups are nothing more than a little sanding and another wipe with the tung oil. I think I'm going to like this bench very much!

RevoRick · February 3, 2007, 12:03 PM

Very Nice, lots of length, I like that.

I went the Sears route. Got a bench on sale for $89. I routed the edge over and added a v-groove to catch rolling cases and such. Now that I just got a progressive attachment for the Rockchucker I am squeezed for space. I would like to add a single stage press for rifle and the less used calibers.

kkb · February 3, 2007, 04:38 PM

I so do envy the space ya'll have. Me, I'm sharing a mud room with a washer & dryer. Just some cheap plastic shelving and a small utility table...

scsov509 · February 3, 2007, 05:12 PM

"I routed the edge over and added a v-groove to catch rolling cases and such."

Now that's a smart idea. I've got a similar style bench that roll inside when my garage get's too cold. But I can't even begin to count how many times I've had to get up to pick up stuff that rolls right off when I'm working. Thanks for the idea!

RevoRick · February 3, 2007, 10:59 PM

Your Welcome, glad I could help.

**Shane Tuttle** · February 4, 2007, 10:52 AM

Revo,
I might just have to do the same on mine, too.

kkb,
Whatever it takes, man. That's what I call a dedicated reloader right there!

jkmola,
That grain pattern is not too shabby lookin'. I'm having second thoughts on using solid pine on mine. Don't know if that's going to be too soft even with the Pour-On.

jkmola · February 4, 2007, 11:13 AM

Hey, just takes a few minutes flipping through the stack at Home Depot!!! I was lucky enough to find a sheet that was both good looking AND straight - what are the odds of that?? But that's just a bonus, really. Like I said, the best thing about this type of bench (laminating the plywood) results in a bench that is super rigid. This thing is just rock solid. And the finish is just wipe on, wait 10 minutes, wipe off. Super simple.

Originally, the magazine article that I copied this concept from incorporated dovetailed blocks in the top - where you could fasten different tools such as case trimmer, powder measure, small press, etc. to the block and switch them as needed. When the tools where not in use, they were put on a shelf underneath and a plain dovetailed block was used to fill in the slot, resulting in a clean-looking bench. Too much work for me, but a great idea.

By the way, Revo, that v-groove IS a super idea. Nice tip.

January 11, 2007, 05:40 PM	#28
Ben Shepherd Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2001 Location: Utah Posts: 1,462	I used a piece of white countertop(particleboard with a white veneer surface). The white color helps with lighting, and makes any spills easy to see for clean up. I mounted a 2X4 across the wall screwed to the wall studs. The I used L brackets and liquid nails to mount the rear edge of the bench to the 2X4. (Sat the rear edge of the bench on the 2X4 surface, glued in place with liquid nails, then L brackets for an exta measure.) The front legs are lathed semi-facy type prefab units from home depot. Stained and lacqured(can't spell ), with nice decorative L brackets going out both directions from the front legs to the benchtop. Total invested under $100. And it looks fairly nice. Sturdy? I weigh 225, and I can jump up and down on it. __________________ From my cold dead hands......... NRA certified rifle, pistol and shotgun instructor. Hunter education instructor

January 11, 2007, 09:54 PM	#30
Peter M. Eick Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 1999 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 2,991	I just had a bench built into my house as part of the laundry room. Here is about 1/2 of the setup. It sure is nice to have AC in the summer! __________________ 10mm and 357sig, the best things to come along since the 38 super!

January 12, 2007, 08:13 AM	#34
Peter M. Eick Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 1999 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 2,991	Tuttle8, Ya know I heard that rumor. I have a bunch of other "green" stuff laying around that was not in use at the time. I tend to have good luck with all of the "green" so I stick with it. __________________ 10mm and 357sig, the best things to come along since the 38 super!

January 12, 2007, 08:35 AM	#35
WmCC Member Join Date: November 29, 1999 Location: FL Posts: 59	Peter, Nice bench but where's the Pro 2000 and (required) cup of coffee? __________________ Bill LTCOL USMC RET NRA Benefactor Life Member

January 12, 2007, 09:37 AM	#36
Peter M. Eick Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 1999 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 2,991	Look in the corner on the table. There is my pro2000. Cup of coffee is on the edge of the bench out of the view of the picture. I tend to load rifle single stage still and I don't want to have both presses up due to limited space. Next house, I will build a bigger loading room and not share it with the laundry! __________________ 10mm and 357sig, the best things to come along since the 38 super!

January 9, 2007, 09:58 PM	#26
Jason280 Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2002 Location: Athens,Georgia Posts: 355	Here's the last bench I built. The room I reload in doesn't have sufficient light, so I designed the bench around a 4' fluorescent light. I also wired a plug-in on the bench itself, which eliminates the need for an extension cord for my Dremel and electronic scale (which hasn't been affected by the light). The top was framed up with 2x6's and covered with a sheet of 1/4" plywood. I then used up some extra laminated flooring for the top of the bench, which has proven to be pretty durable. I have a shelf built under the top for extra stuff, such as powder, tumbler, etc. I left sufficient room under the lower shelf to fit four tupperware tubs, which I keep my brass in. The legs were made out of landscape timbers, which are considerably cheaper than other similarly sized wood. I use a Dillon 550B for .223, .44, .45 Colt, and 9mm. The Lyman turret press is for .308 and other centerfire rifle cartridges I hunt with. I have thought abou building another reloading table, only because I bought a crap load of woodworking tools and need a reason to use them!

January 10, 2007, 09:21 PM	#27
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	That's a nice setup. Did you use lag bolts on the legs there? Looks like you maximized the space you have(cleaning rods, etc.)

January 11, 2007, 08:18 PM	#29
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	I didn't think of using white for the top to maximize lighting. I thought maybe a wood laminate/mesonite type, but I think at least a lighter color might be in store.

January 11, 2007, 10:04 PM	#31
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	Nice stuff. But, I think you might try looking at RCBS products. Heard a rumor that they make great presses, powder measures, etc.

January 11, 2007, 11:15 PM	#32
rem33 Junior member Join Date: March 31, 2006 Posts: 1,528	Old office furniture. It's built like a tank, dirt cheap, and I like the fomica tops.

January 12, 2007, 09:59 PM	#37
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	If you have a "moving sale" I take dibs on the green stuff!

February 2, 2007, 03:50 AM	#38
jkmola Member Join Date: February 2, 2007 Posts: 16	I'm just finishing mine. I'll try and post a pic of it tomorrow. Basically, you take 2 sheets of oak plywood and rip two pieces out of each sheet 18" wide. Glue and stack the 4 pieces together. Lag an 8' 2x4 to the wall studs, or I fastened it right to the cement block wall in my basement. Fasten the rear edge of the table to the 2x4, and use about 1 1/4" black pipe for the legs (3) on the front. Put flanges on each end of the leg. This way you can run each flange in or out on the pipe to aid in leveling the table. When it's level, fasten the flanges to both the table and the floor. Ends up being rock solid. The two leftover pieces of plywood that are 12" wide can be used for shelves under the table, or cut up into different lengths for shelves on the wall. Table is trimmed by 1x3 oak, and uses the same for a backspash. Finish it off by coating it with a couple of coats of tung oil and it looks great.

February 2, 2007, 10:01 AM	#39
Ben Shepherd Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2001 Location: Utah Posts: 1,462	Peter, a couple things: 1. My bench is similar to yours, but it doesn't touch the wall on either of the short sides. I did this so I can use the sides as work stations instead of just the front. But I'm spoiled. I have a dedicated gun room, so I wasn't worried about space. 2. Since you share your loading area with the laundry area in your home, have you ever had humidity problems? If so, how did/do you deal with them? __________________ From my cold dead hands......... NRA certified rifle, pistol and shotgun instructor. Hunter education instructor Last edited by Ben Shepherd; February 3, 2007 at 09:59 AM.

February 2, 2007, 10:12 AM	#40
rwilson452 Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Tioga co. PA Posts: 2,647	My bench I have a space issue. I live in a small 1 bedroom apt. The landlord will not allow me to attach anything to the wall so it had to be free standing. After doing the measuring I decided that a 2' deep and 4' long bench was it. I built the frame out of 2X4 and braced the sides with 2X4 and a piece of 1/2 plywood 1' wide. the back was braced with a similar piece of plywood. Everything was glued and screwed together This makes the frame ridgid. the top was made of 2 custom cut 1X12 1" maple. This was mounted to the top of the frame by screw coming up from the bottom of the 2X4 side braces thus the top is all wood. It's nice to know the guy at the mill. I put an additional 4X4 brace under where I mounted the press. put in another piece of plywood across the braces underneath to make a shelf. Everthing got a nice coat of urethane with the top getting extra coats and polishing. It leaves me lots of room to load and doubles as a work space for doing things with my firearms. When cleaning firearms I cover the top with a mat I got from Midway some years ago. I slid a piece of 1/4" plywood between the bench and wall to make a splash shield.

February 2, 2007, 10:50 PM	#41
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	jkmola, Hope to see the pics! I'm going with a lazy susan in the corner. Short cabinets on the sides. 3/4 plywood for the first layer. The top layer I'm thinking of the solid pine planks at Menard's or Lowe's. Anybody heard of Pour-On? Got some at Menard's. Suppposed to be an epoxy resin and polyamine hardener that gives the hard, thick clear finish similar to what you see on bar tops. __________________ If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

February 2, 2007, 11:07 PM	#42
Texas_XD Member Join Date: March 21, 2006 Location: Central Texas Posts: 45	Well, just getting started out but here is mine below. Constructed for about $75, using 4"x4" Douglas Fir legs or it would have been cheaper by $15. Top is 2ft x 4ft at 36" high, shelves are 1"x8" w/9" spacing between levels. Use the ends for hanging cleaning rods etc. Below the bottom shelf (w/new Stevens 200 rifle in 7mm-08 on it) lays my Lyman Turbo 1200 tumbler. PPM is mounted yet as I have decided it's almost perfect place.

February 2, 2007, 11:32 PM	#43
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	Got that exact press. Good ole Lee. Nice bench! Sometimes simplicity looks sharper than overkill. __________________ If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

February 3, 2007, 11:44 AM	#44
jkmola Member Join Date: February 2, 2007 Posts: 16	Here's a couple of the pics I promised. Remember this bench is 8' long. If space was an issue, you could use one sheet of plywood and make it 4', but still 3" thick. I set the height at 42" so that I could either stand or sit (using a tall stool) and be comfortable either way. This shot I'm trying to show how clean looking and how open it is, with lots of room and access beneath where the shelves will go. These nex pics are trying to show the grain detail of the plywood. With it being hardwood, it will be very solid and durable, and with the finish just being tung oil, repairs or touchups are nothing more than a little sanding and another wipe with the tung oil. I think I'm going to like this bench very much!

February 3, 2007, 12:03 PM	#45
RevoRick Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 201	Very Nice, lots of length, I like that. I went the Sears route. Got a bench on sale for $89. I routed the edge over and added a v-groove to catch rolling cases and such. Now that I just got a progressive attachment for the Rockchucker I am squeezed for space. I would like to add a single stage press for rifle and the less used calibers. __________________ Criminals thrive on the indulgence of an understanding society DW 10mm CBOB, 10mm Experimental, .45 Pointman GD, .45 Patriot CCO. DW 744 VH .44 6", 715 VH .357 4". Fusion 10mm Longslide XM-10 Tactical Hunter. Glock 19c, Browning Buckmark, S&W 686 .357 4", 629 .44mag 8 3/8". Uberti Cattleman .45LC. http://www.1911auto.org/forum/index.php?referrerid=24

February 3, 2007, 04:38 PM	#46
kkb Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2004 Location: Western Slope, Colorado Posts: 403	I so do envy the space ya'll have. Me, I'm sharing a mud room with a washer & dryer. Just some cheap plastic shelving and a small utility table... Last edited by kkb; September 5, 2007 at 11:16 AM.

February 3, 2007, 05:12 PM	#47
scsov509 Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 819	"I routed the edge over and added a v-groove to catch rolling cases and such." Now that's a smart idea. I've got a similar style bench that roll inside when my garage get's too cold. But I can't even begin to count how many times I've had to get up to pick up stuff that rolls right off when I'm working. Thanks for the idea!

February 3, 2007, 10:59 PM	#48
RevoRick Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 201	Your Welcome, glad I could help. __________________ Criminals thrive on the indulgence of an understanding society DW 10mm CBOB, 10mm Experimental, .45 Pointman GD, .45 Patriot CCO. DW 744 VH .44 6", 715 VH .357 4". Fusion 10mm Longslide XM-10 Tactical Hunter. Glock 19c, Browning Buckmark, S&W 686 .357 4", 629 .44mag 8 3/8". Uberti Cattleman .45LC. http://www.1911auto.org/forum/index.php?referrerid=24

February 4, 2007, 10:52 AM	#49
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	Revo, I might just have to do the same on mine, too. kkb, Whatever it takes, man. That's what I call a dedicated reloader right there! jkmola, That grain pattern is not too shabby lookin'. I'm having second thoughts on using solid pine on mine. Don't know if that's going to be too soft even with the Pour-On. __________________ If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

February 4, 2007, 11:13 AM	#50
jkmola Member Join Date: February 2, 2007 Posts: 16	Hey, just takes a few minutes flipping through the stack at Home Depot!!! I was lucky enough to find a sheet that was both good looking AND straight - what are the odds of that?? But that's just a bonus, really. Like I said, the best thing about this type of bench (laminating the plywood) results in a bench that is super rigid. This thing is just rock solid. And the finish is just wipe on, wait 10 minutes, wipe off. Super simple. Originally, the magazine article that I copied this concept from incorporated dovetailed blocks in the top - where you could fasten different tools such as case trimmer, powder measure, small press, etc. to the block and switch them as needed. When the tools where not in use, they were put on a shelf underneath and a plain dovetailed block was used to fill in the slot, resulting in a clean-looking bench. Too much work for me, but a great idea. By the way, Revo, that v-groove IS a super idea. Nice tip.