Strong portable reloading stand

kealil · August 8, 2011, 10:47 AM

Hey everyone!

I recently started reloading and have my press(lee turret) and all or most of the other accessories that I need short of a good portable stand. I like to reload inside and like to reload at random Times and in random places.

I am willing and interested in a diy project

I know about the frankford arsenal stand but I'm not sure if I can trust it.

Thanks for the advice!

**Unclenick** · August 8, 2011, 10:58 AM

Lee also has one. Some folks have adapted those folding work benches that Black and Decker and copycats have.

kealil · August 8, 2011, 11:10 AM

Yeah, I've used the lee stand before, very sturdy. It's only semi portable though. The legs are held together with bolts that a pita to take apart every time you're done for the day. I could probably modify it but then what's the point of spending $100 on a stand?

The black decker stands are awesome but I can't find them in my area.

I don't mean to sound like I'm picking apart your ideas but these are things I've been looking at for awhile

wncchester · August 8, 2011, 11:26 AM

A Black and Decker "Workmate" folding bench.

kealil · August 8, 2011, 11:35 AM

Yes I understand that it's the B&D workmate. No one sells them in my area and if I'm gonna order a stand, I'll just order a made for reloading stand like the Frankford arsenal stand. It be worth the try then.

Wuchak · August 8, 2011, 11:35 AM

+1 on the workmate. There is a model that comes with an insert to make it a table top or you can get the cheaper one and make your own. I bolted my lee turret press to a 2x6 that is cut to the same length as the front of the workmate. I attach it to the workmate with a couple of 6" bar clamps that came from the dollar store. Having the 2x6 span the width of the top puts the pressure from the press action on the metal frame of the workmate and not just the top. The workmate is also handy for 1001 other projects around the house. The 225 is $60 and the 425 is $90. Both ship free from Amazon. I'd go with the 425 for the table insert and the one handed vise. I have the 225 and needing to use two hands on the vise can be a pain. Plus you don't have to spend time and money making an insert.

I mounted my chopsaw and jigsaws to 1/2 plywood sized to fit into the clamps on top of the workmate. It makes a great quick platform for them and holds them solidly in place.

BigJimP · August 8, 2011, 11:58 AM

You can build a pair of collapsable saw horses ( lots of plans out there ) / mount your loader to a 2" X 24" plank ....and just clamp it to the saw horses.../ or use thru bolts with wing nuts ...

easily collapses for transport or whatever ...

zippy13 · August 8, 2011, 12:28 PM

Here's a schematic of a compact stand I made and have used for years. The top platform is 2 plies of 3/4-in 12x12 from particle board shelving. The base is a 12x18 and a 12x30. Fabricate the column from a 1 1/2-inch, or larger pipe with floor flanges on both ends bolted through the particle board. If I were to make another, I'd go with large diameter plastic pipe instead of the smaller steel. With a collection of tops, you can mount different loaders on the same base/column.

kealil · August 8, 2011, 12:57 PM

@BigJimP. I like the collapsible sawhorses idea. Big +1
@zippy13 I really like that idea! I think I could turn that into what I need

jmorris · August 8, 2011, 05:31 PM

Inside the BD table is not too bad outside I use this setup.

603Country · August 8, 2011, 05:52 PM

kealil, where do you live? I have a Workmate that I'll give you. I'm in central Texas. The thing is too heavy and bulky to mail, so you'd have to drive to get it. As an alternate approach, if your stand doesn't have to be collapsible, I use a rolling worktable to attach all my stuff to when I want to reload. Being a woodworker, I have 4 or 5 homemade rolling tables for various benchtop tools, and one that is just for a worktable. None are fancy, being made of 2x4 pine, with a laminated MDF top. The wheels come from Harbor Freight and are maybe $3 each. Cheap and easy to make and very sturdy, though nobody ever called them attractive.

Rembrandt · August 8, 2011, 06:01 PM

Not sure if this is what you had in mind, it's a aluminum copy of one that Lyman offered in wood.

Twinsig · August 8, 2011, 08:57 PM

Ideal Tool · August 8, 2011, 10:16 PM

Hello, I was going thru some older Rifle/Handloader magazines & came across write up on the Midway portable stand..don't know if they still have them.

zxcvbob · August 8, 2011, 10:22 PM

A rectangular wooden stool. You can even tack a piece of 1/4" plywood or Masonite on top of the bottom braces to make a shelf for your scales, calipers, gunpowder bottle, etc.

You will have to hold it to keep it from tipping forward when you resize cases, but it's plenty strong, and they are cheap.

Wuchak · August 8, 2011, 11:03 PM

I have been known to put a towel under the 2x6 my press is mounted to and clamp it to the coffee or dining room table. Hey, they're tables and they're just sitting there taking up space. : )

603Country · August 9, 2011, 04:00 PM

For years I did what Wuchak does, though I had a 2X12 setup for the press and used an old USMC wool blanket under it so as not to harm the table.

**Unclenick** · August 9, 2011, 09:58 PM

Wuchak's approach it good if your are shooting where there are fixed shooting benches. Then a 2×6 with some extra length out the back for one of those Irwin Quick Grip clamps from Lowe's or Home Depot is the way to go.

I have one of the old Midway stands. It is identical to what is currently sold as Frankford Arsenal. Mine has my old Challenger press on it for odd jobs, though it's there just so I can move it around the house or near other loading presses in the basement. It works just fine, and I've resized up to .30-06 on it with no problem, though I'd have to take the base off to move it to the range. I usually use a hand press at the range, so it's never come up. My portable measures have their own bases. The Lee looks sturdier to me, but I've not had them side-by-side.

Sgt Pepper · August 9, 2011, 10:55 PM

You mean like this?

Nice when the wife is out of town for the week, huh?

603Country · August 10, 2011, 12:09 PM

Nice setup. That looks a lot newer than my old beat up workmate, but I'll make the offer again. If anybody wants to come to central Texas to get it, you can have my Workmate. I'l going to give it away to somebody eventually.

flashhole · July 5, 2013, 10:10 AM

This is what I did. The vertical uprights are Dillon Strong Mounts. I bought the metal plates on eBay. I put a 1/8" thick sheet of rubber on the bottom. It also has two holes in the base for botling it to a surface for added stability. A clamp works too.

August 8, 2011, 10:47 AM	#1
kealil Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2011 Posts: 270	Strong portable reloading stand Hey everyone! I recently started reloading and have my press(lee turret) and all or most of the other accessories that I need short of a good portable stand. I like to reload inside and like to reload at random Times and in random places. I am willing and interested in a diy project I know about the frankford arsenal stand but I'm not sure if I can trust it. Thanks for the advice!

August 8, 2011, 10:58 AM	#2
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	Lee also has one. Some folks have adapted those folding work benches that Black and Decker and copycats have. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

August 8, 2011, 11:35 AM	#6
Wuchak Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2007 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 1,093	+1 on the workmate. There is a model that comes with an insert to make it a table top or you can get the cheaper one and make your own. I bolted my lee turret press to a 2x6 that is cut to the same length as the front of the workmate. I attach it to the workmate with a couple of 6" bar clamps that came from the dollar store. Having the 2x6 span the width of the top puts the pressure from the press action on the metal frame of the workmate and not just the top. The workmate is also handy for 1001 other projects around the house. The 225 is $60 and the 425 is $90. Both ship free from Amazon. I'd go with the 425 for the table insert and the one handed vise. I have the 225 and needing to use two hands on the vise can be a pain. Plus you don't have to spend time and money making an insert. I mounted my chopsaw and jigsaws to 1/2 plywood sized to fit into the clamps on top of the workmate. It makes a great quick platform for them and holds them solidly in place. Last edited by Wuchak; August 8, 2011 at 11:51 AM.

August 8, 2011, 10:22 PM	#15
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	A rectangular wooden stool. You can even tack a piece of 1/4" plywood or Masonite on top of the bottom braces to make a shelf for your scales, calipers, gunpowder bottle, etc. You will have to hold it to keep it from tipping forward when you resize cases, but it's plenty strong, and they are cheap. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

August 9, 2011, 09:58 PM	#18
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	Wuchak's approach it good if your are shooting where there are fixed shooting benches. Then a 2×6 with some extra length out the back for one of those Irwin Quick Grip clamps from Lowe's or Home Depot is the way to go. I have one of the old Midway stands. It is identical to what is currently sold as Frankford Arsenal. Mine has my old Challenger press on it for odd jobs, though it's there just so I can move it around the house or near other loading presses in the basement. It works just fine, and I've resized up to .30-06 on it with no problem, though I'd have to take the base off to move it to the range. I usually use a hand press at the range, so it's never come up. My portable measures have their own bases. The Lee looks sturdier to me, but I've not had them side-by-side. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

August 8, 2011, 11:10 AM	#3
kealil Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2011 Posts: 270	Yeah, I've used the lee stand before, very sturdy. It's only semi portable though. The legs are held together with bolts that a pita to take apart every time you're done for the day. I could probably modify it but then what's the point of spending $100 on a stand? The black decker stands are awesome but I can't find them in my area. I don't mean to sound like I'm picking apart your ideas but these are things I've been looking at for awhile

August 8, 2011, 11:26 AM	#4
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	A Black and Decker "Workmate" folding bench.

August 8, 2011, 11:58 AM	#7
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	You can build a pair of collapsable saw horses ( lots of plans out there ) / mount your loader to a 2" X 24" plank ....and just clamp it to the saw horses.../ or use thru bolts with wing nuts ... easily collapses for transport or whatever ...

August 8, 2011, 12:28 PM	#8
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Here's a schematic of a compact stand I made and have used for years. The top platform is 2 plies of 3/4-in 12x12 from particle board shelving. The base is a 12x18 and a 12x30. Fabricate the column from a 1 1/2-inch, or larger pipe with floor flanges on both ends bolted through the particle board. If I were to make another, I'd go with large diameter plastic pipe instead of the smaller steel. With a collection of tops, you can mount different loaders on the same base/column.

August 8, 2011, 12:57 PM	#9
kealil Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2011 Posts: 270	@BigJimP. I like the collapsible sawhorses idea. Big +1 @zippy13 I really like that idea! I think I could turn that into what I need

August 8, 2011, 05:31 PM	#10
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 3,077	Inside the BD table is not too bad outside I use this setup.

August 8, 2011, 05:52 PM	#11
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	kealil, where do you live? I have a Workmate that I'll give you. I'm in central Texas. The thing is too heavy and bulky to mail, so you'd have to drive to get it. As an alternate approach, if your stand doesn't have to be collapsible, I use a rolling worktable to attach all my stuff to when I want to reload. Being a woodworker, I have 4 or 5 homemade rolling tables for various benchtop tools, and one that is just for a worktable. None are fancy, being made of 2x4 pine, with a laminated MDF top. The wheels come from Harbor Freight and are maybe $3 each. Cheap and easy to make and very sturdy, though nobody ever called them attractive.

August 8, 2011, 06:01 PM	#12
Rembrandt Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2002 Posts: 2,108	Not sure if this is what you had in mind, it's a aluminum copy of one that Lyman offered in wood.

August 8, 2011, 10:16 PM	#14
Ideal Tool Junior member Join Date: October 6, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,080	Hello, I was going thru some older Rifle/Handloader magazines & came across write up on the Midway portable stand..don't know if they still have them.

August 8, 2011, 11:03 PM	#16
Wuchak Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2007 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 1,093	I have been known to put a towel under the 2x6 my press is mounted to and clamp it to the coffee or dining room table. Hey, they're tables and they're just sitting there taking up space. : )

August 9, 2011, 04:00 PM	#17
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	For years I did what Wuchak does, though I had a 2X12 setup for the press and used an old USMC wool blanket under it so as not to harm the table.

August 9, 2011, 10:55 PM	#19
Sgt Pepper Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 811	You mean like this? Nice when the wife is out of town for the week, huh?

August 10, 2011, 12:09 PM	#20
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	Nice setup. That looks a lot newer than my old beat up workmate, but I'll make the offer again. If anybody wants to come to central Texas to get it, you can have my Workmate. I'l going to give it away to somebody eventually.

July 5, 2013, 10:10 AM	#21
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 2,000	This is what I did. The vertical uprights are Dillon Strong Mounts. I bought the metal plates on eBay. I put a 1/8" thick sheet of rubber on the bottom. It also has two holes in the base for botling it to a surface for added stability. A clamp works too. __________________ ,,, stupidity comes to some people very easily. 8/22/2017 my wife in a discussion about Liberals. Are you ready for civil war?