Anyone have pictures of a reloading bench/cleaning bench/bench for working on guns?

Hal · December 25, 2019, 11:41 AM

Anyone have pictures of a reloading bench/cleaning bench/bench for working on guns?

I'm in the thinking about it stage of building one for the spare bedroom.
I picked up some oak lumber - a couple hundred board feet - that I don't have any other plans for.

I want something nice - like furniture grade nice - to go in there.

Sevens · December 25, 2019, 05:59 PM

I don’t have a current picture. What I do have is a sickness in that I exist in a state of clutter. It occurs to me every time I go to make ammo that if I had a larger bench surface, I would maintain the tiny bit of clear space that I need to operate and the other 93% of the surface would be clutter.

A larger bench would be a terrible idea for me!

GE-Minigun · December 26, 2019, 09:18 AM

Entirely different requirements…reloading and gun-smithing. I have two separate benches for both, my reloading bench is cramped with (4) presses so there is no room to do anything other than load. In a separate room I have the cleaning bench with a toolbox full of tools I need at any given time, this also serves as my gun-smithing bench…everything is within reach, would rather have both in one room, but neither room is large enough for both operations. The last house we had my reloading/gun room was 15x30 and I had more room than I needed (something I thought I would ever say), but still had two separate benches, as Sevens mentioned the loading bench can get cluttered, although it sounds like his is pretty bad. My last loading bench was 18’ long and with the presses, tools, scales, etc. there still wasn’t enough room for me to clean a gun…pistol yes, but not the skeet guns.

FrankenMauser · December 26, 2019, 11:01 AM

I have no plans to share.
I just wanted to say two things:

1. I built my own bench**, after spending several months planning. I put a lot of thought into how I would want to use the space, how I would actually use the space with then-current and future equipment, how to efficiently move within the space, and how to design so that I would avoid cluttering the bench (such as putting doors on lower shelves, so the space in front had to remain clear).

Spend some time thinking about what you need, rather than what other people find an adequate compromise.

**(The plans called for a pair of benches, but the build was interrupted by a move. The first bench was never finished beyond simply being usable in the most basic form of the design, and the second bench never made it farther than obtaining the work surface.)

--

2. If by "working on guns" you mean assembling AR parts kits, swapping parts, mounting scopes, possibly stoning a few parts, etc., then proceed with the shared work space. But if "working on guns" is more along the lines of gunsmithing - altering parts, sanding, filing, shaping and finishing stocks, etc. - then I suggest a separate bench. Keep the mess away from the reloading bench. My first reloading bench was dual purpose. Constantly cleaning the metal shavings and wood detritus so that I could reload became tiresome in short order. Even as fastidious as I was about contaminants on the bench, I still ended up with debris scratching the inside of a couple sizing dies.

Once the reloading bench mentioned above was put into use, the old reloading bench became my work bench. It is constantly covered in metal and wood shavings, abrasives, sharp objects (stabby and cutty things!), and various tools. The two benches are at a 90 degree angle and only about two feet apart - with me sometimes leaning on the reloading bench while working on something clamped in the vise on the work bench - but that's enough to eliminate all of the mess that would otherwise be on my reloading bench, except for airborne sanding dust.

I do, however, typically use the reloading bench for working with "clean" gun parts - or as a surface for laying out gun parts that I do not want near the dirty work bench. That's another perk to having two benches - an area to organize for the task at hand, and another area to work.

Hal · December 26, 2019, 01:03 PM

Perhaps "working on guns" is the wrong way to put it.
I don't really work on m guns - other than to tighten up screws that come loose & take off a scope and/or red dot --or take things down for cleaning.

kmw1954 · December 26, 2019, 01:09 PM

I have 2 small benches. One is strictly for reloading but has 3 different work areas. The main work area is 48"X24" and has a permanent steel plate that has been drilled and tapped to accept my 3 presses. Can only use one at a time so why mount all 3 permanently? Even this small space gets cluttered as I have 4 different loading projects going on with different cast bullets. But that is just me being unorganized and getting ahead of myself.

The second bench is open and clear other than a Table top drill press and my Lee lead casting pot. This bench is 48"X 34" and it can become a colleting point for many un-gun related things.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...oading.860500/ at post #25 at our sister site is a picture of my Reloading bench.

Hal · December 27, 2019, 06:22 AM

KW - thanks!
The one in post 10 is the type I'm looking to make.

kmw1954 · December 27, 2019, 02:31 PM

Hal, I kind of thought you would get excited by that one. Is beautiful work isn't it?

Hal · December 28, 2019, 05:45 AM

Sure is beautiful!

As an aside - I got into the woodworking stuff back in 2007 - in preparation for retirement.
My wife and I rehab houses & rent them.
I needed the WW'ing stuff for remodels and whatnot.
My first shop pieces - jigs & fixtures ans such were - to be kind, crude. I started looking at what other, far more gifted and experienced people had & came to the understanding that ..

Shop jigs & fixtures have one thing in common with reloading/handloading.

You don't really spend more money or invest more time in making the utilitarian stuff for the shop look like fine furniture!
Just like reloads - why settle for "range stuff" when it doesn't cost you anymore to turn out "premium" ammo?

*yeah - I know - not 100% accurate because of the materials & finishing involved - but - y'all catch my drift.

kmw1954 · December 28, 2019, 02:40 PM

I find the humor there as back when I was working in the maintenance shop our boss always told us, "hurry and get it done, we are not building furniture!"

RickB · December 29, 2019, 05:06 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--dgC16dbJI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9yfQjXA-2g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlrnOYm-bYk

bbiles1 · January 25, 2020, 07:19 AM

I am new to reloading. while placing my RCBS dies on my RCBS turret press, I noticed that the locking ring covers the vent hole in the die. Is this going to cause problems in my reloading efforts?

Hal · January 25, 2020, 09:57 AM

bbiles1,
You'll get more answers reposting your question over in the reloading forum.

December 25, 2019, 11:41 AM	#1
Hal Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 8,563	Anyone have pictures of a reloading bench/cleaning bench/bench for working on guns? Anyone have pictures of a reloading bench/cleaning bench/bench for working on guns? I'm in the thinking about it stage of building one for the spare bedroom. I picked up some oak lumber - a couple hundred board feet - that I don't have any other plans for. I want something nice - like furniture grade nice - to go in there.

December 26, 2019, 11:01 AM	#4
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	I have no plans to share. I just wanted to say two things: 1. I built my own bench*, after spending several months planning. I put a lot of thought into how I would want* to use the space, how I would actually use the space with then-current and future equipment, how to efficiently move within the space, and how to design so that I would avoid cluttering the bench (such as putting doors on lower shelves, so the space in front had to remain clear). Spend some time thinking about what you need, rather than what other people find an adequate compromise. **(The plans called for a pair of benches, but the build was interrupted by a move. The first bench was never finished beyond simply being usable in the most basic form of the design, and the second bench never made it farther than obtaining the work surface.) -- 2. If by "working on guns" you mean assembling AR parts kits, swapping parts, mounting scopes, possibly stoning a few parts, etc., then proceed with the shared work space. But if "working on guns" is more along the lines of gunsmithing - altering parts, sanding, filing, shaping and finishing stocks, etc. - then I suggest a separate bench. Keep the mess away from the reloading bench. My first reloading bench was dual purpose. Constantly cleaning the metal shavings and wood detritus so that I could reload became tiresome in short order. Even as fastidious as I was about contaminants on the bench, I still ended up with debris scratching the inside of a couple sizing dies. Once the reloading bench mentioned above was put into use, the old reloading bench became my work bench. It is constantly covered in metal and wood shavings, abrasives, sharp objects (stabby and cutty things!), and various tools. The two benches are at a 90 degree angle and only about two feet apart - with me sometimes leaning on the reloading bench while working on something clamped in the vise on the work bench - but that's enough to eliminate all of the mess that would otherwise be on my reloading bench, except for airborne sanding dust. I do, however, typically use the reloading bench for working with "clean" gun parts - or as a surface for laying out gun parts that I do not want near the dirty work bench. That's another perk to having two benches - an area to organize for the task at hand, and another area to work. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

December 29, 2019, 05:06 PM	#11
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--dgC16dbJI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9yfQjXA-2g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlrnOYm-bYk __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

December 25, 2019, 05:59 PM	#2
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	I don’t have a current picture. What I do have is a sickness in that I exist in a state of clutter. It occurs to me every time I go to make ammo that if I had a larger bench surface, I would maintain the tiny bit of clear space that I need to operate and the other 93% of the surface would be clutter. A larger bench would be a terrible idea for me! __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

December 26, 2019, 09:18 AM	#3
GE-Minigun Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2008 Posts: 240	Entirely different requirements…reloading and gun-smithing. I have two separate benches for both, my reloading bench is cramped with (4) presses so there is no room to do anything other than load. In a separate room I have the cleaning bench with a toolbox full of tools I need at any given time, this also serves as my gun-smithing bench…everything is within reach, would rather have both in one room, but neither room is large enough for both operations. The last house we had my reloading/gun room was 15x30 and I had more room than I needed (something I thought I would ever say), but still had two separate benches, as Sevens mentioned the loading bench can get cluttered, although it sounds like his is pretty bad. My last loading bench was 18’ long and with the presses, tools, scales, etc. there still wasn’t enough room for me to clean a gun…pistol yes, but not the skeet guns.

December 26, 2019, 01:03 PM	#5
Hal Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 8,563	Perhaps "working on guns" is the wrong way to put it. I don't really work on m guns - other than to tighten up screws that come loose & take off a scope and/or red dot --or take things down for cleaning.

December 26, 2019, 01:09 PM	#6
kmw1954 Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2016 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 1,524	I have 2 small benches. One is strictly for reloading but has 3 different work areas. The main work area is 48"X24" and has a permanent steel plate that has been drilled and tapped to accept my 3 presses. Can only use one at a time so why mount all 3 permanently? Even this small space gets cluttered as I have 4 different loading projects going on with different cast bullets. But that is just me being unorganized and getting ahead of myself. The second bench is open and clear other than a Table top drill press and my Lee lead casting pot. This bench is 48"X 34" and it can become a colleting point for many un-gun related things. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...oading.860500/ at post #25 at our sister site is a picture of my Reloading bench.

December 27, 2019, 06:22 AM	#7
Hal Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 8,563	KW - thanks! The one in post 10 is the type I'm looking to make.

December 27, 2019, 02:31 PM	#8
kmw1954 Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2016 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 1,524	Hal, I kind of thought you would get excited by that one. Is beautiful work isn't it?

December 28, 2019, 05:45 AM	#9
Hal Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 8,563	Sure is beautiful! As an aside - I got into the woodworking stuff back in 2007 - in preparation for retirement. My wife and I rehab houses & rent them. I needed the WW'ing stuff for remodels and whatnot. My first shop pieces - jigs & fixtures ans such were - to be kind, crude. I started looking at what other, far more gifted and experienced people had & came to the understanding that .. Shop jigs & fixtures have one thing in common with reloading/handloading. You don't really spend more money or invest more time in making the utilitarian stuff for the shop look like fine furniture! Just like reloads - why settle for "range stuff" when it doesn't cost you anymore to turn out "premium" ammo? *yeah - I know - not 100% accurate because of the materials & finishing involved - but - y'all catch my drift.

December 28, 2019, 02:40 PM	#10
kmw1954 Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2016 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 1,524	I find the humor there as back when I was working in the maintenance shop our boss always told us, "hurry and get it done, we are not building furniture!"

January 25, 2020, 07:19 AM	#12
bbiles1 Junior Member Join Date: January 24, 2020 Posts: 1	I am new to reloading. while placing my RCBS dies on my RCBS turret press, I noticed that the locking ring covers the vent hole in the die. Is this going to cause problems in my reloading efforts?

January 25, 2020, 09:57 AM	#13
Hal Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 8,563	bbiles1, You'll get more answers reposting your question over in the reloading forum.