Thread: Reloading bench

So since I now have space in my toy room and no table arriving, thinking of making my own. Have a stack of 4x2 and scaffolding planks. Can people throw some pictures / diagrams up of theirs. Whatnots well what you would do differently next time etc. Am left handed so was going to have press off the left hand side of table followed by case trimmer then scales all screwed down but with scales on a riser to see the balance beam numbers easier.

Made mine from 4x2 and some heart Rimu across the front to make a solid mounting platform for the press.

4x4's, glued and screwed. 18mm MDF top, all painted (and yes the garage was a horrible colors BEFORE we brought the place...Now all white)

8mm steel plate glued down on top and presses bolted right through - they don't move a mm.....

Also, presses mounted higher, as I like to stand when using them, and the other side is right height to sit and do prep, etc....

Originally Posted by Gibo

Made mine from 4x2 and some heart Rimu across the front to make a solid mounting platform for the press.
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Like me Gibo, daughter spends time with dad in the shed. She's like my shadow and at nearly 10 now, nothings changed

Originally Posted by Mathias

Like me Gibo, daughter spends time with dad in the shed. She's like my shadow and at nearly 10 now, nothings changed

Its cool aye. I have one at 3 and one just about to turn 1 3yo is always asking when she can come hunting Soon grasshopper, soon

Cheers guys, probably just doing 4+2 and ply on top as it's what I have. Going incidence house so will probably end up moving it twice before I'm happy with location!

I did a small 2x4 job. Plenty strong enough for something like the Dillon but I also screwed it in to the wall to help. Mine is quite small, too little space for too many things.

I had to put a side leaf on it so that I can drop it when I need to open the safe. I was also going to put MDF or ply on top but then I saw bunnings selling wooden counter tops for $120 so I went that way as I could use the spare meter left over for part of a butcher block.

Only got the lee single stage press so not too big, it's the space for prep I'm guna need. Great to see 4*2 make ups, got some ideas in my head now. Will chuck up a pic when I make it later next week, visitors this week

Go as heavy as you can on the top, it just makes it feel a lot more steady to work from. My bench was an old one made of 4x2 and 3x1's on top, so I laid 18mm MDF over it and it's rock solid. Make it as long as you can and it'll double up as a rifle bench too for fiddling with the toys

little limited on the length as its in an aframe room upstairs, if i go to long i wont have any headspace to far the other way and i block the doorway to the balcony... i'll manage somehow!

Another idea worth considering is what I did for a work bench-pick up a kitchen bench/cabinetry that someone has ripped out of their kitchen to do a Reno. You can pick it up for a song (i managed to get mine for substantially less than the cost of materials to build a bench), they're usually just keen to get rid of it and there are usually enough around for sale that you can pick exactly what you want. I got one with a stainless steel top, cabinets etc underneath and a decent lip to mount my vice/press to.

Best bit of advice I got was to mount a little shelf for my scales at eye height so I can reload sitting down.

Originally Posted by Dead is better

Best bit of advice I got was to mount a little shelf for my scales at eye height so I can reload sitting down.

Had thought of that one, need room for powder dribbler as well as scales. Do all of the prep, scales, trim and pressing sitting down so going to have to have knee room underneath

Originally Posted by 223nut

little limited on the length as its in an aframe room upstairs, if i go to long i wont have any headspace to far the other way and i block the doorway to the balcony... i'll manage somehow!

You could always do something along the lines of what I did which was to add the fold away leaf on the side. So you can drop it for access to the balcony door. If the table is 800 high then you can get nearly that in additional length. Of course you cant mount anything permanent to the leaf there but I find it useful as I might do some other things on the bench and its nice to have a little more to put some tools on etc.

A drop down leaf is a good idea that I plan on stealing from ya @MaW