Reloading bench help needed.

Drilling holes is one thing that I was toying with but instead of just holes was looking at putting nutserts in the bottom so you could just screw a bolt straight in.

The Dillon and my Lyman will be permanently mounted but I was thinking more along the lines of case trimmers etc.

I know exactly what you mean, like furniture nuts… However, I am thrifty fucker so I have bunch of these bolts/nuts left over from strategically placed baby gates around the house, until not too long ago. So I use this… Just tighten by hand.

Also my phone camera is broken, so this is the best I can do:

This is the main workbench. Press is now removable on Lee plate. I use plywood cutout lips things for vice, so I can clamp firearms in them, works a lot better than cleaning stands.

But there’s another bench opposite, with tool boxes, more wall shelving, wall mounted tool hanging board, old baby change table which works well for mobile tool station… I am an organisation freak, but as far as the main reloading bench goes - that’s it.

If I were to do it again, which I will… I would make it about 50% longer, when it’s time to load for little pew pews. I actually moved in with that bench already in place. Solid foundation, bolted to concrete floor and studs. The bench top was replaced with a sheet of pine from Bunnings. That’s about it.

Also, I want to build sort of an ‘architect’s draw’ thing for storing dies. That would be cool, but need time.

I like the laptop bracket. I was looking to modify one of the brackets for mounting monitors onto desktops that can rotate as well as moving up and down.

Do you mean like these but out of wood?

s-l300

Yep, just an off cut of plywood.

What you posted above are not big enough. Mine are cut to shape and span across the entire wise, so there is no chance of accidentally whacking metal and scratching stuff.

In case you are wondering, yes that is a barrel, hammer, mallet and a blowtorch LOL. Sometimes iron sights need to be persuaded a little more aggressively (was soldering and everything, earned my man-card)

@GUN-DMC space:
He actually has a room, not just a bench, this is one angle

@Supaduke space (that guy is freaking refined AF!):

@danmac - think you should post your room!

They are 125mm wide. Need to get a 3D Printer and make some to suit lol.

Nope, they’d crack immediately. Thick Plywood! Durable and expandable. Heavy use, mine lasted a year and had to be replaced after a (separate) blowtorch cameo. But when I cut them out, I just cut a few sets - large for that vise and few sets of smaller ones for drill press vice.

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That’s the sort of things that I am talking about. Things to make it easier.

I think we may have to hide the blow torch from you lol.

Nah, it’s wasn’t an accident, just had to sacrifice a set.

I used to have my gear bolted directly to the bench, but now it is all on the Lee benchplate bases. The actual bench plate is bolted at one end of the bench leaving the rest of the bench free for other tasks. I’ll just use G-clamps to hold down accessories like case trimmer, lube-sizer, single stage press for a few quick reloads etc. instead of using the benchplate itself. My progressive press tends to be permanently in the base. Sort of defeating the purpose but when I need the full bench I can take it all off and have it clear. One thing you will need if you do plan on having everything removable is somewhere to put it when it’s not in use. I built a shelf up out of the way that I clamp it all to. Bench is made from a solid core door with 4 x 2" legs and bolted to the frame work.( 100 x 50 mm for the young 'uns )
Since this room is inside the garage/workshop where I have a proper vice setup on a workbench with all appropriate tooling I don’t need to set up another one on the reloading bench. That’s also where I do my casting.

Old photo, been remodeled again. Couldn’t be fucked going out and taking another one. :laughing:

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@danmac Thanks for that.
I see you have an interesting looking loading tray on the bench, first time I have seen one like that.

all I can add is that no matter how big you think you want it to be, make it bigger than that.
I have my shotgun press, case trimmer and a couple of other bits screwed to blocks of wood that I can just put in the vise.
The other thing I have done is set my reloading process up to work backwards across the bench ( working right to left, grab a primed case, powder charge, take a step to the left stick case into shell holder, seat bullet.) It forces me to take my time not slip into autopilot and stops me making mistakes.

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Thanks for that @GUN-DMC, It will be about 3 times bigger than my current bench with the option of extending.
I normally batch load my ammo, will resize all of them, prime them, charge them up and finally seat the bullet. I find by doing it that way I make sure each stage is good before moving onto the next.
That will all change once I start pistols.

I plan on doing something similar to my trimmer etc as I hate mounting them permanently as they end up getting in the road and you lose a lot of bench space. Roll on Feb…

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Not a reloading tray. Stainless steel drying rack for black powder cartridges after washing.

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So just to boost it along, lets talk about bench tops…

What would you/do you think is a better way to go:

Stainless steel top,
Timber top with a covering like say rubber,
Natural timber top,
Timber top painted or coated in a lacquer.

What would you rather and why?

I have a laminate top by accident rather than any planning and I really like it. Really easy to keep clean a spray with the carby cleaner and a wipe and it is clean as. Its flat and smooth so any spilled powder can be easily retrieved. You know how often powder can get out lose. :grin: . Reason I like it flat and smooth and carby cleaner resistant is I also use one shot in one corner of the bench and that can get a bit sticky and dirty so a quick wipe down is great. Depth of the bench is good so you can store things at the back of the bench or on the wall behind it and not have an overhead shelf in your face.

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@sungazer Thanks for that.

Width should be fine as most of it will be 900mm wide with one section 700mm as I will have a little storage/shelf setup. Do you have any problems with things rolling off? I was thinking of putting a small angle iron lip on the front edge.

I have had the odd thing roll odd. Butt I also have a small amount of powder near the edge so if I want to put just one more grain in I can sweep it off the bench into the pan. Sometimes the trickler will do more than one grain if they get stuck together.