New Reloading bench!

[MikeS]

Hi All.

Well, now that my daughter has moved into her own house with her boyfriend I get to move back into the room I was originally living in here with my mother. In the process I got new furniture to go along with the new room. Instead of buying a new computer desk to do my reloading on, I started looking at workbenches that would hold up to the strains of reloading better. I'm not handy enough, nor have the endurance needed to build my own from raw wood, so I started looking around, and Harbor Freight has a 60" Oak workbench that looks like it will fill the bill nicely. I went over, and found out that it was even on sale, with a price of $129.00 so I grabbed one, and when I got it home I promptly assembled it. I was very pleasantly surprised when it went together without any problems, and seems to be a very strong bench indeed.

After getting it together I decided to take my primary press (A Lyman Tru-line Jr with an updated turret on it to use 7/8-14 dies) off the Lee bench plate system, and mount it directly onto the bench. I'm still going to mount the bench plate, or possibly a rockdock if I can scrounge up the funds, for other items I use such as my lubesizer, a single stage Lee Reloader press, another Tru-line Jr. with the original turret, etc. I've started putting away some stuff in the bench (it comes with 4 drawers that can each carry 25lbs., and a lower shelf that can hold 200lbs. of stuff), and between all my moulds in 2 of the drawers, as well as my already cast boolits on the lower shelf, this thing is rock solid! I had originally thought of using lag bolts to secure it to the floor, but I don't think that'll be needed! Here are some pictures of the bench:

First a couple from HF's website:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_177914e6f658245fb6.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2108) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_177914e6f65b1e23ab.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2109)

And here are pictures of my bench as I have it setup:



http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_177914e6f670a98cbc.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2110) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_177914e6f67ff4c807.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2111) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_177914e6f692dc2618.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2112) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_177914e6f6b6e7bed2.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2113) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_177914e6f6c292d59f.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2114)

[timkelley]

Really spiffy but you need to stir it up a bit, needs that lived in look.8-)

[Leadmelter]

It won't look that nice a month from now and you will be buying a second bench.
Nice set up though.
Good Luck!
Gerry

[Silver Eagle]

Nice job on that bench. Sign up at Harbor Freight for their ad by snail mail. They put 20% off 1 item coupons in there and things that are free for bringing in the paper.

Silver Eagle

[MikeS]

It won't look that nice a month from now and you will be buying a second bench.
Nice set up though.
Good Luck!
Gerry

I'm not sure I understand your comment. Are you saying that it won't hold up, so I'll need to buy a replacement? Or are you saying that I'll need to buy a second one for more bench space? As for how it looks, I don't expect it to stay as nice looking as it is now, after all it IS a workbench, not a piece of display furniture.

It comes with a wood working vice on the right side, and I think it can come in handy for holding stuff while working on them. It also has several holes in the top for use with the vise (it comes with 4 metal pieces, and 4 wooden rods to put in the holes to help hold larger items), I figure if/when I get a star lubesizer I can mount it so the boolits can go thru one of these holes, and go right into a container in one of the upper drawers to catch the boolits, making for a nice setup! So now I have yet another reason to get a Star!

I really like the draws, as they have a bottom that's made from 3/8" thick masonite, so can hold more weight than a normal draw their size could, I just wish there were more of them, say another row, for a total of six drawers, rather than the 4 it comes with. All in all, it's a really well made workbench for the money, being made entirely of either oak, or masonite, both fairly strong materials. They also make another bench that's similar to this one, only 40" wide rather than 60", and if/when it goes on sale I might buy one of those to sit next to this one if I can find room for it in the small room (it's in an 11'x11' bedroom which also has a queen sized bed in it, along with the 'normal' furniture that goes in a bedroom. Right now I've got a small night table next to the bed, along with a dresser, along with a 27" square table that's slightly taller than a normal table that's also made from some kind of hardwood that matches the workbench's color, and I'm going to use that table for my computer, so the room is already pretty full before adding me and my 4 dogs into it! I've been moving slowly from the old room to the new one, as I still have 2 puppies I need to sell before I move into it, as I don't want the puppies tearing up anything.

When I first moved into the room I'm currently in I retired a really nice wooden roll top computer desk that I've had for almost 20 years, and got the one I'm using now because the old desk was designed for the much smaller monitors that were common years ago, and my computer didn't fit in it, but the one I got is one of the cheaper made desks made from 100% flakeboard, without even formica surfaces, but rather some kind of plastic coating, and it got ruined by putting drinking glasses on it which is why it needs to be replaced after only a few years of use. :( I guess I'm old fashioned, as I like furniture that's made from wood, so all the new stuff I got is made from real wood. I got the dresser & night table from the scratch n dent section of a furniture store fairly cheaply, but I'm sure they should hold up to quite a few years use. The furniture they're replacing I've had for about 20 years as well, and the 2 cabinets have been falling apart for the last few years which is why I decided to replace them, of the six drawers in them, only 2 still work properly (but then I have a tendency to over load them, which is why I like the 4 strong drawers on the workbench!)

I've also moved my boolit casting from the backyard into the garage onto a table that has a top that's made from a 2" thick rubber cutting pad, and I like using that tabletop much better, as I can tap the moulds against the top to get any boolits that don't drop out on their own, and that usually gets them to drop right out! The only thing I haven't decided on where I'm going to do it is the actual smelting. I'm not using wheel weights, but rather melting down bricks of pure lead, and large plates of stereotype, so I'm thinking of doing that with my turkey fryer in the garage, just inside the garage door so I would still have lots of air flow, but be under cover so I could even do it while it's raining outside, something we get lots of here, and has kept me from smelting for a while now, and I really need to do as I'm out of Lyman #2 ingots that I cast with!

With all these changes to my casting setup, and reloading setup, it's going to take some time to get used to them all! But I think they're for the better, as my mother gets her backyard back to herself, something she's wanted for a while now! I think I'll only be able to smelt at night, so I don't draw unwanted attention from the neighbors, but being a night person anyway that shouldn't be a problem.

[vintagesportsman]

Nice bench! I am presently building one myself. Will post pic's when it is up and running.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

That is a nice neat bench arrangement and the price was decent. Lots of room to add shelving if it is needed. If your equipment is definitely in the places where you would always want it, then you will be content for quite a while. I found that as my needs changed with time, I went over to mounting added presses and other tools to short pieces of 1x4 hardwood and clamped them to my bench where overhang permitted it and I have always been able to move them around to favored/favorite places when ever I wanted. It definitely beats drilling holes. You can also raise the height of the bench if needed by simply slipping lengths of 2x4 or 4x4 under the legs and remove them whenever you want to go back to the original height. Sometimes using lower seating is easier on the back over long periods of work time. Enjoy your new setup. LLS

[geargnasher]

That's a helluva nice bench for the money, I couldn't build one for that price from oak and I have a pretty decently equipped wood shop!

Glad you got yourself some "new" digs, I'll bet the extra space will lift your spirits quite a bit.

Gear

[blackthorn]

Unless you do a lot of entertaining, get rid of that big bed and get a single size, then you will have more room for the things that count! Nice bench!

[LUCKYDAWG13]

looks good

[snuffy]

http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/workbench/60-inch-solid-oak-workbench-93454.html

Great post Mike, it gives me an idea for my son who's showing interest in getting set-up to load. We were going to get together to build a bench from 2X4's and 4X4's with a plywood top. I'd bet we'd come close to the price tag of the HF bench in lumber, and it would NOT have drawers!

I'm gonna send him an email with that link in it, ask him if that looks good to him.

I do have one question though, how is that held together? Bolts, screws, are all the holes pre-drilled?

[cbrick]

I'm not sure I understand your comment. Are you saying that it won't hold up, so I'll need to buy a replacement?

No, he's only saying that it's very difficult to keep it that neat & tidy. Sure is for me and I have 24 feet of bench space, two 8 footers and a 6 footer, over 16 feet of wall cabinets and a floor to ceiling 3 foot shelf unit.

I spend considerable time trying to convince myself that a cleaned up, neat & tidy loading room must be the sign of a sick mind. Doesn't work though and there are times when I spend more time cleaning up than casting or loading.

Rick

[paul edward]

Storing a bunch of lead ingots on the bottom shelf adds stability to a reloading bench.

[onondaga]

That is a nice new bench. I am jealous. I only have a corner with a pedestal press stand, and a little plastic student table and I cast in my kitchen or on my apartment porch! All my stuff is in a stack of Rubbermaid Tote Bins.

You will enjoy having your stuff in the open room and being able to reach everything.

Gary

[MikeS]

snuffy: It's held together with screws. Most all the holes are predrilled, only one piece (the center part that holds one side of the drawers) isn't drilled, but that's no problem as there are locating pins that are drilled. The larger screws are allen head screws, and it even comes with the proper allen wrench. It's real easy to put together.

cbrick: believe me, once I get started using it, it won't look that clean and neat! With my current setup if I want to see the desktop I need to move stuff out of the way! I will really enjoy having a bench that won't flex every time I use the reloading press! There were times I was sure I was going to break the cheaply built computer desk that I had been using!

[Three44s]

MikeS,

Good for you on finally getting a solid bench for your loading!


Enjoy!


Three 44s

[462]

Looks like that will serve you well.

Have you thought about adding shelves? Six-inches deep is enough to hold die boxes, powder, primers, calipers, micrometers, gas checks, cleaning supplies, tools, brass, you-name-it.

If you think that the bench may not be sturdy enough to handle them, the shelves could be mounted on the wall.

[Shoot66]

Congrats! A nice bench at a good price.

I am planning to build one soon - need a larger and heavier/more stable one.

[WHITETAIL]

Mike, good choice!
And good luck.:veryconfu

[MikeS]

Gear: don't forget, it's Chinese Oak. It looks like it might be oak, but who knows, in Chinese Oak might mean 'cheapest piece of junk wood we could find'! :) Is there a way to check if it's really oak?

Blackthorn: Get a smaller bed? I have a queen sized bed, but I have 4 girls that sleep in that bed with me! Ok, so they're Chihuahuas, but they're girl Chihuahuas!

[Jal5]

Looks like a good deal but is it sturdy? I think the bench might wobble as you are reloading? Mine did and I had 4x4s for the legs. all my extra brass and some WW went on the shelf underneath and put an end to any movement.

Joe

[Stampede]

Wow.... this is very nice, a show piece. You know how to make a man envious :wink:

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

from your photo's, the wood grain looks like Oak to me.
Jon

btw, I am jealous of the quantity of mold handles you have:mrgreen::mrgreen:

[DAFzipper]

Here is what I built over the last few months. It now has a pair of RockDock mounts on it. I need to take a new picture.

[MikeS]

Jal5: When I put it together it was rock solid, actually I was surprised how solid it is. Once I put lots of cast boolits on the bottom shelf (in the picture, all those blue boxes are full of cast boolits) I couldn't move it if I tried! It's already starting to get filled up, I've since mounted my Lee bench plate to it, and put a wooden machinist's box on it. I've taken the reloading dies off the top, and put them on a small wooden shelf I found in our garage (my father had all sorts of stuff out there! the little portable caddy like thing on the right side of the bench was out there too, and filled with patches, bore brushes, etc.)

DAF: Thats even nicer than the bench I have, and it has the added benefit that you actually made it! My bench was made in a factory in China, and all I did was turn a few screws to assemble it!

Here's a picture of the bench as it looks today. You'll notice that the Lee bench plate is mounted on a 1" thick piece of wood raising it above the level of the bench. I did this so that with a press mounted on it I could still open the drawers, otherwise the overhang would obstruct the top drawers. It's wild how stuff just sort of comes together, the piece of wood I used was part of a shelf from an old photographic negative retouching machine I have that I had already cannibalized for a different project (the shelf, not the retouching machine!), and was the right size to fit the bench plate base without doing any cutting, so has a nice finish all the way around. Nice new bench or not, doesn't stop me from doing stupid things! I have my lubesizer mounted, as I needed to refill it, and I don't use premade sticks, but rather I melt my lube in the microwave, and pour it in hot. Well, I go ahead, get the lube all heated up, pour it in, and then go to put the plunger back in, but I can't find the plunger! Why? because I had forgotten to take it out in the first place, and had just filled the sizer OVER the plunger! Not that it was that big a deal, I let it cool, and then removed the plunger (as it came up the lube came up too, and I would cut it off when it reached the ratchet wrench), then I remelted all the cut off pieces, and poured it in the right way this time!

The worst part of the new room is living with my daughter's choice of wall color! The bedroom is metallic purple, and the attached bath is metallic green! At least the furniture didn't cost me a whole bunch, the dresser was in the scratch & dent room, so was like 60% off, I think it cost around $140.00 including the small night table (also in the scratch & dent room), the bed was a closeout in a store going out of business, so got a queen sized bed for $169.00 (without the mattress, I already have that), and with the reloading bench, I have all wood stuff, but not a single piece matches, it's a good thing I don't care about things like that! My daughter is a designer, and she cringes every time she sees my new room. Now I'm just waiting to sell the last 2 remaining puppies before actually moving into the room (the bed has some leatherette on it that I think their sharp little paws would scratch up real bad). Anyone wanna buy a 3/4 Min Pin,1/4 Chihuahua puppy or 2? :)


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_177914e73d60da9953.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2130)

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have eyeballed those HF benches a few times. I thought they were made from Maple? oh well, in any event you couldn't make one like that for $129 even out of Pine. nor even close.

Sam's Club has some shop furniture they are currently selling and one of the best items is a Rolling Cabinet that is about 7 feet long by 30" wide. It has a Maple butcher block top and two vertical rows of drawers and a center full height storage area with doors. Made of SS and has locking casters.

It would make a very nice portable reloading bench, but it is also $400, so that kind of eliminates most of us.

You did good on your bench, it will last you the rest of your life. Or longer?

Randy

[Skipper488]

DAF very nice job on the bench. I've seen those plans and I'm planning on building one when we get the move finished.