reloading bench question

[mistermog]

Well, I just bolted down my lee classic cast to partner up with my LNL AP and my loobasizer. Unfortunately the particle board computer desk I am using is starting to get more flexible (not to mention the lee press is kinda right in my way.)

I am trying to see if anyone has done anything similar to my idea here. Basically, bolt some brackets into the wall and mount some cut 2x12s which will hold the presses cleanly close to the wall.

I need something small and light as I'm on the 2nd floor of a townhouse and lugging that computer desk up a flight of stairs are NOT somethign i want to do with a heavier duty desk. :)

[mongoose33]

Unless those brackets are VERY heavy duty, I'd guess you'd get some flex in the 2x12s. Let me extend your idea, though: put a couple 2x6 legs under the 2x12s and you'll eliminate that flex.

You can kind of see it in this pic from my shop; the solid-core door that my shotshell press sits on has a couple 2x6 legs to firm it up and resist the downward pressure of the press.

137200

[44man]

That will work. Good job there. I use a very strong table I got from work when they installed new. This whole thing will adjust up or down by turning handles. Office desk.
For room I use a Thompson tool rest, best thing ever. Screw the plate on the table and I made plates for every press, trimmer, powder measure, etc. I must have 20 things that slide into it, snug a few cap screws and go. Slide it out after and the bench is clear. 3 shotgun presses, lube sizer and on and on, even a vise. I only have my old RCBS Big Max bolted to the table.

[mistermog]

Yeah thats the thing, I could get a big heavy desk but I dont want to deal with lugging giant things up the stairs :) looks like my idea could work, as long as i put a leg on the bottom. good to know :) Most of the home made benches im seeing are big and would be awesome, just not up stairs. (And what Ill get next house)

[44man]

Ya know I brought my 700+ safe into the basement and also my Lathe. Nothing will ever be taken out. I do not want to go UP.
I hate to say it but you must move to your own house.

[rintinglen]

A piece at a time it is not too heavy. Your idea of a 2 x12 will work, provided you firmly attach the shelf to the wall AND run 2x4 braces at a 45 degree angle to the studs in the wall. You will need at least 4 1/2 inch quarter inch bolts to mount the braces to the wall. Shorter bolts can hold the bench to the braces.

[mistermog]

Yeah I was going to use some good size bolts, but Ive never actually done anything like this before. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't give me any cubby space for any of the dies or accessories or anything. Still deciding what to do. I am trying to think of a way to maybe brace up the desk I have now.

[Shottist]

Another thought. I made a stand from 1 1/2" galvanized pipe with a metal base (round, about 16") and a square metal top (bolted press & bullet sizer to this). Welded pipe couplings on base & top. Easy to move anywhere by "rolling" on base. Nothing bends, no vibration. Also have a similar stand for my bench grinder.

[mongoose33]

You might also consider something like these press stands:

http://www.midwayusa.com/shop/reloading-benches-and-stands/reloading-supplies

One other thing: I've made, over the years, some pretty stout benches out of 2x4s and 2x6s. I bolt them together which means they can be disassembled easily and carted off in lighter pieces.

Here's a previous iteration of one of those. The top is a solid-core door; the legs are 2x4s. My father-in-law taught me the trick of using levelers on the bottom to tighten the whole thing up:

137264137265

That bench was for making golf clubs but the top has been repurposed as the "bench" to which my shotshell press is attached (see post above).

Here's a smaller version of that bench, to which I have attached BOTH my Hornady LnL AP and my Lee Classic Cast:

137266

That bench is only 39" wide! There's enough room to the right of the Classic Cast press for me to put bullets or whatever, and though it looks crowded, it's really not.

Anyway, the point, longwinded it might be, is that you can dismantle the benches to make them easy to move. The advantage to this is should you eventually move, you can take the bench with you and it's ready to rock the way it is. Unbolt the presses, unbolt the legs, down the stairs you go.

I actually have a six-foot-long bench that I have stashed in my attic:

137267

No particular use for it at the moment, but I'm not throwing it away. It's stored with the bench top taken off, two sets of legs,and the long cross-pieces. Easy enough to move it from my basement to my attic.

BTW: If you choose to go the way of making a bench w/ 2x6s or 2x12s or some such for the top, unless they're dead-perfect straight and true, the top will want to rack on you when you bolt them to the cross-pieces underneath the top. It's why I switched to either plywood or solid-core doors for the tops. They're true and flat to begin with, no fiddling with trying to get it all to sit square.

Anyway, good luck.

[milkman]

You might try adding a layer of3/4" plywood to the top of your desk. Screw or bolt it to the existing top and you should be good to go.

[runfiverun]

2x12 is a bit much on the wall end.
I use a 2x4 on the wall and sides and use a 2x6 on the front and 4x4 legs.
adding an extra leg at the mount point of a press or right close to it eliminates a ton of flex.
you can also add extra squares of ply-wood under the press to spread out the stress,
it's like adding a washer to a bolt head.

[P.J.Plinkerton]

Mine looks similar to the FA portable one in the link above, except that the base is metal from an old café table and the top is three pieces of 1x12 laminated together. The key to something like that is to make sure leverage point of the press is well inside the circumference of the base to keep it from tipping.
Everything else for the reloading session can go on a nearby desk or even a TV tray.

[typz2slo]

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=bench+grinder+stand

Something like this and adding another shelf lower to store your lead on would add weight to it to keep it stable. I have a stand out in the shop that was used for a shotgun press but its a blind flange from high pressure pipeline piping but it takes two people to pick it up. Basically a disk on the floor and piping like Shottist mentioned above.

[mistermog]

you guys are giving me some great ideas here, thanks :) im thinking of trying this first... just getting a 2x4 and using it as a brace under the desk to firm it up. should solve most of my issues for now (and the easiest). will try that this week.

[GrantA]

If I'm understanding correctly your original idea was to use a length of 2x12 as a "shelf" to mount a press? I'd think you'd be fine with heavy duty shelf brackets like these http://www.lowes.com/pd_48989-46882-25224PHLLG_0__?productId=1090555&Ntt=shelf+bracket&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dshelf%2Bbracket&facetInfo=

Use deck screws (not sure you could put the smallest of lag bolts in there) to attach to the studs ,or better yet I can't find them on their site but I have used these, they are smaller diameter than lags but have aggressive teeth and a wide head that would work great
http://www.ultimategarage.com/shop/images/spaxgreenflathead-a.jpg

[Landshark9025]

This is what I use:
http://costcocouple.com/bayside-furnishings-onin-project-table/

Not too bad to get upstairs, you can always take it up piece by piece. Also, once assembled, the top is easily removed and then left with the two end pieces. Can easily be moved by two guys at that point.

Mine free stands in the middle of a bedroom.

[dudel]

Rather than bolt brackets to the wall, I'll bolt a 2x4 to the wall studs. That would support the table across the entire length. Use plenty of screws to anchor the table to the supporting 2x4.

I would then take either 4x4 (or 2- 2x4) and use them to transfer the force either straight down to the floor or cut angles on the bottom and tie them diagonally back to where the wall meets the floor. Straight down to the floor would be easiest, angled back to the wall would tie up less floor space (and not have to deal with carpet flex).

You could get clever and hinge the back so the table could be stored flat against the wall.

[David2011]

Here's how I built mine. The frame is all 2x4 construction. Your loading tools will help you determine how far the top need to overhang the counter top. I was going to put laminate (Formica) on a ply top but the local price was ridiculous. I ended up using red oak veneered 3/4 ply for the top sealed with 5 coats of wipe-on Minwax oil based polyurethane. It's very easy to use.

The bench I'm describing is not attached to the wall so a little different from your requirements. The front and back long supports are 2 2x4s on edge with short pieces of 2x4 on edge as spacers every 2 feet. The front and back longerons (long structural board) are connected with additional 2x4s on edge. Build the inner portion first and then add the spacers and outer longerons, just to make screwing the shorter connecting 2x4s in place. The top is screwed and glued on, screwed from the bottom since I ended up using nice wood. The legs are sandwiched between the pairs of 2x4s at the ends of the frame. Since you're attaching to a wall the back only needs to be a single 2x4 longeron. Space the short dimension 2x4s to give lots of support to the presses.

The bench top has threaded brass inserts set into it in 3 places in a bolt pattern shared by numerous mounting plates. All of my single stage presses, powder measures, case trimmer, bench priming tool, etc. are mounted to plates with a matching pattern so any tool can be mounted at any of the three positions. The presses are on 1/2" steel plates. Everything else is on 1/4" birch aircraft ply like you can get at hobby shops and craft stores.

These pictures offer a little information about the supporting construction but are mostly about the mounting system I made. All tools except the powder measures are held in place with 1/4" socket head capscrews using a T-handled wrench for quick and easy tightening and removal. The powder measures have flat head countersunk Phillips screws to secure them because the socket heads were in the way when moving cartridge blocks around. Note that by doubling the 2x4s along the front edge the bench has no additional supports other than at the corners for the full 8 foot span. The "L" add-on bolts to the front of the long piece and only has legs at its right end. There is a little flex when sizing cases that require a lot of pressure but it is not noticeable by the press operator. An observer can see maybe 1/4" of flex at the center press position. There are 2x12s glued and screwed to the front and back long boards and to the bottom of the counter top under the 2 positions where presses are mounted, to increase stiffness. Without the stiffeners the center of the ply top will bow upward slightly when sizing cases that take a lot of pressure. Overall I have been very happy with this setup. The largest cartridge loaded on it so far has been .300 Win Mag.


137762 137761 137763 137764 137765 137766 137767


David

[Ballistics in Scotland]

If you need a reloading bench you can move about, a jeweler's bench, with a large round cutout from the front centre, is good. It positions the press behind the front legs, so there is little or no tendency to tip the thing over.

[David2011]

Pictures added, post 18.

David

[olafhardt]

Does any body put some kind of lip on their bench to keep stuff from rolling off?

[GrantA]

no lip, we just mount em level ;-) seriously though, I wouldn't see it as a good idea, it'd interfere with more things than it'd help with IMHO

[cajun shooter]

Mistermog, I see a lot of ideas but they all involve the bolting down of your loading equipment. I learned many years ago to never bolt anything to my bench. Bolt all of your presses onto pieces of wood and then when needed, mount them to your desk with c-clamps when they are needed. I only have a loading area that is a metal work bench with a wafer board top. I added a 3/4 piece of plywood to the top of that for added strength. The top area is 4 L X 2 D and was purchased at Lowes in a bin. If I had my press, shotshell loader, lube/sizer, and trimmer all bolted to that bench, I'd have no room to use them. When all of the loading tools are removed, the bench then becomes my gun work bench. The bench was purchased in a flat box and assembled with nuts and bolts which makes it easy to tear down if that time should arise. Take care David

[mistermog]

Wow now thats a big bench david! :)

So far I've found out mounting my lee single stage between my big press and my luber, that the only motion i get is when im extracting cases. Im thinking a dowel just wedged in there to support the bench top would help things a ton. I may try that next time im at lowes. :) Thanks for that idea guys, im going to hold on to this desk as long as i can.

[mongoose33]

Does any body put some kind of lip on their bench to keep stuff from rolling off?

I've done either of two things: I use a gun cleaning mat on the flat spots where I put stuff that can roll off, or I use the matting that you buy for lining a toolbox.

You can see what that stuff looks like in this pic:

137961

[mistermog]

cajun, that would have been a good idea but ive had my LnL AP and luber mounted for a few years already. :)

[gloob]

It is possible to add some reinforcement to the computer desk. A 1x2, end on, under the front lip of the bench surface, running the entire length of the bench top. Glue and screw. You can add as many as you need, but 1 or 2 should do it. A piece of 3/4 plywood underneath the press will also help, by doubling the thickness, there.

Here's a pic showing how I reinforced my single 3/4" plywood benchtop.
http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv241/gloob27x/DSC_1747_zps87173e23.jpg
This is a crappy little semi-disposable bench I cobbled together for my own townhouse, using about a third of a sheet of plywood, in sum, and a few other assorted scraps. These measly reinforcements underneath the benchtop increase the rigidity by several fold.

I would think it to be impractical to support a press with an L bracket into the wall. The 2x4 studs you are screwing into will flex. I would want at least one leg underneath the press, close to the press handle. It doesn't need to be big. The legs of my bench are just strips of 3/4 ply.

I think two legs, one on either side of the press, a tiny bench surface, and an L bracket to the wall just to prevent swaying, would do the job very nicely.

[David2011]

Mistermog, I see a lot of ideas but they all involve the bolting down of your loading equipment. I learned many years ago to never bolt anything to my bench. Bolt all of your presses onto pieces of wood and then when needed, mount them to your desk with c-clamps when they are needed. I only have a loading area that is a metal work bench with a wafer board top. I added a 3/4 piece of plywood to the top of that for added strength. The top area is 4 L X 2 D and was purchased at Lowes in a bin. If I had my press, shotshell loader, lube/sizer, and trimmer all bolted to that bench, I'd have no room to use them. When all of the loading tools are removed, the bench then becomes my gun work bench. The bench was purchased in a flat box and assembled with nuts and bolts which makes it easy to tear down if that time should arise. Take care David

I'm doing pretty much the same thing; just built the "clamps" into the bench top. When the screws are removed the bench is almost as if nothing was ever there. The holes in the brass inserts are inconsequential when I don't have a tool on a plate mounted in on of the positions. I frequently move the various tools around depending on if I'm prepping brass, priming, loading, etc. It takes just a minute or two to reconfigure the entire bench top. The tools I mount include a Forster case trimmer, Dillon Super Swage, 2 powder measures, an RCBS bench priming tool and 3 different presses.

David2011

[David2011]

Wow now thats a big bench david! :)



It runs out of space pretty fast. The short "L" under the air conditioner is the casting bench. All of my casting is done in that 2x4 foot area other than "smelting" and lubing. The lubrisizer is mounted on a separate bench fashioned from a roll-around tool box.

David