Loading Room Office Design

[Menner]

Well I guess one of the advantages of getting old is you get space back in the house as the Kids grow up, move out and start their own families.
getting ready to turn one of the bedrooms into an office / Reloading room have everything figured out as far as the lay out and what will be going in the room but have a decision to make about the height of my reloading bench. I will have the computer desk which will be at standard desk height but the reloading bench I have now I have setup to use a barstool to sit at it but I find that when I am sizing or case forming I am more comfortable standing.
Now the question is to keep from having more stuff than necessary in the room I was thinking of building this bench at desk height but I would have to use the presses sitting in my office chair and it would not be comfortable to stand at and I don't really want to build the bench twice.
How tall is your bench?
Tony

[Love Life]

My bench is waist high. I mocked it out before I built it. Sitting on a barstool, or standing, arm movement remains much the same. I an sit on my rump and do everything, or if I want to stand, I can do everything.

The barstool I have, has a back on it and I installed a foot ledge on me bench as well. I also screwed a cup holder into the side, but ended up putting a cup with screw drivers in it instead of cold beer.

[Nueces]

Mount your press(es) to a board and use blocks, books or whatever, to elevate your press to your proposed bench height. Now, place the handle at full throw. With your hand in place on the handle, your arm should not be quite fully extended when standing at your operating position. This way, you don't have to drop your shoulder when reaching full stroke. Make sure you are wearing your 'loading shoes.' Try and adjust. You can nail down an accurate usable bench height this way, for each press in your shop. Sub-bases on presses can allow for differing operating heights.

[Menner]

Thanks
I have a Bench in the garage that I use and is at the correct height to stand at and use standing or with my barstool (This will become the casting bench when the move is made) but was wondering if anybody was using a bench at desk height and how they liked it.
My loading shoes in the new loading room will be sox as I kick my shoes off as soon as come in the house
Tony

[lefty o]

for me 35" bench top height works, i can sit on a bar stool or stand.

[Nueces]

I started loading while seated at a desk height bench. Later, when attempting to maximize use of a confined loading area, I adopted a standing position, for three reasons: it gets rid of that darn chair or stool (always in the way), gave me better access to the storage under the bench, and the higher bench was more useful during other tasks, such as gun cleaning. I had thought I was giving something up, but found that I much prefer to stand.

[shooter93]

Mine is at desk height and I use an office chair. I'm pretty tall but it works well for me even when sizing the largest rounds. I also use an RCBS bench primer and a Redding powder measure on a Redding stand. All my equipment is mounted on 3/4 inch oak blocks because I clamp everything on the bench when I need to use it. The presses I used 2 inch oak because of the weight and that would raise them a bit higher than the other tools but I have no problem using any of them.

[Mal Paso]

My reloading bench is 38 1/2" tall / barstool seat. Have never loaded anything that required me to stand but I only load large handgun cartridges.

The forward edge of my casting bench is 31" and I cast sitting down. The major feature of the bench is a sloped forearm rest that doubles as containment should the lead pot fail.

I'd be interested to see what You come up with.

[jmorris]

Sounds like my loading room/office.

My bench is the same height as the built in desk and I operate all of my manual presses sitting, they do require me to adjust the height of my office chair when I change between some of them, for comfort.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/IMAG1256.jpg

[Blackwater]

The height it needs to be depends on your height and posture. I'd suggest that you lay your press on various height tables you have access to, and then try tunning the handle up and down, and make a judgment based on the feel you get, and adjust slightly to suit you. It's YOUR bench, and needs to be made to fit YOU, and what others' benches heights are can give you a ballpark figure, but needs to be modified just for you. Mine is 32" tall and I like it. I use an old RCBS Reloader Special press, and have had and sold or given away 4 Rock Chuckers because I still prefer my older, non-compound leverage press. I wish I has a penny for all the rounds I've used it on! I like its height, but on various days, I might wish it was 1/2" or so taller or shorter, so I must be pretty close to optimum with that kind of vascillation. Just do a little brief analysis, and you'll likely come up very close to your own, personal optimum.

[Whiterabbit]

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/mistakes-first-time-bench-builders

See number 4. Frankly, we should all see ALL of the advice for our loading benches!

For the record, I cut my legs 36", the tabletops sit on that and they vary in height based on age, construction, reconstruction, etc.

Like the article says, your bench will look the same in the end no matter what: beat up, broke up, broke in, and awesome (and in our case, covered in stuff)

:)

[Menner]

I went out last night and did a little messing with my rock chucker paying close attention to how the height felt stood on short stool to change the relationship to the press. I was looking to maybe eliminate furniture from the room but I find that I am comfortable setting while I am weighing charges and loading ammo but I like to stand when sizing or case forming. So to satisfy both positions I am going to have to bring the barstool into the loading room and the bench will be at 36"or Bar height.
I am a firm believer that if you have a horizontal surface it will collect #$%^ so I am going to make the bench a little on the shallow side I am thinking 18" deep and I have 7' of wall to play with so that is how wide it will be should be enough room for a start
Tony

[EMC45]

I second what Love Life said. My old bench before I left GA was around the waist height. I am 5-9 and I believe my bench came up right @ 40 inches. I could load standing or sitting on my drafting chair. Worked great for both.

[Menner]

Finally got back to the reloading room decided that I would go the high bench ended up at 38" to the top edge got it roughed in tonight

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Here is what was keeping me from the reloading room promised the Wife that I would get the foyer, Hall, and Dinning room done before Christmas new floor wanes coating and paint sure is rough on an old guy all that flooring
Tony
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[1845greyhounds]

I like that bench top. If you're going to sit at the bench, I suggest you add a tall kick board to keep your wall free of foot prints.

[lar45]

I have my loading bench set at 38". It's comfortable to stand and work on a gun, or sit on a bar stool to load or lube/size bullets. My bench is abit cluttered, tooo many projects.
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Don't forget to build lots and lots of shelves. I either have too much gun stuff, or need more shelf space.

Every loading room should have a place to sit and relax away from the noise of life.
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Check out the custom antiqued wood...(click on the picture for a close up view)
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Actually the shelves and bench were salvaged from our shop fire 2 years ago. The wife just went to work with the pressure washer and blasted away all of the chared wood. Anything that was burnt too badly we just replaced.

[runfiverun]

I kinda like to stand when loading so my benches are at 40" off the floor and two of the presses have stands on the bench top.
for powder dispensing I built a secondary bench behind the presses about 1' higher than the bench top, so I just reach between the presses to do my powder dumping.
one scale sits on the upper bench and one sits lower to the side it's the one with the trickler.
the electronic powder dispensing scale sits in an open spot on the lower bench, below the dispenser I get the main charge from.

[Menner]

Thanks I wanted to maintain as much floor space as possible as the room gets air mattresses in it when the oldest is in town with the grand kids.

I have a couple of thrift store barstools with backs that I use when I want to sit at the loading bench a lot of the time I stand.

I had not thought about a kick plate on the wall but may have to look at that

The custom antiqued wood looks good I had actually thought about doing a burned wood finish on the counter but I have a desk in the room that I made a few years ago and it is a dark blue formica so this top will get painted as close to he same color as I can get mixed. McCormick Makes a paint that is polyurethane based and dries as hard as a brick and it will not absorb moisture I have used it on other projects and like it a lot so that will be what I use for this Bench

this is the rest of the room there will be many shelves to come I am sure
156722Tony

[Blackwater]

Mine is 32" tall from the floor. It suits me, but we each have different comfort zones due to height, joint problems, etc., etc. The less you like and best deal with bending over, the taller the bench should be, but not by all that much. 34" is probably about maximum, and 30" a minimum, or somewhere in that vicinity, anyway. Just a little taller than your dinner table. It's the the swing of the press's handle that requires it to be a little taller than your dinner table, so you don't have to bend over quite so far in operating the handle. Those of us with bad backs know that a little difference there can make a BIG difference in comfort. FWIW?

[CLAYPOOL]

jmorris, could you give us a few details on your bench.? I have time, welders, and a lack of restraint on doing things...!

[jmorris]

It's a 5" tall truss made from 3/4" box tube with cross braces where presses mount. 1/8" steel plate for the top and shelf.

The "wing" bolts to the rest of the table so I could move it inside by myself. Used machine leveling feet with rubber bottoms.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/IMAG1238.jpg

[Menner]

Got the Bench painted and some LED track lighting put up went with the wire mold so in the future it would be easier for some one to take it down and patch a few screw holes.
Tomorrow will be some shelves and installing the Rock Chucker.
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Tony

[Menner]

Got the Shelves up and the rock chucker mounted loaded my first Boolits in my new reloading room today felt good to be in the house as it was in the mid 40's outside and in the garage.

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Tony

[jmorris]

Looks good Tony, I like the location of the scale.

[Menner]

Thanks
That suggestion came from a thread here one of the members stated the he liked his scale set up higher makes it easier to read and get accurate measurements so I gave it a try and liked it so when I built this bench I set my little platform on the bench but then I had a thought (yes it hurt a little) if I put it up on a little shelf it would be off the surface of the bench.
seems to be good so far
Tony

[bear67]

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These two benches were bought from a school district for $9 for the pair. The bench with presses mounted has a 9 ga steel top and was 34 inches tall. I like to sit down (rolling office chair) for single stage press use so I selected it for loading. I added a 1/4" steel plate to the top to give it rigidity. All presses are mounted with 3/8" bolts that go into drilled and tapped holes. You can remove the bolts and put an allen hex screw in to make the top level. I have an RCBS JR press on left end and a Lyman Turret, RCBS bench primer, and a Herters #3 on the far right (my first press from 1959). The two Dillon 550s are mounted on risers (one if factory Dillon and the other is home fabricated from angle iron and plate--shop scrap) This places them at 43". I am 5' 11" and it is great to stand and use Dillons or sit on bar stool. There is storage at back of bench and shelves on the wall behind. The white drawers are Library card files (good for all those little parts and pieces of reloading "STUFF") that I salvaged from one of my daughter's schools--no cost as they were throwing away. The shelving is 2 x 12 with steel runners underneath and holds the shelves and thousands of rounds of 9 and 45 acp brass.

The workbench with vice was just a top and I fabricated 2" square tubing into legs and a frame with triangle bracing. The bottom shelf storage is 2x pine lumber and holds vibrators, a arbor press and boxes of brass, ect and there are cast and lubed bullets and alloy under the bench in milk crates. This bench was 3/16 steel so all I had to do was weld up some holes where they had mounted equipment. I put a 6" Wilton Tradesman vice on one end, a magnifier light/loupe, and a foredam tool. I use a 5/8 rubber pad and also have carpet to roll out when needed to cushion a gun. This bench was made 36" as I have found that height perfect for my needs metalworking. My woodworking benches are all 36" also.

This all could have been wood, but I had the cheap metal bench and top and scrap steel in my "spare parts repository" I have another table made of 2" square tubing with a formica covered plywood top along with a casting table made with square tubing and angle iron with an aluminum covered plywood top and two lube sizers that are bolted into tapped holes in the table top. I like to say I am not cheap, but i squeek when I walk. I have little out of pocket investment in any of these benches. Used them all day today.

[Menner]

Good looking set up bear67

[Whiterabbit]

agreed. What's the green press? bench primer?

[bear67]

The little green thing between Herters and Lyman Turret is an RCBS bench primer. I use it priming most all rifle brass as it has a great feel when seating primers. You can also use Dillon priming tubes and fill them with automatic filler. The handle is not on it as it sticks out the front of the bench. One shoulder bolt installs it in seconds. This has been a good setup for me, but I started reloading in '58 and everything is still a work in progress. Sometimes gives you an excuse to build something new.