Press that doesn't turn bench over?

[Drew P]

The RCBS Summit press configuration is such that you can direct the handle forces down through the front legs.

That’s true, and wouldn’t wish one on my worst enemy. Terrible design. Unless you want portable, and don’t mind that it weighs a ton.

[Mr_Sheesh]

If you can't mount to the wall but can mount a suitably built bench to the floor at the rear legs, that can do it. (4-6 dry wall screws gives quite a bit of holding power to most wooden floors, for example.)

[6bg6ga]

The problem can be solved by spending less than $30 for some cement blocks and tie straps. You make a small wall of cement blocks probably( 3 or 4 cement blocks tall depending on the height that you want) on each side of your top. You use the tie straps on each side to attach the bench top to the cement blocks. You stand back and admire the fact that you just saved $450 or more by not purchasing a $500 press.

The cement block wall is tied together with the use of the tie straps and the top is attached to the cement blocks. There is enough weight and it is secure and doesn't move. If one wants to move it in the future its very easy to take down and move to its new location.

[mdi]

This set-up was pretty stable for me and would easily fit into a closet when top removed and stand folded up.

[retread]

A small sturdy cabinet with a double layer of 3/4" plywood for the top and bottom. Store your lead in the cabinet resting on the bottom. That should solve your problem.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

There was a line of presses called Wamadet made in the UK, which would have been entirely above tabletop level, but in fact came permanently mounted on a baseboard which extended a little further towards you than the maximum arc of the handle. You just took it from wherever you kept it, set it on the bench top, and strained away without toppling it forwards.

There wasn't really enough of a market to keep it going in the UK, and it would have been difficult to export to the land where they invented modern amateur reloading. But they fetch a lot of money from time to time on www.ebay.co.uk . You would think somebody must have done the same in the US.

Alternatively use a special bench I have a very solid beechwood one, made for jewellery work, which has a large semicircular cutout which positions my trusty Rockchucker further back than the front legs. It much resembles the cutout alleged, possibly falsely, to exist in the dining tables of the aldermen of the London city government, to accommodate the result of dining not wisely but too well. The result is that an ordinary press has no tendency to topped the bench.

[Walter Laich]

^ here's a current site that has them for sale

http://www.helstongunsmiths.com/defa...12+09%3A22%3A3

[Petrol & Powder]

While some presses, like a Co-ax, will do better on a small bench than others; the problem really comes down to the bench.

You can make a really massive bench but it's pretty much a losing battle. I gave up on that battle and turned the fight to making a stronger bench, rather than just a heavier one. Attaching the bench to the wall (or two walls) is a far better route.

If you're renting and don't want to make permanent alterations, you can make a bench that clamps into a closet door frame.

I had an acquaintance that moved a lot but was a reloader. He purchased a spare leaf for his kitchen table and bolted his press to that spare table top leaf. When he reloaded, he simply put the spare leaf in the table. The table was oak and rather large, so that system worked for him.

The best method I've found is to attach a ledger board to the wall behind the bench. A couple of carriage bolts are inserted through the board from the rear so that the threaded portion protrudes out when the board is screwed to the wall. Use 3" decking screws to attach the ledger board to the wall studs. A bench with corresponding holes is slid over those carriage bolts and the bench is secured with nuts and washers. This does very little damage to the wall itself (a few holes where the decking screws pass through the sheetrock) AND allows the bench to be easily removed (remove 2 or 3 nuts and the whole thing can be slid away from the wall). If you're super short on space, the bench can be made with folding front legs and stored when not in use.

Good Luck.

[P Flados]

I tried a bunch of different "portable" arrangements.

I found that having the handle come down at an angle greatly improves stability. I can do even hard to size cases with only one C clamp holding the box to a compact sturdy table (formerly an end table from construction lumber).

I eventually put my Lee press on the left side of my "portable" box, and I put the handle on the left side of the press. The press is rotated so that I can pull the handle down down and across with my right hand while leaving my left hand for shuffling cases etc. I also added a "stop" so that for most activities the ram only goes half way down. This speeds up loading handgun ammo a lot.

[Randy C]

The Granit counter top in my apartment is solid as it gets.

[Jack Stanley]

I would agree with the CO-AX users but at the same time if you aren't taking the outfit to the range , bolt something to the wall . You can make a very sturdy mounting system in a closet if you want something small . A lot of the "small" idea comes from "how much ammo do you want to make" . Adjust thing to suit you even if it means a hand press .

Jack

[MOA]

The Granit counter top in my apartment is solid as it gets.

Boy what would we do if most kitchens didn't have a counter end to use. :-0


I must have moved 35 times since 1980. Got so tired of making benches that I quit doing it in 1988. If the residence does not have a kitchen island or counter top end I find another place to live.

[David2011]

The first bench I had was 2'x4', I put horizontal feet on it that ran parallel to the sides and extended six-eight inches beyond the front edge of the bench to it wouldn't tip. The picture is not of my bench but the concept is similar except for the feet extending beyond the top.



A few years ago I made another compact bench from a roll around toolbox base without the wheels. Once it had bullets, dies, tools, etc. loaded in it, it became very stable for my Rock Chucker.

[Dan Cash]

https://www.forsterproducts.com/prod...loading-press/

This is the one. I have 2. I think that they would work if mounted on the end of a verticle 4x4.

[Green Frog]

This set-up was pretty stable for me and would easily fit into a closet when top removed and stand folded up.

I was wondering when this concept would resurface... there was a long thread several yeRs ago about using the Work Mate as the basis for a compact, storable, but steady loading bench arrangement. I’ll track down the thread and add pix later when I’m on my real computer instead of this iPad. I’ll mention that the W-M comes/came in a variety of weights but the heaviest duty variant would probably not be too heavy. I have one of the lighter ones set up with a MEC 600 Jr and it works fine. If set up for metallics on it, I’ll probably use my Lyman All American so I could secure it back from the edge somewhat. I really wanted to make one of the little bench tops with shelf to add some heft to my total W-M package, and if I mount the AA, that’s probably what I’ll do.

Froggie

This concept is discussed several places, including here:
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...loading-bench/

[Ballistics in Scotland]

^ here's a current site that has them for sale

http://www.helstongunsmiths.com/defa...12+09%3A22%3A3

Now that's worth knowing. It doesn't have the forward-extending baseboard they used to have, which makes it usable with no fastening to the tabletop - but a bit of a reach forward with the other hand to position cases etc. Still, how expensive and troublesome can a locally purchased piece of board be?

An alternative to the cutout in the front edge of the bench, which I mentioned, would be a couple of wooden or metal bars, extending forward, to bolt or otherwise fasten to the bottom of the legs.

[DonMountain]

https://www.forsterproducts.com/prod...loading-press/

This is the "typical" press with the pull down handle in the front that likes to turn-over the small table. All of the other manufactures produce this same typical type of press operation. The only difference is this Forster press has a different type of die mounting. So this one doesn't really resolve the problem.

[Artful]

This is the "typical" press with the pull down handle in the front that likes to turn-over the small table. All of the other manufactures produce this same typical type of press operation. The only difference is this Forster press has a different type of die mounting. So this one doesn't really resolve the problem.

So you've owned a Co-ax? I used to set mine up on a board that replaced the bread board in the kitchen cabinets - no issue doing that - when I mounted RCBS press that way I had to jamb a 2x4 under the bread board.

[jmorris]

The co-ax isn’t too bad I have an MEC mounted to a board that can just sit on a flat surface. Most metallic presses will need some sort of a ridged mount if not for the compression load, the tension load coming up with the handle and pulling the case off the expander.

This is the only one I have that can just sit there but it’s kind of cheating as the forces that operate it are self contained.

[robg]

Wamadet press is what I use ,just put it on any flat surface job done .it uses std dies etc they turn up on eBay every now and then.