Reloading bench bench-top material

[lightman]

I was interested in the static issue myself. I'm eventually going to put formica of something similar on top of mine. Mine will only be used for loading. I cast on the steel table in my shop and clean and work on guns in another place.

[Moonie]

My bench has 2 layers of 3/4" plywood, it's STURDY.

[dikman]

I re-used parts of our old kitchen benchtop when we re-built the kitchen. Thick high-density chipboard (which I screwed to another piece to make it thicker). The top is a laminate and has proven to be very durable (except where my wife burnt it!) with no static issues. Should be fine as long as you don't spill hot lead on it!!

[RCE1]

My bench is a recycled IKEA lower cabinet set and the top is a very thick chunk of their MDF covered by oak veneer. The whole thing is anchored to the wall and I routed out grooves for aluminum track about 5' long. This allows me to easily mount a variety of tools, adjust their positions or remove them altogether without tools, yet everything is very sturdy.

[Kenstone]

A partial area in metal where you cast or work with solvents or any other activity that would mar the other selection.
Make the underlayment thick and dense.
Want to stop press flex? Mount your presses to 1/4" plates that are at least 2" larger than the press base. Lag them to the top.

Attachment 212071

Yea, I found these 6x6x1/4" steel plates locally($4 ea.), with a hole in each corner, bought one for each press because they all have different bolt patterns.
I cut off one corner so the rear hole was the farthest away from the bench edge.
I could have left them square, but this shape gets the side bolts further out to the side and back from the edge.
1/4" plate is too thin to tap so I used T nuts for threads.




No deflection on up or down stroke, and no need to over engineer/bulk up the bench top either.
Works for me,


Edit:My "bench" is only a 38" wide closet, so I just swap out presses and have only one on the bench at a time.

[OS OK]

Nice...I like how you put them on an angle like that and used the T-nuts. That's using the ole grey matter! I welded studs in from the bottom and ground them flush...same difference though, they hold the press nice and snug.
It's amazing how just a little bit larger footprint will stop that pesky flexing of the edge of the bench but that bench top still has to be thick and well braced and secured to do it's part.

That extra plate area now becomes a place to anchor a good magnet or two...they hang onto little allen wrenches or other tools and one of mine holds my case gage from getting knocked off the bench. On my Rock Chucker side there's a magnet that holds the little tin of Imperial Sizing Wax...there's just no end to the uses for a handy magnet.

[retread]

My bench is a recycled IKEA lower cabinet set and the top is a very thick chunk of their MDF covered by oak veneer. The whole thing is anchored to the wall and I routed out grooves for aluminum track about 5' long. This allows me to easily mount a variety of tools, adjust their positions or remove them altogether without tools, yet everything is very sturdy.

I was thinking of putting one of those "T" tracks in one of my benches to hold various tools (case trimmer. bench prime. etc) but I was concerned that it would be a collection point for stray small items and dirt. I also thought of putting in some threaded inserts with set screws in them when not in use. Any comments?

[RCE1]

Yeah, little stuff will fall down into the tracks, but it's so easily brushed or blown out it isn't a concern. I put down two aluminum channels and it's much sturdier than just one would be. I have adapted a few lightweight tools to just use one bolt up through the bottom, like a powder measure stand. I use the Inline Fabrication mounts so everything is pretty modular.

[mikeatl]

On mine I used 2 pieces of 3/4 cabinet plywood , 1 piece of regular 3/4 plywood, and along the front I used a 2x12 laid flat for more support . Probably overkill but oh well. Mike

[W.R.Buchanan]

Formica is definitely the way to go. I have several benches with it and it is virtually impervious to almost anything that might get spilled on it. I use Acetone and Oil Eator to clean the tops of my benches which mostl have wood grained Formica.

Another way to go is buy a section of Formica Counter Top from a big box store and make your bench out of that. It can be added on top of a heavier bench if needed, and the rolled lip on the front prevents stuff from rolling off. If you need to mount a press to it you just put a piece of plywood under the press for a spacer to get it above the lip on the counter top.

I made one for my Wife's Jewelry Hobby using a square tube frame and a counter top. It is a nice bench that she never uses. I think I am going to commandeer it and use it in my shop.

Randy

[winelover]

Another vote for the pre-fab counter tops from Lowes or H.D. Been using a Formica butcher block one for the last forty years.....held up well. Static isn't a problem, my RCBS Chargemaster doesn't seem to mind.

Winelover

[Petrol & Powder]

My reloading bench top is a sheet of 3/4" cabinet grade hardwood plywood. It was sanded, stained and then sealed with spar urethane. That worked great for a reloading bench and it has held up beautifully. That surface is easy to clean.

I have secondary bench that I use for gun cleaning and other equipment (lubrisizer, case trimmer, shotgun presses, etc.)
That bench gets a lot more abuse so I went with stain and linseed oil. I don't care if it gets beat up and stained with solvents/grease/dirt/whatever.

To save space, I made removable "plugs" with tools mounted to the removable sections (lubrisizer, shotgun presses, etc. )

Attachment 212337Attachment 212338Attachment 212339

That bench top is actually 3 pieces of plywood sandwiched together (glued and screwed) to make space for the removable sections. It is very thick and sturdy. I put aluminum trim on the edges to catch stray parts before they roll off the edge.
That bench gets beat up a lot more than the reloading bench

My casting table consists of a plywood top covered with a thin sheet of steel. The sheet metal was epoxied to the plywood and I used cold blue to blacken it and prevent rust.

[Petrol & Powder]

By the way, prior to making the removable sections on the bench top; I used "T" nuts under the top to secure equipment to the bench.
That required multiple hole patterns and multiple "T" nuts in order to mount different tools. It also required a wrench or a nut driver to change tools.
The removable sections are much faster to change out and don't require tools.

[Pavogrande]

My benches are 2x4 frame 2' x 8' screwed to studs - 4 ea 2x4 legs evenly spaced in front -- a 2x4 framed shelf is inside the front legs and outside the back legs also screwed to studs --
Top is 2 layers of 3/4 x 24x96 partical board or OSB covered by 1/8 masonite - I don't care if it gets marred or stained - It don't move period --
My benches are also about 40-42 inches hi -- The tops are 24 deep because I don't like a lot of junk accumulating on top.
I have a 5" engineers vise on one end and even threading 3/4" pipe does not lift bench --

got carried away and forgot -- I don't use formica -- too slick and too brittle for my taste --

[ih772]

My bench has 3/4" plywood covered in 12"x 12" peel and stick tiles. If I screw one up I can heat it up with a hair dryer and peel it off, then stick down a replacement. It's held up very well.

[Beau Cassidy]

One of my benches has a laminated 2 by 4 butcher block style of top I made. The other is 3 pieces of 3/4 inch birch plywood. Both are stout. What I don't understand is why everybody puts a metal plate or support on the top of the press when (to me) it looks like you need it under the bench. Isn't most of the energy on the downstroke when sizing? Using a plate on the bottom helps diffuse this energy to the bench and keeps the bolts from digging in. I really can't see where putting one on top would help.

This is how I have my presses. Someone gave me a piece of stainless steel plate. I just cut appropriately using a smile as and metal cutting blade and installed for the Rock Chucker and Big Max.

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[KMac]

I used 2 x 4 for the frame screwed into the wall studs, 2x6 top with 4x4 front legs, and the top covered in masonite.
I weigh 250 and I jumped up and down on it to test it. It did not move at all. Have my presses over one of the 4x4 legs and the bench does not move while reloading.

[dverna]

Many ways to get’er done. I have built three that used Masonite as a replaceable top veneer. I also bought a couple from Costco that were steel frames with butcher block tops. And I made a butcher block top that I attached to steel shelves....won’t spend the time to do that again. I have salvaged Formica counter tops for my next benches.


Look for returns or damaged counter tops at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Costs are reasonable.

[Shawlerbrook]

Polyurethaned 3/4” plywood. Under my presses I have squares of salvaged steel road signs. It has held up for years so far.

[fralic76]

SNIP.... What I don't understand is why everybody puts a metal plate or support on the top of the press...


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I use a piece of 1/2" plate drilled and tapped for my presses so I can move them and put a different press on my bench.




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