Advice on loading bench

[starmac]

I am finally setting up my loading bench. These are the dimensions 5 feet long, 30 inches deep and the top of the bench is 37 1/2 inches high it has an 18 inch wide drawer unit under each end and will eventually have a 1 foot deep shelf unit mounted on top. The bench top is actually a 3 inch thick oak cutting board, so it is heavy and rock solid. My question right now is where to mount my two presses for the handiest uses, One will basically be used for a universal decapping die, or at least that is my plan (I think) or should I just mount one. I will be loading several calibers in rifle and handgun. Any suggestions as to the handiest places would be appreciated before I drill the holes.

[bumpo628]

I would mount one on each end of the bench. You can keep the middle open for staging on either press.

[Black Prince]

It doesn't matter where you drill them because no matter where you do, you are going to get started loading and decide the press is in the wrong place. Reloading benches CAN NOT be too big.

All the best and good luck with the new bench. By the time you build about your fourth or fifth one, you'll have a better idea about how you want a bench laid out and where to mount the press. Until then, it's a work in progress.

[starmac]

I hear you, but you guys have the knowledge already after moving them a few times I was hoping to glean from. Mine can't be any bigger, so this one will have to do for now, in fact it will have a 9 foot drop off on the edge of it. lol

[Von Gruff]

Providing that you are right handed this may give you a guide.

There will be many with bigger and better set ups than I have but this is what has been my bench for over 30 years. Mine is 7'6" long though. I found that about 32" in from the left was about right for my main press with 15" to the decapping press and a further 18 in to the lubrisizer. I have my digital scales and arbour press with dies on the shelves to the left with primer, storage under. Have a seperate safe for powders and ammo and rifles. I built a seperate '8'x 4' bench in the room to do rifle and leather work on. Both benches have 2"thick tops on heavy legs so are very sturdy.



Von Gruff.

[starmac]

Von Gruff that is exactly the kind of reply I was hopeing to get and will probablly work for me. Mine will be a will be a foot shorter, but for awhile I will be using the same press that I decap with some lee dies to size with too. Is your powder measure mounted permantly where it is shown in the picture. I am right handed I intended to state that but forgot it. I already have seperate cabinets for powder and componants and bullets too. Thanks a bunch. Oh yea that looks like some beeeg knives.

[bumpo628]

Here's another idea.

Mount the presses to some thick plywood and c-clamp them to the table. After using them for a while, you'll figure out where they need to be.

I bolted one down and the other I have on plywood. The other day, I brought the mobile press inside and clamped it to the living room table to do some hull processing while watching tv.

[liljohnnie]

With a bench so small i would definitely consider a Pat Marlins RockDock system setup.

[starmac]

The bench will be for loading only with separate storage, surely 5 foot X 30 inches will be acceptable for two single stage presses. I do intend to get a turret this summer, but one of these will be removed then.

[Artful]

Oh, you can get buy in a quite small space - at one point I used the 18" wide bread/cutting board that pops out of a kitchen cabinette - Jammed a board under it to carry stess to floor and c-clamped my presses over the top of the strut. Did case forming on it no problem.

I agree make them moveable to start with. then When you decide IF you want it permenantly there look at Pat's docking system or someone else's even make your own but that is the best meathod to use when you have changeable equipment. Oh, and owning more than one press myself I don't advocate getting rid of your old press.

[starmac]

I plan to keep 2 presses, but I think I want the lee classic turret and will get one before I get rid of one, I will eventually upgrade the other one with a classic cast. I really think I would just as soon they were mounted solid as I don't plan to be moving them, but I could be wrong. I have plenty of room to set up with the measurements on Von Gruffs above or can have more room between them if I want. If I ever decide to get a lubrisizer it will be setup on a differant bench.

[geargnasher]

With a bench so small i would definitely consider a Pat Marlins RockDock system setup.

I was thinking the same thing. If I were limited to space that small, I'd most certainly plan on spending the green for about six plates and two bases, and use the space underneath the bench to build a rack to store the devices not in use, wrapped in trash bags to keep dust and gunpowder from filtering into them. Since the bench is a generous depth (you will probably only need and use about the first 12-14" of depth on a press bench) you can make up your lost underbench storage with a tall, full-width benchtop storage cabinet with lots of cubbyholes for your dies, powder, etc., etc.

Other than using the RockDock, the only other universal suggestion I can offer is if you use a beam-type poweder scale, make an open shelf on your top cabinet that is eye-level when perched before your reloading press so you can read it better. You can also make a swing-out arm for your powder measure that will stow in the upper shelf unit when not in use and save bench space.

Gear

[Love Life]

4X4 legs, 2X4 supports all around, And the top is made of 3 2X10 bords for a 28 1/2 top. the top is 5 1/2 feet long. Has room to keep my Dillon 550 and lee single stage permanently mounted, and leave room for me to put my furnace on top and do all my casting. I have a vice on an adjustable base on one end and my lube sizer on the other end. I built a shelf about halfway down. That holds most of my lead, my brass, dies, and reloading blocks. I can send you pics if you want. All told it cost me $115 for all the materials from lowes.

[Pressman]

Artful has a bright idea using the cutting board. My bench has 6 slots along the front for inserting 9 inch wide cutting boards. All presses and some other tolls I use are mounted to 9x14"bread boards". It is a simple matter to mix and match simply by sliding one in a slot. Lets me use a single press set up for one caliber. Or two, one for seating and one for sizing.
Plywood works for the boards but solid oak or yellow pine is better. Some plywood has a weak core.
Ken

[starmac]

Gearnasher What would I use 6 plates for with two presses, what other equipment are you mounting on them, scales trimmer.

Love life Your setup is 6 inches longer than mine, and sounds pretty simple and compact.
I don't plan on casting on mine or mounting a lubrisizer press, so I think I should have plenty of room. I think my tumbler will probably even be on the other cabinet.
What do you use a vice for and do you find you use it a lot. I have several portable vices, but had no plans to put one up where my bench will be setup.

I am one who likes to keep things as simple as possible.

[Black Prince]

I didn't mean to sound flippant SM, but I didn't want to get into what I do because that probably will not suit you and your current situation. But since some have done that and you have expressed interest in seeing it, above are two photo's of how I am set up. I am right handed and I always want enough room on the left side of my press for a loading block and a can of bullets to load on the right side of it. Between the Lyman All American and the Dillon is sufficient room to do that using either press. I don't keep the Mec loader screwed down. It's just there to be out of the way. I don't keep the sizer lubercators screwed down. There are two holes in the bench top that I mount them to it with 3/8 bolts and wingnuts and I mount the Mec in the same place in the same way. I just have the Mec and the lubersizers here to show you where they would go if I was using them. By keeping that stuff off the bench until I need it, the bench top is always open to do the projects I need to do without my tools being in the way. I hope this helps you get set up so it will work for you.

[starmac]

Flippant, That must be one of them ninth grade words. lol You are probably right, but I can always hope can't I. lol So far I keep looking at Von Gruffs setup, Mine will have a full row of shelves/cabinet across the back, but I think it is a doable setup that I can work with.

I like all suggestions though, just would like to figgure what will work best for me.

[Black Prince]

Yes. Von Gruff has a good bench top set-up with room to store things under his bench. I can make a mess at times, such as above when letting the Lee Liquid Alox lube dry on a batch of 45 ACP bullets, so I like to keep as much open area as I can on my bench top. You are always going to have little projects like this come up and if you have all of your tools permanently bolted to your bench top, you will not have room to work. If you have any room at all that it isn't absolutely necessary to permanently bolt a tool to, try to find a way to leave it open so you will have room to do other loading/scope mounting/rifle cleaning/replacing guitar strings projects on your bench top. You can always bolt a tool on if you need it later.

[Ickisrulz]

Are you planning on standing to reload? 37 1/2 inches high will be too short.

[Artful]

I like all suggestions though, just would like to figgure what will work best for me.

Unfortunately that seems to change over time, I found when doing high volume single caliber cast boolit loading it meant one thing
(Just set up progressive press and then had multiple 20 pound pots)

But when doing multiple calibers, case forming, and more limited casting it required different set up.

As my shooting habits changed so did my needs.

So take your best guess and then it's the old trial and Error system.