Distance between presses.

[Wayne Smith]

Starmac, before you bolt anything down think of where your powder measures will be. Do you mount them deeper, and reach, or beside your press, or are they mounted on the press? Which measures are used with which press? Are your presses dedicated for pistol and rifle or are they used for both? Do your loading blocks go in front of the press (I have a Brown Bair that mounts on top of the bench) or do they go beside the press? Lots of details to think about in the actual use that go well beyond the physical space for the press. Clamp a press or two to the bench and actually load some before you start drilling holes.

I load sitting in an old office chair on casters that swivels. This impacts how I mount things.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Art: Four Spolars is a bit much. Most people don't even know what a Spolar is. His sign says "No such thing as too much ammo." That's good cuz a complete moron can make 800+ rounds an hour on a Spolar. He definitely is into his sport if he was willing to make that much of a commitment to it. They are about $1700 each. But they do hold value well.

Hope he shoots a lot.

Randy

[Salmon-boy]

Ok, this is now my Desktop image!!

The bumper sticker is what makes it for me.. My wife says "Wow! I can't believe how tidy it is!"

[geargnasher]

I thought I was the only one who grain-matched drawer fronts. Excellent!

I've studied the metallic-cartridge loading press spacing thing quite a bit and came up with a very firm number, just can't remember it right now. I'll measure when I get home.

Gear

[Petrol & Powder]

Attachment 92429Attachment 92430Attachment 92431


I've got two benches and one is dedicated to the Dillon 550 and a single stage press. They are about 24' apart and the Dillon got the prime real estate. The second bench is used mostly for cleaning, repairs and other functions. That bench has a removable section that allows me to slide in replacement sections with other tools mounted on them. A shotgun shell press, a case trimmer, my lubersizer, etc.

[bigtee]

I have 3 presses on a 4' bench, sometimes it's a little tight, but never much of a problem.

[gefiltephish]

This is my bench. The tracks are embedded into the benchtop and you mount/slide your equipment up and down the entire length of the bench where ever you need/want it at any time. Never worry about drilling holes into the wrong place again. I did this 2 or 3 years ago and have no regrets what-so-ever.

More images here, but they don't enlarge for some reason.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post1477760

[geargnasher]

Attachment 92429Attachment 92430Attachment 92431


I've got two benches and one is dedicated to the Dillon 550 and a single stage press. They are about 24' apart and the Dillon got the prime real estate. The second bench is used mostly for cleaning, repairs and other functions. That bench has a removable section that allows me to slide in replacement sections with other tools mounted on them. A shotgun shell press, a case trimmer, my lubersizer, etc.

I remember reading an article in Guns n Ammo back in the early 90s (Jeff Cooper's column maybe?) about building a bench with the removable press mounts like this. Good idea.


The magic, minimum measurement for press spacing, including progressive, turret, single-stage, etc. is 25" on centers, with the right side of the press base set back three inches from the right margin if on a corner or against a wall, unless you have a roller handle and you might need to move the press an additional inch or so to the left. Try as I might, 24" between press centers just flat out wasn't enough.

Gear

[jmort]

"Most people don't even know what a Spolar is"

I thought it was a wad, which it is, but obviously it is much more.

[Petrol & Powder]

Geargnasher - Thanks, but make no mistake, the removable mounts are not my original idea. I'm certain I stole that idea from someone else.
Gefiltephish - I like the rails !

My latest bench incarnations are still a work in progress. Each time I move or reconstruct a bench, I incorporate some new ideas. Immediately after completing a bench I think of something I could have done better and launch the design phase again. I did the math and if I'm correct, I'll have the perfect bench setup 11.7 years after I die.

[quasi]

I have a 7 foot bench, and all my presses, sizers and powder measures, case trimmers are mounted when I need them via c clamps.

[MBTcustom]

I have a 7 foot bench, and all my presses, sizers and powder measures, case trimmers are mounted when I need them via c clamps.

I gotta say that after chewing up the front edge of my workbench with holes drilled for every shape and style press I have, and more as they came, I ended up having more holes than I had little screws to plug them If you know what I mean. No tellin how many little parts, screws, boolits, primers, and gas checks fell through all those darn holes!
I unloaded my bench last year, and flipped it around (not an easy chore, it's built like a tank with a top 4" X 3' X 8' and framed with 4x4's braced in every direction with 45* angles).
I was trying to devise a way of holding the presses on there solidly enough for the most rigorous sizing operations, while not compromising my work surface in any way. I've been using C clamps. LOL!
If I have a really tough sizing operation, I strap the press to the milling machine table with toe clamps (Nothing like 3700lb of workbench to give you a little bit of stability!)
Anyway, this works and I don't see any reason to change.

[fredj338]

I have three presses mounted & went with 18" space between each as min. Closer & it's crowded, further & you need a lot more bench.