rel bench construction

[hiram]

I bought a house in Florida.

A friend gave me a counter top to use for a rel bench. I plan to attach plywood to the underside for strength.

What is a good way to attach 2X4 or 4X4 legs to a flat top? I'm concerned about the table shaking or wiggling.

[Jim]

Hiram, would THIS (http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/bench/below20.html) do you any good?

[btroj]

Mine is built on top of lower cabinets attached to the wall. I actually screwed a 2.4 flat on the wall that the counter top and cabinets are screwed into. I have a knee gole where I have my press mounted. There are 2 2x4 on edge across the span of the knee hole. The counter top is 2 layers of 3/4 inch plywood. The first was screwed to the cabinets and the wall, the second is glued and screwed to the first. All is painted with oil based garage floor paint.
It is very solid. No real flexing when using the press. Paint has held up well for 8 years or so.it has yellowed and shows stains from solvents but no blistering or peeling.

[Matt3357]

hiram,

Well for a more specific answer to your problem... You have actually come up with the best answer to your own question. Since you are planning on reinforcing the top with plywood, just build your workbench with the plywood as a top then attach your counter top to it with short screws and glue. should be super sturdy.

Matt

[btroj]

I would attach it to the wall if possible. It can not be too solid or top immobile.
A shelf with lots of lead would work too.

[hiram]

I have a wall I can attach it to but it has metal studs. The issue for me, if I were to attach the top to a ledger attached to the wall, is how do I attach the front legs to be solid. Screwing down from the top into the end grain of the leg is not the best joint.

I'm thinking 90* angle brackets and triangle bracing for rigidity.

Hammerzone workbench looks good and it offers a storage shelf. Thanks Jim

[Jim]

Glad to be of service to ya', Sir!

[btroj]

I made a bench at the old house that had a 2x4 frame around the top. The top was directly on top of the frame. The leg were made of 2 2x4 nailed together to form an L and these went inside the frame. The legs were bolted to the frame. It was pretty solid, must needed more weight to keep it from moving when sizing cases.
I would think that even steel studs would hold a ledger board enough to give you some rigidity.

[C.F.Plinker]

I used the sheet metal plates you get at the home center or hardware store. These come in quite a few styles and are with the joist hangers.

[Jal5]

I had a similar situation and built a sturdy base for the top from plans I found online for a workbench. Then I attached a board along the backside and screwed it into the wall in my case a basement block wall. The workbench top was 2x4s with 4x4 legs. The top was screwed and glued to it. A half pail of WW finally loaded down the bottom shelf. If you are interested I will try to find the plans.

Joe

[Southern Son]

I made one very similar to that hammerzone bench, but I put 1/2' ply accross the sides and back a bracing to keep it from wiggling. I also put drawers down one end on the bottom self where I keep any tools I need for working on guns or changing dies or whatever. a second draw holds all my dies. The other end of the bottom shelf is where I store all my J-bullets and some real boolits. The weight helps keep everything steady.

[lwknight]

Another thing that you might want to do is to add more joists like every 16" or so.
If its attached to the wall , it will be plenty sturdy even if you do not brace the legs.
I also put a 2X6 flat ways and front to back to mount the press on because I had 1/2" OSB and its kinda flemsy with a lot of weight on it.

[Boz330]

Here are some pictures of the brackets that I have used on several benches in my shop. They are available at Home Depot and probably every other lumber co. You can find them in the treated lumber area. They are designed for deck assembly. As you can see they will hold a ton of stuff. That is just 1 end of a 12' bench. You can double up the 2X4s or use 2X6s for the legs. It is everything I can do to move one end of this bench to clean behind it and I partially unload it to do that. I doubt you would need to fasten it to a wall for sturdiness. My reloading benches are similar except I used double 2Xs for the legs.

Bob

PS It's not that messy when the Feds come to inspect.

[Mk42gunner]

Hiram,

My bench is made from 2x6s, I glued and screwed a 2x6 flat to the underside of the top, then glued and screwed the legs to both the top and the flat one. If you cross brace it, you can have a sturdy lower shelf also.

Robert

[300winmag]

metal studs, I would use a full sheet of 3/4 plywood with a row of 2" drywall screws for metal studs, 6" to 8" o.c for each stud. then you would have ledger board support.

[leadman]

The polyurethane glue sold as Gorrilla or Elmers brand it really good stuff. follow the directions and you will pull the wood apart before the glued joint.
It does take mineral spirits to get it off a surface or your hands.

I built a slide in camper once and assembled the base on my garage floor. First time using this glue and didn't know it kinda foams up out of the joint. Next day I tried to move the base and it was stuck good! Had to use putty knives and hammer them under the base to cut the glue. Good stuff. LOL

[captaint]

Check out the National Reloading Manufacturing Ass'n. About 30 years ago (before computers) I sent for a set of plans they gave away for a reloading bench. Excellent plans. So I built the bottom half and still use it today for cleaning guns and general work. It's too high to sit at, one must stand.. I never did build the top half.
Then, like 10 years back I got a used solid wood door from work. Got some cheapie metal legs from Home Depot. This one you can sit at. This is the most (unbelievably) solid bench I have. I do all the loading here. One of these days, when I figure out how to post pic's, I'll show a bunch.
The NRMA does still give away the bench plans.... I've seen the ads for it. enjoy Mike

[AZ-Stew]

As Southern Son said, look at the frame for the Hammer Zone bench. 4x4 legs with a 2x4 frame a foot or so off the floor and another around the top. Lag bolt these to the legs. Put your plywood across the top and screw and glue it (using leadman's suggestion for glue) to the top of the frame. Finally, simply glue the counter top to the plywood using the same glue. Trust me, it won't come off.

My bench is similar, but the top is three layers of 3/4 inch plywood laminated together with that same glue. Stiff as concrete. The bench is lag bolted to the wall. Nothing moves but the press handles.

Regards,

Stew

[alamogunr]

I built my bench from plans I found in an old Handloader magazine. It uses a frame of 2X4's and 2X6's with legs made from 2 thicknesses of 3/4" plywood. For a top I used some high grade particle board salvaged from my former employer. It is over 2" thick and the top weighs(calculated) about 140 lbs.

I have tried to lift one end to move it to a more convenient location, but it wouldn't budge. I'm not a 90 lb weakling but I just have it too loaded. My guess is that it weighs over 300 lbs now. No need to lag it to the wall.

John
W.TN

[white eagle]

If you anchor it to the wall all you would need is some 45° angled supports from bench top to wall
could follow the stud pattern on the wall or skip one

[alamogunr]

If you anchor it to the wall all you would need is some 45° angled supports from bench top to wall
could follow the stud pattern on the wall or skip one

If you are referring to my bench, if I ever cause it to move even a sixteenth of an inch, I may consider anchoring it to the wall. But as it is the bench is much stronger and immovable than the wall. I have sized .475 boolets in a Lee die where I thought I would surely break the handle on my RCBS Rockchucker. The bench never moved.

John
W.TN

[Suo Gan]

If I wanted to do this, I would attach the counter to a piece of 1/2 plywood with poly liquid nails, then build your bench frame, screw it from the bottom in case you ever need to replace the top, making sure that the screws would not go all the way through to the top. Attach it to the metal studs with self tapping metal roofing screws.

[hiram]

I got this desk from where I use to teach. They were throwing it out and other stuff you guys would have scoffed up. It is formica covered pressed board. I will reinforce the underside of the sitting poistion for the press mounting. I can cut a notch at the back/top of the drawer to allow it to be removed if necessary. The notch would be clearance for the reinforcing board.

[alamogunr]

Sounds like a plan to me. Free is always better and gets the creative juices flowing.

John
W.TN

[OeldeWolf]

I used a piece of 3/4" plate steel that was left behind when the shop next to ours went belly up a few years ago. Or5iginally I put it on the top of my general work bench (4x4 frame/legs with 2x6 end pieces and 2x56's for the top), but I recently made a 4x4 frame to set it on.

The top is 2ft x 6 ft, and I just drill and tap it for my equipment.

Personally, I would make a frame of 4x4 with 2x6 end pieces, use gorilla glue and 3/4" dowels at the joints. Some of the metal reinforcing plates on the corners, either 3/4 ply for support under the counter material, or 2xX lumber for same, and start using it.

Oh, and I Have, at times, been accused of over-engineering things... but I rarely manage to damage them later, either.

OeldeWolf

[alamogunr]

I used a piece of 3/4" plate steel that was left behind when the shop next to ours went belly up a few years ago. Or5iginally I put it on the top of my general work bench (4x4 frame/legs with 2x6 end pieces and 2x56's for the top), but I recently made a 4x4 frame to set it on.

The top is 2ft x 6 ft, and I just drill and tap it for my equipment.

Personally, I would make a frame of 4x4 with 2x6 end pieces, use gorilla glue and 3/4" dowels at the joints. Some of the metal reinforcing plates on the corners, either 3/4 ply for support under the counter material, or 2xX lumber for same, and start using it.

Oh, and I Have, at times, been accused of over-engineering things... but I rarely manage to damage them later, either.

OeldeWolf

Holy Smokes! And I thought my bench was heavy. Your top alone weighs more than my whole bench which is 2'X8' and loaded down with presses, brass, molds and misc other "stuff".

John
W.TN