Bren R.
05-10-2013, 11:53 AM
We had an old oak desk at the range we weren't using anymore, so I brought it home to repurpose it as a reloading bench, has a little more class than my current dimensional lumber and MDF bench.
Stripping off the old, damaged veneer:
70017
Routed a roman ogee around the top to remove all the dents and chips from the surface (and just squared up the face for the press to sit against) - inset is the original brass lock, pinned with a threaded brass rod to keep it from being inadvertantly locked:
70016
Top after stripping and initial sanding, then wetted to show grain:
70014
Completed bench, curing and waiting to be brought in this weekend:
70013
I ended up just reinstalling the large drawer face without the drawer body behind it, since it'll be inaccessible with a press mounted to it anyway. The drawers were missing their dividers as well, so I made a few of those from some planks of mahogany that my dad had scavenged out of a depression-era safe.
My metallic presses are all mounted to 3/16" hardened steel plates (from safe walls) with a common through-bolt pattern, so they get bolted through the bench into tee-nuts mounted under the table top. Still working out how and where to mount the Lyman 45, shotgun press(es) and powder measure when each of those is required.
Bren R.
Stripping off the old, damaged veneer:
70017
Routed a roman ogee around the top to remove all the dents and chips from the surface (and just squared up the face for the press to sit against) - inset is the original brass lock, pinned with a threaded brass rod to keep it from being inadvertantly locked:
70016
Top after stripping and initial sanding, then wetted to show grain:
70014
Completed bench, curing and waiting to be brought in this weekend:
70013
I ended up just reinstalling the large drawer face without the drawer body behind it, since it'll be inaccessible with a press mounted to it anyway. The drawers were missing their dividers as well, so I made a few of those from some planks of mahogany that my dad had scavenged out of a depression-era safe.
My metallic presses are all mounted to 3/16" hardened steel plates (from safe walls) with a common through-bolt pattern, so they get bolted through the bench into tee-nuts mounted under the table top. Still working out how and where to mount the Lyman 45, shotgun press(es) and powder measure when each of those is required.
Bren R.