Swaging Bench

[jaxenro]

OK I gonna make a swaging bench. I will be buying a Walnut Hill press from Corbin and want to know how you all prefer it on your setup. Do to a few factors the width will be limited to six feet but I have a few questions:

What height do you prefer for the table top?

Do you usually use the press standing or sitting?

What material and thickness do you make the top from?

Same for the legs? I was thinking of oak.

How deep (front edge to back wall) do you make the top?

Anything else you prefer or recommend?

I know it's kind of individual to each person but I wanted to get some ideas

[krw101]

I don't swage but all the benches I have ever made, no matter the hobby, if I wanted them sturdy I make them from a salvaged solid core door.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

All my benches, swaging and reloading, sit 36" off the ground. I can either stand or sit while swaging/reloading. Just my 2 pennies.

[customcutter]

I bought a HF wooden work bench, and anchored it too the wall. It's solid as a rock. I use it for my reloading bench, not set up yet on the swaging side. I know when I was searching on youtube some of the swage presses were set up on an angle or horizontal rather than vertical. Might want to consider that, I don't have a clue what the advantages were.

Edit,

You don't want any flex in a reloading or swaging bench. Eventually it will break if you have flex, so heavier is always better.

I can sit or stand, when reloading.

The HF work bench has 4 drawers and a shelf, very handy for storing all those bits and pieces you'll be looking for. It also has a wooden vise and pins for clamping to the table top. I got mine for +/- $120 with a coupon. I highly recommend it.

[bangerjim]

I am 6 feet tall and a 36" top is perfect for me standing and setting, It depends on your height.

All my bench tops are 3) 3/4" MDF sheets glued together with a 2x4 oak or maple edging all the way around. I use a piece of masonite for the heavy work areas to protect the top. Worn out/damaged.....throw it away and cut another new one!

Legs are 4x4 Oak double cross-braced for rigidity. You cannot beat a triangle for solid build!!!!!!

Depth depends on what they are used for. max depth is 34"

Good luck building your bench! A good, solid, functional bench is 60% of the work!

banger

[SquirrelHollow]

Just to preface...
So far, I have only ever built portable benches. They're heavy and stout, but never built-in.


What height do you prefer for the table top?
36" is a good height for bar stool work, with only a slight compromise to standing comfort. I built my last bench to come in with adjustable feet at 34.5-35.75" for just a slightly lower work height; but that was primarily based on the average height of the two ("24 inch") bar stools I use (which are actually 23" and 22.75"). Over the last two benches, I learned that arm position in relation to the surface height was more important than arm position in relation to press height ...but that may just be me.

Do you usually use the press standing or sitting?
Sitting - bar stool.

What material and thickness do you make the top from?
I use solid-core doors. ...generally fiberglass-skinned, because I can get them for free (or no more than $5) as 'dunnage' doors.
I wrap a door jamb around the door, to serve as a frame. ...generally oak or knotty alder (they're door shop seconds/rejects).

Same for the legs? I was thinking of oak.
Oak, Alder, Poplar, etc. It's good wood, but I use it because (again) it's free. (door shop scrap or 'stickers' from shipping doors)

How deep (front edge to back wall) do you make the top?
My first bench was 35 inches deep. It's a great depth for keeping tools/shelves on the back of the bench, but will only fit through the largest of "standard" residential entry doors. And, you can forget about interior doors... most interior doors are no more than 30" wide.
The next bench was meant to be 29" deep, but I ended up with some thicker jam material than I had planned on using. At 30.75 inches, it's still too big to fit through the door in my new house. (and can't be disassembled :roll:)
The counter-part to bench #2 was 28" deep, but, at 82" long, it won't make the turn at the bottom of the stairs. (:groner:)
A good working depth is 24". But... I loved the extra storage space on the 35" deep bench. I keep trying to go as deep as possible, but it bites me in the butt every time I move.

Anything else you prefer or recommend?
With my benches being 'portable', I added removable heavy duty shelves to the bottom of them. When 300-500 lbs of bullets, shot, and tools are stored there, the bench doesn't move at all.

If you want a portable bench, think long at hard about the dimensions of the top; or build the bench so that it is easy to disassemble.
If you're going built-in... the sky is the limit.

Plan for plenty of support on the front edge of the bench. Floppy, flexible benches are irritating and like to loosen up over time (or even crack and break). Along with that, make sure you have adequate provisions for mounting presses and tools via your preferred method(s).


Next up, for me.... a built-in bench. I have two local countertop companies keeping their eyes out for used butcher-block countertops for the surface.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

I make my benchtops out of 3/8" plywood. BUT, I reinforce the underside where i mount a press using 2x8s.

Agreed a good working depth is 24".

I also have a portable bench that measures 4'x4'. It is on lockable casters and like all my other benches has storage underneath. As stated above the stuff underneath adds weight to stabilize bench. That just means you gotta buy more stuff to store underneath the bench!

[Three44s]

Situated in my man cave is a portable homemade table of considerable strength.

I made it height adjustable.

I envisioned it as an "island" along the lines of islands for kitchens.

My end game is a built in bench around two contiguous outer walls. ........ so the above is "temporary" ........ we all know how permanent, these temporary fixes can be!

I will have to measure my table top height and add it here but suffice to say it's along the 34 to 35" range.

Bench depth or table depth is an important consideration ........ beyond getting your bench INSIDE your abode ............ you must think about it's function.

I would suggest that more benches are deeper than they should be knowing how us (mostly) men are about organizing and policing our work space .......... Quite franky, my work space is a PIG STY .........

The deeper a bench is ......... the more it will hold and so it goes. I think you get my drift.

My current table is too deep and too long ........ it makes a very poor work space because the work space is storing stuff.

As to height, I think that we have two dimensions to think about. First is the deck height and second, the press height.

I am stiff enough that sitting for long periods is hard. Standing for a long time is bad as well. I have not tried reloading laying down ......... come to think of it!

So, what I have are a chair and a stool ........ for Christmas I splurged and gave my self ..... yes, ......... a "Santa Selfie" ........... a Craftsman adjustable stool to replace the old steel non-padded one I have been using with great discomfort for the past few years. What I try to do is toggle between chair and stool height and also stand up some ....... If I don't switch things up ....... I am in misery!

So if you back up and get a wide angle view here ......... and your joints and muscles are at war with you ...... I like the idea of risers for presses ........ your table or bench height is at one dimension and your presses at another.

My only elevated press presently is a LNL AP ..........

With a little ingenuity you can create "mini-deck" areas and/or bins at heights independent of your bench or table top and have your presses at custom heights independent of each other. They can even be portable if you chose ........ I have WAY too many presses to not be able to switch them out.

Think about it in a broad sense: Our press work is only part of the equation. There is brass prep and a whole plethora of activities surrounding our hobby! These other tasks are pretty much at table height!

I am glad I am a farm boy with some shop stuff to work with!

Best regards

Three 44s

[Reddirt204]

My reloading/work bench is made from 2"x1/4" angle iron with a 1/2" thick steel top (welder by trade..) it is about standard height and slightly narrower at about 28" deep but I have moved it away from the wall and then made a bracket for so I am able to fix all my racking and boxes so they are off the edge of the bench but within reach (hope that makes sense..) I have had to bolt it down as it has moved in the past...

As most have said build it as strong as you can and then add some to that, personally I have never been criticised for building something to strong..

Cheers

Reddirt204

[midnight]

I built 3 benches. One is 24 in deep and 24 ft long. One is 24 in deep and 8 ft long and the last is 36in deep and 12 ft long. I find the deeper the bench is the more "stuff gets piled there. All my bench tops are 2x10 planks overlayed with either 1/2 or 3/4 in oak plywood. All benches are anchored to the wall and the floor. These benches are not going anywhere. If the house still stands 100 yrs from now the benches will be there. At my age, I'm going to die in this house and I'll let the next guy worry about trying to make a family room out of my man cave.

Bob

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I do some bullet swaging for 40 and 44 caliber, using a Lee C.C. reloading press fastened with 5/16" lag screws. I think you may be over thinking the Bench thing. While I will suggest that you build the heaviest bench can, know that I get by with an old round electrical wire spool, that I topped with 3/8" plywood for a smooth finish, stained and vanished.

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/100_1036.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/100_1036.jpg.html)

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/100_1237.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/100_1237.jpg.html)

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/benchtopII_zps6da94bbe.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/benchtopII_zps6da94bbe.jpg.html)

[SquirrelHollow]

One more note I wanted to add...
I really like using hardwood door jams to frame the doors I use for the work surface of my benches. However, the width of the jams (5-8") doesn't play well when you end up needing to clamp something to the bench. Since I don't like taking notches out of the jams (it's ugly :wink:), my last bench (the 80-incher) had 14" of the door extending off one end of the bench as a clamping area. Even with limited overall use of the bench, that clamping area has already proven invaluable.


Think about how you use the space, now.
Think about how you want to use the space in the future.
Think about how you move through the space.
Consider any upgrades you may want to make down the road.

[lt250r_86]

That's a really cool idea. I have a few presses that aren't setup because of room on my reloading table. One of those would solve that problem. Thanks for posting.


I do some bullet swaging for 40 and 44 caliber, using a Lee C.C. reloading press fastened with 5/16" lag screws. I think you may be over thinking the Bench thing. While I will suggest that you build the heaviest bench can, know that I get by with an old round electrical wire spool, that I topped with 3/8" plywood for a smooth finish, stained and vanished.

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/100_1036.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/100_1036.jpg.html)

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/100_1237.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/100_1237.jpg.html)

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/benchtopII_zps6da94bbe.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/benchtopII_zps6da94bbe.jpg.html)

[customcutter]

JonB, great idea. I especially like how you set the one press inside the cut out, to keep it from tipping. BTW, it didn't vanish, it's still there.:grin:

[R.Ph. 380]

Now that's Kewl. Reloading in the round..........................................

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

JonB, great idea. I especially like how you set the one press inside the cut out, to keep it from tipping. BTW, it didn't vanish, it's still there.:grin:

OK, a little confession...The cutout was a great design idea AFTER I busted the edge of the spool trying to swage 44 Mag bullets with WW alloy cores. I have since gone to using a softer alloy for cores, a fairly soft range scrap alloy I bought from another member that measures almost 8 BHN. Tipping wasn't a problem, bench flex was the problem. as you can see on other presses, I added a 2 x 4 angled to stiffen presses 'on the edge'.

[Nickle]

I use an used kitchen table, with a sheet of 3/4 plywood on that, and a chunk of 1/4 steel mounted to it. The steel is drilled and tapped to fit the different presses, they simply bolt to it.

Works pretty slick, and holds up. Oh, and make sure the table has pretty good legs.

[jaxenro]

I a building mine in something similar to an alcove that's six feet wide so it will be fastened to the wall on the back and both sides which I think will make it rigid right there

I was thinking of a piece of maple butcher block counter material 1 1/2" thick by 25 by 6' long with a framework and legs made from laminated oak 1x2's made up into 2x2's glued and screwed together and glued and screwed to the wall

[T-Man]

My set up using Corbin gear...my bench is 32"x48"x1" carbon plate welded to 8" I-Beams and set in concrete floor I poured 6" thick. Obviously I don't like stuff to move around much. It was expensive, but worth it, imho. I painted the surface of the bench an epoxy based white after degreasing thoroughly with acetone. The height is 'Bar Stool' high. The main issue I see many new comers to the swaging game dealing with is the one I had to circumvent. It was also the primary reason for the heavy duty bench...Hydraulics. It seems as if everyone eventually starts to get that "Push Button' bug. It's easy enough to convert manual to hydraulics, all things considered. Just make sure you have the solid foundation, otherwise, a powerful pump will eventually destroy your bench with the flexing. Swaging is a disease known as 'Addiction'. It always starts off with good intentions. Nothing like making your own J-Words to round out your DIY skill sets. I bought my first die set at an estate auction a couple of decades ago. Now, I crank out 5 different 224 bullets, 3 different .308's, two 7mm varieties and a couple of types of .311's to keep my Remington made Mosin Nagants happy. God help you of you ever get close to a Littleton Shot Maker. I did and it is in my shop, too. While your at it, if you are not already so, get acquainted with Harbor Freight. They sell these nifty little bench top lathes that you can machine your own solid copper bullets on. A little study and engineering will result in you building a cheap melting pot set up in your back yard to smelt copper and brass with. Works great for aluminum as well. Grab a couple of pieces of thick bar stock, chuck it up in a horizontal milling machine and mill out the cavities, and voila'! Inexpensive mold to pour copper bar stock with. I started out using a wood fired smelter. But finally broke down and upgraded it to natural gas. The point is, be careful. I'm retired military, so I have plenty of spare time to sit around thinking of ways to complicate my life...so, an industrious working man can really get himself into trouble if he is the resourceful and thinking type.

[T-Man]

I like this:)....I have a soft spot for spools and had them all over the house...until I got re-married 2 years ago...that is when I found out the difference between boys and girls. Boys like spools...girls do not.

[bmo]

Check out if your local university has a surplus store. I picked up two old lab tables that measured 24" x 36" x 48" (d x h x w) for $5/ea. The legs and frame are made of steel and the tabletop is 1" thick. Built a shelf on the bottom part and store my components there. Adds more weight to the table and makes it very sturdy. De-rimming certainly takes a lot more force than resizing a case on my 550!

[jaxenro]

I plan on making muzzleloading bullets only do 100% of my swaging will be soft lead only

How about some pics of your set ups?

[Rumrunner64]

Mine is 42" high 30" deep 14' long. I like to work standing up without having to slouch over. I just find it more comfortable. I just built it out of 2x4 and 1" plywood. Fastened to the wall studs to make it rock solid.Under the bench I have a shelf running the whole length at 24". Which I keep all my lead and brass for waight. Then on the wall I made a bunch of shelving made out of the scrap 1" plywood. Works good for me. I'm 6'3" tall.

[barryjyoung]

I just finished making the Cast Boolits swaging press from scratch and it is mounted on my scratch built swaging bench. You can see plans for the bench here.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?218002-Swaging-Bench/page2&highlight=swaging+bench

I will be posting pics of the press after I paint it.

Barry

[257]

i made mine by running 2x6s from floor joists to the basement floor next i built squares out of 2x6s lag bolted to the up right 2x6s then laid the top on and lag bolted the top down by going up thru the 2x6 squares the top is 2 3/4 thick 24 inch deep by 12 feet long it is solid as a rock the top is about 35 inchs off of the floori built shelves in back 8 inchs deep from bench top to floor joists storage under neath i picked up a corbin swage press it sits to low on my bench so i am going to make a steel riser to elvate it to a more comfy hieght kind of like a dillion strong mount only will be out of 3/8 and 1/4 inch steel the whole bench is only attached at the floor joists any downward pressure pushes againist the wall it does not move at all.i picked up the maple tops at a school auction for 5.00 each