David2011
07-03-2014, 01:10 PM
This system has been mentioned in some posts before but I've had a couple of questions so decided to post a better description and some pictures. Metric estimates included for friends outside the US.
The benefits of this system are that it's not expensive or difficult to implement and the tools can be mounted at any of your positions to contour the configuration of the bench to the tasks at hand whether doing case prep, trimming, loading primed brass, loading unprimed brass, reforming brass or whatever you want to do.
First, don't repeat my mistake. I went to a steel company and had 8 or 10 pieces of 1/2x6x12" (nominally 12mm x 150mm x 150mm) steel cut to mount all of my bench tools. I developed a mounting pattern that is nothing special; it just worked for me and can be altered to your needs. I want a 4 bolt mounting system that could be readily repeated in all of the mounting plates and in the workbench surface. The only reason I used a mill with a DRO was to repeat the pattern in each plate. I could have just as easily made a master and repeated it in a drill press using the master clamped to the blanks. I’ll take some measurements before the post is created but it’s essentially like this. Measurements will be “close enough”. I wanted to be able to mount each plate either flush with the edge of the bench or with a 1”/26mm overhang, especially for the Forster case trimmer (knuckle clearance) and presses that need bench clearance. From each edge of the plate I drilled 4 holes about ½” – 12mm from the edge at 1”, 2”, 10” and 11” (25, 50, 250, 275 mm). In retrospect they could have been closer to the edge. The front to back spacing should all be measured from one end only for both sides so the patterns are all symmetrical. A plate was clamped to the bench with the edge flush and pilot holes were drilled at the 1” and 10” (26mm and 260mm) points on each edge. Larger holes were drilled and brass (steel is OK as well) threaded inserts were screwed into the bench surface just below flush. I made 3 sets of holes in the bench, spaced widely enough apart that all 3 tools could be used at the same time by one person. I think I allowed about a foot- 300mm- between plates. Another 2”/ 50mm would have been better since some reloading blocks and other accessories are a tight fit at 12”. If you anticipate having a second person working at the same time the spacing needs to be a 4”-6” – 400mm to 600mm wider. This is going to be way easier with pictures. Depending on what’s mounted on the plate, some will allow a separate tool at each end. Powder measures were mounted on the larger plates just so they wouldn’t fall over when not bolted down.
For everything but the presses, the steel plates were way overkill. I had a little Forster case trimmer mounted on a chunk of steel plate that weighed 10 lb. 3 oz. (~4.5 kg) I ended up cutting some 1/2" / 12mm aircraft ply (also sold as Baltic birch) from a hobby shop to 6"x6" and 6" x 12" (150mmx 150mm, 150mm x 300mm). These pieces of ply have more than adequate strength for powder measures, case trimmers, priming tools, the Dillon Super Swage and pretty much anything but a loading press. On some tools socket head capscrews are a good hold down fastener but on the powder measures I countersunk the holes and use flat head stove bolts so the loading blocks don’t hit the raised screw heads. Everything else mounts with the socket head screws and a T-head hex wrench is kept handy to spin the screws in and out quickly.
109645 109646
I'll add some better pictures of the bench top soon.
David
The benefits of this system are that it's not expensive or difficult to implement and the tools can be mounted at any of your positions to contour the configuration of the bench to the tasks at hand whether doing case prep, trimming, loading primed brass, loading unprimed brass, reforming brass or whatever you want to do.
First, don't repeat my mistake. I went to a steel company and had 8 or 10 pieces of 1/2x6x12" (nominally 12mm x 150mm x 150mm) steel cut to mount all of my bench tools. I developed a mounting pattern that is nothing special; it just worked for me and can be altered to your needs. I want a 4 bolt mounting system that could be readily repeated in all of the mounting plates and in the workbench surface. The only reason I used a mill with a DRO was to repeat the pattern in each plate. I could have just as easily made a master and repeated it in a drill press using the master clamped to the blanks. I’ll take some measurements before the post is created but it’s essentially like this. Measurements will be “close enough”. I wanted to be able to mount each plate either flush with the edge of the bench or with a 1”/26mm overhang, especially for the Forster case trimmer (knuckle clearance) and presses that need bench clearance. From each edge of the plate I drilled 4 holes about ½” – 12mm from the edge at 1”, 2”, 10” and 11” (25, 50, 250, 275 mm). In retrospect they could have been closer to the edge. The front to back spacing should all be measured from one end only for both sides so the patterns are all symmetrical. A plate was clamped to the bench with the edge flush and pilot holes were drilled at the 1” and 10” (26mm and 260mm) points on each edge. Larger holes were drilled and brass (steel is OK as well) threaded inserts were screwed into the bench surface just below flush. I made 3 sets of holes in the bench, spaced widely enough apart that all 3 tools could be used at the same time by one person. I think I allowed about a foot- 300mm- between plates. Another 2”/ 50mm would have been better since some reloading blocks and other accessories are a tight fit at 12”. If you anticipate having a second person working at the same time the spacing needs to be a 4”-6” – 400mm to 600mm wider. This is going to be way easier with pictures. Depending on what’s mounted on the plate, some will allow a separate tool at each end. Powder measures were mounted on the larger plates just so they wouldn’t fall over when not bolted down.
For everything but the presses, the steel plates were way overkill. I had a little Forster case trimmer mounted on a chunk of steel plate that weighed 10 lb. 3 oz. (~4.5 kg) I ended up cutting some 1/2" / 12mm aircraft ply (also sold as Baltic birch) from a hobby shop to 6"x6" and 6" x 12" (150mmx 150mm, 150mm x 300mm). These pieces of ply have more than adequate strength for powder measures, case trimmers, priming tools, the Dillon Super Swage and pretty much anything but a loading press. On some tools socket head capscrews are a good hold down fastener but on the powder measures I countersunk the holes and use flat head stove bolts so the loading blocks don’t hit the raised screw heads. Everything else mounts with the socket head screws and a T-head hex wrench is kept handy to spin the screws in and out quickly.
109645 109646
I'll add some better pictures of the bench top soon.
David