reloading bench hieght

[hound13]

im redoing my room to set up my hornandy ap auto press ammo plant, and a couple of other ones just wondering what is a good height from the floor too the top of the bench to set my presses on . remember I will be sitting when I reload so I dont want it too high or low??? im thinking around 30 inches what do you guys have???? thanks>>> hound13

[engineer401]

I have a 30-inch high table for my reloading. I bought it from office surplus. It works fine.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I made mine right at 38" works well when i sit to reload or stand to work on my guns

[randyrat]

Make it so you can sit on a comfortable chair/stool and stand if you want, take some good measurements and it will pay off. I hate my bench and need to re do it so i can sit with my knees under it further (winter project). I screwed up and build shelves even with the edge, think about it and it will pay off.
Sometimes I sit and sometimes I stand, at least i got the height correct.

Hope you all had a nice Christmas, I ate for two, me and my stomach, that means double of what I should have.

[labradigger1]

I cant remember the hieght of mine but i bought an old operators stool and built the hieght to be a comfortable working height. Those old operator stools are uber comfortable, hieght adjustable and caning on the seat with a adjustabe back rest. I highly reccomend one.
Lab

[Blanket]

My benches are 42" tall and work well. I prefer to stand to load but have a bar stool when I want to sit. By the way what is considered standard ergo working height in industry is 38-42 inches

[hound13]

thanks for the info merry xmas to all .....hound2013

[dikman]

I use the workbench in my garage, which I originally built to work at standing up (height is about 36", I think), however I have a height-adjustable office chair which is taller than a standard chair and means I can get the height just right. Like Randyrat, I have a shelf under the part where I bolt down the press, but for me it's great because I rest my left foot on the shelf and can rest my arm on my knee if I need to.:)

[mold maker]

The length of handle stroke differs between presses. Be sure to consider that when picking a bench height. You can raise the press, or shorten the stool/seat height, but not the other way around.

[jmar254]

All these suggested heights will work if you're as tall as they are, 30, 36 & 42 wouldn't work so well if you're only 4 ft tall. I'm 6'2" and hate leaning over. How tall or short are you, is your height all lower or upper body? I have mine set to my belly button. Good thing w/ the ammo plant, you won't have to be there long to crank out thousands of rounds. Be sure to post pics when you're done.

[Petrol & Powder]

All good suggestions. Mine is 34" but I probably should have gone just a bit taller. I ended up getting an adjustable stool from Sam's club and cutting the legs with a tubing cutter. The feet slip back into the hollow tubes and that gave me the adjustment range I needed.
If you operate your press while seated, I'd pick your chair/stool and plan the height of your bench based on that. If you prefer to stand, go to your kitchen counter and see if that's a good height (probably will be a bit short) and put some books on it until it feels right.
Good Luck

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Mine are all right at 36". I can sit or stand comfortably. I am 5'11" tall.

[hound13]

All these suggested heights will work if you're as tall as they are, 30, 36 & 42 wouldn't work so well if you're only 4 ft tall. I'm 6'2" and hate leaning over. How tall or short are you, is your height all lower or upper body? I have mine set to my belly button. Good thing w/ the ammo plant, you won't have to be there long to crank out thousands of rounds. Be sure to post pics when you're done.
ill try what do you use too put the pictures on here thanks hound13

[LUCKYDAWG13]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?108333-*Image-Hosting*-Tutorial-and-FAQ

[Gofaaast]

125432125430I really like this set up after trying many others over the years. I am 6'. I can sit or stand and the ergonomics are perfect. 42" table height with a 29" chair.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Mine is about 33". It is optimal for me to stand or sit on a bar stool.

[rogerstg]

Mine is 36"
I reload sitting on a bar stool. How high is your current setup and what changes would suit you?

[Pepe Ray]

post #10 by jmar254 had it right.

The "one size fits all" concept SUCKS. Long legs, short legs, long waist short waist, long arms short arms etc, etc. Get It?
Ignoring all suggested dimensions will help you avoid serious back problems as you get older.
First, for versatility plan on having an adjustable height stool available to "take a load off."
Second, stand at attention, brace, flex biceps "Place fingertips on front deltoids". Have someone measure from elbow tips to the floor.
That is your bench top height. Customized for YOU.
JMHO.
Pepe Ray

[dikman]

I agree with the adjustable height stool bit - very important. As for the rest, when it comes to loading presses I don't believe anyone can say that there is an optimum height as using a loading press is different to just using a work bench for other jobs. The length of the press handle, its lowest travel point, its highest travel point, how far forward it goes, whether you use a progressive (with very little manual intervention) or whether you use a single stage where you are constantly changing bits by hand, all of this will have an impact on determining the best height.

Probably the best thing is to work out a height where you can use it comfortably while standing and then using the adjustable stool will let you sit if you want to.

[c1skout]

I built mine at 33 1/2" to the bench top. Works well for me sitting on a stool.

[Nueces]

When I planned my reloading and shop benches, I used mockups to check working heights for loading tools and the vise. I started with the breakfast room table and stacked boards under the various tools to test workability. At one house, there was but a tiny storage room for the gunshop, so I also used large cardboard boxes to simulate the planned positions of the safe and some steel cabinetry. I was able to guarantee that my elbow would clear the safe behind me when vigorously operating the loading tool handle. When I moved to larger quarters, the same dimensions were useful in putting my current shop areas together.

[nitro-express]

Depending on the space you have, several benches at different heights are handy, some for sitting at, on a stool, and some for standing at. There are also brackets sold to raise up the press. I have a Tru-Line Jr that I spaced up with a 4x4 oak block, so I could stand while operating it.

Kitchen counters are universally at that magic 36 inches. My main workbench is at that height, main reloading bench is a little shorter at 34" (mostly because that is max for what the material I had on hand allowed), my bench for shotgun presses is at 39 1/2" (and I stand to load for shotgun), and my tool box bench is at the same 39 1/2" so I can store my rollaways under it.

If you can't decide, 36" will work for most everyone.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/workbenches/IMG_20141230_123653_zps03eedada.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/workbenches/IMG_20141230_123653_zps03eedada.jpg.html)

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/workbenches/IMG_20140802_144053_zpsc7ff407a.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/workbenches/IMG_20140802_144053_zpsc7ff407a.jpg.html)

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/workbenches/IMG_20141230_123715_zps5c50b508.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/workbenches/IMG_20141230_123715_zps5c50b508.jpg.html)



My bad, messy benches, sorry.

[dikman]

Looks fine to me, nitro - at least they're being used :smile:.

[hound13]

thanks for all the help and pictures it gives me some ideas for my new bench .... hound13

[UBER7MM]

Hound13,

I think it's important to have the bench bolted firmly to the floor or wall. The rare occasion when I get a stuck case or am forming one caliber to another I can lift the bench off of its legs with the press.

I hope this helps,

[David2011]

Sitting- leg/knee clearance is your guide, depending on the height of your chair. Knee knocking on a reloading press HURTS!

Standing- somewhere around 42". I made a no cost mock-up to find out where the Dillons would be on the down stroke without bending by back and that ended up being 42". That's also a standard bench height of 36" with a Dillon Strong Mount on top of it. I'm average height- 5'8". Way cheaper to build the bench at the right height than to buy Strong Mounts.

Your benches need to be securely attached to a wall and really stiff in the axis of press lever strokes. Any flex is energy absorbed by the bench as opposed to being transmitted directly into reloading. The wasted energy becomes tiring very quickly.

David

[hound13]

thanks for the info very usefull indeed I will do it when im in doing my benches im derailed right now I have a kitten in there it was brought too us by a friend that found her almost froze too death so im not making much noise in the workshop right now I want too get her on the mend first then I can do stuff hound13
I hope this helps

[dikman]

Good man!! You'll probably end up with a re-loading companion ;). (One of our cats likes to sit on my lap when I'm at the computer, in fact she's sitting here as I type).

[John Boy]

If one is cramped for space, the Harbor Freight workbench is a cheap solid wood buy ...
http://www.harborfreight.com/60-inch-workbench-93454.html
Mine holds 2 Lee presses - RCBS Rock Chucker - Lyman Lubesizer - Dillon 550B - MEC 650 & Sizemaster.
On the opposite side of the room, an L shaped bench and cabinets above that's cluttered with the 'other stuff'. Underneath this bench, on 4 dollies are all the cast bullets in containers & trays for 27 calibers I shoot

[country gent]

We had some work stations in production that were adjustable for hieght with hydrolics the people really liked these as taller people could adjust yp and short could adjust down. maybe 4" above and below mean average hieght. On a reloading bench a series of holes with a seperate foot could adjust hieght easily.