Time for a dedicated bench!

[WestKentucky]

I am soon to be building a small shop. Will be 1/2 storage but 1/2 working space as well. I have room for 15 linear ft of tabletop that I expect to be about 2 ft deep. That just works out well as I can buy 1 sheet of plywood and slit it into the 2 halves I need and just trim the ends to fit into the wall studs. Of this 15 ft I will be splitting it between reloading with 3 mounted presses (LCT, LCC, PW duomatic 20ga), casting with a 4-10 pot and a few molds and PC toaster oven, and fly tying. I figure I need about 3 ft total for flies, and since casting and reloading kinda go together I can split the remaining 12 ft up as needed. Kinda leaning to giving about 4 ft to casting and the rest to reloading. The shot shell press will not see a whole lot of use, but I want it there. I’m not opposed to buying quick change mounts for the presses to save space if needed.

Is 4 ft really enough for a very basic casting operation? Yes I know I will grow into the space and end up needing more, but it seems reasonable to me at this point. I may be wrong though. I’m currently casting on the end of my general tool bench and really don’t like the setup since that room is needed for my other tools.

[Conditor22]

4 feet is plenty for casting. You will NEED A VENTILATION SYSTEM for casting inside.

You will need good lighting and lots of shelf storage above and below the bench.

I would highly recommend "overbuilding" the reloading bench portion of your bench with at least 2 layers of 3/4 plywood glued together and a solid frame under it to prevent movement.

It is a good idea to have your powder measures/scales on a shelf and not your bench so they are no affected by the movement of the presses.

quick change mounts are nice so you only have what you need on the bench and have lots of room to work on rifles/cleaning.

[popper]

3 ft is plenty for casting with Lee pot that doesn't take much room. I would not tie flies in the same area as I cast. Casting/reloading takes lots of shelf space, not working space. Table space accumulates lots of 'stuff'.

[WestKentucky]

3 ft is plenty for casting with Lee pot that doesn't take much room. I would not tie flies in the same area as I cast. Casting/reloading takes lots of shelf space, not working space. Table space accumulates lots of 'stuff'.

Curious, why not tie flies and cast in the same area? I would not be doing both at the same time. And I tend to keep my fly tying stuff well organized (as opposed to literally everything else in my life)

[robg]

i cast in a small shed ,window on my left fan on my right.lee 10lb pot standing in a deep oven tray with 2 inch sides to catch splashes etc.all on a wooden desk .

[pworley1]

You can never have too much bench.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I know space can be a problem for a lot of us, but my loading area is for reloading and other small projects. I personally would not cast any where near my reloading bench, I do have a lot of room for both though, lucky me. I hope this doesn't sound negative because we have to do what we can do with the space were have.

[NyFirefighter357]

Use tee nuts and thumb bolts for mounting your equipment or mount your equipment to all the same sized base panels and you'll be able to swap equipment around as needed with minimal holes in your top. On one bench I have a vice that I have been using as a stand to mount equipment I don't use as often. I'm using a 2x4 as a base plate and have a Lee turret on one end of the plank & a single stage mounted on the other. I can easily swap them or remove it completely as needed. This bench is braced well & on locking wheels as I have an attic staircase over it that need some access. My other bench uses a ledger against the wall with mason planks as the top & large decking screws, the legs are 4x4 posts using post bases anchored to the floor. It's "L" shaped on 2 walls, a tow truck couldn't remove it without taking the wall with it! I like working on sturdy benches

[Froogal]

Emphasis on the lighting. No such thing as too much. Especially as you grow older. I have added more lighting twice already.

[WestKentucky]

I know space can be a problem for a lot of us, but my loading area is for reloading and other small projects. I personally would not cast any where near my reloading bench, I do have a lot of room for both though, lucky me. I hope this doesn't sound negative because we have to do what were can do with the space were have.
I’m not overly concerned. I assume that your reference is to powder and primers near a heat source, but I have made a point in all of my loading endeavors to keep powder far away from possible ignition sources. Primers are far from ignition sources and in sealed military ammo cans so they have even more protection.

[murf205]

When you add lighting, place the lights over the bench and not over your standing area. I made that mistake and when I wanted to lean over to look at something , it cast a shadow so I moved my lights directly over the bench. Also, the new LED fluorescent lamps are heaven sent when you get older eyes! Froogal is spot on with that.

[Winger Ed.]

I've found that I like plenty of room for casting.
I have a separate table top/bench about 5' long for casting & sizing.

It keeps all the mess and splatter away from everything else.
When other projects come along, it's easy to clear off and use without disturbing the bench where the presses are mounted.

[gwpercle]

Calculate how large it will need to be ... then double that size .
In 5 years you will have outgrown your carefully calculated shop ... and will need an addition .
By then construction costs have risen , additions are twice as expensive as new construction and building permits will be harder to get and more expensive to secure . Even the cost for construction drawings are more involved ...thus more expensive ... Workers don't like additions because they are a pain , dealing with an existing structure adds work ... and the owner thinks the cost should be cheaper than new construction .
Think I don't know what I'm talking about ... Think Again .
Build it bigger than what you think you will need !
You wouldn't believe how many times I've been told " I wish I had built it bigger the first time "
Gary

[Txcowboy52]

Like many here have said, you can't build it big enough . My experience has shown me that , make full use of what ever space you have.

[gunfan2]

I agree with all the encouragement to go bigger, and I am one of the lucky ones that has a 12x32 building dedicated strictly to reloading and casting. But I also remember the first loading bench I had was a big wooden spool that sit in an extra bedroom. I can't think of a time that I enjoyed myself more than I did in those early days of loading and learning. Oh well, just a trip down memory lane!

[WestKentucky]

Calculate how large it will need to be ... then double that size .
In 5 years you will have outgrown your carefully calculated shop ... and will need an addition .
By then construction costs have risen , additions are twice as expensive as new construction and building permits will be harder to get and more expensive to secure . Even the cost for construction drawings are more involved ...thus more expensive ... Workers don't like additions because they are a pain , dealing with an existing structure adds work ... and the owner thinks the cost should be cheaper than new construction .
Think I don't know what I'm talking about ... Think Again .
Build it bigger than what you think you will need !
You wouldn't believe how many times I've been told " I wish I had built it bigger the first time "
Gary

I like the thought but it’s not realistic. I don’t have a flat spot big enough and the cost to make a spot flat would be cost prohibitive. There’s a reason why I own 1 acre which is 4 times the property as others in my neighborhood, and my next door neighbors place is 8 times as big as mine because it’s nothing but sink holes, cliffs, and floodplain. If there were suitable sites to build then they would have broken them off when they did the subdivision. As it is though, I have woods, a creek, a cave, and only 1 spot to build a shop and I can’t even get a Georgia buggy to it. I’m going to have to pack in concrete by the bag and do it the hard way to even have a slab. Moving isn’t an option either as home prices are astronomical due to rapid growth, tornado damage from a year ago that destroyed several entire neighborhoods, and ice storm damage from this winter. I also plan to do an addition on my home at some point but the bank laughed at us and told us to come talk about a home improvement loan when we had a builder lined up because everybody is booked solid 2 years out. It’s truly a mess. At any rate, 12x15 is what I can do and that’s pushing things. I may be able to expand a bit after we do dirtwork for the addition if I can get the full dirt where I want it and get it packed in well enough to be solid, and then I will pour concrete to encase it and keep it from washing out.

[oley55]

Use tee nuts and thumb bolts for mounting your equipment or mount your equipment to all the same sized base panels and you'll be able to swap equipment around as needed with minimal holes in your top. On one bench I have a vice that I have been using as a stand to mount equipment I don't use as often. I'm using a 2x4 as a base plate and have a Lee turret on one end of the plank & a single stage mounted on the other. I can easily swap them or remove it completely as needed.

I did the same. I bought #10, 10-1/2"X 9"X 3/8" aluminum plates, re-drilled an "Inline Fabrication" mount so the front and back holes are the same, drilled all the plates to that pattern and then installed tee nuts the length of my bench. I bought hardened flat head/hex drive bolts and countersunk the aluminum plates and the work bench. I have vises, primer pocket swager, trimmers, presses and powder measures mounted to the plates. I keep the bolts in the bench/tee-nuts at unused stations to keep the trash out. I modified the inline fabrication mount to accept all of my 3/8" plates in similar fashion as the inline removable plates. I can easily relocate and rotate everything to anywhere on the bench or on the inline mount. I rejected the inlaid channels as a sure and constant well for catching all things on the bench.

I use an old 1990 Sears tool chest bottom with a flip-up side shelf for my casting. It's pretty heavy and the added cast bullets in two bottom drawers keeps it firmly held to the earth. Depending on weather or what not, I can roll it to where I need it.

edit: I should add I mostly did what I did with the bench and plates because it's also my workbench.

[charlie b]

I don't have space for a large reloading area. Heck, most of my reloading I do in a closet in the house. Just my progressive press in there.

The garage has a 7ft bench that I use for a lot of things. When casting I use up about 4ft of it so you are probably on the right track.

I also use mounting 'plates' for my presses. Mine are oak planks, about 12"x8". I made four plates and stacked them up under the drill presse so all the mounting holes would be the same. Then bolted a press to each board.

My benches are solid core doors. I get the ones not drilled for a doorknob. You can use them full width (30 or 36") or cut them to fit. I cut one down to 2'x3' to fit in the closet. They are bolted to the wall studs and legs are either 4x4 or they are supported by kitchen cabinets (I get those at the local Restore-Habitat for Humanity).

If you use plywood I second the comment above about using at least two layers of 3/4". The top cannot be too stiff. It is amazing how much stress is applied during some operations.

Have fun with your set up.

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[samari46]

Have a steel topped bench in the garage. Laminated two 7/8" thick pieces of plywood after spreading out the wood glue with a big putty knife. Clamps on the outside edges and all the tool boxes I had in the center. Did figure out the dimensions. Old trusty circular saw. Belt sanded the top and set this plank in place a4nd bolted down with carriage bolts. Legs were wobbly, 3- 2x12' were cut up and bolted to the cross pieces on the legs. Ain't going anywhere. Thats my workbench. My reloading benches were tables same dimensions. 2"x12" cut to fit on one table. The other got a 2" hard rock maple top. Then enclosed under the legs and added I shelve.Again they ain't going anywhere. I use old file cabinets for storage. Someone gave me an office style utility cabinet. Took it down to bare metal, primed and painted. Shelved were wonkey so each shelve got permanently pop rivited in place with steel rivits. And I'm not even thinking of moving it. A word to the op. If you take the time to plan out your shop make your shelves go all the way around the inside wall. This way you can have your different crafts and still have room for whatever your going to share your shed with. My old shed is falling apart maybe 1 or 2 years. Have to take down trees, remove old concrete slab. Lathe,drill press,mill and grinder. Place to store my kubota,ridlng power, fuel,small aircompressor. See, it's already crowded. Frank

[44Blam]

3 ft is plenty for casting with Lee pot that doesn't take much room. I would not tie flies in the same area as I cast. Casting/reloading takes lots of shelf space, not working space. Table space accumulates lots of 'stuff'.

^^^ This ^^^

Every time I add shelves, I get more bench back...

[Mr_Sheesh]

If you will have to haul in concrete I wonder if you could use soil cement plus local dirt for the building? Might not be ideal as it is brittle & likes to be tumbled...

[GregLaROCHE]

I would consider something besides plywood unless you are planning on very expensive without voids, OSB with a sanded side might be better and cheaper. 3/4” will work for most of it, but double up around the area where you plan to have your press (maybe 24”x24”) and a leg(support) under it. Preferably attached to the floor. Don’t forget to seal the surface with something, you’ll be glad you did.

I like an “L” shape at one end, especially if you plan to be sitting down a lot of the time. I find it easier to quickly reach things I want. Unless you have something else planned, you could put a lot of shallow shelves in between those studs you talked about.

Don’t forget about planning for electrical sockets.

[sharps4590]

Curious, why not tie flies and cast in the same area? I would not be doing both at the same time. And I tend to keep my fly tying stuff well organized (as opposed to literally everything else in my life)

You can tie your fly's on the same bench just fine. I've been doing it for 20+ years and my bench for casting, cleaning firearms, tying fly's AND building arrows is just 10 ft. long...but it is 3 ft. deep. I don't keep any fly tying gear or materials out unless I'm actually tying. When finished they all go back into their respective baxes.

[Three44s]

I have not tried it yet but been eyeing the T-track systems. They make a filler strip to fill the track when you want the bench top completely filled and nothing fastened there.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0mJmPFd69bs

Not pushing any brand and I have even thought about using a smaller size of unistrut material instead of those aluminum track systems.

Three44s

[fredj338]

I have a 10ft reloading bench & then a 4' casting bench, makes an L shape. The casting bench is a craftsman work bench with drawers & shelves, handy for storing molds & such.

[bangerjim]

Bracing and more cross-bracing! A triangle is the strongest geometric shape you can build, so include good cross-bracing on the legs. I have "X" cross-bracing on all my benches (4 of them!) and none wobble even under heavy loads and actions. They all have 4x4 legs and 2¼" thick tops (3 MDF sheets glued together and a sacrificial removable Masonite top. Only one bench (in my 12x14 "boolit shack") is used for reloading. The others are dedicated to metalworking and woodworking in my BIG shop. I NEVER cast indoors. Always on the flagstone patio in front of my shack using a dedicated WorkMate as the foundation (top jaw pieces have been replaced with 3" thick sold oak!).

[oldhenry]

You've received some good advice from the preceding posts.

I have always separated my casting from my reloading for safety reasons. Up until recently I'd cast on the tailgate of my PU truck. This would require that everything I needed had to be assembled & then stored separately after the casting session. Recently I bought a portable tray from HF to house everything I needed. I store the tray in my shop & when in use position it in the doorway of the roll-up door with a fan (low speed) blowing from my back toward the door opening.

This works for me because I do my casting from a standing position. This set-up allowed me to position the Pro Melt @ a height that was easy on my neck.

I even made some storage space under the covering for small items & store some alloy on the lower tray. After the casting session it all stays on the tray.

[oley55]

I have not tried it yet but been eyeing the T-track systems. They make a filler strip to fill the track when you want the bench top completely filled and nothing fastened there.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0mJmPFd69bs

Not pushing any brand and I have even thought about using a smaller size of unistrut material instead of those aluminum track systems.

Three44s

I may have missed something but on the T track type systems it seemed like the tee bolts had to be slid in from the end. I could see myself having to unbolt a press and playing leapfrog if I needed to bring out a new press and need it on the other side of what I had out. for me only one end of the bench is open. it all comes down to our individual setup and needs.

[Wm Cook]

I’m kind of surprised no one mentioned counter tops. Easy cleanup after casting and user friendly for mounting plates holding presses. The counter top is held up with a 2x4 frame braced with a 45 degree angle to let you sit on a stool with your knees under the top. Can’t think of anything wrong about it after 30 years of doing it that way. I converted to that Lee press plate design on all of my presses. Mounting the home plate on top of the countertop and into the 2x4’s makes it solid enough. Only been a few months with the Lee design. The jury is still out on that one.

[Wm Cook]

Oh yeah......I’m kinda banged up so my only option is sitting. Bill.

[GregLaROCHE]

If at all possible, I believe it’s best to cast outside. Good ventilation and there’s always a little bit of splatter, at least with a bottom pour pot. Also, there’s always the chance of the unexpected visit of the Tinsel Fairy.

[OS OK]

Draw yourself a floor plan, scale it and use that as an idea tester before you build or dedicate space to whatever.
Draw the walls above and below the bench, looking at it from the front...lay that out for shelving or whatever you think you need...
things will change as you get better ideas about how to handle the allotted space for all you want to put into it.

It is not so much the linear space across the bench you have allotted....it is how you utilize that limited space.

https://i.imgur.com/cI4KB7r.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/q64DnUH.jpg

Things collect over the years and the shop is in a constant state of morphing . . .
I always had a problem trying to use the bench space without that area against the wall on the back of the bench collecting crap...I am my worst enemy for clutter & partially done jobs I'll get to later.

I have only part of the front end of a 2 car garage for the casting, handloading & I have too many presses but I can't part with any of them so I tried something new...a dedicated space for all the presses...if this were spread out linearly, I'd need a whole wall.
I do it all from an adjustable height stool, the back won't let me stand too long...

https://i.imgur.com/4kDI56G.jpg

There are a lot of parts & pieces associated with our hobby so they need organization to some extent...I am not only out of floor space, I am out of wall space also...

https://i.imgur.com/GqT4aVw.jpg

My shop has to share with a wood shop and welding, it is organized chaos at best...but it seems that 'our types' are happiest in that environment.

Good Luck!
Show us some pictures as you build...it would make this thread a fun one to follow!

[WestKentucky]

I’m kind of surprised no one mentioned counter tops. Easy cleanup after casting and user friendly for mounting plates holding presses. The counter top is held up with a 2x4 frame braced with a 45 degree angle to let you sit on a stool with your knees under the top. Can’t think of anything wrong about it after 30 years of doing it that way. I converted to that Lee press plate design on all of my presses. Mounting the home plate on top of the countertop and into the 2x4’s makes it solid enough. Only been a few months with the Lee design. The jury is still out on that one.
I hear lots of positive things about countertops. I can’t say that my experience is positive. Seems I always manage to bust the countertop in one way or another and if I don’t physically break it, it seems to soak up moisture from the bottom and begins to crumble. Personally, I will not use countertop for anything serious in the future, and since I’m liable to use any space available for any task at hand then there’s a good change it’s going to be used pretty hard. I have been accused of being the guy who can break an anvil with a warm stick of butter.

[Jack Stanley]

Since my shotgun loader doesn't get used a lot . It stores underneath the bench in a closed cabinet . When needed it's clamped to the bench .

Jack

[charlie b]

You can tie your fly's on the same bench just fine. I've been doing it for 20+ years and my bench for casting, cleaning firearms, tying fly's AND building arrows is just 10 ft. long...but it is 3 ft. deep. I don't keep any fly tying gear or materials out unless I'm actually tying. When finished they all go back into their respective baxes. My reloading closet started out as a fly tying bench. Made an oak tool caddy that fits across the back and a set of shelves on one end that hold those plastic lure boxes (or craft boxes depending on where you buy them :) ).

Then I figured what the heck and mounted my press in there. Only about 3ft wide opening but has been plenty for my reloading and fly tying.

So I have one set of boxes/shelves for fly tying materials and another set for reloading.

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[popper]

Fish don't like barbecue flavor. Casting creates flux smoke. Smoke gets everywhere, dust on everything. Feathers are great for trapping dust. Same with chenille.

[John Guedry]

As one poster above pointed out, don't scrimp on electrical outlets.

[charlie b]

Yep, I don't cast near the fly tying stuff, only reload. I guess they like the taste of powder :)

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[charlie b]

As one poster above pointed out, don't scrimp on electrical outlets.And don't forget to put them on different circuits. A casting pot and hot plate can overload a std outlet. It can be really irritating when casting to find out the power shut off :)

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[WestKentucky]

I may have missed something but on the T track type systems it seemed like the tee bolts had to be slid in from the end. I could see myself having to unbolt a press and playing leapfrog if I needed to bring out a new press and need it on the other side of what I had out. for me only one end of the bench is open. it all comes down to our individual setup and needs.

I won tee slot bingo at work a few years back. I am the safety guy, so generally not considered to be mechanical but flu went through the maintenance dept and I had keys to a few of the guys boxes. I found out quickly that if you lose a tee nut (or forget to put one in in my case) you can drill the slot in an area that your not going to use, or that will be blocked anyway, and broach it manually to allow a nut to be inserted mid channel. After that escapade got found by maintenance manager he called all the guys in to ask who did it and why, so when I dropped in a new nut and gave the operator a cup to put their tools in in about 30 seconds it became standard process to drill and broach tee slots for afterthought additions.

[Shopdog]

Spent decades casting indoors with well designed vent systems. For the last few years have been casting outside with this setup. Yesterday I made the 20g metal,wind shields better seen in one pic below. They'll get sprayed white today.

The other pic is the whole shooting match plugged in and warming up. 90% of the stuff stows in the Cman box. This isn't the std higher base cabinet...it's the shorter one. I find it's the perfect height.

Love the propane accessories,sprues get dropped in CI pot.... when it gets 1/2 full,light up the single burner. Melts them quick,add to pot,and flux while mould takes a short break in the little oven. Hand held torch gets used to light the burner,but also for spout duty and spot heating moulds.

Good luck with your project.

[charlie b]

That's a pretty cool idea. Have to remember that one.

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[Shopdog]

Woohoo,got my paint.... gonna shoot the wind screens this morning.