Building a reloading bench

[COUSIN DANIEL]

I am considering building a free standing island style bench which would allow me to walk 360 degrees and access all my equipment in a small space.

I have never done this before, as all my previous benches have mounted to a wall. I am uncertain how to anchor the bench. I have considered placing 400 pounds of cement bags on a floor level shelf attached to bench.

If anyone has thoughts or pictures please share

Thank you guys for all your thoughts

[semtav]

I'll tag this and try to remember to take a picture of mine. I just built it heavy. Didn't weigh it down with anything. Just all the junk it's accumulated.

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[COUSIN DANIEL]

I'll tag this and try to remember to take a picture of mine. I just built it heavy. Didn't weigh it down with anything. Just all the junk it's accumulated.

Sent from my E7110 using Tapatalk

I appreciate that, the most intense operation I perform is full length resizing rifle cases and even then my presses are mounted to 12 inch by 12 inch 3/8 thick plates which are bolted to the bench in order to spread out force.

[~JM~]

Lower full length shelf (or two) to store lead. Make the shelf narrower than the top to provide clearance for your shins along the length. Locking 360 degree casters with urethane lined wheels on each leg if you want to move it someday.

[NyFirefighter357]

I have a portable bench built from recycled materials. It's about 6ft wide & a little over 2ft deep. I has 2 shelves at different heights & can store 8 long milk crate sized boxes with ease. The top is an old vinyl covered 3/4" thick press board office desk. The frame is 2x4" & 2x3 the bottom shelf was an old closet made from 1960's flake board. I added 2 heavy fixed casters & 2 locking swivel casters. With the weight of the bench & 8 crate sized boxes full of supplies & equipment the bench doesn't move. BTW I soon also added something I find very handy at times. You know when you need to empty your safe(s) where do you but all those long stem flowers. (Hey long stems are expensive!). I took a piece of 1x3" pine, ran a line down length wise then used a whole saw blade to drill evenly spaced holes centered on the line. I off set my line to the front so that the saw left an opening in front. I then used finish nails to attach it along one side of the bench. Now I have 6ft of holes that I can rest almost 30 stems or brooms in without any worries of them falling over.

[tunnug]

My small walk around bench is 36"X36", legs are 4x4 2foot tall, built a box around this to hold three drawers on full extension glides, on top of this box put a top overhanging 2" on three sides, left the front (where the drawers are) even with the drawer fronts, the drawers are filled with loading manuals, extra parts for the loaders and everything else that needs to be at hand.
I've got a RCBS single stage next to a Co-Ax on one end and a pair of progressive's on the other set up for pistol calibers, I put the whole shebang on a Harbor Freight set of wheels on a frame meant for a table saw, has a lever you step on to raise the table up on wheels to move around, when the lever is up and the bench is down on the floor it's very solid and stable, I've never had it give me trouble while sizing large rifle shells, if needed I could always have added a shelf below the drawers for all my lead to give me more weight but in over ten years I've never felt the need.

edit to say I made the overall height 36" so I can either stand or sit on a stool while loading.

[Winger Ed.]

Get, or make two 'L' brackets (approx. 4" x 2") to screw to the rear legs, and bolt the legs to the floor with concrete anchor bolts.
You won't need weights or shelves and it'll be strong enough not to tip or pull forward when re-sizing.

[GhostHawk]

Harbor freight used to sell an oak workbench that would be perfect for this.

160$
https://www.harborfreight.com/60-in-4-drawer-hardwood-workbench-63395.html?_br_psugg_q=work+table

https://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/9fc4a8332f9638515cd199dd0f9238da/6/3/63395_W3.jpg

[MrWolf]

Harbor freight used to sell an oak workbench that would be perfect for this.

160$
https://www.harborfreight.com/60-in-4-drawer-hardwood-workbench-63395.html?_br_psugg_q=work+table

https://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/9fc4a8332f9638515cd199dd0f9238da/6/3/63395_W3.jpg

I have two of these. One is for general work and the other is my reloading bench. Both are in a spare bedroom that became my reloading room. I did add two sheets of 3/4 plywood that is glued, screwed, and polyurethaned. Materials would have cost me more than the workbenches. Just add supports as needed. You could bolt to the floor depending on where it sits. Good luck.

[Ickisrulz]

In my limited experience, I have only had narrow benches tip (18-24 inch), not wide ones (4 feet). I would guess the island bench you have in mind would be on the wide side and probably wouldn't be a problem at all.

I make my benches using 4x4 legs using mortise and tenon joinery. So if the legs are wobbly or not firmly attached, that might create a problem.

[725]

Using a lot of heavy materials will help, plus the weight of your stuff. If considering a rectangular bench, mounting the press on the short side will help. The physics of "tipping" the short side vs "tipping" the long side would give you a more substantial base to work against. Think lever length vs fulcrum. I always thought those Harbor Freight benches would be a great bench.

[Three44s]

I am loading on a home made island. It is big and heavy. No wiggles.

But I am a pack rat and benches get cluttered by me.

My island is buried in related stuff.

So my best advise using my weaknesses as a guide, smaller is better but it does need to be stable and that is best provided by a larger size and weight (or bolt it down).

Three44s

[Ickisrulz]

Harbor freight used to sell an oak workbench that would be perfect for this.

160$
https://www.harborfreight.com/60-in-4-drawer-hardwood-workbench-63395.html?_br_psugg_q=work+table

https://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/9fc4a8332f9638515cd199dd0f9238da/6/3/63395_W3.jpg

I have never used one, but those things don't look strong to me at all. I can't image they'd hold up to any heavy work.

[country gent]

A big improvement is when you assemble the harbor freight bench rough up the fixed joints and use a good wood clue in assembly this really stiffens it up a lot for little added cost.

On mine I assembled it to make sure everything fit and was right then disassembled it and glued the joints

[pertnear]

Get, or make two 'L' brackets (approx. 4" x 2") to screw to the rear legs, and bolt the legs to the floor with concrete anchor bolts.
You won't need weights or shelves and it'll be strong enough not to tip or pull forward when re-sizing.

++1 This is the way to go if you have a concrete floor. Actually my bench is attached to the wall & the legs attached to the concrete with anchors. I might suggest that depending on what you decide to build your island bench out of, use square tubing for legs with a piece of flat welded across the bottom. The flat takes the place of the "L" bracket & can be bolted to the concrete.

[blackriver]

Search “NRA reloading bench plans”
Built 2 of these 35 years ago. They are great, no complaints at all.

[semtav]

Trying to get a picture uploaded but no having much luck

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[semtav]

299678


It's cluttered and unfinished. Hoping to put cabinets under the bench someday. but its stout and doesn't wiggle when I'm reloading.

[country gent]

The last bench I built was for in the shop a few years ago. It is 35" wide 8' long and stands at 30" This one is a monster, very solid and stable.
The top is 2 x 4s on edge with 2 x 8s in a spacing that allows for the leg mounts and forming stiffening ribs. These are all held together with 3/4" dowels and 5/16 cross dowels ( when assembled 3 holes had dowels for alignment the rest 1/2 13 threaded rod to clamp while glue dried). The legs are 6" X 6" set into top and again glued and doweled. Stiffeners shelf mount is Is 2" x 4" 11" up and mortise and tenoned with wedges and dowels. The only metal in the bench is the bolts holding the vises on.

This bench weighs around 500 lbs empty. Can be moved with the die cart fairly easily.

With a little thought and planning a very solid nice bench can be made. The top can be made with a frame work and heavy plywood, Legs can be 2 x 4 laminated together. While I prefer the jointed and doweled construction, 1/4" bolts nuts and flat straps instead of washers work equally well. ( flat straps are 1/4" X 1 1/2" - 2" wide the length of the surface with holes for the bolts one under the head side and one under the nut side. These give a more solid clamping with out compressing the wood) These sttaps can be a accent to the bench if brass or blued steel is used. Glued joints and thread locker on the nuts will really stiffen things up.

[slim1836]

299678


It's cluttered and unfinished. Hoping to put cabinets under the bench someday. but its stout and doesn't wiggle when I'm reloading.

Mine is very similar. I used a piece of 1/4" steel plate for the top, the shelf is higher to allow ammo cans underneath, and I put casters on it in order to rotate it as needed. Shame it also has 2 grinders and a sander on it as my shed is very cluttered. Has 2 single stage and 2 shotshell reloaders along with my casting pot and P.I.D.

299681

Slim

[jsizemore]

Are you planning to secure the island to the floor? Makes a difference to the build.

[ChuckS1]

https://shotgunsportsmagazine.com/sites/default/files/default_pdf/bench_plans.pdf