Bench build advice

First, any advice or recommendations are welcome in this project

I am just getting back into reloading and rescued a 36” tall kitchen table from the curb. My better half approved as she also wants a mat cutting table for her artwork (she’s a graphic designer and fine arts artist).

The plan is to make a larger, removable top that incorporates a larger cutting mat she has squirreled away for just this occasion. Then, when she’s not using, it I can take the new top off and use the old top as a reloading bench.

The 38”x38” table top is 3/4” thick and seems to be made of softer wood, but I’m not sure if it’s pine or something else. Will this stand up to a reloading press, or should I reinforce it? Keep in mind the surface has to be flush because the cutting top has to sit flush on the old top.

I was thinking about reinforcing it either way... but how much is the question. My initial thought was an aluminum plate on top of the table to give the press a larger footprint and keep the press from digging into the wood... the plate coming off when I remove the press. And underneath, adding some steel strips/plate to distribute the leveraging forces created across the wider space on the bottom.

Or, keeping the use of the aluminum plate on top but changing the bottom reinforcement, I could find some hardwood glue it to the underside of the table and use trapped nuts in it to make the bolts easier to install remove

Is this all overkill?
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Why don't you just buy one of these and then you can clamp it to the table when you need to and put it back in the case when not needed. then she can have the table set up for her stuff full time.

It will load anything you've got and you will be a "Wonderful Person" in her eyes becuase you gave her the table for herself instead of leaving it setup up for you everytime she needs it.

Available at website below..

Randy

My bench is 1.5" thick solid oak with a 1/4" sacrificial Masonite skin that can be replaced. 24x60" size.

Think about cross-bracing the spindly legs. My legs are 2" square oak cross-braced on each side and the back, with short corner braces on the front to allow access to the drawers and shelves underneath.

Does it wobble at times? Heck yes! Heavy forces will make most benches move a bit.

My main workbench in the BIG metal/wood shop is made with 4x4 solid maple legs and a 3" thick laminated hardwood top with 5" x 1" hardwood aprons all around and cross-braces on 3 sides. It DOES NOT MOVE!

You will have to play around with that you have and potentially need. My wife does NOT use any of MY four workbenches!!!!!!!

It is amazing what thin cross-braces will do for rigidity!!! Triangles are amazingly rigid shapes.

I will be adding shelving under the bench to hold the amazingly large collection of various pieces of mat-board she has. I figured I would brace that into the legs, adding to the stability/strength of the legs and tabletop. Ideally all this is modular, like the original legs and top so if we move again we can break it down for an easier move.
I figure I can mock up all this with the cardboard we have.

I already have my old Lee press (in the photos I attached). She’s not opposed to having them around... just that we can use the table for multi-tasking and it doesn’t look like a Sanford and Son contraption.

I build benches out of 2x12 and 4x6 , with heavy duty casters on bottom , casters bolted to 2x10 which is bolted to 4x6 uprights with a bottom deck of 2x12 and a top surface of 2x12 with 3/4 plywood or wide 3/4 inch by 6 inch tiger wood boards , your legs will be weak on that table and I have split old 1inch thick wooden tops when doing full length resizing .

Let her have that for her use and build yourself a stout bench .

I don't think the legs will hold up , the leg to top joint will get loose and fail . If you use a portable stand next to the table for your press you could use the table for the other required loading items . Or it would work with a press like Randy's where all the load is straight down.
If you reenforce the legs to stand the load from the press and make another top you might be better off starting from scratch.
This is just my opinion if it was free , all you will loose is the time and materials to try to make it work.

The only weak point I see is how 'wobbly' the legs might be when you bear down on the press.

How about a 2X4 frame built to set around the legs snug then cross braces 3-4 evenly spaced under top.glued and bolted in place including legs. This will stiffen the top and add support to legs Add a couple snug 2 X 4s between the legs in each direction and it should be very solid

I guess that table might get you started but eventually your probably going to want a bench that is very sturdy where you can keep your reloading press bolted down,
maybe a very sturdy shelf low down to store all your ingots of casting alloys to add just that much more sturdiness to your bench.
if you do some searching online there are a set of plans for a very nicely designed reloading bench that I think was put out by the NRA many years ago.

here are the plans I was thinking of

http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/benchnrma.pdf

That table should work just fine, I may have missed if someone else mentioned it, but if you get some T nuts to put on the underside you can run your bolts in from the top to be easily removeable, and the nuts stay in place.

Another place that may need reenforcement is the way the table skirt attaches to the table top seating primers or pulling the expander ball out of a bottle neck case puts upward pressure on the table top.
Most tables are built with the skirt attached to the legs and the top attached to the skirt with clips in a grove so the table top can expand and contract the clips are not made to take much upward pressure .
But that table may not be built that way , just have to check . Sometimes they use screws run from the bottom of the stretchers through oversize holes in to the table top that only gives them a very small thread engagement in the table top .

Just my opinion, but your hobby and her work/hobby don’t seem compatible. You’ll forever have bits of powder, grit and grime from the reloading process, and it’s going to be on the table and in the mat board she has stored underneath. I would take a sturdy shelf in a closet before I’d share work space with an artist.

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Originally Posted by JimB..

Just my opinion, but your hobby and her work/hobby don’t seem compatible. You’ll forever have bits of powder, grit and grime from the reloading process, and it’s going to be on the table and in the mat board she has stored underneath. I would take a sturdy shelf in a closet before I’d share work space with an artist.

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Yep...and if I had to take everything off a bench for another use I would get tired of that in a week.

just wondering if anyone has actually built one of those in the link I posted from the nrma, the plans have been made available from them for free for many years now. I'm not much of a woodworker but have always wanted one of those benches.

Saw on tiny house where the top is reversible. Can be done with a pivot pin to just "spin" the top over or make a cutout and just lift the top, turn over, and set back down. She can have her mat permanently attached and any debris will not be on her side. Good luck.
Ron

I concur just fix up that table for her stuff, and custom build yourself a solid reloading bench. Because when you get free time to do your hobby, she’ll probably have same free time to do hers.

Don’t know your houses space but my reloading was done on the back wall of a walk in pantry for many years. I added some heavily braced shelving to hold my rock chucker press. An armoire can also be repurposed to make a reloading area, close the doors and it’s out of sight. Got to agree with JimB.

It all depends on the available room, the available money, and the available time. I reloaded for years on the dining room table - one more solid that that appears to be. An old towel folded under the press, a piece of plywood under the table, two C clamps and the press was mounted with no damage to the table. At that time, loading for only two calibers, I could keep everything but powder, primers, and bullets in an old salesman's case. Powder, primers and bullets were kept separately, and brass in cartridge boxes. When we moved to this house there is a shelf on the family room side of the peninsula cabinet that separates the kitchen from the family room. That became my reloading bench for many years. When our oldest son moved out I told LOML that I did not lose a son, I gained a reloading room! I built a bench there attached to a ledger board on the wall.

You will find it awkward to share space with a business. The business will always take priority. I recommend you look around to see what other options you have that would be more solid.

I have my LCT mounted on this homemade portable stand I have 2 of these , one made in 1977 and one in the early 80s temporary until l had room for a bench they work well so I still use them .the the other one has my orange crusher on it they work very well when sitting so you can place a foot or feet on a leg or legs that sit out front . If you are on wood floors you would need to accommodate rubber feet on the legs.
The one in pics evolved to have a Lee quick change pate on top if I built it now I would weld the Lee plate to the top and a piece of angle to hold 3 bins for cases , loaded rounds and bullets. In use I place against the bench , or the rear leg against the stem wall if in a garage. Another portable option if you have or know someone with a welder and scrap steel :)
In use it just sets next to a table I can set my PM on.Attachment 279951Attachment 279952

Something to consider if the missus is doing fine artwork and her supplies will be in the same area as your reloading, Reloading creates a lot of dust, debris and trash that gets on everything. Old powder residue from spent casings, primer residue, new powder which inevitably goes everywhere. I am not sure those two art forms are compatible with each other.:roll::roll:

Thirty five years ago I used the plans from a Nosler reloading manual. I took the materials list to a lumber yard and had them fill it. I made a terrific loading bench. I added a Pat Marlins doc six years ago and installed alluminun shoes on all of my loading equiptment, including a vise. I have no compalints, my bench holds my loading tools. My Powder, primers, brass and boolits, bullets are stored in cabinets in my reloading room. The only problem is I keep buying more presses, sizers,etc.

I made the loading bench that you linked. Its is the answer.

If you have the space, I would definitely let your wife have that table full time. Get yourself something sturdier. I find a wider, but not as deep, is more efficient.

all great answers to the potential problem. i once bought a teachers desk at a school sale that was heavy AND sturdy, i used it for years for a PW 800B,a hornady 366, and my rock chucker. all that joy for 5.00 was hard to beat and i had shelves too !