$40 Budget Reloading Bench

[Hardcast416taylor]

Over the years of my growing dive into reloading, casting/sizing and other aspects of the hobby I have built 3 benches. I would use a bench for several months or even years before scraping it out and build another bench with changes I wanted. I built my final beauty 10 years back. It is 8` long by 30" deep by 32" high. The lower shelf is 14" off the floor and is made of 3/4" plywood (not abs particle board) and reinforced with 2x4`s. I built 6 levels of shelves over the back of the bench for storing about everything. The legs of the bench are 4x4 posts for strength. I used 3/8`s carriage head bolts along with construction grade screws for about all points I wanted strength. The top is 1 piece of 1/2" plywood over top of 1 sheet of 3/4" plywood with light colored canvas drawn taut and gorilla glued down and brass tacked in place. This bench took about a month to make and will stay in the house if it is sold in my lifetime due to the fact I built it into a wall for being rigid. I have used about anything available for a loading bench over the years. This bench is made by me to fit my needs and no ones elses. I only wish that I was more computer savvy and could post photos of this lumber project.Robert

[Jlamont2020]

Great info guys, thanks. Gotta head to Lowe's to check what scrap I can use. Unfortunately, I missed out on the free after MIR bins Menards did (looking through old circulars they had one 2 weeks ago) but now that I know, I'm going to keep a watchful eye out. The small bins are only $0.61 each so I'm gonna pickup a few now and get more when they're free after the rebate.
Found Valspar tractor paint on sale yesterday at the local fleet & farm, so painted the top with that last night. Looks very nice though after ~14 hours, it's still tacky. This stuff is supposed to be pretty tough. 36 degrees outside and I have a window cracked open as it stinks to high heaven. Slightly disappointed as the brush strokes didn't completely fall out. I had intended to lightly sand it and give it a second coat, but the brush strokes may help to prevent rolling of any small parts. It has a slightly ridged texture as the final brush strokes were continuous from left to right. Couldn't bring myself to paint it white, so it's a nice semi-gloss black.

[Preacher Jim]

while you are there check out the led flouresent style lights the four footers will give you great light for a reloading bench. i am going all led in my shop. they give great light and cheap to opperate

[RogerDat]

Peg board on the back really works better if mounted to the wall on 2x4's rather than to the bench. Sooner or later you will be doing something that shakes the bench a bit and stuff will fall off because shaking the bench shakes the peg board. On the sides is not as much of a problem since that stuff can only fall on the floor and seems to stay on better, maybe it is because most shaking is front to back and that just naturally bounces stuff off of a back mounted peg board.

I used a couple of pieces of 1/2 wood to make a 1" wood plate for mounting the press. Press is bolted to wood with counter sunk bolts coming from below. Wood plate can be C clamped or bolted to the work table. Allows removing press or swapping press for another. Cheaper version of the metal plate some have mentioned.

Big +1 on use it and find out what you really need and what works for you. Then adjust, modify, or build another based on what works or what doesn't. Keeping this one if you build a new and improved model goes without saying.

[Beau Cassidy]

I went the B&D bench route. Added a 3/4" plywood too from the scrap bin at Lowe's. Also a scrap 2x6 runs along the back wall for a secure mount.
Added an above shelf last year.
Hope to get a house before next year!

One pound of powder on the bench at a time. One. Personal rule. Too much room for error otherwise.

[Lefty Red]

One is empty, the 700x. But I am a big boy and can keep things straight. Please police elsewhere. Thank you.

[Jlamont2020]

Well decided to try everything first. Mounted the press on a piece of 1x8 and C-clamped it down. Press is about 10" offset from the middle. Also mounted my powder measure on a 1x8 and put a half a pig of lead on it, so it's not movin' on it's own. The tractor paint looks good. Makes the bench look like one of the tables from college chem. Haven't added cross beams to the side yet, trying to figure out how I want to do that in conjunction with peg board on the sides. Thinkin' of usin' 2x2s for the cross beams since I already have a few. Still waitin' on my local gun shop to let me know my primers are in, so I got a bit of time to get to know my setup, and watch some more videos.
Time to get decapping!

[gloob]

I have always put my press on the right side of my bench, leaving about 6" of bench surface to the right. I just want enough space to set a bin, a loading block, or a tray of primers.

I'm not sure why you would want to use lag bolts in the front. I would use machine bolts and nuts for all three holes. Oh, nevermind. I guess you have to screw into the frame.

Over the years of my growing dive into reloading, casting/sizing and other aspects of the hobby I have built 3 benches. I would use a bench for several months or even years before scraping it out and build another bench with changes I wanted. I built my final beauty 10 years back.

I have built a few benches, too. But mine are evolving the other way. I have been curious to see how flimsy and light I can build a reloading bench. I'm currently using a small bench made entirely from 1/2 sheet of plywood. No 4x4's, no 2x4's, even. The legs are strips of 3/4" ply. It's pretty darn solid.

I have an idea to make my next bench even more rigid without adding much weight/cost. It will have 5 legs. The press will be mounted just to the left of the front right leg, and the 5th leg will be just to the left of the press.