RepackboxMidSouth Shooters SupplyWidenersReloading Everything
Lee PrecisionTitan ReloadingRotoMetals2Inline Fabrication
Load Data
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 43

Thread: Time for a dedicated bench!

  1. #1
    Boolit Man
    Join Date
    Dec 2020
    Location
    Upper Cumberland area middle TN
    Posts
    81

    Time for a dedicated bench!

    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.

  2. #2
    Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    3,409
    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.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    10,572
    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'.
    Whatever!

  4. #4
    Boolit Man
    Join Date
    Dec 2020
    Location
    Upper Cumberland area middle TN
    Posts
    81
    Quote Originally Posted by popper View Post
    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)

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    barry s wales uk
    Posts
    2,655
    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 .

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

    pworley1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Mississippi
    Posts
    3,253
    You can never have too much bench.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    1,776
    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.
    Last edited by 45-70 Chevroner; 04-14-2021 at 11:00 PM.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Hudson Valley NY
    Posts
    1,475
    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

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    New Market, Iowa
    Posts
    1,466
    Emphasis on the lighting. No such thing as too much. Especially as you grow older. I have added more lighting twice already.

  10. #10
    Boolit Man
    Join Date
    Dec 2020
    Location
    Upper Cumberland area middle TN
    Posts
    81
    Quote Originally Posted by 45-70 Chevroner View Post
    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.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Dead center of Alabama
    Posts
    2,367
    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.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  12. #12
    Moderator


    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Just outside Gun Barrel City, Texas
    Posts
    9,483
    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.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

    gwpercle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Baton Rouge, Louisiana
    Posts
    9,253
    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
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy

    Txcowboy52's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Somewhere between the Red and the Rio Grande
    Posts
    468
    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.
    Keep your powder dry and watch your six !!

  15. #15
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    56
    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!

  16. #16
    Boolit Man
    Join Date
    Dec 2020
    Location
    Upper Cumberland area middle TN
    Posts
    81
    Quote Originally Posted by gwpercle View Post
    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.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    JAX, FL
    Posts
    1,228
    Quote Originally Posted by NyFirefighter357 View Post
    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.
    Last edited by oley55; 04-14-2021 at 07:11 PM.
    “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” Ronald Reagan


  18. #18
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Las Cruces, NM
    Posts
    4,535
    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.

    Sent from my SM-P580 using Tapatalk

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    2,377
    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

  20. #20
    Boolit Master 44Blam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Nashville, Indiana
    Posts
    1,603
    Quote Originally Posted by popper View Post
    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...
    WWG1WGA

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check