New bench new opportunities

[TaylorS]

So my gun shed is going bye bye and we have a new building coming soon…….ish. Which means I’ll need to build a new bench old one was about 2’ deep and seemed to get cluttered easily though had lots of bench space for tools and materials I’ll be going from 16’ down to at least 11’6” I can build around that end of the building but don’t think I want to. I use 2 inline fab single base plates and swap between 4 presses 2 lube sizers case trimmer vice might add another base plate. I cast with a 20# Lee bottom pour and make bp lube on the bench. Also need to use the space for repair and cleaning work as I do some light smithing on the side. Only thing I’ve decided for sure is I’m gonna get some metal peg board so I’m not fighting saggy cardboard. I’ll put 4 outlets on the wall I’m planning on putting the bench on should cover everything I’ll
Move my drill press to the side and move in my stand alone parts washer. Thinking about getting a sand blasting box for clearing rust off items. Wondering if I should find some cabinets for over the bench or just go with some shelving and carry that shelving around the gun end of the building. I’d like things to be easy to clean. Any ideas would be helpful I’ll post some pics when I get the building moved in as I build it out. Sorry don’t have a picture of the latest bench set up and I’ve already tore out most of my stuff from the building.


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[Winger Ed.]

Shelves are good. For dust control, cabinets are better.

[max it]

i put my bench at 42" height, better to see gun stuff.
Enjoy the new shed.

[pertnear]

After moving my reloading/gun bench a few times I've come to some conclusions that work best for me. I used 4" steel tubing welded in a "L" shape with a flange on each end to bolt to the floor & wall. The top is 2 each 2"x12"x10' & 1 each 2"x8"x10' for a total depth of about 32". Make sure wall side has 1" drop from level so anything that rolls will roll towards wall. The top then is a 1/4" layer of plywood plus 1/8" layer of masonite. I use plain but you can get fancy with various special surfaced masonite if you like. Note that the 3/8" layer will be easy to cut or router-out for your mounting plates. Every few years, depending on wear or accidents, I replace the masonite. For me, cabinets are a must. Plenty of shelves are important also but all reloading equipment & powder/primers are in shallow cabinets 14" to 18" over the bench top. BTW, there are some good ways to organize these cabinets for reloading also. I can go on & on about my gun bench evolution...LOL

Hope this description is helpful & good luck with your project!

[elk hunter]

This is how I set up my reloading area. The presses are mounted on pipe stands so there is no pressure on the bench. Dies are stored in a cabinet made just for them and the same for primers, powder, bullets etc. The bench is used to hold the powder measure, trimmer and priming tool clamped to the bench with C clamps. The scale and loading blocks are placed to the side of the powder measure.

[country gent]

Ive built my last couple benches with a butcher block style top and all mortise and tenon joints now nails or screws needed. Just wood dowels and glue.One is a reloading bench and is 20 years old no loosening of the joints yet. the other is my shop bench its 5 years old and holding up good. A lot more work but very nice when done. My reloading bench has 4 x 4 legs the shop bench laminated 6 x 6. the top on the reloading bench is 2 x 4s on edge with 3/4" dowels every 8" legs are mortised into the top. The shop bench is 2x4s on edge with 4 2x8s meshed in to form rails and the leg pockets.

For drilling the top boards lay out and drill the first then add an end stop and 2 back stops this is your drill fixture set it board under it and drill thru it using it to place holes.Mark end and back. A forester style bit works better than a spade bit.

I used a power planer (hand) to clean up the top of the bench when it had cured for a week or so. It you want a really nice look resaw some different wood at 1/4" thick and lay in between the 2x4s. For a very durable easy to clean top systems 3 epoxy. Wrap 4-5 layers of tape around bench top 1/4" proud of top. mix epoxy and pour in building up around 1/16" thickness and let cure.This is a long process as the epoxy has a 72 hour cure time.When done the tape is peeled off. Its very hard and difficult to sand even. A neat thing is to lay a sheet of paper in a couple places before pouring this makes a note pad where a china (wax pencil) caan be used to mark notes down. and wiped off when done.

This makes a very heavy solid bench.

[Gtrubicon]

I ordered a 26” deep x 3.5” thick glue lam beam t make my reloading bench. Angle iron ledger on the wall and 1.25 square tubing with foot plates in the front to hold it up. I have 18 different press’ that are all set up with Pat Marlins Rock Dock plates, 3 dedicated stations for this on the bench. It’s hell for stout. I’d post pictures but I can’t for some reason on this site.

[TaylorS]

I love the die cabinet, my dads retired and needs something to do may task him with that do something similar for the molds. I like the idea of a butcher block top but that is definately more labor intensive than I was thinking unless I run out of ideas. I did a sheet of 3/4 AC ply screwed to the wall and the cabinet bench in the last building was nice having that free span not to knock knees on.


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[country gent]

Actually the bench top isnt that bad with a drill press. I drilled the holes in the boards then every other hole is a threaded rod with nuts and washers the others are dowels. glue in thirds and let dry using the threaded rods as clamps. You can pull them together very good and solid. but you want to pull them together before the glue starts to set. I used a good wood glue. But not foaming as it makes a bigger mess to clean up.

Even a thick plywood bench with the systems 3 epoxy looks good is solid and the epoxy makes a easy to clean durable surface.

One Ive thought about is using a router table and routing a 3/4" wide 3/8" deep groove down the ides and using a 3/4"x 3/4" square glued it to tie them together. But here you would need bar clamps to glue it together.

A very solid plywood top can be done with a heavy frame step cut for the plywood to set in then glued and pined in so the top sets in a recess and on some cross supports. 2 sheets of 1/2 plywood makes a 1" thick top so the cut out in the rails would be 1" 'x 1" for this to set down in and on.

Gluing and a form of fastening makes a much stronger assembly than just the fasteners, but once assembled it cant be disassembled. My loading bench in the house is like this it will be sold with the house since it wont fit thru the door or hall way.

Whatever the bench top I highly recommend the systems 3 epoxy bar top finish. I have done several work tops with it including my table for bench grinders and the grinding ash just wiped off. It also saves a lot of sanding on the bench top. Done according to instructions its a glass smooth finish, hard and tough. While it says 72 hours cure time I normally give it a week.

[sierra1911]

I chose cabinets for appearance - I don't like working in a cluttered environment and the cabinet doors really clean up the appearance (and as said above, they also control dust).

You've probably already perused the thousands of bench pics, but if not:

Post 2492: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...h-pics/page125

Post 2564: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...h-pics/page129