Ok gang, need bench ideas

[.280 Remington]

Well, the time has come that I think I can actually set up my reloading gear and get to cranking out some rounds. I am not going to have a HUGE space, but I'll have something! Lets see your bench's so it can give me some ideas, if you are so inclined.... :grin:

Mine will have to be "L" shaped approx 4 ft by 5-6 ft. As that's all the space I have to work with in the utility room of the basement of my new house.

Thanks

 

[DrMike]

Mike,

What sort of square footage are you able to provide, and how comfortable are you with reach? My space consists of a discarded metal table from the local high school (4 X 2) and a discarded living room desk (2.5 X 1.5). Of course, storage keeps growing, with shelving close at hand to permit stowing bullets, brass, primers and powder.

 

[AzDak42]

Here's the bench I built. The only change I've made is to add plywood panels on each set of legs to make it more rigid.

 

[Guest]

I won't bore you with a repeat of my reply from earlier, but perhaps these cabinets would be a good start?

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?par ... &cId=PDIO1

Two of those plus a corner formica top like this:

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?par ... &cId=PDIO1

With some paint and a little ingenuity, you'd have a nice, workable bench with plenty of cabinet space. Because they're sink-base style, you would also have the option of adding pull out shelves or other internal storage solutions at your discretion.

It's not cheap (about $400, total, with stain/paint, hardware, and a few bins for storage) but it would be sturdy and last a long time, I suspect. Might be a good idea to use some small screws to reinforce the cabinet structure since you'll potentially be putting a good bit of load on it when sizing brass and such. That wouldn't be hard - just get some scraps and cut corner braces and install them with wood screws. I don't know if you'll find a cheaper alternative but you might.

 

[Mortis]

Hope this comes thru ok....

My bench is 6 ft long by 20 inches deep. Top is a 1 inch piece of plywood covered by a piece of masonite coated in white for bathroom useage.

Framework is actually an old drafting bench cut in half. Underneath is tool boe and cabinet for storage, plus a dorm fridge which I use for powder storage.

shelving is 1x4 adjustable as needed.....

Since this photo I've added a Lee Single Stage press...and getting ready to reconfigure for mounting another press, an RCBS Rock Crusher plus another Uniflow.

 

[.280 Remington]

Doc, I'll have to get more exact measurements this evening while at home. I took a few pics of the space, but due to the concrete walls, the "depth" is really hard to judge in the photos.

Thanks Az Dak!

And Dub, that's a great idea, might be able to find some leftovers around here somewhere, at least for the bases!

Thanks Mortis!

 

[JD338]

I have a "L" shaped loading bench.

A couple days before we moved into our newly built home, the builder's BIL tossed his tool bag onto the bar counter top IN FRONT OF MY WIFE!!!
The slightly scratched counter top was replaced and ended up in my work shop in the basement.

JD338

 

[Too Tall]

Here's mine. Been with me for 25 years. Every other place, I just fit in, this one was built for me.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I use a bench, built into the garage, which looks a lot like Mortis' bench. Mine is h*ll for stout and built to last from fir 2x6's.

 

[Huntbear]

I built my bench out of 2 in. angle for legs, 1.5 in channel for the cross members.. All welded together by a great welder. It is heavy as heck, but let me tell ya, i anchored it to the floor and the wall, and it is so solid you can dance on it with 2x10 decking held down with carriage bolts..

 

[BK]

Here's mine. Been with me for 25 years. Every other place, I just fit in, this one was built for me.

I have a pretty good sized space in the garage, but Too Tall's setup leaves me envious. It's definitely worth he effort to search for the thread he started that shows it better.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Great loooking benches, all! Lots of experienced handloaders and shooters around this site!

 

[AzDak42]

So gents - This actually made me think a bit about my bench and what I want to do next.

I believe my next step is to build a top/back section that will hold shelves for components and books. That's easy enough.

But my real curiosity is about work surface options. Today, I have a very smooth facing on the plywood top, but it's just bare wood. I feel like I either need to protect it or cover it if I want this to hold up in the long term.

Given that this doubles as my work bench, formica would be a bit of a pain as I think screws would just roll off heading for the floor. I thought about maybe just using a throw away/replaceable fiber board piece.

What have folks used? What works well?

 

[.280 Remington]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I've got some wheels turning and Too Tall, that's a NICE set up

 

[Oldtrader3]

I like the Alco Vinyl Drafting board cover sheeting. For about $30-50 you get a resilient Vinyl sheet which is bondable to the bench and is about an 1/16 inch thick. The materail is durable, non-slip, resilient, easily cleaned and a nice durable but softer surface covering. You can just tape the edges in order to lay it on your bench or can glue it to any flat and level surface. Just my $.02. Nice to work on.

 

[SJB358]

Man, you guys have some GREAT set ups..

 

[AzDak42]

I like the Alco Vinyl Drafting board cover sheeting. For about $30-50 you get a resilient Vinyl sheet which is bondable to the bench and is about an 1/16 inch thick. The materail is durable, non-slip, resilient, easily cleaned and a nice durable but softer surface covering. You can just tape the edges in order to lay it on your bench or can glue it to any flat and level surface. Just my $.02. Nice to work on.

Any links? My google fu is week today.

 

[AzDak42]

Ah.. found it. Vyco.. Very cool looking product, and anti-static to not mess with digital scales. I like it!

 

[Oldtrader3]

http://www.cutting-mats.net will get you to Alco and their covers. They are cool. Having been chained to a drafting board for 20 years, I got a lot of exposure to this stuff and it is really nice to work on and cleans easily.

 

[AzDak42]

http://www.cutting-mats.net will get you to Alco and their covers. They are cool. Having been chained to a drafting board for 20 years, I got a lot of exposure to this stuff and it is really nice to work on and cleans easily.

You keep using Alco.. Do you mean Vyco? Just want to make sure I found the right one.