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Ideas for ultimate work/reloading bench

R

rideHPD

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Mar 4, 2010
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San Diego, CA
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I'm finally getting around to building a bench to clean and work on guns as well as reload once I get started and I'm trying to figure out what I want to get out of it. I have about 6' 6" in length and 30-36" of depth depending on how high it will be (in garage and needs to clear cars), and will be nestled in between two cabinets 24" in depth. My general plan is to construct a frame using 4x4's for legs with 2x4 struts and (somehow) place a continuous wood countertop with a press on the left hand side and a vice on the right side.

My questions are:

What height would be optimal? I find standing would be most appropriate for most cleaning and general maintenance but imagine it would be desirable to sit in a comfortable office chair while reloading for long periods of time. This leads to a bit of a dilemma in achieving both with one bench.

Any kind of surfacing? With solvents, oils, etc. around for cleaning I think it would be good to find a neutral surfacing agent to protect the wood, but still leave the wood to be deformed as a soft backing for anything that may need to be hammered/have force applied to it/etc.

What kind of organizing? What ideas does everyone have for drawers/pegboard/tool storage/parts storage/etc.?

Any other things that I should take into consideration?

Any thing else that would be cool to do? I have a white board lying around as well so I'll probably throw that up on the wall for brainstorming and making notes. I'll post some pictures of the area and when I'm done as well.
 
There are some plans for a generic reloading bench out on the internet that are free. Bench top is a good question. A nice stainless top cover would be nice to keep grease and oil and solvents from penetrating into the wood, or you can just have replaceable top cover boards or metal plates for such.

I like a bench that puts the work surface about 4 inches below my hands when I'm standing holding them straight out. At that height everything on the bench is right under your hands, and you can put a rifle with tripod on the bench and clean it. You can then mount reloaders to the bench. I bought some scrap 6 inch X 6 inch square steel tube and made risers to mount my reloaders on, so the mounting surface of the reloader is 6 inches above bench top. If I want to sit down, I sit on a stool at the proper height.

Photos of the $27.00 Lee press I use for depriming and running a mandrel in case mouths. Primers fall through into the catch box inside the tube.
 

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rideHPD, Before you build a bench, If you have a Sam's club near you go look at their shop bench I think it is 200.00 and a chair is 50.00. You will have a nice bench with a very nice wood top around 1.5 inches thick. They also have some nice storage ideas also. Good luck with your new adventure.
 
rideHPD said:
What height would be optimal? I find standing would be most appropriate for most cleaning and general maintenance but imagine it would be desirable to sit in a comfortable office chair while reloading for long periods of time. This leads to a bit of a dilemma in achieving both with one bench.
Click to expand...

A office chair with arms, is not going to allow you the freedom of movement with your arms to run a press without bumping the chair.

I set my bench top at 36", and have a stool I use as a seat.

Any kind of surfacing? With solvents, oils, etc. around for cleaning I think it would be good to find a neutral surfacing agent to protect the wood, but still leave the wood to be deformed as a soft backing for anything that may need to be hammered/have force applied to it/etc.
Click to expand...

I have 2 benches... 1 is a plywood top I use for reloading and rough work, the other is a Formica top where I do solvent work or anything I want a smooth, clean, liquid friendly space.

What kind of organizing? What ideas does everyone have for drawers/pegboard/tool storage/parts storage/etc.?
Click to expand...

Pick bins. and drawers bins. Not a fan of peg board, but if you wanted a shelf alternative, slat wall is very cool stuff. I did adjustable shelving on the wall behind the bench. Cheap, easy, effective.

I did not attach the bench to the wall. This way I can keep scales, powder dispensers etc.. on a shelf, and they are not bumped by running the reloading press on the bench top. I did have to build a very heavily constructed, and cross braced bench to resist movement.

Any other things that I should take into consideration?
Click to expand...

My when I rebuild my bench I plan to do something like this. Putting T-channels into the top so I can put just the things I'm using onto the bench, and keep everything else stored.

My preference is for cabinets for storage of things. Things on open shelves tend to get dirty/dusty.

While you are building things out of wood, consider a small magazine for powder storage if you don't already have one.

Add a full-length power strip to the back of the bench. Everything these days seems to plug in, and there are never enough outlets.
 
rideHPD said:
What height would be optimal? I find standing would be most appropriate for most cleaning and general maintenance but imagine it would be desirable to sit in a comfortable office chair while reloading for long periods of time. This leads to a bit of a dilemma in achieving both with one bench.
Click to expand...

Something I learned about body mechanics in university is that your working environment should be NO lower then your waist. You're going to want to find the height that is most comfortable to you, the trade off being the higher up you go the harder it is to reach the stuff at the back. For standing you may find bottom of your rib cage a good height (provided that you don't have anything too tall going on it, like a drill press). You'll have to find what works for you.

As far as the wanting the bench to be good for seated reloading in an office chair (which are quite low) I can think of two ideas:
1. Use a stool instead of office chair
2. Have an extension (maybe fixed to the side, or on a track that slides out) with the press fixed to that. This would make the press pretty much only useful seated though.
 
My recommendation is to make it as big as you can for the space you are putting it in. Make the top thick (1.5-2 inches). I happen to like 36" as height for my benches. That allows me to work in front of them both standing or sitting on a stool (I'm 5' 10" btw). Laminate the top of the bench with white laminate (I did my gunsmithing bench in black laminate...holds up wonderfully to oil and solvents...however, in hindsight, black wasn't the best idea since most small gun parts (pins, springs, etc...) tend to be black and get easily lost on the bench top). You can buy laminate and the adhesive for it at home depot. Follow the instructions, get a handheld vinyl flooring roller and it's an easy application. You will need a router with a flush trimming bit or a trim cutting router to get the edges flush. Put a back stop on it...keeps small parts from rolling off the back. Use a router with an edge guide and a bowl and tray bit to put a pencil channel in the top front edge of the bench so small things don't roll off the front. Make it sturdy and heavy. The more solid you build it the better since you don't want it moving when you're pulling on the handle of your reloaders. I would also recommend putting a lower shelf on it to be able to put stuff on (a great thing to keep stuff organized are the bolt trays from Fastenal (box rack and the boxes to go in them). You'll be able to get what you want easier if you call your closest Fastenal store (or other similar supplier) than you will looking for them online at their sites.

--Wintermute
 
They make laminate sheeting that is the same stuff they make kitchen counter tops out of. It stands up to break cleaner. You can apply it to 3/4 MDF for a heavy,durable and good looking work surface. Look on Craigslist for cheap kitchen cabinates. Even if you source them from different people you can paint them to match. Anchor your bench to a wall if possible. If not make it heavy. It's best to do both.
Something like This: Shop ClosetMaid 25 Cherry Laminate Storage Cubes at Lowes.com with these With these Cardboard Bins, Bin Boxes in Stock - Uline are a great way to organize dies/bulletes all the hundreds of little thing you accumulate. I but my Dies in a plastic bag with a desiccant and place all my dies/head space gauges/set up neck turner for a caliber in a bin box. I than find the SAMMII diegram of the case on Wikipedia print it out on a sticky label and place it on the bin box.

I have large amounts of LC 223 Brass and LC 9mm brass that going into plastic totes. I saw in a youtube video that having a freezer in the room help control humidity not sure how true that is. Also I find metal tool boxes on craigslist for cheap. They are great for storing tools.

Also forget about reloading sitting down. I have tried it and invariably I end up having to get up and move around because I need some damn tool or other. Also you cant have enough light.
 
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Built this one for my reloading room. 3/4" box tube truss with 1/8" steel top. Reenforced on the bottom drilled and tapped for the presses with the outlets switched off from a single switch and the air compressor with the other. Rubber padded adjustable feet to level on the bottom.

IMAG1210.jpg


IMAG1238.jpg


IMAG1256.jpg
 
Dude...you win. That is one hell of a nice setup :D

--Wintermute

jmorris said:
Built this one for my reloading room. 3/4" box tube truss with 1/8" steel top. Reenforced on the bottom drilled and tapped for the presses with the outlets switched off from a single switch and the air compressor with the other. Rubber padded adjustable feet to level on the bottom.

IMAG1210.jpg


IMAG1238.jpg


IMAG1256.jpg
Click to expand...
 
EricCartmann said:
The above is a fail. Looks like it is unheated, no TVs, and no elbow room.
Click to expand...

Umm...where he has it finally setup in the last picture looks insulated (has drywall, double pane windows, etc...) and so it probably heated. Has more than enough elbow room for what he'd be doing with each press/machine as well.

Nice efficient and well organized setup overall actually.

--Wintermute
 
Wintermute said:
Umm...where he has it finally setup in the last picture looks insulated (has drywall, double pane windows, etc...) and so it probably heated. Has more than enough elbow room for what he'd be doing with each press/machine as well.

Nice efficient and well organized setup overall actually.

--Wintermute
Click to expand...

Cement floor.. Still looks like his wife kicked him out of the house and in the garage.
 
pmclaine said:
My interpretation

FinishedBench001.jpg


FinishedBench005.jpg


FinishedBench007.jpg
Click to expand...


Now this is nice! Hardwood floors always makes everything nice... I also can tell this place is heated, and has a 10k watt stereo system, as well as a 72" flat screen... Though we can't see the flat screen and TV in the pic.
 
EricCartmann said:
Cement floor.. Still looks like his wife kicked him out of the house and in the garage.
Click to expand...

Look at the last picture, not the first two. The first two are obviously his shop (bolt bins, steel stock laying around, etc... pretty much looks like the inside of any fabrication shop). The third picture has double paned windows, hardwood floor, drywall, etc...

Also, a lot of us (myself included) aren't kicked out by our wives to the shop, we have a heated shop to work in which is our area to setup how we please. I don't setup my lathe and milling machine in the house because my wife doesn't want them there, it's because I don't want them there. On the other hand, even if I wanted them in the house and my wife didn't, I'd respect her wishes as it's as much her house as it is mine. She doesn't kick me out and I don't tell her how it's going to be. We agree.

--Wintermute
 
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Yep, couldn't agree more. Equal lives, equal decisions, equal happiness. Momma aint happy aint nobody happy. lol I really like the mulitpress setup but I do worry that it might get cluttered up quick if you had a lot goin on. Regardless all of them are true inspiration for my future bench.
 
Don't care what y'all think about Jmorris' setup. He's my hero. Obviously a mechanical genius and believes in getting shit done, not making it look like a sports bar. You should see some of his posts on other forums.
 
And yes my wife let me have a room in the house. The kiddo likes to watch the 1050 load.

IMG_20130718_135216_122_zpsdead8f17.jpg
 
mtrmn said:
Don't care what y'all think about Jmorris' setup. He's my hero. Obviously a mechanical genius and believes in getting shit done, not making it look like a sports bar. You should see some of his posts on other forums.
Click to expand...

Just messin and joking about the wife part. I have nothing but good things to say about his set up. Very impressive!
 
OP,

One thing to think about...if you plan on storing lead/ammo on a shelf built into the bench beef it up as much as you can. That crap get heavy as you know and it will sag a shelf. The lowest shelf should be built like flooring joist construction. It will stiffen the bench and the heavy junk you put on it will anchor your work station.
 
Been away for a couple of days, but thank you all for the help. Lot of good ideas and advice, and I think for now I'm going to build an extremely heavy-duty bench top at the right height for standing and then add things as I go once I get a feel for how I want things. Definitely want to do the T track, and will probably route the edges to keep small parts from rolling off or make dog leg border walls. Heavily supported bench for ammo and components, definitely need to make water-tight bins for everything (close to the ocean, salt air screws everything up). jmorris definitely wins amidst Cartman's trolling, but the point is well made, and there will be a stereo system and laptop with netflix for entertainment!
 
jmorris said:
Built this one for my reloading room. 3/4" box tube truss with 1/8" steel top. Reenforced on the bottom drilled and tapped for the presses with the outlets switched off from a single switch and the air compressor with the other. Rubber padded adjustable feet to level on the bottom.

IMAG1210.jpg


IMAG1238.jpg


IMAG1256.jpg
Click to expand...


Well done, this is when I wish I could weld. Carpentry, yes, metal, not so much. How'd you get that bad boy in the house?
 
Hammertime said:
Nice job on the bench, I like your cabinet work. I'm guessing you built it yourself. Even finished the end panels to match the doors, nice touch.
Click to expand...

I don't have that kind of talent, no sir.

I was planning on building it and it would have came out looking more like the utilitarian NRMA Reloading Bench plan it is based on. My wife suggested I check with a furniture maker to see what they would charge me to build to the NRMA spec. I thought she was nuts as I was already on a tight budget and I had calculated materials alone to be $1,000 (Boston market prices for nice framing grade lumber and a butcher block top).

Intending to prove she was nuts I flipped over a coffee table we own and like. Got the name Cherry Pond Furniture in VT and called them. They wouldn't build it but they said they would have one of their foremen take a look at it and see if he wanted to do it on his own. Anyway a couple of conversations later he gave me a price that just doubled my materials alone cost and he sent me this plan rendition showing furniture grade maple. He included delivery and stated he would put it together if I helped him.

It wasn't cheap but I would have been a fool to risk losing my fingers and my day job. Having a career that allows me to quantify my non working time at "Detail Rate" I could see that a few days of directing traffic around a construction hazard would be well worth the craftsmanship of the Vermont cabinetmaker.

I couldn't have been happier with what I got. The Rockler T tracks were installed by me and it was an idea I stole from a smarter guys idea of the perfect work bench.

OP one other piece of experience. If you like to work sitting down do not have doors on your bench front. I do most of my work standing up. Fortunately that is my preferred way to work as I thought sitting on occasion would be an option but really with the doors you cant get close enough to the bench to feel comfortable with what you are doing. No doors Id have my knees into the work station and might work sitting down on occasion. Simple tasks I can sit but anything requiring dexterity or application of force, pulling the reloader handle, pushing a bore brush, chamfering brass/cleaning primer pockets on a powered tool I like to stand.

The height of my bench is just at the top of my belt, maybe mid belt, and that works great for me.
 
I wold say the benchtop should be at a good height to allow comfortable work while standing. (just about belt level like pmclaine said) The presses should be at a height sufficient to allow full stroke on the handle without having to bend over. FOR ME that means my Dillon is mounted utilizing the "strong mount" that Dillon offers for the 550. This raises the press several inches above the bench and it is much more comfortable for extended loading sessions. After seeing the improvement with the Dillon, I welded up a strong mount for my Rock Chucker as well. When I prefer to sit, I have a fairly tall swivel barstool which keeps me at the right level.
 
Hammertime said:
Well done, this is when I wish I could weld. Carpentry, yes, metal, not so much. How'd you get that bad boy in the house?
Click to expand...

The wing is bolted to the main bench. Moved it in two sections and bolted them together.
 
For height if you intend to stand...it has to be ergonomically proportional to your height.
That should be high enough so that when you stand and touch the top of the bench, your elbow is flexed 30 degrees.
 
Eastbay said:
This is my fav setup on here so far. Actually where I'm trying to head with mine. Organized, comfortable, spacious, and a TV! Just missing a coffee maker.
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Trust me when I say there is a coffee maker close by, just can't be on the bench that has limited space.. There is only so much you can put on 8ft..... Also yes, must have TV. Reloading is a mundane task for anyone with half a brain, so need to be entertained somehow. Even with the TV, I still can't spend more than 2 hours on the bench.
 
EricCartmann said:
Get as much Bench Space as possible! I have 8ft and getting low on space.

IMG_2288-vi.jpg
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This! I've got 6 feet right now, which is 18" more room than i had before and I'm out of space. My next bench will be more along the lines of 16 feet+ with even more storage. use small parts bins to keep small tools, writing utensils, spare parts, etc organized and within easy reach. Make the bench top as thick and strong as you can. Mount the bench to the wall if at all possible or it'll walk on you, when doing full length resizing. Biggest thing will be the ability to stay organized. It's easy to keep the bench top cleared off if everything has a place.

One last thing. Lights, have plenty of overhead lighting. Hard to load if you can't see what your doing.
 
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