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Securing press to table without drilling

Prison Mike

Staff Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Supporter
Feb 4, 2011
428
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Wilmington, NC
I currently live in military housing and Im not allowed to drill in any of the furniture. I have a perfect little desk upstairs that is part of the home, but like I said, I cant drill holes in it. So what would be the best way to secure a press to the desk without damaging it?
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

Bolt press to an oversize piece of plywood to spread out the load force.
Use piece's of 3/8 plywood underneith the table to avoid any mark's from the clamp's.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

I used a 2x6 for many years. I bolted the press to one end and laid it across the table. Just clamp at both ends and it will be very steady. the leverage of the 2x6 across the table is substantial -- it won't move.

I never had good luck just clamping a press to the table.

Brad
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

I have a press mounted to a box. Here's the linke to the drawing I copied it from. I put a handtowel under it to keep from scratching table tops. I've sized and deprimed.223 on it. If it moves a C clamp will hold it in place. I also do a lot of work in my living room on a Harbor Freight copy of the Black and Decker Work Mate. I mount tools on a 24 inch long 2x6 and swap them out on top of it.

http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7334

A Yahoo search "portable reloading bench" will give you a lot of ideas.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

PS. If the base wood hobby shops have closed Lowes can cut the ply wood to size. Have them cut the top and bottom to size. The sides and back are cut from one piece that is cut to width then the three pieces cut from it. That keeps the top and bottom parallel. You will probably end up cuting the anle cut to make the sides with a jig saw unless your Lowes has a radial arm saw set up and will cut an angle.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gunsnjeeps</div><div class="ubbcode-body">PS. If the base wood hobby shops have closed Lowes can cut the ply wood to size. Have them cut the top and bottom to size. The sides and back are cut from one piece that is cut to width then the three pieces cut from it. That keeps the top and bottom parallel. You will probably end up cuting the anle cut to make the sides with a jig saw unless your Lowes has a radial arm saw set up and will cut an angle. </div></div>

Very interesting..... Thanks
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

I routed two lengths of extruded aluminum T track into my bench worksurface. I mounted my press to an aluminum plate. I use T nuts to secure the aluminum plate to my work surface.

If I want more work surface I loosen the T nuts securing the plate to the bench and slide the press to the back of my bench. For loading the press is slid forward toward the edge of thebench.

If I need all of the work surface I can slide the press right off of the T track.

I made extra aluminum plates in case I want to later get a single stage or mount a vice/whatever.

Its only as portable as my work bench (which isnt) but this works for me.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

I mounted my Co-Ax onto a very large solid wood chopping board (counter sunk the press mounting bolt holes to allow it to sit flat onto a table). I can mount it pretty much anywhere with either C clamps or bolting into onto another surface. The set up very sturdy, even on my kitchen table with C clamps.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

ReloadinginfrontofthecomputersoIcan.jpg


Get a 2x4 or 2x6.

Sheet rock screws clamp press to the board.

C clamp or wood clamp will clamp the board to the bench or desk.

I do it all the time.

It is the best way to watch TV while reloading.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

I just bought a heavy duty grinder stand from Grizzley. It had some holes already drilled and the two nearest one edge matched up with the near two on my Redding Ultramag press. I driller two more holes in the steel plate for the back two and tapped them for 3/16 machine screw; used 3/16 bolt and nut at the other two. Combined weight is about 70 lbs and it's very solid.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MANIMAL</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I currently live in military housing and Im not allowed to drill in any of the furniture. I have a perfect little desk upstairs that is part of the home, but like I said, I cant drill holes in it. So what would be the best way to secure a press to the desk without damaging it? </div></div>

couple of C clamps, bit of mild steel as a base, Works for me
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

This is my press mounted to an aluminum plate which I than mount to the T-track. I ordered the aluminum plate online cut to size. Drilled it as needed and had it anodized for looks only. C clamps would secure the plate to the bench if I didnt have the track.

FinishedBench005.jpg
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

I have a portable setup that sits on top of a folding plastic workbench. The press I use on it is fastened to a 1'x2' section of 3/4" plywood (sanded smooth & minwaxed) by countersunk machine screws, head down, nut up, in countersunk holes so there's nothing protruding from the bottom. It might still mar whatever it's sitting on but you could put some of those felt dots underneath it to make sure. Then I clamp the plywood and press to the plastic table (or the 'regular' loading bench) with Irwin Quick-Grips.

382a7376eea94d0185fe578.jpg


You only really need to hold down the back edge because the force when you pull the handle on the press is pulling the back edge up and pressing the front edge down. This works in my case because I sized the plywood to have a few inches of overhang on both sides of the table so the QuickGrips can be mounted from the sides of the table to secure the rear edge of the plywood base. That leaves me a narrow strip at the rear of the table that I put a purpose-build shelf on (secured by a third QuickGrip) so my balance beam scale sits just at eye level.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

Speaking of force.
There is not much on the handle with co-ax, but the rockchucker can take some bench lifting force.

If the bench is not bolted to the wall, it is better to attach the rockchucker to the end of the bench.

It is much harder to lift a bench end wise.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pmclaine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This is my press mounted to an aluminum plate which I than mount to the T-track. I ordered the aluminum plate online cut to size. Drilled it as needed and had it anodized for looks only. C clamps would secure the plate to the bench if I didnt have the track.

FinishedBench005.jpg


</div></div>

I like this idea alot. It would be nice if I could implement something like this. I may just end up building my own bench later on down the road, but for now Im just going to stick with something a little more simple and temporary. I like the ideas of the press stands as well. But the first thing I need to get in order to secure the press to the desk without any sort of drilling would be some C clamps.
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

This is what I did. Works great!<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jagged77</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I mounted my Co-Ax onto a very large solid wood chopping board (counter sunk the press mounting bolt holes to allow it to sit flat onto a table). I can mount it pretty much anywhere with either C clamps or bolting into onto another surface. The set up very sturdy, even on my kitchen table with C clamps. </div></div>
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Powder Burns</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You will probably damage the desk anyway.
Use 2x4's to spread the load out, and a large C-clamp or two. Good luck. </div></div>

Will a 1x6 work?
 
Re: Securing press to table without drilling

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JBM</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I used a 2x6 for many years. I bolted the press to one end and laid it across the table. Just clamp at both ends and it will be very steady. the leverage of the 2x6 across the table is substantial -- it won't move.

I never had good luck just clamping a press to the table.

Brad </div></div>

Works for sure. Mine is set up that way right now on a bench in the garage. When I reloaded in the house it was clamped to the kitchen table like this.