Any nice factory made reloading benches out there?
I've been out of guns for a long time, just getting back into it. (just bought a FA .454 Casull which I love and a nice .300 winchester mag heavy barrel is coming).
Want to get back into reloading, and I now live in a small apartment. Any recommendations on a good reloading bench? Something small and sturdy? I could build something, but I'd rather save the time....
Looking to buy a new RCBS progressive reloader... so it woudl have to be big and sturdy enough for that, along with being able to handle a single stage press (weight doesn't matter - I'd rather have something too heavy and tough than not enough)
Midway has a nice platform that breaks down and would be nice for an apartment. Good to see you came back to your senses and started shooting again. Good shooting!
Is space an issue? You said apartment. Get a small desk or small end table. Then either use the top of that or attach a new board on top of the table to put the press on. Reloading benches don't need to be much bigger than the press base with enough area left over for a reloading block and a box of bullets. I have my press on a couple of 2x4's, the press is on one side, the other side has a piece that fits over the edge of the desk I put the press on. It hold in place just fine. Probably not enough for a pregressive press, though.
Ben
Posts: 90 | Location: Pullman, WA, USA | Registered: 03 April 2002
When I was an apartment dweller I built my loading set up in the coaat closet. Just open the door & start loading. A couple of 2x4's & some 2x12's & your set. Another route is to get one of the small Craftsman metal work benches. You have a bench top & storage in a reasonably small package. Good luck w/ your project.
Posts: 7752 | Location: kalif.,usa | Registered: 08 March 2001
Went to Midway's site. I can't find that platform? Do you remember the exact name of it? I can search for "bench" but that returns everything that has anything to do with Benchrest... which obviously is a lot!
I mounted my presses to either end of a 2x6 plank that I can C-clamp to my kitchen table. Mounted powder measures, case trimmer, etc, on a thick old cutting board. I came up with a small metal table pedestal (like in nightclubs) and mounted a top on it to which I have attached a 4" vise, two small presses, one large press, and a luber-sizer. Everything is portable and can moved around and out of sight. The only cost was a few bucks for the lumber.
I took the kitchen cabinet unit that had been removed from the house due to remodeling, put an old school cafeteria table top on it, painted it and went to loading. It is 5'6" long and exactly the right heighth. Perhaps you may be able to adapt some other piece of furniture or table. Good luck and good shooting.
Coach
Posts: 114 | Location: near Abilene, Texas | Registered: 04 September 2002
This is a terrific thread with some great ideas. Until I saw the Midway portable bench I had planned to cut some plywood into an I shape and clamp it into a Workmate-type bench. I was considering an extra, removable clamp/brace for safety's sake but maybe thats just my German inclination to overengineer everything.
Hey guys, thanks for the info already. There are some good ideas here
Here's one I'd like your opinions on
That midway table looks a little small and light to use with a press if you're putting much leverage on the handle. Looks like it would want to tip forward.
How about getting a piece of 3/4" plywood, maybe 2 feet or so wide, maybe 4 feet long, then drilling holes through the plywood and base of the table and use 4 bolts with wing-nuts to secure the two together. Then you could set your chair on the plywood, and that should be enough anchor to make the press quite solid...
Also, using wingnuts you could take the two apart easily if need be. Perhaps something you could take the range if you're going to be shooting a long time...
I built my Midway pedestal knock off out of a Cast iron grinder stand. I have a small plywood top mounted on it with two presses facing North and South. (there is room left to clamp on my Mec 12ga press when I want to load shotgun) I cut a 27" circle of plywood to set it on with nuts and bolts as you described. It worked out great. It is stable enough. I bought one of those roll around tool carts you see in cheap tool catalogues and mounted plastic bin racks in its belly. The entire thing can be pulled out and rolled out of the way for storage. Best of Luck JB
Posts: 104 | Location: Roanoke, VA , USA | Registered: 20 March 2002
I'm getting ready to do the same thing, reloading bench for small spaces. I have a Workmate folding table, and was going to make a thick table with a 2x4 beam on the bottom down the middle of the table for the Workmate to clamp onto. Saw a similar setup somewhere else in this forum where the Workmate is used as a portable shooting bench. If you don't have one, you'll be amazed at how solid and stable these things are!
Posts: 207 | Location: Sacramento, CA, USA | Registered: 15 February 2002
On the subject of Workmates for shooting benches, add an old ironing board (without legs) to the top and you'll have a terrific shooting bench. Ironing boards make great light duty benches to move around the shop but they're not heavy enough to handle reloading presses. Set one next to your portable reloading press to hold your trimmer, powder measures, etc. Also great to set next to a vehicle when doing auto work.
quote:Originally posted by GSXR7/11: Any nice factory made reloading benches out there?
I've been out of guns for a long time, just getting back into it. (just bought a FA .454 Casull which I love and a nice .300 winchester mag heavy barrel is coming).
Want to get back into reloading, and I now live in a small apartment. Any recommendations on a good reloading bench? Something small and sturdy? I could build something, but I'd rather save the time....
Looking to buy a new RCBS progressive reloader... so it woudl have to be big and sturdy enough for that, along with being able to handle a single stage press (weight doesn't matter - I'd rather have something too heavy and tough than not enough)
I just built a loading bench in my machine shop. I have a welder so I made the frame out of 3" X 3" metal 1/4 inch thick. It's a sturdy bastard. I had to use a tractor to pull it to my garage. Before that, I used a work bench from Sears. They have several models reasonably priced that include drawers for storage. Check in their tool section or their tool department. I changed because I wanted something higher to do stock work during the long Dakota winter. My garage is finished and I can easily heat it to 70 degrees.
Posts: 631 | Location: North Dakota | Registered: 14 March 2002
I made my setup out of one of the old type, non-opening, open front school desks with the 4 or 5 inch slot to place books and 2 cross members on all sides except for the front. I think it cost $3 at a yard sale. I beefed up the already sturdy frame by adding two 3/4 ply shelves laid across the tops of the cross members. I added side walls to the shelves as well, so things do not walk off due to vibration. That gives me a total of three approx 26" X 26" shelves. The middle shelf is anchored securely, while the bottom shelf is removable to access L brackets for securing the whole thing to the floor. Once this desk is screwed into the floor, its locked in. If not screwed down, the desk will vibrate a bit when operating the press or trimming, but it's tollerable.
The whole affair takes up little room, and although I've amassed a good bit of equipment and am planning on constructing a nice hardwood reloading bench, I have not really outgrown it as a single stage work station.
Posts: 6545 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: 28 August 2001
Hey Aquavit, how do you fit in that itty-bitty seat? That must be quite a site, a grown man sitting in a little school desk playing with his reloading toys! And if I ever see someone broke down by the side of the road with an ironing board next to the car I'll know it's Rezdog! Just havin' a little fun...
Posts: 207 | Location: Sacramento, CA, USA | Registered: 15 February 2002
Years ago when I lived in a small cottage that is just what I did. I used C clamps and hooked it on a small but sturdy table. As I moved and things progressed I got a small shop. Used the same setup and mounted it on the cast iron wing on my table saw. It has been very versitile for me over the years. Until now I never really had a place I could just leave my press set up. But at last I now have a metal bench 28" X 6' made of 1/8" steel. Now I'm spoiled LOL. But the setup you suggested has and will work well. My base board was 15" X 24" X 3/4"
quote:How about getting a piece of 3/4" plywood, maybe 2 feet or so wide, maybe 4 feet long, then drilling holes through the plywood and base of the table and use 4 bolts with wing-nuts to secure the two together. Then you could set your chair on the plywood, and that should be enough anchor to make the press quite solid...
[ 09-27-2002, 02:08: Message edited by: Jay Johnson ]
One of the Sears work benches probably could be easily converted for loading bench use. I have seen them on the showroom floor and they are quite sturdy. They come with built in storage space as well.
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