More and more of my stuff is finally coming in and I am soon going to be able to setup my more permanent reloading work area in a couple of weeks. I was hoping you guys could post some pictures of your reloading work benches and work areas so I might be able to get some ideas and to see just how bad-arse of a setup some of you guys have. Thanks.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

Ask and you shall receive:
Lets see your reloading benches

Then there's this:
IMG 0653 - YouTube

Google: "reloading bench" and you will get over 500 pictures of reloading benches on who knows how many Forums.

We'll be waiting for you reloading questions. You did buy at least one reloading manual? Now I'm going back to casting bullets.

Edit: Ended up with almost a full 3# coffe can of 148 grain tumble lube wadcutters and 200 45 acp 230 grain RN. What bullet and ammo shortage?

__________________
S&WHF 366

Now I would normally not even walk my Dog in a Harbor Freight, but if you do not want to build a bench or lack the tools, skills whatever, this is a pretty darn nice bench and if you have coupon from the mail flier it's even less.

If I had room I would buy one maybe two. My neighbor has one and it is very solid. For the price it's a winner.

Wood Workbench - 60" Wood Workbench w/ 4 Drawers

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I have the Harbor Freight bench in the post. I use it as my cleaning bench. I agree it is a nice bench, but my experience says it is not suited for reloading. It just isn't built heavy enough for the forces from loading. If you anchored it into a wall, it might help. Don't get me wrong, for what I use it for, it is excellent. But no heavy pulling or torque applied to it in my case.

Excellent Idea... Thank you!

I use one of the Harbor Freight benches for a second bench. It is crowded with 3 presses and 2 lube-sizers but it works for the time being. It is bolted to the floor and the wall making it very stable.

I did that, and google images. For the most part just benches.

I found plans for one, that I am not following but like the idea. I have bottom frame made. Bisquit joiened the top, and belt sanded, not super happy. It would be ok if I screwed it down to the frame, but not if I want to make it removable, it rocks.

I am setting up a jointer. May look look at planers too. But I am going to try just a jointer and sanding.

I am trying to get better at wood working, so I am trying this for practice.


http://www.shotgunsportsmagazine.com...ench_plans.pdf

__________________
Beware the man with one gun.

I see multiple press and stuff mounted to some. I am curious what. I have auto indexing, I can maybe a progressive. Maybe shotgun, but no plans for one.

__________________
Beware the man with one gun.

I've only got my Square Deal B press and somewhat of a limited amount of space for now in one of our back rooms. I will have some large cabinets to store much of my equipment and supplies in but don't have a lot of space to fit a bench into yet until we do some remodeling (year or two out). I was looking to get this work bench from Lowes.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

I use two Craftsman workbenches slid end to end in my garage. I have my loader mounted in the middle. These are 4 foot long with two drawers on each bench. I use only one bench for reloading. I have my loader and powder dispenser bolted down. My tumbler is sitting in the back of the bench. I keep my dies, powder, primers up in the cabinet out of sight as well. My books are kept at the back of the bench.

I looked at the Craftsman benches as I have a ton of Craftsman tools and wanted one but for now I am only going to have about 48"-50" width worth of space to work with initially and everything they have right now is 5'-8' wide. I have a 48"Wx30"Dx80"T six door cabinet to store my supplies and tools in so the bench will be my work area only with room for the supplies I only need for the load I am working with.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

The harbor Freight bench is way better than that lowes bench, I looked ar the Lowes bench. You can build a much better one than that. The top is really thin. JMHO

Buy a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood cut it in half, glue and screw the two pieces together make a frame from 2x4 or 2x6 with legs and bolt together you can put a car on it.(small car)

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

Agreed. Of all the Harbor Freight stuff, this is by far the least objectionable.

The Harbor Freight one is a bit too big for the space I have. I would not be able to use two of the drawers and probably not the vice either. I only have have 48"-50" wide worth of useable space for right now. I guess I could buy the bigger bench and just not use part of it until we decide on the remodeling and get it done. This is the second bench I was looking at. The top is 1 1/2" thick.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

Thanks!!!!! This was very helpful as I was hoping to see people's work layouts versus just seeing work benches which is what an Internet search was mainly coming up with.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

What is the difference between these two Harbor Freight work benches? They look exactly the same but one says "hardwood"?
Wood Workbench - 60" Wood Workbench w/ 4 Drawers
Workbench with 4 Drawers, 60" Hardwood

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

You might also keep an eye out in Craigslist or your local Lowes/Home Depot for used/clearance countertops. I bought a 6' piece from Home Depot for $15 OTD, and made my bench. Mine is screwed to the studs in my wall, and supported by 4x4"s on the corners. My father-in-law has some scrap metal and made me up and angle bracket to support my Redding Turret. With the countertop and 4x4, I only have about $40 in the bench.
Here it is when I first set it up.

Here is a more recent photo. Going to be adding a wall cabinet to hold my primers and powder better, need to add a shelf underneath for my brass, and will probably add a couple small shelves over it for my manuals.

This is what I have. It works well. I also have a small 3 shelf book case next to it for storage of dies, powder, primers, bullets etc.

http://www.u-sav.com/garagestoragedi..._images&p=2401

I saw this bench but with it having an upper part to it as well. Do you like it and is it sturdy? What kind of press do you have attached to it?

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

I do not know what woodworking skills you have but if you can use a drill and any saw you can build a great bench as I described above.

Get the guy at Lowes or Home depot to cut the wood.

I piece of 3/4 ply, cut in half, glue screw together to make a thick top.
some 2x4's

4-2x6 cut to desired height

Make of box frame of 2x4's

Use some 2x6" for legs

Screw together

sand rough edges

screw to wall

Leave in the rough or paint, varnish or what ever.


I do not know the difference in the Harbor benches either, they say Oak.

Is the other bench you looked at from Costco or Sams??

They are nice but Expensive.

I would not buy anything that has particle board for a top, that stuff should be illegal!

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I thought about building one but my wife vetoed the idea as she said it has to at least "look nice" because it is going to be inside the house. I live in Texas so putting it in the garage is not an option as it gets 120+F easily during 4-5 months out of the year in our garage. Yes, that second option I was looking at is a Costco / Amazon.com workbench option. There is no way I would buy a bench with particle board for a top. If I did I would replace it with this 1 1/2" industrial office desk top that I have laying around in my garage. I couldn't take the top out of the Lowes workbench I was looking at but it looked to be a solid 1" or so thick. My wife liked it because it was stainless steel.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

[QUOTE=jayman9207;137137307]I thought about building one but my wife vetoed the idea as she said it has to at least "look nice" because it is going to be inside the house./QUOTE]

My GF told me the same, this is what we ended up with.

Attached Images

	Closed.jpg (26.8 KB, 181 views)
	Bench.jpg (33.3 KB, 251 views)

In my workshop, I have one of these along with the a couple of the matching work tables, rolling carts, wall cabinets, .... They did bring a whole new meaning to "some assembly required" (all flat box) but, the savings was worth it and they are fairly well built. On my last trip to Sams, I noticed they had a fold down work area table for about $100 but don't see it on the website. I also have the Lowes in the garage but you can't sit "under" the top as a bench.

Seville Classics Lighted Hardwood Top Workbench - Sam's Club

Ultra Heavy-Duty Workbench - Sam's Club

Ultra Heavy-Duty Storage Cabinet - Sam's Club

Ultra Heavy-Duty 6-Drawer Storage Cabinet - Sam's Club

Ultra Heavy-Duty Commercial Wall Cabinet - Sam's Club

Commercial Pneumatic Work Stool - Sam's Club

Shop Kobalt Stainless Steel Heavy Duty Workbench at Lowes.com

BTW - I'm in the DFW area and after I insulated the garage doors I find it to be not overtly oppressive, MOST of the time I will say, the builder did a good job and the walls are insulated AND made of 2x6's so that helps!

I use this bench with a couple of modifications. I bolted it to the wall and the floor. I sandwiched one inch plywood under the top. Now it is very stable. Been using this bench for the last five years with good results.

These were the two that I was mainly looking at. I didn't even think about the not being able to sit under the Lowes bench. Makes sense and thanks for pointing that out.

Our builder did somewhat of a lackluster job on the garage area and the dual doors are not insulated. We also face east - west and have the sun directly beating down on the front of the house the latter part of the day. I wish the garage was an option but I would need to do some major upgrades and my wife would rather upgrade other things inside the house. I am 110% fine with that as she is being awesome about the whole reloading idea in the first place.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

[QUOTE=Evets11;137137332]That is really cool but not an option for me as my work area will have a large window in front of it and something like that isn't really feasible. I wish it was as that is really awesome!

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

My garage door faces right into the afternoon heat ray and according to my infrared thermometer, the inside of the door would approach 140 degrees!

I used foil backed bubble wrap like this (different widths based on your need.

Reflectix 24 in. x 100 ft. Double Reflective Insulation with Staple Tab-ST24100 at The Home Depot

I cut it big so I could tuck it into the channels that extend forming the lip of each panel, having to force it a bit. No mechanical fastener or glue needed. It's been up for 2 years without issue. Inside of the panels never break 10 degrees over the ambient temp. Why in a custom house they used these CHEAP uninsulated bare aluminum doors is beyond me.

Each double door took about 2 hours and 3 beers!

Attached Images

IMG_0305.JPG (220.4 KB, 208 views)

Thanks for that! Sounds like I have a weekend project coming up soon!

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

Actually, without the staple tabs

Reflectix 24 in. x 100 ft. Double Reflective Insulation-BP24100 at The Home Depot

Jayman- you can buy 1/4 oak sheets and cut as desired to hide the pine 2x4's. You can cover the edges with molding that would make it really nice. I would use the top out in the garage. I would also go to lowes or home depot and buy the sheets of countertop material to place over top of the desk top. You just need to go shopping! Whatever you do, make that bench sturdy! I would also have a 1 1/2 thick top on it as well. The 2x4 idea is what I would go with and build it. It would be cheaper and when you have it tricked out and looking good, you can say you made it yourself. BTW- if you do it that way then post a pic so all of us can drool!

So what did you decide?

I went with the Seville Classics HD workbench. I also bought one of the wall cabinets and the rolling storage cabinets to store my primers, powders, and other reloading tools. They are even more solid than I thought they were going to be. Pretty impressed with the quality and durability. The workbench was just delivered yesterday so I am hoping to have time this weekend to tear down my current configuration, make room for the new stuff, and put it all together.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

That is a nice looking set up. Should look good when you get it together.

Check around and find someone who's remodeling a kitchen. They typically throw out perfectly good cabinets and counters that are ideal for reloading benches and storing the endless amounts of goodies that accumulate.

Thanks. I will have to take some pictures once I have things put together and setup the way I want.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

here's mine

Portable reloading bench - GFE presents How To Reload In Front of Your TV - YouTube

That's a different rolling cabinet than I got. I like it!!! Just wait, you'll have a new appreciation for "some assembly required" I may have to get one!

I've got the bench, 8 of the cabinets, the "wardrobe", two of the tables, and two of these.

Ultra Heavy-Duty 6-Drawer Storage Cabinet - Sam's Club=

The stool is nice too.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/newrepl...ly&p=137173590

And this works well for all the sprinkler system stuff!!! I'll bet it would work well for brass too!

Commercial Bin Rack with 16 Durable Bins - Sam's Club=

I've got a nice Craftsman padded hydraulic stool. I like the bin rack as well but unfortunately I don't have enough room to get one.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

Forgot to mention a couple nice features of the tables. They are longer and about an inch deeper than the workbench, the top is thicker, and the rolling carts are designed to fit under each half. I've got a table flanking each side of the workbench in my shop area, two of the rolling carts under the other. Ya I know I said only two rollers in an earlier post, senior moment, it's three

Sorry for the mess, I'm out there getting ready to do sprinkler repair

Attached Images

photo.jpg (103.0 KB, 170 views)

A table is nice................
but you soon learn that LOTS of shelves and STORAGE SPACE is even better, with most of us.

Good loading.

I think IKEA should come out with a reloading bench

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

What part of the rolling drawers, cabinets with shelves, and peg board all around my table did you miss

This is what it looked like about 2 years ago, a few months after we moved in and just after I bought the first batch and got things assembled. Have added and rearranged a few times since. Will be getting anther table and chest, ... to set my reloading are up once I put a wall in to split things off.

Attached Images

What a mess.jpg (111.2 KB, 176 views)

The wall needs paint !!

__________________
S&WHF 366

Got a boat load of signage (auto, oil, service station, ...) to put up once I come up for air!!!!

Dang you can get a vehicle in your garage??

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

This is the detached workshop/RV garage!!!

He must have real money. He's got a garage, a play house, and enough room to put a vehicle in the garage. Unbelieveable , HOW???

__________________
S&WHF 366

Can we come over a play at your House??

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I have a freezer next to my reloading bench right now. Will it be a potential issue or will I be OK leaving it next to the workbench?

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45