This is just so out of my wheelhouse. I am a preschool director and married to an advid hunter and gun guy. He bought me a youth pink rifle and I am happy to look cute with it- although I did shoot an antelope at 300 yds! Anyhow, our wedding anniversary is coming in a few months and I want to, with the help of a master carpenter, my dad, build my husband a reloading bench area. I have drawn up a few designs, but they look like scrapbooking rooms. We have a extra storage area in the basement, he has rifle and shotgun reloading things. I am just in need of expert advise and inspiration. I though who better than other "gun people". If you think I should look somewhere else, that's fine, too.

Wrong kind of hear.... Here. fiddlesticks...

Welcome to the forum from Va.There has been several post of benchs, you could do a search.

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Roger

Welcome from Delaware!

Welcome from Tennessee. Sure hope you remind him how lucky he is.

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Just a shooter

Did a search and there are a bunch of different ones. Oh, my. I see some have metal plates to switch stuff out. I am assuming there is a lot of pressure/torque? on the edge of the bench? I have read about "rail" system into the top of the work bench then to be tightened with a knob of some kind... personal preference, space saving or needed? It looks like these things need to be bomber. Some looked like they were made with mdf type product or a counter top. I am starting to think something laminated and stout would be a better long term solution. And Tom doesn't have those high bowls above the loader things, are they important? And to think, I was just worried about how it looked... I am going with a door that I can close. Oh.... what about a upcylcled solid door for the top... would that hold up to the pressure?

Oh, he knows he is lucky... everytime I try something we shakes his head and the clerk or guys like you remind me that it is all about making the one you love happy. Hope all of you have that person in your life! Don't see a little heart or I would put one in.
Thanks for the help.

Tcwalrab:

Welcome to the forum!!! As noted, there have been many posts with photos of loading benches here. Since your dad is going to be doing the building, perhaps you might share some of those post photos with him.

Your husband is a lucky man!! And sounds like you are lucky, also to have a husband who wants to share his love of firearms and shooting with you.

Let us know what we can do to help.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Welcome from Ohio!!

Welcome to the forum.

...click the link below for reloading bench threads from this site...

Google

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A Country Boy Can Survive

Welcome from North Dakota

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John

The solid slab smooth finish slab door will work but is bit over the top. There is a plywood flooring product that is 4'x8'x 1 1/8" thick. It used to be called "2-4-1" plywood, but I understand that it has a new name now. One sheet would provide the top and an under-shelf. Bullets in quantity waiting to be used for handloading get heavy. The most important thing about a reloading bench is to have heavy duty front legs to a solid floor and to be bolted to the wall at the rear. That will take care of 99% of anything a handloader needs. The idea of you and your Dad taking on how and where his tools need to be mounted is not a good idea. You should provide the bench and let him engineer his working layout. Remind him that all his tools including the powder measures should be grounded electrically. Just run a copper wire from one of the mounting bolts to a ground. Lighting is very important. You might include at least one 4' long fluorescent fixture shop light over the center of the bench about in line with the front edge of the bench. Some light shelving at the rear of the bench would be great for small stuff all handloaders accumulate. The floor should not be carpeted. Sheet vinyl works best. Advise your husband to bolt down his reloading tools with thru bolts and not to use lag bolts. Over time the lags work loose. ... Give us a picture when you are done. ......

Howdy from South Carolina, and welcome to the forum.

I'd like to help with your task, but I'm not a reloader. Good luck with it, and happy anniversary.

Welcome from Wisconsin!

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Former USN, Retired US Army

Welcome to the forum.

My recommendation?

Build him a basic table and then let him work it out.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Welcome from Tampa

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NRA Bene Life, SWCA 2372

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Keep on Chooglin'

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

Welcome from the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey.

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Judge control not gun control!

Welcome from Cincinnati

Welcome to "The Happy Place"....from the woods of South Carolina.......Mine is 12 ft long x 24" deep x 40" high....40" is a good height to work standing or sitting on a stool...Built into the wall with a 2"x4" frame....Top is 1 thickness of 1/2" plywood......The front side(where you mount stuff is reinforced with 2x4's so I have 2 1/4" of wood to bolt to....Nothing has moved/shaked or shimmied.....I suggest at least 3/8" plywood for the backing above the bench......Go to the local Lowes/Home depot......Purchase those adjustable shelving strips with enough 8" bracket holders for 3 shelves......Purchase 8" shelving boards to be as long as the bench.......I built a solid shelf at 20" under the top full width of the bench......AND install at least 1(one) recepticle above the
bench to run tumblers etc.........Good luck....Will try to post pic tomorrow.....

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S&W Accumulator

Welcome 😁 there is no right or wrong way. How much room do you have and how long of a bench did you want to build?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Welcome from Montana. I would build a basic flat bench with a bottom understorage and several shelves above it. Shelves should have a 1/2"-1/4" lip on the front and [if you can stand the view of clutter] doors are not necessary. A docking system is nice for tight areas but not needed for an adequately sized room.
I would have loved it if my wife had given me a card with a set of plans as a birthday gift and asked for my input. In either case it will need to be built in place rather than elsewhere and moved in so while surprise is nice practical reasons prevent it.

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Front sight and squeeze

Here are some plans.

One made with "strong brackets" and the "official" NRA bench.

There are many, many ways to build a bench


http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...g-bench-plans/

bench design

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Still Running Against the Wind

If your Dad is a master carpenter please don't show him the pic of my bench. Thank you

The top of my bench is a 5' length of a 32 inch wide solid core door. The legs are 4x4s which are attached to the top with two of the metal mending plates. I put 2x4s on the inside of the legs ( right, left, and rear) with the one between the rear legs resting on the left and right ones. A half depth sheet of 1/2" plywood is supported by the left and right 2x4s and serves as a shelf backed by the rear 2x4 so things don't fall off. Run some screws through the rear 2x4 into the shelf to help support it. Make the shelf high enough to slide a 5 gallon bucket under it as a trash can.

I installed another shelf made from 1x10s at the rear of the bench. It is about a foot high so I can store stuff both on it and under it. There is still almost 2' of open working space on the bench top itself. If it was much deeper it would be hard to reach things on or under to shelf.

The 5' length just fits in the space I have. Longer is always better so if you have the space to use a full height door go for it. If you go wider consider putting a fifth leg under the middle of the rear edge of the bench.

I have one press permanently bolted to the end of the bench facing out from the short side. The lube sizer is also bolted to one end of the front of the bench facing out. this uses wing nuts so I can change lube sizers when needed. The other end of the bench has a swivel vice lag screwed over the leg.

Look for threads about showing off your reloading area and you will see some of the many ways this has been approached.

Welcome and feel free to look around and ask more questions. The folks here are very helpful and are always willing to share their experiences because this is a path many have trod before.

You're an awesome wife! Your husband is a lucky guy. Welcome to the forum from the Flathead Valley, MT.

Welcome, from Vegas!

I think you'll get the best responses if you post some pictures of the current setup. Without knowing what he has - single stage press, progressive presses, shotgun presses and how many presses there are it is a guess as to what his needs are. Some people have shelves full of bullets, powders and primers while others keep a much smaller stock of such items.

I wish you the best of luck and hope it turns out well.

If you do a search for 'reloading benches' or 'reloading areas' as being in the title of threads, MANY people here have posted pics of their setups. Trouble is, they all make mine look sick!

One thing is how they vary. From a guy set up in a closet to a dedicated workshop.

Powder storage, component storage, finished product storage, die storage, room for the press AND any other bench mounted items like sizers or trimmers. I'd like to sit down more at my workbench but it's made for standing.

Also, there are some portable reloading benches you could get some ideas from. Some people even use a Sears Workmate.

Make sure that the portion of the bench that the press mounts to is at least 3/4" thick and preferably 1".

Some tools can be mounted on a base that fastens to the bench with 'c' clamps, making them removeable.

Some reloading manuals have a 'typical' setup shown.

I have a dedicated 'bookcase' type storage area for powder, some of the tools and components, but my bench is shared with a vise and drill press. Works for me.

PS: You are more than welcome here. This is a great forum full of great people that are willing to help anybody.


gun cartridge reloading benches - Google Search

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Anyhow, our wedding anniversary is coming in a few months and I want to, with the help of a master carpenter, my dad, build my husband a reloading bench area. I have drawn up a few designs, but they look like scrapbooking rooms. We have a extra storage area in the basement, he has rifle and shotgun reloading things. I am just in need of expert advise and inspiration. I though who better than other "gun people". If you think I should look somewhere else, that's fine, too.

Wrong kind of hear.... Here. fiddlesticks...[/QUOTE]

Here is a suggestion:

Lowes has a Kobalt stainless steel 3-drawer workbench with a shelf, hood and light, powerstip, etc.!) for about $200. I was successful in cutting a piece of 3/4" plywood and added a piece of formica countertop to the exact dimensions of the butcher-block top (as supplied: really too flimsy for serious reloading) and it really is a sturdy & clean looking loading bench. If it was decided later to go to something more "elaborate" the original top could be re-installed and used elsewhere.

Cheers! & Welcome to the Forum!

The National Reloading Manufacturers free plans from their website is the ultimate reloading bench. I built one about 25 years ago after struggling with benches I thought were sturdy(NOT). The bench is very heavy but the whole upper cabinet is separate and optional. Believe me the heaviness is a blessing. The top surface is designed to handle all the stress that is part of reloading presses.

You will never regret building the NRMA bench.

Best to you and good luck.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

Welcome, we love to help you spend money. :-)

You can find a ton of ideas right here...check out the following thread.

Show us your reloading setup!

After realizing that the search function on this board is awful and Google works better, I was going to send you the same link.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Pics of my bench.....16 ft including casting area..........

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S&W Accumulator

My reloading bench has an overhang, so my reloading presses can be mounted. It is at a good height so that I can reload sitting on a stool with my Dillon 550B press and standing up with my Dillon 650 press which is mounted on top of a strong mount. One needs to be able to put one's legs under the bench. I don't like a bench that is too wide. I like to be able to reach the back easily while seated. Having shelves below and shelves on top are very useful. I also like to have my bench very heavy and sturdy. Mine is screwed to the wall. Having plenty of electrical outlets close to the bench is a must. I just about think I can't have enough light. Having another bench nearby to clean guns and tinker with them is also a good idea. Here is my setup:

Welcome to the forum from Massachusetts. I'm sure and your Dad will find a suitable plan, and I applaud your idea. By the way, do you have any sisters?

Here're a couple more ideas.
1000+ ideas about Reloading Bench on Pinterest | Reloading bench plans, Shooting bench plans and Shooting range

Hearty welcome from Pennsylvania!

Greetings from the Oklahoma gas fields.

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Welcome from Augusta, GA -- golf capital of the world, home of April's largest traffic jam.

Lot's of good advice, now for a decision. Happy Wedding Anniversary.

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S&WHF 366

Welcome from Illinois ! here is a pic of my humble multi purpose bench.
Its 2 feet wide 8 feet long and the top is 1 3/4 thick. at the moment of the picture i was setting up to reload

http://i.imgur.com/s2ZJOgR.jpg

When you just want to get out of the house, you pretty much lost the excuse that you are going to the hardware or home improvement store to pick up something you don't have.

Good words of advice. The room I am looking at has a smooth finish concrete. Those little primers are terrible on carpet and the like. Good idea about lighting... will have to talk to my electrician nephew for that... perhaps a good LED system to really see the little bits and pieces. Tom is a machinist/production engineer by trade, so if I get the general layout, he could be on his own! I know there are certain ways I like things arranged, so I suppose it would be the same.

I am planning on posting a picture, you all have been so helpful!

BE Mike , My excuse now is that I am going to just look around. I am out of room in my garage, my tool box is packed to the brim and the shed is full.
I need more space :-)

Holy buckets, dude... It looks like accessible shelving is a must! I now understand why when we go to the flea market and he sees a little plastic box he gets so excited. Shelves don't look too deep, just enough to hold the box. I like that, long rather than deep.

Hon I hate to tell you this, but you are hooked. I have one suggestion.

These "thingies" are called stools. Make sure one fits your butt.
It's only called a "man cave" because you all gave us permission.

That is kinda what he has now. But everything at our house seems so here and there. Perhaps, there is a method to the madness, but I kinda think he has just not had a good "man cave" to really set something up like he would like. Our current system isn't working for me, I don't feel like I can go into the garage and do something without getting into his space, and we all need our own space.

That is funny! Stools are important!