Reloading Bench

C

Citroen

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Charlotte, NC
For years I have used a Black & Decker workmate for my reloading. It is rather small and lacks drawers for small items so I have been looking at the bench at Harbor Freight - the all wooden one that they frequently have on sale for $139.99.

It looks great but I have not been able to determine if the Dillon loader will block the drawers on one side due to the ram design.

Is anybody using this bench and, if so, were you able to use a press that projects below the top and still open the drawers?

Thanks,
John
Charlotte, NC
 
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John, click on the search engine links Google or Bing, and you should find several pictures.

One way to get around hanging over the edge would be to get a riser mount from Inline Fabrications. They make for several different presses.
004-1.jpg

Hope this helps.
 
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How mine is set up

Benches and shelves are all Lowes products. Great quality and good price. I've bolted both benches to the walls.




There is no flex at all on either bench. Rock solid units both.
Keith
 
Sams sells some great benches that are easy to put together. bolt it in to the studs of your wall and you are ready to go.

 
I have one of those benches. The drawers only open about 1/2 way.

It still a NICE BENCH, especially on sale $$$$$.

I made a working top that fits over the bench top, it has ends 3/4 ways around so that stuff doesn't roll off.

I made it that way so I can beat on things if needed and keep the real benches top like new.

The loader is on a different bench.

You will need to SECURE IT TO A WALL if you mount a press on it, the tops not strong enough to just mount a press on the edge.

You'll need a DILLON STRONG MOUNT or an ULTRAMOUNT from INLINEFABRICATION.

I much prefer inlinefabrications mounts over the Dillon by far, they're more expensive but well worth it in IMHO.

I've even considered buying another of these benches just because they're so nice and more so for the price.
 
For a long time I used a desk with a wooden top I bought at a tag sale for $20 or so. Worked well, comfy to sit at and some drawers to keep my stuff in.
 
DGT said:
this works fine for me and, with the doors closed, it looks like just another piece of furniture.
Click to expand...

I absolutely love that set up!. Wish I had room and the decor for that exact one!!

I saw a picture of a similar but modern armoire but yours is way mo betterer!:)

For the OP, again if I had room I already would have the Harbor Freight Bench even if I sacrificed 2 of the shallow drawers. My neighbor has one and it is really pretty nice. For the price with coupon it's a deal. Other than walnut blasting media the only things I would buy there.;)
 
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Is anyone still using one of the shelf-like mounting brackets that Lyman used to sell? It had a lower plate on which to mount the press, then a small shelf on the back to mount a powder measure. The whole assembly came out of storage to be bolted/clamped to your primary bench. I can't find any reference to them any more.

Froggie

PS The armoire by DGT is completely off the scale for cool. I now have yet another thing to dream about!
 
I am going to go the Harbor Freight bench set up my self. Looked at it last time I was there and it is pretty solid. I bought a Harbor Freight Vibrating Tumbler for my brass. A little noisy but it does a great job. That's when I looked at that bench.
 
I made one 30 years ago, 6 feet by 2 feet with 4x4 legs. Got a Dillon SDB and an RCBS Junior on it it, plus a vise, shelves above.
 
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When I moved into the laundry room I had to build to size. This is a 2x4 frame lag bolted to studs with 2x12's for a solid top. The backstop is leftover laminate flooring. Not a whole lot of money in it. It's a bit more crowded these days.
 
Have a look at,

americanworkbench.com

John makes some nice work tables and

BENCHES FOR "ALL DIFFERENT HOBBIES"

Good stuff, AMERICAN MADE too.
 
I used stock cabinets from Home Depot. They're the plastic ones suited for a garage and they work fine. I hung three wall cabinets and used two base cabinets set far enough apart to sit between them with a pre-fab formica countertop as a work surface. The countertop has a built in back splash so nothing can roll off the back and I installed pegboard between the wall and base cabinets so I could hang tools etc on the wall. Adding a small fluorescent light under the wall cabinets gives enough light to easily work at the bench. The base cabinets are available with either doors or drawers and all the cabinets have handy shelves so a lot of stuff can be stored. Only problem I have is the temperature here during the summer. Working in the garage is not comfortable when outside temps reach triple digits.
 
Moonman said:
Have a look at,

americanworkbench.com

John makes some nice work tables and

BENCHES FOR "ALL DIFFERENT HOBBIES"

Good stuff, AMERICAN MADE too.
Click to expand...

Well that shoots down my plans to market workbenches that I make. (just kidding, I'm having too much fun enjoying by "shooting" retirement to actually work for a living. Looks like nicely made stuff. Here's a pic of one of my workbenches, made out of rock maple. I have my handloading stuff mounted to a piece of 1" plywood, I have cleats on the bottom side that correspond to the vices. Theoretically it can be removed, but I never have.
 

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My reloading bench top is a 6' piece of laminate countertop I got in the clearance section of Home Depot for $15 OTD. I don't even have it attached to the bottom frame work as my two presses are clamped throught it to the bench frame, which is screwed to the wall. Have to get longer 4x4's and raise the height, so I can operate my new Dillon 550 more comforatbly, as well as, add some shelves underneath.
 
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