Would like a little advice re: loading bench construction

[snowman]

I've not been able to load since I moved into my present house due to busyness and the lack of a suitable loading bench. My supply of ammunition is getting low and it's time to get set up. The plan is to build a small, permanent bench here in the office next to the closet(the 'office' was formerly a bedroom), which projects into the room around 28". The bench will be that dimension next to the closet wall, around 30" wide, and around 14" on the side opposite/parallel to the 28" dimension(so the front edge will angle toward the back wall as it moves from one end to the other -think of a trapezoid).

(That probably wasn't clear, but it doesn't really matter; I'm just attempting to give you an idea of the size of the bench -which is fairly small.)

Two sides(and three corners) will rest on, and be anchored to, some sort of support fastened to the walls(recommendations are welcome). Therefore only one corner will not be next to a wall; I plan to put a turned oak post under it.

With that probably-not-so-helpful background, here's a question or two:

-How, and of what kind of material, would you recommend the bench top be constructed? I'm thinking that the particle board used for countertop material isn't stout enough to suit me. Nevertheless I want something that won't warp at all, and smooth enough to fasten a piece of laminate to. I'm thinking also something around two inches thick, or close. Anyone ever see a butcher block this large?

I should mention that this whole thing should look nicer than your average workbench, since it's in the house rather than the garage(hence the turned oak post).

I don't think I'm communicating too well; maybe well enough to generate some ideas, though?

Thanks, friends.
Andy

 

[Canuck-IL]

Re benchtop materials - I used 2*6s glued and screwed to a laminated top piece of particle board ... has proven adequately sturdy for a progressive and a single stage at the opposite end. Mounted the presses and then added an edging strip for style.
/Bryan

 

[Dan Cash]

Buy one sheet of AC 3/4 inch ply, cut the plywood so that you have two pieces slightly larger than your intended bench top. Glue the C faces of the ply and assemble forming an inch and one half thick top. Screw the two halves together without screws coming all the way through. When cured, remove screws, cut to final size and apply laminate with a laminate backing sheet on the bottom of the glued up ply wood top to prevent warpage and you will have a work bench stiffer than wood pecker lips.

 

[Marksman]

I too moved my reloading operation from the basement up into the house, specifically in my gun room. I wanted something more presentable and purchased a baker's table from the unfinished furniture store. It has a butcherblock top and four 4 X 4 legs making it very sturdy. I also have a couple of presses mounted on a microwave oven cart which I purchased at my local Home Depot. The microwave oven cart also has a butcherblock top and locking casters for portability, the casters could be left off if you were not planning to move the cart and wanted something sturdier. Look around there are lots of possibilities that cost less than building a bench from scratch, you should be able to find something that fits your needs.

 

[Noah Zark]

Buy one sheet of AC 3/4 inch ply, cut the plywood so that you have two pieces slightly larger than your intended bench top. Glue the C faces of the ply and assemble forming an inch and one half thick top. Screw the two halves together without screws coming all the way through. When cured, remove screws, apply laminate with a laminate backing sheet on the bottom of the glued up ply wood top to prevent warpage and you will have a work bench stiffer than wood pecker lips.

+1, an EXCELLENT recommendation. I would only recommend a sheet of marine birch plywood, the kind with like seven or eight plies. EXTREMELY rigid. Use four or more 2x6s on edge for the top frame to support the laminated plywood top. Screw the top into the frame every 4" to 6" in every 2x6, including the perimeter, before applying a Formica laminate top. The more rigid, the better.

Permanently mount your presses on identical pieces of the marine birch plywood and bolt the plywood mounting pieces to your benchtop with a set of three or four 3/8" bolts and wingnuts. It's a nice quick-change feature.

Put a nice wide shelf under the bench, it serves as a footrest and a shelf to support something with a lot of mass, like ammo cans full of ammo, boxes of bullets, etc. The purpose is to add LOTS of mass to the bench to keep it from moving and wobbling as the press rams are exercised.

HTH,

Noah

 

[RV4driver]

My bench didn't feel quite solid enough until I screwed it to the wall.
If you're going to do any shotshell reloading, think about routing a small groove around the perimeter.

Jeff

 

[ChuckS1]

I used a countertop from Lowe's and it holds up with my Dillon SDB, my RCBS press and a Lyman sizer.

 

[lafayne]

I agree on the two layers of 3/4 inch plywood - laminated to form a 1.5 inch thick top. You can then apply a plastic laminate top - or you can use birch plywood and skip the laminate top. Edge band it with a small strip of wood and finish with polyurethane. If you have a friend who is a contractor or builder, you might pick up a damaged solid core door for free. They are 1.75 inches thick.

The frame can be built with 2x4's. Screw to the wall and screw the top to the frame.The top should overhang the frame at the front edge about 2.5 inches. I recommend you use an angle knee brace back to the wall in lieu of the front leg. Wall anchorage is what makes it secure and helps resist uplift also. Use 3 inch deck screws.

Mine is 40 inches high and works great for me. I use a drafting stool. This height is a pretty universal counter height for banks and other businesses that use stools or stand. I could never make it work while sitting although others might.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-4/1306597/DSC_2657.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-4/1306597/DSC_2659.jpg

 

[nicky4968]

I, too, have a loading bench with all kinds of neat stuff on it. But I have sinned. I got one of those folding things like giant TV trays at Sears that says I can mount power planers, saws, etc on them. I usually just have my furnace and casting stuff on it. But I have drilled three holes for my single stage press which I mount when I'm sizing bullets with my Lee sizer. When the day comes that I can afford a Lyman sizer, I will use it in the same way.
(I try to keep all the casting operation in the garage. I move it outside in the driveway, as long as it's not raining, and do my casting, etc. in the out of doors.)
I don't see why, if I wanted to, I could not use this system for 7X57, .30-40 Krag, .30-30 Winchester, etcetera, and do away with the bench mounted stuff entirely.

 

[SWID]

I have a friend that makes cabinets. He made me two, one for each end, out of some sort of composite board. They are both filled with drawers. My top is a salvaged peice of Formica bolted to the cabinets. You could drive a tank across it.

One thing I would mention is that you can never have too many drawers or shelves. But then I load for about 20 calibers.

Here's an early picture of it, the left cab is now all drawers and the right one is half.

 

[snowman]

Well thank you all for some very helpful suggestions. Since solutions differ from one person to another, and all seem to have worked well, I guess there is no single way for me to go about it. I'll have to think it through and see what seems to be the best solution in my case.

I do have a question or two for a few of you; but that will have to wait until later.

Andy

 

[sonny]

I cannot compete with some of the great setups already pictured and described. Here is what I did...in my last three homes.
Needed to have it "look nice" so my loading setup is in the 2" x 8" standard closet of a back bedroom. Close the closet doors and the bedroom can be used for company to sleep over.
I put an old desk, minus drawers, into that space. The desk is 4-5' long and fits nicely into the space.
I used lots of Closet-Maid shelving and it gives me a nice setup. I only load for .44 spec, .44 Mag and .45 Colt so my space requriements are not huge. A Dillon 550B press is screwed to the desktop on one side, with hardwood support under the press.
I used to shoot competitive trap and used a similar setup. It is nice and clean and has served my purposes for 30-40 years.
Sonny

 

[adagna]

SWID, I see you have your Dillon Hottie front and center on your bench

I wish I had that much room for my reloading, I have a little corner of my walk in closet at the moment.

 

[hopperb]

Try picking up a solid core exterior door from Lowe's /Home Depot and cutting the shape you need from that. These are 1 3/4" thick and very sturdy as well as finished with birch veneer on both sides.

Ditto to what someone else said about using 2x4's as cleats along the wall and setting at least one as a brace running from near the front of the door/bench. If you are unsure of the look using the brace you could easily cut two pieces of 1/4" plywood and finish both sides of the brace.

Anyway it's another opinion...

 

[bgrafsr]

I have a cabinet that I bought from Sears, which was used to hold rolls of wallpaper, and a roll around cabinet I made that has my shotshell loader mounted to it.

 

[Vulcan Bob]

A long time ago one of my buddys made me a bench and used a piece of bowling alley lane for the top, it's about four inchs thick, talk about heavy duty! Dont know where anyone could find this stuff so this is likely useless information.

 

[RKrodle]

I recently moved my reloading from the garage to my office. In the process I downed sized my bench alot. So I copied an idea from another guy I know and made an area of the bench, heavily reinforced, for an interchangeable base. I can swap out different press, trimmers, and vices.