[bratch]

I've got a TON of lumber around the house that I figured I'd use to build my reloading bench.

So I have a couple questions:
1. What size is yours?
2. What size do you feel is adequete?
3. What size is "ideal"?

[30Cal]

It kind of depends on how much space you have, how many things you need to mount to the bench and whether you need the bench to do other stuff.

I've got a 5' bench with 2 presses, 1 powder measure, 1 pony vise and a 24" drill press sitting on one end of it. Pretty crowded situation. I'd love another foot to work with.

[MaterDei]

I built the NRMA bench and its size is ideal for my needs. How big is it? Large enough for 4 kids and a dog. :D

http://thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=12942

For more pics and details... http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=79046&highlight=nrma

[Lennyjoe]

I went from this...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid145/pbe6619e7c4be9a7b6aee21d8aecff3eb/f6625f44.jpg

To this in about 1 hour.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid161/pecb5532c77a2dd6538d635dd2fa7f301/f4c6f9fe.jpg
34" H X 7'L X 33" W

[Peter M. Eick]

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/eickpm/setup2.jpg

It is about 2.8 feet by 6 feet. If I had to do it over again, I would put in more lights, make it 3 feet by 8 feet and have more power on the back.

You can never have enough light, space or electricity.

Also I have now put more shelves on the left side of the picture. That helps a bunch!

[Jeeper]

There is an old post title "show us your bench" or something like that, that shows a ton of pictures of benches. DO a search and you will find great info and pics.

[swifter]

Mine is 8 feet long, 2 feet deep. I have a Redding Ultramag, & a Rockchucker on the front, with lots of room to work A little-used 550 roosts on one end, rather like a lonely blue vulture :D , just in case I get into volume pistol shooting again... :scrutiny: .

The great truism here is:flat surfaces attract junk!! :cuss: :cuss:

Tom

[taliv]

i believe many would agree that you need a BENCH for only a couple things: presses and vices and for those occasions when you really want to give something a good lick with a hammer. but you need table and shelf space for many more things, from gun cleaning room to storing odds and ends, and tools etc.

i figure i needed a small bench and lots of table space, and i wanted it in the center of the room so i could move around it, rather than up against a wall where i had to do yoga to access the back of the press.

what I did was buy a metal tool stand from the hardware store for $40 or so (the sort you'd put a small drill press or table saw on) and then cut a 2x8 into 2' long sections and fastened them together with those things that hold rafters together. the table part is VERY VERY sturdy, but only about 2' x 3'. Then I screwed part of the 2x8 to the top, sticking out over the side about 6". On this extension, I mounted my 1050. That way, I can comfortably sit under the press while I work, and the bench sits out in the middle of the floor.

http://www.taliv.net/guns/pict0018.jpg

On the other side of the bench, I mounted my vice. The extra weight is nice, but isn't really necessary.

The rest of my 'benches' where I do cleaning or case prep or BR stuff are really just cheap, but sturdy, metal shelving, which is more than adequate for those tasks. What I like about it is that it's accessible. I just move my stool around. And it's reasonably rearrangeable if necessary.

http://www.taliv.net/guns/benchrest.jpg

[trickyasafox]

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/eickpm/setup2.jpg


pat how many rounds you got loaded along your wall there!!! mighty impressive

[Newguy1]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/GregYonkers/ReloadingBench1.jpg

I wanted a good size reloading bench and we recently moved into a new place so, I started this. Pesky work keeps getting in the way of me getting it done, but I should finish soon.

Here is the start of my bench. I bought two cabinet bases from Lowe's and two sheets of "hard wood" plywood and cut them to 25 inches and glued 'n screwed them together. I mounted a 1x4 to the wall and screwed the cabinet bases into them and it also provides a rest for the sheet in the area that has no cabinet under it.

I am building shelving to go over the bench that will include lighting. I still need to run some power up from the wall in two spots. I am also getting a Dillon AT500 to go with my Corbin SII press/swager.

[Peter M. Eick]

Trick, that is nothing. The pile goes along the wall. It is tapped down right now but I usually have around 10,000 rnds loaded up give or take. I try to keep between 1000 and 2000 rnds per caliber in the following:
45 acp
10mm
40 short and weak
357 sig
9mm
380 auto
357 magnum
38 special
44 automag
25-06 rem (normally around 500 rnds)
308winchester
7-08 rem (normally around 500 rnds).

I like to reload but I tend to do it in batches. Right now I am tapping down and I have shot all of my revolver ammo. I am now working down the 10mm and 357 sig. I will start reloading soon as I get some other projects completed.

[Black Snowman]

I'm on the 3rd iteration of my bench. I found that I never put my legs under it so I added a shelf to this version, that helps keep the clutter off the top and takes up a lot less space than my old bench. I've moved the bench upstairs and it's built into the wall in the corner making it much sturdier than my previous free-standing benches. The extra weight of the shelf helps make the bench more solid as well.

http://home.kc.rr.com/bsmith1952/img/Guns/BenchMk3.jpg

It's made from 1 sheet of 3/4" MDF and eight 8-foot studs. There was very little scrap left over. I may reinforce under the bench top with more cross bracing with scrap from my garage.

The only reason I need a bench this big is I have 3 presses. Otherwise I could get away with a lot less. Most of what is needed is shelf/cabinet space, as was already pointed out.