[ohman11]

I work out of town quite a bit and every time I am sitting in my motel room I think........Damn I wish I could reload, so I have been thinking of putting together a kit to take on the road with me. I was just browsing and I found this on Google. What a cool little bench. Do any of you guys have anything like this or can you give me some tips and ideas on this?
http://i36.tinypic.com/24wgfhh.jpg

[Thernlund]

<heh heh> I wonder what the hotel/motel would think. :D


-T.

[ohman11]

I have thought that too, but I dont think that will stop me.

[mallc]

Try a Lee hand press. Not fast but it will keep you occupied and provide a bit of a workout.

I travel about 50% of the time myself; but I don't think I could get my loading gear into a one quart zip lock bag!

Hope this helps.
Scott

[rcmodel]

This months issue of the American Rifleman (pg 36 - August issue) has a neat picture of a portable press mount from The Woodchuck Den.
http://www.woodchuckden.com/catalog/catalog.pdf

Looks like it would be perfect for motel rooms!

Can't find a picture on the net though.

rcmodel

[Thernlund]

I have thought that too, but I dont think that will stop me.

It shouldn't IMO. Don't ask, don't tell, eh? ;)


-T.

[ambidextrous1]

Instead of trying to do the entire reloading task on the road, how about doing the easier steps in preparation for your return home?

I'm thinking you could deprime and reprime cases with a simple hand-held tool and seal the 'prepped' cases in oversize baggies. It's a lot easier than toting a press, bullets and powder into the motel room. You'd probably want to remove all that stuff in the morning, even if you're coming back the next night.

The previous poster rightly suggested that the motel management would prefer that you not "work with explosives" in your room. A container labeled, "Smokeless Pistol Powder" is likely to terrify the typical uninformed public citizen ("Call the Bomb Squad, now!"). I'd recomend avoiding those complications if you can...:uhoh:

[ohman11]

I have been a carpenter for close to 28 years now so building it is no problem, it is just nice to get several peoples input on what it needs.

[Bitswap]

I reload in the field when developing a load and I use a Workmate. I've replaced the adjustable (flimsy) boards on top with a single 1" thick 'counter top' board I got from work they were throwing away. No reason you can't build a super duper tv-tray to hold the press. Or put the press on a board and use c-clamps.

In the field I'm usually only powder charging and bullet seating which doesn't require anything super stable. If your sizing, you may need to beef up the supports a bit.

There should be plenty of things to keep you busy on the road. Not sure how many rounds or what caliber your reloading, but you can do a lot with just a cordless drill: trim to length, ream primer pockets, deburr flash holes and neck trim. Then use a hand primer. The lee hand press is an excellent idea.

For me, most my work goes into brass preperation, the reloading part is cake.

Here are some hints if your going to do a full reload after the brass has been fired: Use Goo Gone to clean the brass, use imperial sizing die wax to lube.

[ohman11]

I agree with the prep of the cases ahead of time and making sure my powder and all is not left on the room. I am at these places for 2-4 weeks at a time so with a duffel bag I could carry my supplies back and forth.

[mallc]

Seeing how I'm stuck in a hotel room in San Francisco for the next hour...

1) Has to be stout and rigid yet light enough to carry. 3/4" Baltic ply would nice, 3/4 std would work. That would give you about 1/2 inch to hold the mounting bolts. You might consider doubling the plys or adding a 1/4" aluminum plate under the press.

2) You're going to want to keep the press over one of the desk legs but you need adequate clearance for the press knuckle to fully rotate.

3) Probably clamp the mounting plate to the desk with 3 - 3" clamps. I'd use 1/4 inch plywood pads on the underside of the desk to keep from crushing or splitting the desk top. Probably put a towel under the bench before clamping it down to prevent scratching the top. Probably put another towel between the desk and the wall. - (If I we're going to be in the same room for a while, I'd "L" bracket the desk to a couple of wall studs for good measure.)

4) I use 8" by 16" plates for my mini loading bench. 10" by 20" would give you more than enough room for a press, powder measure and associated goodies.

5) Countersink the bottom for appropriate size carriage bolts. Use washers, lock washers, and wingnuts to hold tooling in place.

6) Use a small Frankfort Arsenal digital scale and a couple of RCBS shell holders.

7) An aluminum LEE Anniversary or RCBS Partner would be a good choices. I'd lean toward LEE since its an "O" frame.

8) An old hard side brief case or small suitcase from Goodwill would make a fine, stealthy, carrying case for the situation. You could fill it with with the spongey foam liner that lets you pull out sections to fit your tools. You might even find one with its original keys.

9) Flip one waste paper basket upside down and put another on top - right under the press - to catch the spent primers.

Whadda' ya think?

Here are some photos of my mini loading bench: http://thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=4421281&postcount=523

Scott

[ohman11]

I am liking it and I have a Lee press that is going to travel with me

[mallc]

Mount the Lee to an over size piece of aluminum plate using counter sunk machine bolts since the presses mounting holes won't let you use wingnuts. Then you can carriage bolt and wingnut the mounting plate to the reloading pad.

Now...what can we do about an indoor test range??? ;)

Scott

[the foot]

Whe I'm on the road I don't reload, but I use those empty evenings for Case Preparation. I take a boatload of brass and a couple of my tools. I turn the necks of new rifle brass. I work primer pockets. I trim to length. I use my trusty chamfer tool. And on and on.

Just little jobs, but those are the little jobs that always seem to slow me down. Doing them on the road adds up to time savers when it comes to the actual reloading.

[jmorris]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=264459&highlight=portable+reloading

[Quoheleth]

I would say go the Lee hand press route. I can fit my whole kit (press, dies, even a 1 lb powder and a box of boolits) into a simple cloth/canvas tool kit like this one (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=264103-1492-1LB-103-12-2&lpage=none). Carrying it anywhere is unobtrusive, gathers no attention, and is downright handy!

Or, use the night to catch up on your reloading reading material!

Q

[mallc]

American Tourister suticase, with keys at a flea market for $5.00 last weekend. Will begin building a "hotel load" this weekend. Photos to follow.

Scott

[Mike 56]

I made one of these i have used it in my house, range, camping trailer. It breaks down easy. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2006/portablereloading/index.asp

Mike

[Clark]

I screw the press to a board with sheet rock screws.

I attach the board to the bench with C clamps.

[Mike 56]

Here is a link on loading on a kitchen table. http://www.castbullet.com/reload/table.htm And here is a link on reloading in a tent. http://www.castbullet.com/reload/tentload.htm

Mike

[mallc]

Well...it took a while to find just the right American Tourister suitcase...with it's keys...but here is my hotel reloading bench. And it's for sale!

Kit consists of LEE Anniversary kit with all the fixin's. The press is mounted to an aluminum plate which mounts to the bench surface with countersunk screws and wingnuts. The powder measure also attaches to the bench surface with countersun screws and wing nuts. Finally I swapped the hex nut on the toggle with a wing nut so the handle easily detaches for transport.

The inner compartment has some adjustment, although the spacing nicely holds powder, and couple of die sets, priming tool and scale.

The dimensions were specifically set to align the pressing forces with the right front leg of standard hotel room desks. Only trouble is that TSA won't let me take onboard the airplane.

This baby can be your's for $125 plus shipping.

PM me if interested.

Thanks,
Scott

[scrat]

that is so cool the traveling reloader. i have done that before myself. I just took a duffle bag with my press a 2x8 and a c clamp. then when i got to the room i bolted the press to the 2x8 then clamped it to the desk. Take a big clamp as all the desk are different. then load away. i put a strip of felt under the wood to protect the desk where ever i went. Well i did that for a while but it just got to be a pain to take all that stuff everywhere i went. In the end i found i really didnt reload much. after a long day at work on the road. You would have to get something to eat somewhere. then by the time you got back all you wanted to do was drink a beer and relax before you went to sleep. So i stopped doing it.