What other hobbies occupy your loading bench?

[Jonny2guns]

When you guys post pictures of neat loading benches with everything organized it makes me think of my two benches that I can't take pictures of due to my other hobbies are in the way. This is a short list of other hobbies that occupy space on my loading benches.
Antique tool collection
Hammer collection
Fishing lure collection
Wood working (not good at)
Gun smiting
Fly tying
Antique odds and ends
Boxes of loads I've worked up
Motorcycle parts
Old mower parts (I'm gonna rebuild that someday)
Knife collection
Knife sharpening
Grandpa's tools
And I probably forgot some

 

[Bartojc]

My bench is about 4' and I have another 4' bench on wheels so not a lot of room. Mainly the space is for reloading as well as cleaning firearms, light gunsmithing, scope mounting, etc.
WHen I built my bench it was temporary until I could get the space and build something more permanant, that was 10+ years ago so no rush......

Other hobbies take up garage space.

-Jeff

 

[Varminterror]

I’ve been reloading to some extent for almost 35 years and have been on my own bench for 28 years. I have kept a dedicated reloading bench almost exclusively throughout that time - I keep a workbench in the garage for that kind of work, have had off and on a woodworking shop set up as well, and dedicated gunsmithing work benches, in my gun focused workshop. I have over 20ft of benches in my current basement workshop, 6ft bench which is 100% dedicated to reloading, 5ft bench which is dedicated to gun repair & assembly work, a couple of rolling cabinets which are used for tool management during projects (laying out for reach at hand), and a 6ft bench for project staging. I also keep two black & decker workmates in that shop room for specific project holding. Occasionally an active gunsmithing project on my workbench will get interrupted by some urgent project and that gear will get bumped to my reloading bench instead of my staging bench top, but it never lasts very long. I’ve been glad to keep my reloading bench busy enough to keep myself disciplined to keep it clear. In this new shop room I moved into 2 years ago, I rearranged my gear set and cabinets to let me keep even less tooling on my workbench than in the past - I use Inline Fabrication QC plates set into my bench, and a rack to store my presses and tools when not in use, so I never keep a press mounted when not in use. My powder dispensers, power supply, and annealer stay on the bench, everything else goes back into storage when the work is done.

 

[Blue68f100]

My reloading benches is inside my climate controlled shop where my mill and lathe sits. They get covered up with anything and everything depending on what I'm working on. So as to hobbies they are used for is gunsmithing ( barrel and receiver work, cleaning), fishing equipment repair, lawn & chain saw equipment repair. With 2+ac of lawn to mow + 27ac of timber, where my rifle range is located there is always something that needs cutting or trimming. Knife sharpening, chainsaw blades, metal cutting chop saw blades, lathe bits..... All the nasty dirty stuff is out in the main shop, which is a complete disaster right now with a 2+ yr project I started last year. Moved all of my wood working tools out to another covered area to make room for this project. Would have been nice to have another 25' of lenght to spread things out instead on top of each other. But this is a old pole building that my dad built back in the 70's. The one thing he did was pour a thick slab (6"+) with rebar so it's stayed together over these years. Shost no where near level or flat. Drops about 1" in 5' on 1 direction, 1" in 10 the other. Anything that rolls freely heads toward the back wall.

Project: Full Custom build of my 68 F100. Extended the cab 8", lots and lots of metal work. Currently getting ready to weld up a new tube frame for the extended cab keeping the full size bed. 4-link, ISF, air suspension, 5.0 coyote motor w/10 speed auto, full interior upgrade. Just to name a few of the mods being done. Since my shop floor is not flat in any direction I had to build a full length fab table/frame (with levelers) capable of support the frame and body parts for mock up. It's on wheels so I can move it around. Once done it will become a bridge to cross the creek near my house.

Luckly I have enough ammo loaded right now I will not have to stop and clean up my bench inorder to load any. This bench does not have a lot of open space to collect stuff. So cleaning it off would only take a couple of minutes.

 

[JEBruns]

My reloading bench is only used to reload and clean handguns. We have a walkout basement in our house and have attached garages on 2 levels. The lower one is my shop and is used for all manner of maint and repair on our vehicles, boats, dirt bikes, RV, trailers, chainsaws, fishing equipment, etc, etc, etc.

 

[JmacD]

I have stray woodworking stuff that will end up on the bench from time to time. Usually not for very long. Gun cleaning and smithing is done in the same room, but usually at least on a different end of the 12’ bench. I have two 4’-6’ tables that serve as smithing benches. At least my gun vice sits on one. The tables are leaving eventually. I’ll build a better bench. I fold laundry on the bench from time to time… and I’ve wrapped Christmas presents on it. But it’s 99%gun related. Solid 95% reloading.

 

[kmw1954]

Have 2 48"X24" benches in an abandoned upstairs bedroom. One bench is strictly for reloading while the other is for brass prep and bullet casting. then there is a desk that acts as the collect-all.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Mine is also my work bench in my small workshop in my small half basement in my small suburban house.

Under my workbench are a number of US mail boxes with nearly every Car & Driver, Road & Track, and many Motor-trend magazines from the mid-60s through mid-70s.

I subscribed in HS through college and a little beyond. I tried to sell them on eBay years ago and gave up. Used to go to car shows and old advertisements from these mags would sell for more than the mags themselves. No more. Worthless former hobby, but I'll let my survivors deal with them.

Solder drops on floor from waay before reloading days.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Besides reloading and cleaning firearms I also share my bench with my stereo/quadraphonic system. It is my "Man Cave" where I go hide.

 

[Hugger-4641]

My loading and brass cleaning area is for loading only, but the room it's in is shared with a gunsmith bench, model plane building table which is currently covered with planes and helicopters, drones , and Cb radios. One corner of the room has a closet and it stores my hunting and archery gear. When I share pics I try to get only the loading bench in the frame

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Right now the workroom is just storage and it’s still under construction from the roof collapse two years back. The exterior and structural work is done and the primary electrical work is done but I still need to replace insulation and ceiling tiles and replace some of the lights. It’s a slow process with work and family being the way things have been.

 

[alfsauve]

3D design and printing. Numerous things for reloading including a sieve for cleaning media and a holder for the primer counter on the reloader

Microprocessors (Arduino) for the primer round counter and monitor.

Now I don't do these things ON the reloading bench, but their end products are used there.

 

[Jonny2guns]

I’ve been reloading to some extent for almost 35 years and have been on my own bench for 28 years. I have kept a dedicated reloading bench almost exclusively throughout that time - I keep a workbench in the garage for that kind of work, have had off and on a woodworking shop set up as well, and dedicated gunsmithing work benches, in my gun focused workshop. I have over 20ft of benches in my current basement workshop, 6ft bench which is 100% dedicated to reloading, 5ft bench which is dedicated to gun repair & assembly work, a couple of rolling cabinets which are used for tool management during projects (laying out for reach at hand), and a 6ft bench for project staging. I also keep two black & decker workmates in that shop room for specific project holding. Occasionally an active gunsmithing project on my workbench will get interrupted by some urgent project and that gear will get bumped to my reloading bench instead of my staging bench top, but it never lasts very long. I’ve been glad to keep my reloading bench busy enough to keep myself disciplined to keep it clear. In this new shop room I moved into 2 years ago, I rearranged my gear set and cabinets to let me keep even less tooling on my workbench than in the past - I use Inline Fabrication QC plates set into my bench, and a rack to store my presses and tools when not in use, so I never keep a press mounted when not in use. My powder dispensers, power supply, and annealer stay on the bench, everything else goes back into storage when the work is done.

Now there's a few great ideas I should incorporate to free up the reloading bench.

 

[Edaw468]

I do most of my gun related tasks on the reloading bench. Also regrip my golf clubs there.

 

[Armored farmer]

I have a dedicated mancave building with 30' bench.
On it and under it and in closers around the perimeter are fishing gear, hunting clothes, guns, ammo, artwork, homemade deer antler displays, primitive muzzleloader gear, archery equipment, bullet casting gear, antique tools, leathersmiths gear, horseman equipment, and one more thing I haven't heard much about......
Outdoor Cooking equipment. Smoker. Charcoal and Charcoal grill . Green Egg cooker. Coleman stoves. Dutch ovens......

 

[.38 Special]

Archery and arrow-making, fly rod building, pipe tobacco blending, building bicycle frames and wheels, drinking whiskey and staring at the shelves while imagining how to waste even more money...

 

[JohnMc]

I don't have a dedicated reloading bench, as I use a Lee stand and a nice table to the side. The overall space is my man cave, so fishing stuff (including fly tying), gun cleaning, and my computer are in the same room.

 

[Litetrigger]

I tend to be so disorganized and generally messy that I sometimes (often) laugh at myself when searching benches for hiding tools. In a somewhat futile effert to self-organize I put four seperate benches in three connecting rooms: one being what I call the clean room with a bench for normal reloading projects, next is the clean/dirty room, mainly for bullet making, case trimming and neck turning, shotshell and higher production rifle and handgun loading. Next is the dirty room, which has benches on either side: one bench for scope mounting, gun cleaning and repair with the other side for bigger messes with lathe, drill presses, saws, vices, etc There is also a small, clean and neat bench in moter camper for loading ammo at benchrest and other away from home shooting competitions.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Woodworking
leatherworking
metalworking and fabrication
auto restoration and repair
furniture upholstery
nylon and spectra webbing projects
chainsaw rebuild and repair
other 2 stroke power equipment rebuild and repair
meat grinding and processing

All those things take precedence to reloading

 

[Chuck R.]

Strictly reloading, I've got other tables/benches for projects:

 

[entropy]

Gunsmithing.

 

[Jonny2guns]

All yall's benches are very neat and orderly. Mine used to be more that way before I moved into a smaller house in town. Now there's not enough room to scratch your **s. I really REALLY dislike town.

 

[Ed]

Currently… a couple of woodworking tools. In the past.. ham radios. Now I separate the two. Though I have 4 presses on my home bench, I’m on the road a lot for work. So my bench is a hotel desk. I travel with a Lee hand press.

 

[splattergun]

A couple shortwave radios and accoutrement. Soldering station, wire, a scanner and an old boombox for entertainment. My old 2 meter mobile radio and a few drivers and other tools, some of which can be used on myu laoding tools. Ain't nearly neat n tidy. Far from it.

 

[Mauser lover]

I have two hobbies, only two.

Guns (under which my reloading fits)
and Airplanes.

Under “Guns”, I have reloading, gunsmithing, machining, 3dprinting, woodworking (ick), and other stuff. If you can think of it under this heading, I probably dabble in it.

Under “Airplanes”, I have airplane flying and building, so whatever fits under those headings also competes with my reloading bench. 3d printing, machining, woodworking (ick), welding, sewing, etc. I’m less exhaustive under this heading because there’s more to it! But if you can think of it under this heading, I might dabble in it.

I have a handful of Piper ribs stacked up behind my turret press on my bench right now. I need a bigger shop.