Press on a bench stand

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sinbad339

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Painesville, OH
I'm considering getting a Lee Classic Turret Press. I plan to start loading 45ACP and 9mm Lugar. Eventually, I'd like to progress to rifle rounds (.223 and .30-06). A "real" bench in the garage is an option, but I live about 1/2 mile from Lake Erie, and these Ohio winters can be brutal. So, I was thinking of building a wooden stand similar to this http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=5851512&postcount=1203

My concern is any "tipping" or other movement issues with such a set-up. I would be using this on a desk in the basement, and I could clamp it down with C-clamps if needed, but that seems clunky. I'd appreciate any comments from those of you who may have used something similar.

Thanks in advance,

John
 
that lee stand sure doesnt give you any room to work with. with the amount of pressure I need to size rifle brass and prime any winchester brass, Id see that thing tipping all over the place unless its bolted down. I tried several funky combinations to keep the reloading stuff out of sight and out of mind, but its a hobby that just takes over and now I have my spare bedroom dedicated to it and a big ol sturdy 2'x8' bench screwed down tight into the floorboards. just bite the bullet, take the dive and do it right if possible. Heck, even if you have an empty closet- build a bench in there, open up the door and pull up a chair when your ammo stash is running low.

things are much easier when everything isnt shaking around.
 
I have all my presses, both single stage and progressives, mounted on their own free standing floor stand. My stands are similar in concept to the Lee but mine are a single column with a wide base. The base is 24-30 inches square. I snuggle it up next to a table to hold all the stuff.

I can adjust the press position for comfort and can move the press out of the way when not needed.

I even have a floor stand for my powder measure.

I like it and have been using the concept for 30 years.
 
Id see that thing tipping all over the place unless its bolted down.

The are made to hang a cinder block under them for weight, not something I'd want to use in my living room but it is just an option.

I have my three presses on a 2'x 8' perminent bench with cabinets under and shelves over, but like I said, just a sugestion. A lot of people use them or something like them.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. The consensus seems to be that this isn't very practical. So, I'll look into building a removable bench to go in the closet under the staircase in the basement.
 
I'm building a small bench (36x20) for loading. Gonna bolt it to the wall, if tipping becomes an issue. I should be done tomorrow, so I'll post pics if you're interested.
 
I'm jealous of you guys and your sq footage!
You could maybe bolt your press to a piece of wood and then c clamp it to your kitchen/dining/coffee table. And then frame you up a corner in the garage :)
I've saw some on here like that but with tracks to slide out presses and go back to plain bench.
 
Whatever you come up with DO bolt it to a wall and place a support leg directly under the press. The press needs to be rigidly held so it cannot move at all. I have built maybe 4 benches over the years and every time I do it I built it heavier than the last one.
 
This is a temporary stand I built out of scrap 2x4s, 2x6s and 3/4" ply. I am in the process of building a 3'x8' bench in my garage but needed something to get me by until I finish the space. This is in a spare bedroom closet. For now I have my powder chest and toolbox full of reloading related supplies in this closet.

I probably wouldn't put a progressive on this, but the single stage is working great. And, I would say this setup keeps me more focused because I only have room for tools to work on one thing at a time.

As I said earlier this is temporary but it has worked much better than I expected it to. This (with press) weighs around 50 lbs so if I were to keep this permanently I would brace the legs and bolt it to the wall.


IMG-20130102-00059_zpsb5c1fcf6.jpg
 
I'm building a small bench (36x20) for loading. Gonna bolt it to the wall, if tipping becomes an issue. I should be done tomorrow, so I'll post pics if you're interested.

Yes, I would be very interested in how that comes out.

And SlowFuse, a turret press would be very similar in use to a single stage, with just one operation at a time. Can you give me the approximate dimensions of the base on the floor?

Thanks again all...
 
Yes, I would be very interested in how that comes out.

And SlowFuse, a turret press would be very similar in use to a single stage, with just one operation at a time. Can you give me the approximate dimensions of the base on the floor?

Thanks again all...

SlowFuse's unit looks nice. If you build it, screw and glue the joints together. If you just nail it together, the operation of the press will flex the unit and it will loosen up.

I did something similar 30 years ago to be able to take reloading with me for entertainment on an extended temporary assignment. I eventually had to replace the wood stand with steel after a year or so.
 
When I first started reloading I bolted my press to a short piece of plywood. Put a sheet of the rubber like no slip drawer liner on the bottom and C-clamped it to the kitchen table.(put wood blocks underneath so you do not get yelled at)
Even though I have a work bench in the garage, here in sub tropic Fl the Summer is brutal and you die of heat exhaustion in the garage. Just the opposite of your freezing to death,:)
 
Thanks cfullgraf.

Sinbad I believe a turret press would do just fine. My comment on not putting a progressive is just because I tent to have a lot going on as far and brass and completed bins hanging around, powder hoppers and such...

Here are the dimensions, should give you an idea to get you started if you're wanting to build something similar:

I started with a 15" square built out of 2x4s and screwed a 15" square of 3/4" ply to it. Then I put the 4 legs on. I made them 30" because I had a 10' long 2x4. The "riser" pieces are 12" long 2x6. This may need to be higher if your press needs more clearance. Then a 19" pc of 2x6 was screwed to the top. The legs and 2x6 parts were all glued and screwed using 3" deck screws and a few nails towards the end bc I was running out of screws.

Good luck whichever route you take. I started on a 3' long bench in a corner of a tack room and quickly outgrew it. I recently moved so now I'm building the 8' bench I've been "needing"!
 
If you have Harbor Freight near you, they sell a bench grinder stand that works really well. I sandwiched 2 pieces of 2x6 on the top and mounted my MEC 9000 to it. Worked great. It was only like $40
 
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