How thick is thick enough?

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Kuyong_Chuin

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Ok I am tired of waiting for my Dad to clear out the area where the work bench is located in the basement that I am not able to do myself. So I plan on making myself a small bench that I can move around when the need arises. Thinking a bench two feet square with the legs made of pressure treated 4x4' s cut to length. Pressure treated 2x4' s bracing the legs. I was planning to use some outdoor 3/4 inch oak plywood for the top but, is one piece going to be enough or do I need to double and glue two pieces together to make a top 1 1/2 inch thick? I will be putting a bench plate on the top as well. Lumber will cost about $30 plus tax so allot cheaper than buying one ready made. Saves me about $40 counting the plate. So how thick is thick enough when talking about bench tops? How thick is yours and what is it made of?
 
You probably need to anchor a bench that small to the wall in order to make it sturdy enough, I would double the 3/4 plywood.

I agree. I just built a bench with larger dimensions than yours and I did not anchor it to the wall. I will most likely be doing that in the near future.

I used a single layer of 3/4" plywood. I will be adding another layer.

Also: Pressure treated lumber can be a little messy. The treatment rubs off easily. Just brushing up against it will transfer to your clothing. Is there a reason you want to use it?

There may be additional protection, paint or stain, you could use to seal it? I've never tried but there may be something available.
 
My first bench was two 20" pieces of 2x12 for a top and 4x4 legs. I used it with a Rock Chucker in a bedroom corner. It was heavy enough with bulk bullets on the back edge that I didn't need to anchor it.....For the past 20 years she's been holding my dehumidifier up off the basement floor.
 
3/4 ply is plenty for the top, but you may want to put a little reinforcement under the press location. I used a piece of 2x6 under my press with a 3/4 top. Plenty sturdy.
The skirts are 5/8 inch ply.

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Kuyong_Chuin said:
I plan on making myself a small bench that I can move around when the need arises. Thinking a bench two feet square with the legs made of pressure treated 4x4' s cut to length. Pressure treated 2x4' s bracing the legs.
I have made several portable castered reloading bench over the years and currently use 2'x3' bench for sitting/stand up reloading.

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- Casters are from Harbor Freight furniture dolly so they can take the weight but roll easily on carpet without marring/scratching the hardwood floor.

- 2'x3' size with presses mounted at the end allows it to go through 30" doorways from even narrow hallways. I store my bench inside a walk-in closet of the reloading room when not in use.

- I recommend the use of kiln dried 2x4 dimensional lumber over pressure treated/green lumber to minimize warping, splinters and sticky sap. I bought my lumber from Home Depot and 2x4s were finished well enough to not need any sanding or finish.

- Although 2x4 frame was sturdy enough with 10d nails and 2.5" drywall screws (I pilot drilled each hole to prevent splitting of wood), I used pegboard backing to add additional stiffening.

- For those that believe reloading benches must be anchored to work well, my 2'x3' castered bench empty will allow resizing of thicker walled military LC .308 brass without even moving the bench on hardwood floor.

I was planning to use some outdoor 3/4 inch oak plywood for the top but, is one piece going to be enough or do I need to double and glue two pieces together to make a top 1 1/2 inch thick?

So how thick is thick enough when talking about bench tops? How thick is yours and what is it made of?
I have used single layer OSB reinforced with 2x4s underneath and it worked well. For my current bench, I used 11 layer hardwood veneer plywood with a single 2x4 underneath the C-H single stage press and the bench top won't flex during resizing of .308 brass. I finished the bench top with 2 coats of Minwax Polyurethane.

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I agree. I just built a bench with larger dimensions than yours and I did not anchor it to the wall. I will most likely be doing that in the near future.

I used a single layer of 3/4" plywood. I will be adding another layer.

Also: Pressure treated lumber can be a little messy. The treatment rubs off easily. Just brushing up against it will transfer to your clothing. Is there a reason you want to use it?

There may be additional protection, paint or stain, you could use to seal it? I've never tried but there may be something available.
Reason for using treated lumber is that I don't have to worry about it getting wet and rotting if I have to leave it (without the press on it) outside in the weather. I will put a poly sealer on it too most likely. As for weighting it down so it doesn't move, I was thinking of adding a metal tray connected with chain on the corners and clips so I could clip it to eye rings mounted in the legs. Then throw a plate or two from my old weight set on there as ballast. The portable one I saw from Lee was smaller, made from what looked like angle iron and was weighted with a concrete block. It was also over $100.00

P.S. Our basement has been flooded on that side of the house before.

BDS I never thought about adding wheels to it to make it easier to move. I think there is an old push chair out in the barn that has 4 wheels about 4 inches in diameter that has wheel locks as well. I'll have to check to see if it is still there and how they are mounted. Thanks for the Idea. Need to add a few trays to my list of things to get for it too.
 
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I used 2x4 for the frame and legs on mine. I made 45 deg. braces for the legs where they went into the top frame.I then put 2x4 from front to back legs and across the back legs about 18" from floor to make a shelf on. For the top I used a piece of counter top with back splash I had taken out of the kitchen when I remodeled it.I made the frame so the press would be centered over the 2x4 running across the front so there is bolts on both sides of the 2x4. I am going to add a second 2x4 under the press for some extra support. I used 3" screws on all of it. the size is 2' x4' and is very stable.
 
Kuyong Chuin said:
So how thick is thick enough when talking about bench tops? How thick is yours and what is it made of?

I have made a number of work benches, including the one on which I reload, and all of them sport tops made by laminating 2 pieces of ¾" plywood w/Gorilla Glue.

My reloading bench is attached to a wall for strength/stability.

If I were going to make a smaller mobile reloading bench I would probably configure a couple of wall locations where I would be using it so that I could quickly & easily (& temporarily) bolt it in-place.

Another idea that may be of use to someone reading this ... I created a Shop in a long thin basement room (like 8'x25'). The space would be further restricted it I mounted a permanent bench so, instead, I created a bench that I could slide around on the smooth epoxy-painted floor. I attached 4 of the little carpet squares that you can get from Lowes or Home Depot to the bottom of the table legs. Works great!
 
Kuyong_Chuin said:
BDS I never thought about adding wheels to it to make it easier to move. I think there is an old push chair out in the barn that has 4 wheels about 4 inches in diameter that has wheel locks as well.
I have a 2'x6' bench in the garage I used to reload on (that's castered too) but the 2'x3' castered bench is great for reloading anywhere in the house or even out in the back yard patio when the weather is nice. Why suffer in the cold/hot/damp environment of the garage or the basement when you can process brass and reload in the comfort of heating and air conditioning? :D BTW, I have built 2'x4' benches too but they are too long to turn from hallway into bedrooms.

I have tried different casters that Harbor Freight sells but found the casters on the furniture moving dolly to be the best for reloading bench as the bench don't move around much and they are rated to handle the heavy weight. They sell the larger or small one for $8-$10 on sale (or use the 20% off coupon) so cost comes out to around $2-$3 each (cheap) and they can really handle the heavy weight that other casters cannot (many casters are only rated to 150-200 lbs). I keep quite a bit of bullets on the bottom shelf (about 600-1000 lbs) and with the bench loaded down with all the components at over 1000+ lbs, the moving dolly casters roll easily even on carpet (if you think about it, that's what they were designed to do ;)). Mounting them to the bottom of 2x4 frame was easy with washers and drywall screws.

Many reloaders complain about reloading in cold/hot/damp garage or basement while standing up. You know, life is short and the house should be your castle. Build a portable castered bench and you can reload anywhere you want sitting down in comfort and store the bench away in a corner or in the closet when you are done. It sure is nice to reload in the patio while watching the sunset with your wife and sipping ice tea or processing brass (resizing, trimming, hand priming) and reloading together at the same bench (I have both single stage and progressive mounted on the bench).

BTW, I use two flex neck/goose neck clamp lights with 13 watt CFL from Walmart for lighting. They allow easy adjustment to shine the light exactly where I need and I paid around $7 each. Using two light sources allow you to eliminate shadow.
 
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I didn't read all the comments, but I would advise against using pressure treated wood. Yes it will hold up better to weather, but the chemical and staining issues would outweigh the benefits. Make it portable and find a place to keep it inside year round! The bench BDS posted would be perfect.
 
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Castered benches will move around on a smooth floor. One solution is to lift the ends of the bench and slip some blocks under the frame, taking the wheels off the floor. Be sure your blocks are all the same height.
 
When I was reloading on the castered 2'x6' bench in the garage, I had in excess of 1500-2000+ pounds of bullets and reloading equipment/components so presses mounted on the side of bench did not move the bench.

When I built the castered 2'x4' bench for my wife's woman cave with Lee Classic Turret mounted at the end of the bench, I was able to resize thicker walled LC .308 cases without moving the bench on smooth concrete floor even with the bench empty.

The 2'x3' castered bench was built for the reloading room now with hardwood floor. The single stage press is mounted at one end and tested for resizing LC .308 brass and the bench did not move even when empty. I mounted the presses at the ends for the bench to go through 30" doorways but I think the press on the ends of smaller bench gives proper leverage. I usually keep at least 500-600 lbs of bullets and other equipment/components on the bench so bench moving while reloading is not a concern.

I think if you are mounting press on the sides of smaller bench, anchoring to the wall maybe needed to prevent tipping of bench. That is not the case with 2'x3' castered bench with press mounted at the end, especially if you have any added weight on the bench from bullets, etc.
 
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The treated lumber in direct contact with metals will cause corrosion. Check out about what type of fasteners are used the treated lumber. Wouldn't want to see anybody ruin their press(es) and equipment.
 
The treated lumber in direct contact with metals will cause corrosion. Check out about what type of fasteners are used the treated lumber. Wouldn't want to see anybody ruin their press(es) and equipment.


kcofohio is correct. The pressure treating of wood is done with salts that can corrode aluminum and standard electroplated fasteners. Even pressure treated lumber is susceptible to warping, cracking and checkering when exposed to the elements. Most pressure treated lumber is of a lower grade or not as desirable species of wood. If you are gonna paint/poly it anyway, standard lumber will work just as well.
 
You shouldn't need treated lumber if you lay on three coats of outdoor paint.

3/4" CDX ply is plenty sturdy for a small work top. AND a lower shelf.

2"x4" legs are more than sufficently strong.
 
^+1. I've used single sheet of 3/4" oak plywood for my last two reloading benches. As long as the top is supported near the press, there's no problem for my SS press.

4x4" legs, lol. That's massive overkill for a 2' square bench. But I don't see any way a 2'x2' footprint will be stable, unless you put a shelf in the bottom and store all your lead there. That will kill the mobility, though. :)

Maybe if you make a cutout in the top so the press mounts near the back of the bench, and the lever doesn't extent too far in the front? I'm not sure the ergonomics would be very comfortable.
 
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^+1. I've used single sheet of 3/4" oak plywood for my last two reloading benches. As long as the top is supported near the press, there's no problem for my SS press.

4x4" legs, lol. That's massive overkill for a 2' square bench. But I don't see any way a 2'x2' footprint will be stable, unless you put a shelf in the bottom and store all your lead there. That will kill the mobility, though. :)

Maybe if you make a cutout in the top so the press mounts near the back of the bench, and the lever doesn't extent too far in the front? I'm not sure the ergonomics would be very comfortable.
4x4 was because of the eye ring bolts being mounted through the legs. If I get my computer back up and running right again I'll do a 3D Model of the stand I have in mind. Right now I have other things I am making as gifts that I have less than a week to finish before starting another project. I'll have to check to see how much non treated wood is going for here. Had to go to Nashville all day for the last two days so I am wore out. We have a piece of old counter top that has a short back to it but I did not like that it was made of what looked like press board with a Formica top added to it. For those interested I will not be standing up reloading. I will get me an old bar stool that has a back to it that swivels some where.
 
4x4 legs would be overdoing it a wee bit for such a small bench. Better to stick with 2x4's for the frame and legs both. 24"x24" would be a very small top to work with...I'd consider making it double that with two layers of 3/4 inch plywood.

When you make the frame, consider framing up a lower shelf using 3/4" plywood as well. It'll give it more rigidity and a convenient shelf space to both store things and to prop a foot up on. Locking casters on one end would be nice for mobility.
 
My first bench was a workmate with 3/4" plywood screwed to the top. I now have a 2' x 4' bench with a 1/2" top with a 2x6 on its flat under the front for mounting the press.
 
I like a small bench. Build a large one and you end up with more stuff sitting around on top of it.

The first bench I built was framed from 1" angle iron welded to 1" pipe nipples in the corners. The legs were 1" pipes screwed into the nipples; the bottom of the legs were turned into pipe flanges with 4 holes that were screwed into the floor (obviously can't be concrete or the good hardwood parlor floor). A 1/4" thik plate, about 6" square, was welded to the angle iron frame on side and the front, and 3/4" plywood laid over the entire frame and bolted to it. Very sturdy table, didn't move when I formed brass, and lasted many years. And a nice feature was that by turning a leg in or out the bench could be leveled on an uneven floor. Now that I am no longer moving around I have a bench bolted to the wall. High enough that I can use it standing up or seated on a bar stool so I don't have to get up and down. I like it.
 
If you can build your bench so your 2X2 top has legs that are splayed out at the base to 3X3, like a machine grinder table or similar, then it should be steady enough
 
Have been thinking about what everyone has said so far about the size and had a thought. One of the projects I have to complete first is a structure that I'll just call an entertainment center though it will be allot more than that when completed. Right now my TV, safe, the satellite box, two gaming systems, and bunch of DVD's are sitting on a metal cart that has two metal selves on it. I have two wooden blocks 6x8x18 made of hickory sitting on their sides so it top is on the six inch wide eight inches tall and eighteen inches long bolted on each side of the top self. To those blocks is a piece of plywood 5/8 inch thick it is 2 feet deep and 32 inches wide. The top is 32 inches off the ground and the stand already is on wheels though they are a bit small. Couldn't I just slap some wood glue to the top and nail a piece of 3/4 inch oak plywood to it and use it for my bench. The other option if I go this route and will cost me even less than a 3/4" x2'x4' piece of plywood is remove the plywood that is on there now, get me a 2x12x8 cut it in half attach those to the blocks, then replace the plywood back on the top. It should hold up without tipping. Those block weight a good 25 lbs each and the safe weighs 75 lbs empty and it isn't empty. That is not counting the TV and everything else on it right now. So what do you guys and gals think? Should I go cheap and rework the "TV Stand" or build one from scratch?
 
If funds are tight, simple is your friend. :)

The B&D workmate idea is great as they are stable, cheap, and plentiful on Craigs List and garage sales.

In the meanwhile, save your money, reload, plan, and scrounge materials for your next bench.
 
If funds are tight, simple is your friend. :)

The B&D workmate idea is great as they are stable, cheap, and plentiful on Craigs List and garage sales.

In the meanwhile, save your money, reload, plan, and scrounge materials for your next bench.
Funds are always tight when you are on SSDI and your rent alone takes up 5/8 ths of your monthly income.
 
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