How it started… how it’s going…
- Thread starter blackd24
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lordpaxman
Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2011
- Messages
- 2,434
No way. I’d have to clean up my bench before I take any pictures. I don’t think I evolved, more like devolved into a very small bench, but it’s got a large window! It does get the job done. Nice setups you have there!
earlthegoat2
Member
Lee wackamo on the coffee table.
I haven’t really evolved into anything though. I just accumulate equipment and manuals.
I haven’t really evolved into anything though. I just accumulate equipment and manuals.
These are the greatest things since sliced bread:
https://www.woodshedunfinishedfurniture.com/furniture/cubes-cubbies/pine-cubes/inwqb1yu
Any size
Any orientation horizontal/vertical
Any number
Any time
https://www.woodshedunfinishedfurniture.com/furniture/cubes-cubbies/pine-cubes/inwqb1yu
Any size
Any orientation horizontal/vertical
Any number
Any time
WestKentucky
Member
Lee whackamole at the kitchen table at 12 years old. Loading .256 winmag.
Lee c frame on a dumpster dive end table loading 38spl, 357, and 270. About 20 years old. I broke a bunch of particle board junk and kept replacing it with other roadside finds.
old metal teachers desk with the c frame for depriming, a RCBS JR3 and a mec jr 20 ga along with a mec jr 12 ga. Bought the setup from a coworker who was moving. Didn’t care for shotshell loading. Sold the mecs quickly. I was about 24 and that lasted until I got married where it went to storage until we had room again.
Bought our first house and it had a tiny useless shed hanging off the back. I think it was 4x6. A push mower wouldn’t fit without the handle hitting the door as I closed the door. I bought a cheap shed kit and put that up in the yard for the mower and atvs. Got a shipping crate from work and used the lumber to build a built in bench with a couple shelves on the wall. Tapped into a wall outlet facing into the house and got power out there to run a lamp and vibratory tumbler. By this point I was loading a dozen or so cartridges. We lived there for 4 years.
Moved 2 hours away. Built in bench stayed behind. Built a portable bench 8ft by 2 ft and screwed it to studs in the garage. Built an offshoot of that to L shape the bench and better define my loading area. That was in a rental but I unscrewed it and moved it when we bought a house. Setup was basically the same it just was a 12 ft long bench instead of an L. I added a Lee classic cast and a Lee classic turret while using that setup. Did the turret right before getting our oldest 2 kids from foster care. We adopted them. I basically don’t reload anymore compared to what I used to do. Up to 3 kids now after having one of our own.
moved again. Back closer to home so kids can see family. Also for help both ways when people need it. Family is getting older and we felt useless being so far away, and also had very little help while pregnant because we were so far away. Part of the move was buying a small business from my dad (cheap because he wanted to see the grandkids more) so I got a small office with my new house. Office is 5 by 13. One end is where I work. Other end is reloading bench. It’s a nice built-in L shaped bench but it’s small. It’s very deep though to allow for better storage both on and below. I built it, got it usable, and loaded about 500 rounds for my new contender barrels. That’s been about as far as it’s gotten and I have been here for a year and a half. I gave dad a press off of my old bench and a set of .256 dies a while back since I wasn’t using them. I don’t think he has ever used them either.
Lee c frame on a dumpster dive end table loading 38spl, 357, and 270. About 20 years old. I broke a bunch of particle board junk and kept replacing it with other roadside finds.
old metal teachers desk with the c frame for depriming, a RCBS JR3 and a mec jr 20 ga along with a mec jr 12 ga. Bought the setup from a coworker who was moving. Didn’t care for shotshell loading. Sold the mecs quickly. I was about 24 and that lasted until I got married where it went to storage until we had room again.
Bought our first house and it had a tiny useless shed hanging off the back. I think it was 4x6. A push mower wouldn’t fit without the handle hitting the door as I closed the door. I bought a cheap shed kit and put that up in the yard for the mower and atvs. Got a shipping crate from work and used the lumber to build a built in bench with a couple shelves on the wall. Tapped into a wall outlet facing into the house and got power out there to run a lamp and vibratory tumbler. By this point I was loading a dozen or so cartridges. We lived there for 4 years.
Moved 2 hours away. Built in bench stayed behind. Built a portable bench 8ft by 2 ft and screwed it to studs in the garage. Built an offshoot of that to L shape the bench and better define my loading area. That was in a rental but I unscrewed it and moved it when we bought a house. Setup was basically the same it just was a 12 ft long bench instead of an L. I added a Lee classic cast and a Lee classic turret while using that setup. Did the turret right before getting our oldest 2 kids from foster care. We adopted them. I basically don’t reload anymore compared to what I used to do. Up to 3 kids now after having one of our own.
moved again. Back closer to home so kids can see family. Also for help both ways when people need it. Family is getting older and we felt useless being so far away, and also had very little help while pregnant because we were so far away. Part of the move was buying a small business from my dad (cheap because he wanted to see the grandkids more) so I got a small office with my new house. Office is 5 by 13. One end is where I work. Other end is reloading bench. It’s a nice built-in L shaped bench but it’s small. It’s very deep though to allow for better storage both on and below. I built it, got it usable, and loaded about 500 rounds for my new contender barrels. That’s been about as far as it’s gotten and I have been here for a year and a half. I gave dad a press off of my old bench and a set of .256 dies a while back since I wasn’t using them. I don’t think he has ever used them either.
CoalCrackerAl
Member
I love the little lee on the stump. Great picture.
Soonerpesek
Member
Something looks amiss here..................................................................One of these things is not like the other.................................................................................................................
sparkyv
Member
I taught myself on a Lee Whack-A-Mole in .223 Rem with a 2x6 across my lap. Within a few months I moved to a Lee hand press.
Within a few more months later, a Lee 4-hole Value Turret. That's pretty much where I progressed and ended up, though a couple of years ago came across a neglected Rockchucker which I use for rifle brass prep.
Within a few more months later, a Lee 4-hole Value Turret. That's pretty much where I progressed and ended up, though a couple of years ago came across a neglected Rockchucker which I use for rifle brass prep.
GeoDudeFlorida
Member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2020
- Messages
- 11,133
I started with a Lymans Spartan at 13. Four years later I left for Lackland and put everything in my bedroom closet. When I exited I bought a house in Melbourne, a car and a motorcycle, all from a couple of buddies who were relocating to Germany. Then found out my folks had given away everything but the press, a set of dies in .357 and my Blackhawk. I sold the house to take a job at the Cape and that’s when I adopted my minimalist lifestyle. Moving around, living in apartment complexes and boarding houses, roommates, girlfriends/exes… and working stupid hours all kinda conspired. When the Lyman’s got busted up in a move I gave up on reloading for a while. Then was the boarding house and I gave up on owning a gun at all for a while. Now I use a completely portable rig, store the components and equipment until needed and the world is my reloading room. A tackle box with brass, bullets, powder and dies and a press mounted to a bar stool. I can reload in the living room, front porch or under the big oaks out back.
CoalCrackerAl
Member
Started with the wac-a-mole loaders. Then it went from there. I had some other pics as i grew. But i deleted them . Since the last pic was taken. I added a rock chucker,lee app and Lyman-t mag. And some trimmers.
halfmoonclip
Member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2011
- Messages
- 2,808
Personally, I like to 'triangle' workbenches to the wall; the 45* brace makes them extraordinarily stable, and not prone to bouncing around on up or down strokes with the press. It also leaves more room for feet and knees underneath.
Really do love the Lee C on a stump. That prompted a coffee launch!
Moon
Really do love the Lee C on a stump. That prompted a coffee launch!
Moon
KS Plinker
Member
Started off on a 2ft X 4ft bench with a Lee Turret, added the shelf above not to long after, about a year later added the little stubby bench you see with the RL550c on it. I have since added a 4ft LED light up above, man that helped me see better.
Chuck R.
Member
I started loading shotgun using a Ponsness Warren 375 clamped to our kitchen counter. When I started loading centerfire rifle & handgun, I then added a RCBS Rock chucker in my bedroom clamped to an old school desk.
When I went to the Officers Basic Course at Ft. Sill I bought a Sears workbench and hid it in my closet. Once stationed in Germany I expanded it, by adding a longer top and another set of legs. I mounted my presses to plywood with the same hole pattern base on a PW 900 Elite (largest footprint) and mounted whatever I was loading at the time using bolts and wing nuts.
Once I was stationed at Ft. Riley, KS I built a "portable" 8' long table 36" deep, and maintained my old mounting system. I built it to disassemble into 4 pieces and would mount it to a wall for stability and would put bags of shot on the lower shelf. This setup lasted for 5 moves (Ft. Riley, Ft. Lewis, Vancouver, WA, and Ft. Leavenworth, to new house) each time we'd buy a house with an extra bedroom that would turn into the reloading/gun room. My old bench:
Now it serves as a gun cleaning/project table.
2013 while I was in Afghanistan we broke ground on our new house, complete with a "safe room" (literally there's a safe in it) under our garage with vault door. A good friend of mine that is a cabinet maker would come over to reload and commented that I needed more room, so he built me a 21' reloading bench (I got to sand and do manual labor) that's built into the wall of the "safe room":
That's how it sits now. Same mounting system in case I want to move a press. 4 presses remain mounted, the least used sits in the corner. I opted for open shelving so I could find stuff without opening cabinets. Most of my dies that aren't on tool heads & misc tools remain in a rolling tool box:
When I went to the Officers Basic Course at Ft. Sill I bought a Sears workbench and hid it in my closet. Once stationed in Germany I expanded it, by adding a longer top and another set of legs. I mounted my presses to plywood with the same hole pattern base on a PW 900 Elite (largest footprint) and mounted whatever I was loading at the time using bolts and wing nuts.
Once I was stationed at Ft. Riley, KS I built a "portable" 8' long table 36" deep, and maintained my old mounting system. I built it to disassemble into 4 pieces and would mount it to a wall for stability and would put bags of shot on the lower shelf. This setup lasted for 5 moves (Ft. Riley, Ft. Lewis, Vancouver, WA, and Ft. Leavenworth, to new house) each time we'd buy a house with an extra bedroom that would turn into the reloading/gun room. My old bench:
Now it serves as a gun cleaning/project table.
2013 while I was in Afghanistan we broke ground on our new house, complete with a "safe room" (literally there's a safe in it) under our garage with vault door. A good friend of mine that is a cabinet maker would come over to reload and commented that I needed more room, so he built me a 21' reloading bench (I got to sand and do manual labor) that's built into the wall of the "safe room":
That's how it sits now. Same mounting system in case I want to move a press. 4 presses remain mounted, the least used sits in the corner. I opted for open shelving so I could find stuff without opening cabinets. Most of my dies that aren't on tool heads & misc tools remain in a rolling tool box:
I devolved as well. Went from a 14x16 room with a 6x14 walk in closet to a 5x10 walk in closet and shelves in the basement for powder, bullets, and extra brass.
It's cramped. But I have no mortgage. So I feel blessed.
deadeye dick
Member
What a beautiful set up, real classy, a show piece. Thank you for your service, Be well
gwpercle
Member
You don't Reload ... you just Clean and Organize Spaces ... take photo's and post them so us real reloaders will feel bad ... Sorry I know a photo setting when I see it .
I don't have no time for cleaning and I have the organizational skills of a Crazed Pack Rat with severe Hoarding Tendencies !!!
Okay ... I'm jealous of your neat and tidy loading area and your organizational skills ... get in there and make a mess and do some reloading will you ...the clean is killing me !
Gary
I don't have no time for cleaning and I have the organizational skills of a Crazed Pack Rat with severe Hoarding Tendencies !!!
Okay ... I'm jealous of your neat and tidy loading area and your organizational skills ... get in there and make a mess and do some reloading will you ...the clean is killing me !
Gary
GeoDudeFlorida
Member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2020
- Messages
- 11,133
Better Homes and Reloading Benches called. They want you for the June feature.
kalielkslayer
Member
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2021
- Messages
- 930
I recently got a 12.5’x18.5’ reloading space. Fantastic!!!
I have a permanently mounted Dillion 550, Rockchucker, and MEC 600 Jr, all on my bench, plenty of space. And on my 4’x8’ island I have Inline Fabrication mounts on both end for other shotgun loaders, gun vises, barrel vise.
I have a storage unit with 48 bays for “most” of my reloading components.
I have shelves full of brass and projectiles. I have space under the benches for my tumbler, bags of hulls , more projectiles.
The ceiling has rod holders that hold 12 fishing rods.
I have a spinning peg board in one corner, 12 rod holder with shelves in another, safe in the third, door in the fourth.
And my “room” is nowhere as organized as yours!
Bush Pilot
Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2007
- Messages
- 2,397
I love the little lee on the stump. Great picture.
I thought that was Lee's newest bench.
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