How many layers of plywood for my new bench?

[HOWARD J]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/801/dsc03399k.jpg/

I have 3 benches
2 Sears
1 Wards
from early 1970's--1 1/8" thick
they are still holding up

 

[Shrinkmd]

Trouble drilling those holes

I attempted again to drill the last two holes. I used a template, taped washers to the bottom of the cardboard, and fed all the bolts through the bottom of the press. I then used the two good holes and the bolts to make sure it was in the right place. I even drilled through the center of the washers for the holes.

Unfortunately, the two new holes were still just a bit too far to the side, and I couldn't mount the press. I filled up these holes with more dowels and wood glue, and I'll try again tomorrow.

What am I doing wrong? I will try using some white out or paint to dribble through the press mounting holes while it is bolted in place with the two bolts on the left side which are fine. This is very frustrating.

Any other ideas?

 

[Sam1911]

It's pretty difficult to drill a straight hole into the endgrain of a dowel. It tends to make your bit track off in a strange direction as the wood fibers run. Drilling and cutting is much easier to keep true going across the wood grain where you're shearing across the fibers. Heading straight into it gives the wood itself some say in the matter. Hence, I don't like using dowels for this sort of repair. (If this was a furniture or flooring repair, you'd be using a face-grain plug, not a dowel, and orienting the grain direction to match the substrate material.)

But how far off could they possibly be? If you're at all close, even sort of, drilling the two "bad" holes out bigger and using fender washers like I'd mentioned would get it mounted rock solid.

As to what you're doing wrong? Well, it's hard to say, not being right there to watch. Transferring layout lines and marks properly for drilling and cutting is really a very critical and fundamental skill every woodworker and machinist must learn, and it isn't easy.

 

[Rule3]

Anytime I have to attach something like a press that has 3 or 4 holes, I usually just mark one hole. Drill it and and attach it with a bolt so it's tight.

I then go and mark another hole, drill through the press mount if I can. If not remove the first bolt and drill the second hole. Etc Etc. If you try and drill all of them at the same time the evil Gremlins move it a fraction and nothing fits!. Even with a template if it is not perfectly flat or there is a fold in the template or bump in the wood it will be off. Are you drilling a starter or small pilot hole in the center first? Bolts usually do not fit due to the hole being not perfectly straight or 90 degrees to the flat top. if the angle ever so much they will not fit so you end up trying to ream them out larger.

 

[Shrinkmd]

Instead of using paint or trying to mark it while the press is partially mounted, would I be better off measuring the 3 or 3.5 inches across and marking it that way?

But if I mess up again, you're certain that enlarging the holes to 5/16 doesn't matter as long as I tighten everything up nicely with fender washers?

I'm still speechless that the template didn't work. I must have been off by the wiggle room of the 4 washers. Yet they were centered and I drilled right through the middle.

 

[Sam1911]

But if I mess up again, you're certain that enlarging the holes to 5/16 doesn't matter as long as I tighten everything up nicely with fender washers?

The clamping pressure provided by a nut and bold won't be in the least reduced by the slight reduction of wood between the washers.

And you already have two tight holes that will keep the press from shifting if you bump it sideways.

 

[GW Staar]

It isn't rocket science, nor is it critical to build it like a swiss watch. Get the next size Spade Bit and drill them through. Fender washers are a must anyway, because you are going through a laminated beam of 3 2x4's and you want pressure on at least two of them if your spacing puts them between laminations. When you tighten the bolts nuts & fender washers (and add a lock washer after the fender washer) you will impress the fender washer into the beam where it will not shift.....therefore if you need 5/16" drill to do the job so be it.

I say spade bit, because you can waller it out even more if you need. (I would have started with a 5/16" wood spade bit in the first place, if I was drilling my bench for 1/4" bolts.)

I'm not sure why somebody thought you needed an expensive forstner bit......wrong tool that makes a simple job twice as hard.

 

[Shrinkmd]

Ha ha , I like the Swiss watch comment! I will try the "bolt down and mark the next hole" technique. But if that doesn't work out I'll just follow your advice and make bigger holes.

It is really nice how the two holes which work just drop right in, but if it isn't critical then I'm ready to cry uncle and move on. And I need to dab a little stain and then a bit more finish over some minor scrapes. I know the table is a workbench, but my finish came out nicely.

Maybe I should've taken wood shop in junior high instead of French. Although the shop teacher was a sadist. C'est la vie!

 

[Shrinkmd]

Like a blue Death Star...

I loaded my first 100 rounds on the machine. I feel like Darth Vader must have felt when he blew up Alderaan. This machine is fully operational! I will post some pics later of the setup.

The 1050 is a dream to use, although I am very glad it was not my first reloading machine, or my first progressive. It is starting to make more sense to me, it's an intimidating piece of machinery. I understand why you wouldn't want to try and work up loads with this machine. It seems better suited to the "set it and forget it" approach. Although I appreciate how all the adjustments, with the exception of the swager and primer seating, are all locked in, so if I ever wanted to do a caliber change, all the settings stay constant. That was my gripe with the Hornady LNL AP, that getting the case belling and setting the casefeeder up to work correctly was too fiddly. But for now I have a pile of range 9mm brass to turn into loaded rounds!

Thank you to everyone who helped me out, especially GW Staar! The bench is rock solid, and the loader feels like it is welded on. At some point I'll need advice on what kind of shelves and whatnot I'll put behind the bench on the wall. But for now I can't wait to try out my first loads!