How tall do you make a loading bench

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dmproske

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Got a press and some other goodies coming on a big brown truck.

How tall do you make your bench. How many of you stand when you reload? Or do most of you prefer to sit? I can imagine standing while loading for a few hours would get tiresome. I have noticed quite a few pics on the bench thread of counter top height benches. Do you sit on a bar stool to reload?
 
I like to stand when using my presses, get more leverage that way. I guess a good starting point on height would be the height where the lever is at its full downward postion (-1 inch) without bending over. For most presses, that's about the height of your belly-button.
 
For me about 29.5" (Desk top Height) I use a swivil chair. Hornady L&L AP & a Lyman single Stage.
 
The 550b is mounted on a bench top that is 36 5/8" off the floor (no strong mount), and I sit on a 30" bar stool. My old RCBS single stage is mounted at 28 1/2" on a writing shelf of an old oak executive desk. I sit in a chair to reload on it, seat is 17" off the ground. I suppose my 6' height doesn't come into play when I'm sitting.

You need to take into consideration the unit you have ordered, whether it is on a something similar to Dillon's strong mount, etc. The height one reloader uses will not necessarily be the ideal height of another.
 
My bench came with the house, so no choice on height.

I like to stand up when I'm adjusting things, tinkering, cleaning up, etc., but I like to sit on a stool when I use the press or the powder measure.

I'd go with a comfortable workbench height (belly button ish) and a nice adjustable height stool.

-J.
 
Something I wonder, why are people concerned with the leverage with standing? I have never had any issue or problems pulling the levers on my Dillons or my Hornady Lock and Loads (AP and Classic).

Is it an issue for some people that they have a hard time pull the levers when sitting down?
 
A loading bench is nothing more than a work bench. For working with small parts - aka, reloading - it's good to have the bench top at about elbow/belly button height when standing and use a bar stool to get the same height when standing.

Depressing the lever gets tiresome quick if you have to bend over each time. Block the press up enough to allow the lever to be fully depressed while standing without bending your back. My bench top is right at my elbow height, have used it for 30+ years now and wouldn't change a thing.

I need a block about two inches thick to elevate my main press, another press needs three inches and my lubrisizer took six inches of blocking to get it high enough for good visual access when placing bullets and gas checks on the die and convienient work.

It's easier to make the bench top too high and cut the legs down a bit after you determine what you really want than it is to make the legs longer later!
 
I never gave any thought to the height of my reloading bench. It is an old "clunker" that someone had dumped. I happily salvaged it, placed it in a corner in my garage, spruced it up a little, and pressed it into service. I just now measured it and see that the top of it is 36" from the floor. I sometimes stand as I'm loading, but usually lean back against a bar stool that my neighbor across the street threw away a couple of years ago... :D

CP
 
Thanks for the replies. The other thread on this same issue was down a couple pages when I posted this one and I missed it.

Anyhow I was thinking about making my bench top at 36" and using the "2x4 basics kit" mentioned on this board. My belly butten is at 47" on me (i'm kinda tall) and that kit includes the legs and is not adjustable. If I want to make it that tall I will need to build it myself.
 
My "press" bench is 34", with the RCBS Rockchucker mounted on a 3" riser block.

The shotgun presses have higher handles and work better right on the bench.

My powder charging bench is 38" and is perfect height for standing while handling cases between powder measure & loading blocks.

rcmodel
 
Another question.

I have seen quite a few pictures on here where guys are using the craftsman benches or computer benches. These have fiberboard/pressboard/particleboard tops. Are these strong enough to hold a big press like a pro 2000 or to size a big magnum case? I would be concerned about the bolts pulling right out of the bottom.
 
waist or belly button height.

The next time I re cover the top of my bench I am going to make where I can swap my presses by using 3 layers of plywood. with the middle layer cut 4 to 5" wider than the top. That way I can mount both of my presses to a piece of plywood and make the cut out right in the middle of the bench Having two presses on my 4' long bench leaves little room left to do anything else on the bench. I am doing this because my reloading bench is also junk storage and where I work on my guns clean my guns and work on my lawn tools and other tools.
 
Hip high.

I mostly load standing up.

If I am doing large batch on single stage, then I sit down.

The Pro 1000 has some adjustability in the lever. I think I can adjust my Lee single stage, but haven't tried.
 
I load standing mostly but do use a bar stool on ocassion
I set my bench height after monkeying with the press on the kitchen sink. The work height the wife uses for cooking is close to a comfortable height for working a press lever. I believe I settled on ~42" when done, your height will vary the final measurment.
 
My "green monster" is 31 inches high, and I reload sitting in a very comfortable chair.

I hate "flex" in a bench when reloading the larger cartridges. This one has a 12x12 inch steel plate into which the presses are bolted. No flex whatsoever.

Local welding shop with a good "junk yard" out back can whip one up pretty fast.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=4635236&highlight=green+monster#post4635236

Should you choose to go with a more conventional bench, keep the steel plate idea in mind if you encounter flex when you put significant pressure on the press handle.
 
to reduce flex i mounted a vertical 2x4 directly under my press under my bench down to the floor, it takes all the stress.
 
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