Hummer70
Member
Having loaded for over 50 years I have seen a number of reloading bench styles from sitting down with a tool mounted on what one would classify as a "coffee table" all the way to one that requires standing.
I loaded on maybe five different designs and I finally hit on the what I consider to be the right design and I wound up with a bench that is very strong and completely portable when you move. My final design is 3'X8" and I have made four moves with it as it disassembles to go through doors and makes it easier to carry even on a roof rack.
I don't know how to put a drawing on the forum so if anyone wants a drawing I can do one on Microsoft Office and send it to you if you send me a PM with your email address. In the interim I will try to give a visual picture in words.
1. Get a 4'x8' piece of 3/4" good one side exterior plywood and cut a piece off the one end 12"X96". This will serve as a shelf later.
2. Take a 96" 2X4 and glue it to what will be the bottom side of the bench along one edge laid on it's side to support a wide area on front of bench that allows loading tools to be mounted thereon bolted through the top and the 2X4 under side. A wide lip is what you are forming.
3. Now make a frame from 2X4s that runs around the edge of the table and up to ledge you have just put on and run a 2X4 standing up down the back of the lip forming a right angle to the first 2X4. Glue and screw that in place. In the middle of the bottom put another 2X4.
4. I doubled the legs making them 4X4 on the corners and single in the middle. I put 1X4s on the inside of the corner legs and across the centers to put a shelf for underside storage. Make sure the shelf is high enough to slide 30 and 50 cal ammo cans under.
5. On the back of the shelf I covered it with 3/8" plywood glued and screw it on.
6. On the back and out sides of the corner legs I covered them in 3/8" plywood glued and screwed on the ends and only screwed on the back.
7. Height of the table will vary on your height. I am 5'9" and I made bench so top of table would be 37" off the floor. I would add an inch of table height for every inch over 5'9".
The idea of this bench is you are standing for 85% of your work. After four months of physical therapy I learned from the pros that the longer you stand while you are young the longer you can stand when you are old and they stand up all day and write their reports standing.
The 37" height is just right for a 4" swivel bench vise I mount directly over left front leg. I use the vise to hold rifles to clean, parts to work on and to hold my powder measure. When charging cases I sit down and I am viewing the powder scale at eye level.
I also use vise to hold RCBS single primer seater mounted on a block. It also holds L E Wilson case trimmers and other tools.
I loaded on maybe five different designs and I finally hit on the what I consider to be the right design and I wound up with a bench that is very strong and completely portable when you move. My final design is 3'X8" and I have made four moves with it as it disassembles to go through doors and makes it easier to carry even on a roof rack.
I don't know how to put a drawing on the forum so if anyone wants a drawing I can do one on Microsoft Office and send it to you if you send me a PM with your email address. In the interim I will try to give a visual picture in words.
1. Get a 4'x8' piece of 3/4" good one side exterior plywood and cut a piece off the one end 12"X96". This will serve as a shelf later.
2. Take a 96" 2X4 and glue it to what will be the bottom side of the bench along one edge laid on it's side to support a wide area on front of bench that allows loading tools to be mounted thereon bolted through the top and the 2X4 under side. A wide lip is what you are forming.
3. Now make a frame from 2X4s that runs around the edge of the table and up to ledge you have just put on and run a 2X4 standing up down the back of the lip forming a right angle to the first 2X4. Glue and screw that in place. In the middle of the bottom put another 2X4.
4. I doubled the legs making them 4X4 on the corners and single in the middle. I put 1X4s on the inside of the corner legs and across the centers to put a shelf for underside storage. Make sure the shelf is high enough to slide 30 and 50 cal ammo cans under.
5. On the back of the shelf I covered it with 3/8" plywood glued and screw it on.
6. On the back and out sides of the corner legs I covered them in 3/8" plywood glued and screwed on the ends and only screwed on the back.
7. Height of the table will vary on your height. I am 5'9" and I made bench so top of table would be 37" off the floor. I would add an inch of table height for every inch over 5'9".
The idea of this bench is you are standing for 85% of your work. After four months of physical therapy I learned from the pros that the longer you stand while you are young the longer you can stand when you are old and they stand up all day and write their reports standing.
The 37" height is just right for a 4" swivel bench vise I mount directly over left front leg. I use the vise to hold rifles to clean, parts to work on and to hold my powder measure. When charging cases I sit down and I am viewing the powder scale at eye level.
I also use vise to hold RCBS single primer seater mounted on a block. It also holds L E Wilson case trimmers and other tools.
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