Newbie Intro and My reloading bench

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

RandyP

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Messages
1,383
Location
Illinois
New to this forum but have been shooting for over 4 decades and to celebrate my 60th birthday decided to learn a new trick for this old dog, namely reloading.

To create a functional reloading station and still stay upstairs where it is cool in the summer and warm in the winter (my basement has the weather reversed-lol) I decided to modify something inexpensive and go from there.

A WalMart $8 folding oak table became my tumbler station and their $39 oak colored utility cart became the staring point for the bench. I beefed up the structure with ply and pumber I had on hand, painted the top white and voila! A mobile reloading bench.

Just thought I'd share my efforts with you all.
 

Attachments

  • bench1.jpg
    bench1.jpg
    45.8 KB · Views: 118
  • bench2.jpg
    bench2.jpg
    60.5 KB · Views: 61
Welcome Randy!

Hey good to see your rig, mine is an old dresser drawers, necessity is the mother of invention. Looks like you're ready to roll, bet you can't wait to shoot some of your handi work!
 
Just be carefull that you don't upset that loading bench. Even revolver and pistol cases sometimes need that extra PULL and can turn over a work bench. Mine is anchored to the wall studs with long 1/4" X 5" lag screws.
 
Welcome

Randy -
Welcome aboard, brother! And welcome to a wonderful hobby that will let you enjoy your shooting even more.

We started the same way as you, and you will slowly pick up "truths" that work best for you. Seems we all start with setups you've shown. Oh, I remember those days! I think I did my best reloading then!! :) Not to criticize, but to save you some time and aggravation, may I offer the following...

As to the bench, Bushmaster is correct. You may be looking for more stability fairly soon. May I suggest a trip to the local thrift store to look for an old heavy-weight all-steel office desk. These can usually be had in the $5 range and definitely will not jump around! Or, stores such as Northern Tool sell steel work bench legs (sub-$20) that allow you to build a stable work bench top tailored to fit your space with just a sheet of plywood and a 2x4.

Secondly, the combination of tumbler media and rug are not going to please "she who must be obeyed" for very long. And if you'll read the permanent posts on lead poisoning at the top of this forum, may not be the healthiest thing to have inside your living space. It may actually be something for the basement. But, as they say, it's your marriage! :D

Be sure and read, read, read. Libraries have quite a bit of free information. I surely hope this gets you started in the right direction. Let us hear about your outcomes.

All the best!
 
Welcome to your new hobby, Randy! There's plenty of fellowship and good advice here. If you haven't fired any of your handloads yet, wait 'til you do. The smile will be hard to wipe off for a few hours :cool:
 
I have a 24"X40" bench I made from some scrounged 1” plywood (2 layers thick) and 2x4s. It’s held together by 3” deck screws. The thing is very, very, very heavy. I lined up a bunch of very top-heavy, hollowbased wadcutters. On the first pull, the table jiggled and ½ of the bullets tipped over and rolled around. Even though that table is a heavy beast, it still moved a bit when I pushed/pulled on the lever. I then screwed it to the floor.

Once it was rock solid, it was so much easier to proceed because I could pull without having to worry about the jiggling. It goes so much more quickly when one doesn’t need to tread ultra-lightly. It was like walking on egg shells until I secured it to the floor.

Other than that, welcome to the world of reloading! It’s lots of fun and saves quite a chunk o’ change.
 
I have the VERY good fortune to be single at this point in my life. The kids are grown and long gone and I can bring my toys into whatever living space I choose :D

My local gun shoppe indoor range does not allow lead reloads so all my reloading will be done with plated or FMJ bullets, reducing my lead exposure greatly.

I also have the very dangerous personal situation of good credit and low self-control with plastic, so I can easily see pricier reloading toys down the road.:)
 
That is a great start. You will definitely grow into a bigger bench soon. :)

Welcome to THR
 
Welcome Randy. So what are you gonna be cranking out there? Like some others have mentioned you'll be needing more space and more toys. I'm in the process of putting a new top on my reloading bench so I'll have more room. Have fun and keep us posted. slabhead
 
I have reloaded a scant 100 rounds of .45ACP 230gr FMJ to date. I have 1000 brass cases each cleaned and ready to go for 9mm and 45.

Still waiting for my Berry 9mm and .45 ACP order to get filled (they are running 9mm right now and are backlogged a bit) The lady I spoke with today checking on my Jan 18th order said they are receiving over 100 orders per day for their products and are staying pretty busy -lol - a backup order for 500 Ranier plated 200gr RN just got placed with Midway (bullets in stock) and judging by previous Midway orders that one will arrive PRONTO.

The mailman did bring some Starline new .380ACP brass and 750 plated Berry 100gr RN bullets in that caliber, so it looks like that will be my next project.

For now (until the 1# jar of HP-38 and the 8# tub o' Win 231 is exhausted) that will be my powder of choice for all three calibers and perhaps some 44-40 for my brother's Cowboy Action Shooting passtime.

Of course I am already ogling the Lee Turret presses, but my shooting volumes are still pretty low so I don't yet need "fast" reloading.
 
I use a similarly sized bench, and I'm thrilled with it. I built mine on a Rockler router table steel leg set, and the heavy duty casters for it. I added the top and two shelves below. When loaded up with gear, bullets and brass, and with the casters locked (they lock both roll & swivel), it is very sturdy. I have a Forster co-ax which provides ample leverage to avoid tipping. Because I roll it out of the laundry room to use, I have access to all four sides of the bench, including the shelves below. The press is mounted on one end (also helps prevent tipping), and a vise is on the opposite end/corner. With the right press, a small, well built bench can be very stable in use.

Andy
 
What's the hold up ?

I have the VERY good fortune to be single at this point in my life.
Click to expand...


Well, heck!!

Lag bolt that press to the middle of the fine mahogany dining room table the "ex" insisted on buying and let's go !!


:evil:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top