Show us a picture of your reloading bench

[MCMXI]

I'm in the process of buying a house in Arkansas so will need to sort out a new reloading area. The house I'm buying has a very large unfinished room above a double car garage with direct access from the main house without going outside (good when it's nasty out). The room has a large window at one end with two dormers on one side of the pitched roof. I'll be moving the workbench shown on page 87 to the new house and will probably add another bench with a bunch of shelves. I'm not sure how I'll set it up yet because I'd like to find a way to end up with a reloading room and a fourth bedroom. It should be a fun project though since I'll be starting with a clean slate.

Here's a photo (taken by current owner) of part of the space above the garage.

 

[oldreloader]

what part of AR are ya heading to

 

[MCMXI]

About 20 miles North East of Little Rock.

 

[oldreloader]

dang thought I might be getting a new neighbor

 

[Crewdog10]

NRMA Reloading Bench, modified

I looked at several ideas and versions of different benches as folks have presented here. In the end, I used the free NRMA reloading bench plans as my bench choice. I used Oak ply for the "shelving" areas of the bench and made a two layer top. The bottom layer is just a solid sheet of oak ply. I then cut strips with 30 degree bevels on them, screwed these down, and put filler pieces in, except the three removable pieces on the front. I cut several "insert" pieces to fit into these three slots. My loading components are permanently mounted to these pieces and can be moved to or from any of the three slots, as they're all the same size. At the rear of the removable pieces I drilled a hole to fit a 1/4 x 20 tapered headed screw that threads through them in into a thread insert in the lower plywood layer of the bench top. This allows me to secure the inserts in place with the screw, but yet I can remove them to move them to a different position if I choose. As well I have enough blanks I can inserts to make a smooth/solid bench top if I choose.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

That would put you somewhere in the Jacksonville area if I'm thinking correctly 1858.
Don't know if you've looked up any gun stores there yet or not, but Fort Thompsons is in North Little Rock near Sherwood right on 67/167. Shouldn't be too far from you.
Also Don's Weaponry is on Broadway in Little Rock. They're more expensive than Ft Thompsons, but they're cool guys to hang out and talk to. I buy powder and primers from them just to go in a shoot the bull.

 

[dalepres]

Crewdog10, I just downloaded those plans. They definitely seem usable to me. I may build a couple of them, one for cleaning and one for reloading.

Interesting thing, though, I tried to go to reload-nrma.com and the site doesn't exist any more. It's just going to one of those fake search places.

 

[nojoke]

Crew,
I've seen operating rooms taht weren't that clean....

Very nice!

 

[Crewdog10]

Crew,
I've seen operating rooms taht weren't that clean....

Very nice!

Thanks nojoke. The pics were taken when I'd just completed the bench. Today a few months later, there's a bit more clutter on the top and several more rounds of bullets below. I do try to keep it cleaned up though. To date my setup hasn't failed me and I've not found any short comings of the benches design nor my modifications.

 

[Crewdog10]

Crewdog10, I just downloaded those plans. They definitely seem usable to me. I may build a couple of them, one for cleaning and one for reloading.

Interesting thing, though, I tried to go to reload-nrma.com and the site doesn't exist any more. It's just going to one of those fake search places.

I'm not sure about two benches? I've found, thus far anyway, that this one does the trick. I tumble cases on the floor beside the bench. As for cleaning the weapons, I do that on top of the bench. I view it as an all around bench. Also that I can only do one operation at a time, so just use this one bench to do both. I hadn't paid much attention to the website for the plans. I think it was almost a year ago that I downloaded and saved the plans to my computer.

 

[LouisianaJoe]

I like the way the inserts work. I may use this approach to mount power tools such as a belt sander or a scroll saw that I only use occasionally. I can make the inserts wider to accommodate the power tools and I could use more screws to secure the inserts to my bench where more torque is involved. An insert at each end of a tool such as a wood lathe could also be used. Tools can be put on a lower shelf when not needed to create a larger work surface by having bare inserts available to fill the empty spots.

I realize that this post is a bit off subject, but I think many of us do more than just reload.

 

[A Pause for the Coz]

Well I did a a liitle bit more upgrading. As always a work in progress. I went to an auction at a Municipal Liquor store that was closed. They had walls and walls full of shelving in the basement. I purchased one walls worth for $10. Here is where I put some of it.

 

[D94R]

My work in progress. I've still to move a bench to along the left side.

 

[smokey1]

Recently finished dedicated reloading bench/area along the back wall w/raised concrete floor space. As needed, can lower the bench top and free up floor space for other projects. The bench top locks up solid and excellent for reloading work.

 

[Runninshu]

Working on it.

Just got the presses mounted up.

 

[smokey1]

Nice reloading stands. Did you have those made or off the shelf items? Very nice!

 

[Maverick223]

Welcome to THR, smokey1! Looks like you have a nice start using an innovative design.

 

[flashhole]

I like those press stands too. Very nice.

 

[Runninshu]

Thank you, I welded the stands at home. The steel is courtesy of the local heavy duty fabrication shop scrap bin, too small for their use. Total investment was a can of Krylon, some nuts and bolts, and a few hours in the shop.

 

[ole farmerbuck]

Just getting this started in our new home. The reloading room is 725 sq feet with central heat and air plus its part of the garage so it has heated floor.This bench will be 24' long.The other wall is 12' and I dont know what i'll do with the rest of the walls!

 

[Trent]

24 foot reloading bench? Damn there'd be room for all my gear AND my wife to lay down. Hmm... maybe time to remodel.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Runninshu: those stands are very impressive. I wish they were commercially available.

 

[Dbedwards]

Here is my reloading bench

I recently upgraded my reloading operation from a 2ft X 4ft homemade bench to what you see here. My wife bought into the project as it cleaned out a corner in the storage room that now looks nice and organized.

 

[flashhole]

Very nice. That white pegboard brightens things up quite a bit. You have enough table top that you can have several projects going at the same time.

 

[BYJO4]

Nice looking. Lots of room to add equipment in the future.