strength needed for reloading table

[7thGenAustinite]

Im planning on mounting my new lee 1000 to a old desk that i have been refinishing. the desk top is roughly .75 inch thick and is solid wood (not particle board or plywood). Should i need any reinforcement like an extra piece of plywood 3/4 inch plywood under the press or will it be fine like it is now?

i can take a picture of the desk if thats more helpful

 

[rcmodel]

It should be fine.

I would suggest you use fender washers on the underside to spread the load out a little.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/Fender-Washer-6YY59?Pid=search

rc

 

[jim243]

Very good suggestion.

I use them top and bottom.

Jim

 

[oneounceload]

It would depend on which way the grain is running and how much force you use to operate your press. If the grain is running parallel with the edge of the table, you might just very well snal off along the grain.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I've been reloading for years on an old WOOD gov't surplus desk.

The only issue is that without some sort of QD system you loose the use of a couple drawers. I use these drawers for crap I should throw out.



Its a very comfortable reloading position to be in and there's enough storage to handle my expansive equipment selection.

The whole setup is so heavy and sturdy I've never budged it even performing the most forceful resizing operations.

 

[dickttx]

The desk should work OK.
I have mostly used open tables for loading, but have an old drafting table I am using now. It has one long,narrow drawer. Handy as pockets in your pants.
I have thought about getting one of those roll around cabinets like they sell at Sams to sit by my chair with all my junk in it, and sit my scale on top of it.

 

[788Ham]

Get a couple pieces of 2 X 2, get some plasterboard screws and attach the boards underneath the desk top, each side of the press, sturdier top then.

 

[303 hunter]

The top of my desk stuck out 3" from the sides. I cut 2 pieces of steel angle,and bolted them to the corners for strength. Works great.

 

[gerrym526]

I'm an amateur woodworker who builds furniture to last, so I probably overbuild everything. That said, I'd recommend going forward with your idea of fastening an extra piece of 3/4 inch ply to the underside of the desktop slightly larger than the footprint of the reloading press. If you have a hardwood lumberyard near you, get a piece of 3/4 baltic birch plywood (very strong). After you fasten it to the underside, just drill your bolt mounting holes, use the fender washers on the underside and you'll like the nice firm feeling the desktop has when you pull down the lever of that press thousands of times years from now.

 

[Clark]

On a reloading table, I just kept adding layers until it was high enough, stiff enough, and heavy enough. It is 6 inches thick.

The Rockchucker puts a big magnitude moment arm on the bench that tries to pry up the far side, but the co-ax does not push hard on the bench.

 

[Walkalong]

It will probably be fine, but a little extra support never hurts.

I added a support to my home made bench. Notice the screws going into it from the side.

 

[coalman]

I have two SDB presses bolted to a 2x6 using two C-clamps to attach it to a dedicated 3/4" top that's about 12" deep. I have four shelf brackets supporting this one section screwed to two vertical 2x4s that are screwed to two 2x4s that are screwed to the studs along the length of this dedicated section of work table.

 

[Rule3]

If it's anything like the old Govt office desk I had it will be more than sufficient. It would take 4 of us to move the things with the drawers out of it.

A picture of course would be a good. The engineers can calculate how much extra you need if any

Mine is just a 3/4" ply but I only have a Classic Turret .

 

[savanahsdad]

no such thing as over-kill , use 3/4 ply , and glue, then bolt the bench/desk to the wall, you should be set

 

[7thGenAustinite]

ok here it is. after some further measurements of the press mounting holes i am going to have to add the plywood so it hangs over the beveled lip of the desktop.

 

[rfwobbly]

3 suggestions...
• Locally beef up the table top under the press with a 12x12 piece of 3/4 plywood. This does the same thing as the fender washers, except over a huge area. Sometimes you can find free plywood scraps in Home Depot near the saw.

• Make sure the press is located over a leg or some over column that's directly connected to the floor. The last place you want your press is in the center of the table with the legs 3 feet to either side.

• Bolt the table to the studs inside the wall behind the table. Besides the up & down, there's a great deal of side-to-side loading also.

 

[foxtail207]

I saw a guy loading .45-70 shells on a flimsy plastic folding table. The press was on a 2" x 12" board that he clamped to the table with C-clamps.
All his supplies were in a big plastic container. He was totally mobile!
After loading, he just threw everything in the back of his truck.

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

Would a stool do?

 

[Hondo 60]

I use a particle board desk strengthened by 2x8s.
So your desk should be just fine.
Fender washers are a very good idea.

 

[saitek]

bench reinforcment

that desk is to pretty ! but you can do what i did use 1/2x4 flat stock to form a L on a corner derill and tap itr for the size bolts for your press so you can just bolt it down when you need it .then bolt the L plate down on the corner with 1/2 carrage bolts on the three corner's .hope you can see the mount

 

[7thGenAustinite]

well here it is. added 3/4 inch plywood above and below the desktop. let me know what you think.

 

[dickttx]

Looks good, but much too clean and nice finish for reloading.
I would suggest lock washers under the nuts, as working the press will probably loosen the nuts as they are.