Collapsing reloading bench brainstorming

N

nhyrum

New member
Like many, my reloading bench is needing to down size. I've seen many different commercial and at-hand compact "apartment" style benches. I'm looking for something similar, but I have an added benefit of working as an aluminum welder at a shop that builds marine platforms, bridges, gangways, floats, etc, and when things get slow, or after hours, were allowed to use drop material to build our own projects. We've got lots of square and rectangle tube, plate, angle, flat bar and round tube. So I think I could build a pretty sweet bench for just some time. So I'm sitting down to try and plan out how I want to go about designing it.

A few of my design "criteria"

As compact and flat-packing as possible, while still being large enough for use. I have an old cast iron o frame press, a 650, and I do(probably more actually did) cast, so I have a Lyman lube sizer, so it will also need to be strong enough to handle that.

As any reloading bench, it will need to be sturdy and not wobble on a variety of surfaces, that may or more not be flat or level, so I would like some kind of leveling feet

A quick mount system for my presses would be sweet.

Some ideas I have

The top will be easy, I'm thinking either 3/4 plywood, or a piece of 3/8 or half inch aluminum plate. Aluminum I think would be plenty sturdy, easy to drill and bolt to, etc. a simple frame of some angle to hold it, possibly reinforced with some channel around the perimeter.

For the legs, I was thinking some 4x4 quarter inch thick, with a socket style fit on the underside with a pair of through bolts. Basically cut a piece of square tubing in half, along opposing corners, and rewelding it back together so that it will slip just inside the tube. The legs could easily be taken off and stored on the under side of the bench, fitting under the whole length of the table, and between the sockets for the legs. A piece of plate welded to the bottom of the tube, with a bolt acting as an adjusting leg should get the adjustment I need. I was thinking I could weld a bolt to a heavy washer, then rivet that washer to the aluminum plate on the bottom. My concern is that over time, that plate on the underside might get deformed.

I'd like a way to have a shelf on the underside as well, but I don't think it will be needed, as the bench is not going to be holding much or used as storage.

The issue I see with how I want to store the legs, is the taller the bench gets, the longer it has to get. I don't know how heavy duty I need to make it, but I also don't want it to weight 250 pounds. Lightweight isn't a goal, but it's aluminum, so it should be lighter than a steel bench.

Input?

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I've tried over and over to come up with a solution, my basic conclusion is the lighter the bench is--the more it will move.The flat top must be absolutely rigid with no flex at all. A single center post support will not prevent the top surface from pivoting (a la Cadwell [un]stable table) when you load it differentially. A solution is to have a 4 point telescoping supports at the corners (better if 6--2 in the middle as well) which also must be absolutely rigid and allow for leveling of the table. If your sight picture moves at all while shifting your loading of the table--your table is still not stable. Seat attached to the table is a no-go.
 
stagpanther said:
I've tried over and over to come up with a solution, my basic conclusion is the lighter the bench is--the more it will move.The flat top must be absolutely rigid with no flex at all. A single center post support will not prevent the top surface from pivoting (a la Cadwell [un]stable table) when you load it differentially. A solution is to have a 4 point telescoping at the corners (better if 6--2 in the middle as well) which also must be absolutely rigid and allow for leveling of the table. If your sight picture moves at all while shifting your loading of the table--your table is still not stable. Seat attached to the table is a no-go.
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Right, I want it to be stiff. I think for the top, an under frame of 3 inch channel around the perimeter, with the top on that. A 2' x 3' top I think would be big enough. I just am not sure how I'd keep the bench from torsionally flexing, since some kind of diagonal bracing of the legs would make them fixed

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Nice ideas, except for the lightweight compact part and metal working skills I did on my bench. Base was a 5 foot wood workers bench with 3/4 butcherblock top. Presses and tools mount on 3/4" x 10"x 10" panels beveled on 3 sides. Beveled 3/4 plywood added to bench top so panels can dovetail on 3 sides. 2 carriage bolts ground flush hold presses to panels, a 3rd standard bolts panel to bench top with a t nut underneath bench top as I needed blind nuts attached in diffrent locations. Works well for lubri sizes, turret press, square deal b, neck turning lathes, or whatever you want to mount and swap out.

You can have blank panels for a bench top with no mounted tools.

While mine is based off a 5 foot heavy bench that has 6 legs the idea can be downsized for weight and size requirements.
But I would want enough bench that would be stable under the press at all times..

Maybe this could give ideas.. how to put it on a diet is the issue..it's easy to build by the pound.. maybe the t rail system may be easier to incorporate..
 
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Lightweight isn't really a goal at all. Being sturdy and able to handle the stress of reloading is far more important than being light weight or compact(when stored.

I like the dovetailed panel idea.

I'll probably have quarter inch thick legs, a 1/2 solid aluminum top with 3" channel running the boarder underneath.

I was thinking about 6 legs, but unless I switched to 2x2x1/4 legs, fitting the legs stored under the bench might make it deeper(depth the top would extend from the front of the bench standing at it) than I'd like.

But this is also just in my head, actually seeing it might change. A 3'x3' top might not be bad

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If you want portable, then the Lee hand press works great. I also have a Redding Single Stage mounted to an upright log, plenty of leverage and power. You can take the handpress to the range.
So, if you want "take down" skip the bench entirely.
If you want sturdy and do all, go for mass. 4x4" 30" legs, and either a bench top or 2x12" (8' cut in half), will give you 24"s of depth and 4' width at desk height.
 
The question is how do you plan to work at the reloading bench? Are you going to work standing or sitting, or do you want both options? There are plenty of ways to figure out the height of the work surface you need by quick internet searches, I like a bout 36-38" to the top of my work surface, that way I can either stand or sit on a stool and be pretty comfortable.

Don't over engineer the bench, keep it simple. I'd go buy a piece of butcher block counter top to fit your space. It won't be as cheap as plywood but it'll be far more stable. While you're buying your piece of counter top, if at Lowe's or Home Depot go look at their line of adjustable workbenches use your phone and take a lot of pictures and build your bench similar but scaled to your needs.

I'd probably just buy some heavy duty work bench feet off of Amazon. I'd use rivet nuts to attach the feet and any bracing you need to do to add rigidity to the bench. You don't need any fancy tools to install a rivet nut. Then I'd use 3/4" plywood or 1X board to make a shelf where you put your leg bracing based on where you want your shelf.

I'd look at an Inline Fabrication Flush Mount Base Plate for mounting presses. If you can fab something like that at your shop and a top plate, it would make easy press changes at your bench. Or you can just buy a Lee Bench Plate Kit and fabricate some aluminum or wood bases to mount your press.
 
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You can use an existing table or counter if you carefully design an L shaped clamp mount to stiffen and extend the edge for your press. My original reloading operation 30 years ago was nothing more than a Lee Challenger press bolted to a flat piece of wood and then clamped to the right hand side of a particle board desk. My perfect powder measure was screwed onto an old wood cutting board I could just move around as needed. When I was done reloading I would just box everything up and stick the equipment in the closet so anyone coming over had no idea I had been reloading. You can find old desks at goodwill that will be perfect for a reloading bench in an apartment if you spend a little time looking at the used furniture. I would look for something that is made of plywood or oak rather than particle board. At the shop find a remnant piece of 6 inch aluminum or steel angle material that is about 24 inches long. Cut a slight angle on the end you plan to mount your press so it turns the press handle towards you and creates a comfortable work angle as you manipulate cases and bullets with your left hand and pull the handle with your right.
 
Do you have a Rockwell Jawhorse? If so, you have a reloading bench.

I took two small boards and screwed them together. I put two holes in one of them to hold a press. I clamped the boards in my Jawhorse. It's as solid as a rock. Really crazy.

You can use Velcro or screws to attach a plastic tray to the boards to give you room for stuff.

I used a couple of crummy pieces of old 2x8, and they worked so well, I never upgraded.

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Have a reloading bench on wheels. Fairly small but heavy with 4x4 uprights and 2x4 cross beams. Am no longer bothering to lock the wheels, and can easily move it around to adjust to the press or powder measure. The vast majority of the time it is in the living room, with office chair.
 
An older, US-made B&D Workmate as the base with a removable (and stowable) top made of whatever works for your needs; they are rock steady, the top can be adjusted wider or narrower, and when folded, takes up very little space, but it is heavy enough to handle torque and flex
 
How portable does it need to be? Are you thinking that you will have to assemble each time you have a reloading session and then disassemble and store? Can be done but sounds challenging, and almost not worth it, but your time is your time, unless you have a family and then your time is time away from their time with you. If your presses function on the down stroke you can go lighter and smaller. If they operate on the up stroke then you need heavier and bigger. If you have multiple presses or tools, i.e. single stage and progressive and lubrisizer etc. and you need to disassemble after each reload or bullet sizing session then a top with quick change tool mounts is probable the better idea. I started with a single stage press, might have been a CH C-frame... soon after upraged to a RCBS Reloader special 5. My first bench was a pine handipanel 2'x4'x2"nominal (1.75") thick. On a frame with 4x4 posts for legs. the frame was attached to the top with "L" brackets. This worked until I built my cabinet base bench that I have used ever since 1992? The top has been replaced and changed. The upper storage was first open shelves made from 1x pine. Replaced with an upper with drawers for storage and shelving units for more storage. When I started did not even have a GF. Then about the time I upgraded to a the cabinet base had a GF. Several moves later and when I upgraded the top and upper cabinets had a wife and twins.

I don't know your situation. Good luck in your selection of best solution but seriously think of your future needs. Build something that you can use years down the road when you're not so space challenged. Once I became married and had children I always found suitable living accommodations that had enough room for my hobby to be in a safe a secure, away from children room. Granted I was living in small western towns and always houses, never an apartment.
 
One of the biggest issues I have with my portable set-up (which is what I've used for years other than shooting off the hood of my truck) is that the ground where I shoot is always rocky and never level. That's why it's mandatory IMO to have some way of adjusting for unlevel terrain.
 
Black wallnut said:
How portable does it need to be? Are you thinking that you will have to assemble each time you have a reloading session and then disassemble and store? Can be done but sounds challenging, and almost not worth it, but your time is your time, unless you have a family and then your time is time away from their time with you. If your presses function on the down stroke you can go lighter and smaller. If they operate on the up stroke then you need heavier and bigger. If you have multiple presses or tools, i.e. single stage and progressive and lubrisizer etc. and you need to disassemble after each reload or bullet sizing session then a top with quick change tool mounts is probable the better idea. I started with a single stage press, might have been a CH C-frame... soon after upraged to a RCBS Reloader special 5. My first bench was a pine handipanel 2'x4'x2"nominal (1.75") thick. On a frame with 4x4 posts for legs. the frame was attached to the top with "L" brackets. This worked until I built my cabinet base bench that I have used ever since 1992? The top has been replaced and changed. The upper storage was first open shelves made from 1x pine. Replaced with an upper with drawers for storage and shelving units for more storage. When I started did not even have a GF. Then about the time I upgraded to a the cabinet base had a GF. Several moves later and when I upgraded the top and upper cabinets had a wife and twins.

I don't know your situation. Good luck in your selection of best solution but seriously think of your future needs. Build something that you can use years down the road when you're not so space challenged. Once I became married and had children I always found suitable living accommodations that had enough room for my hobby to be in a safe a secure, away from children room. Granted I was living in small western towns and always houses, never an apartment.
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Yes, disassemble to store, but not necessarily portable.

Right now I'm living out of a 23 foot travel trailer and a small sea can. Nothing that will be useable in the future will be able to fit in the space I have. I'll make something small now, them once I have a larger space, build a more permanent unit.

I spent about half a day slapping this together. There pieces of 8 inch channel, about 1/4 thick, with 1/4 thick 3x3 legs with shaved down 1/4 inch 2 1/2 to fit and two 5/8 bolts and a half inch plate welded to the bottom with a 5/8 bolt to level it.

I might add some supports to go horizontal across the bottom maybe about a foot up, but I want to be able to keep everything neatly together.
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Added some supports and something I could put a plywood shelf on. Pieces of 2x2 with a plate on the end with two half inch flat head hex bolts.

I might paint it, it's very bright
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That is a very sturdy looking table. I'm impressed how you welded all those scrap pieces together to make a wider top!
 
I would have taken the easy route… a butcher block top bolted to a pair of A-frames. You can order almost any height and width that you need.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/743639904/metal-a-frame-table-legs-set-of-2-modern?click_key=e15efc1fe24acbe731bb089e1317e4a84c4709eb%3A743639904&click_sum=d0db420c&ref=search2_top_narrowing_intent_modules_etsys_pick-1&frs=1&sts=1/

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On my bench, I made a universal receiver for my presses (Dillon, RCBS, Hornady and a vintage Hollywood).
It’s drilled and tapped from 1” aluminum T6 plate.
Changing out one press for another takes 2 minutes.

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