How high should I build my loading bench?

I'm over 6' tall and spent THOUSANDS of hours at benches that didnt fit.
Now I have back problems on top of that...

So, I did it 'Backwards',
I found a CHAIR with good mobility, good back support and fitted me well,
Cranked that chair up until my feet sat flat on the floor,
Then when I FINALLY built a dedicate bench (not repurposed) I went from my position in the chair...

I took that stupid elevation stand out from under the Dillon,
Inset the press into the bench so it wasn't a 'Hip Buster',
Moved the bench top support UNDER the press,
Put 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood on top the bench to stiffen things up,
And I couldn't be happier with it!

4' long, 2' deep top, 8 sq.ft. of fun on a bun!
Heavy enough to take any press and keep it from wobbling around,
Rigid enough it doesn't walk across the floor in a day long session,
1-1/2 sheets of 3/4" plywood, 3ea. 8' long 2"X4", and put together with wicked screws.
Not pretty, but VERY functional, and I can crank out rounds all day without my back, hips & neck bothering me...
 
Simple yet effective! Now you have your own lil corner of the world!



Ha! My thought exactly!!! My house is over 5000sf. The basement is 1700sf. My wife says "living in this huge house you pick this little closet!!!" I said as long as I'm left alone it's perfect!


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I'm over 6' tall and spent THOUSANDS of hours at benches that didnt fit.

Now I have back problems on top of that...



So, I did it 'Backwards',

I found a CHAIR with good mobility, good back support and fitted me well,

Cranked that chair up until my feet sat flat on the floor,

Then when I FINALLY built a dedicate bench (not repurposed) I went from my position in the chair...



I took that stupid elevation stand out from under the Dillon,

Inset the press into the bench so it wasn't a 'Hip Buster',

Moved the bench top support UNDER the press,

Put 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood on top the bench to stiffen things up,

And I couldn't be happier with it!



4' long, 2' deep top, 8 sq.ft. of fun on a bun!

Heavy enough to take any press and keep it from wobbling around,

Rigid enough it doesn't walk across the floor in a day long session,

1-1/2 sheets of 3/4" plywood, 3ea. 8' long 2"X4", and put together with wicked screws.

Not pretty, but VERY functional, and I can crank out rounds all day without my back, hips & neck bothering me...



Yup that's the same measurements as mine. 2' deep by 4' wide. I have an 8' x 10' storage room in the basement. If I expand down the road, I'll be setting up in that room.


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Here's the finished product. Presses are just temporary mounted. Now I need to organize, add a couple shelves and mount the equipment where I want it.
Thanks again for the input.
2a0ae91c218f50d17038780e0bf390a3.jpg
 
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2'X4' of floor space and top, 1/4 sheet of plywood, pretty simple.
I did the same thing for sides, 1/4 sheet on both sides, makes for solid 'Legs' and 'No Rock' back & forth,
High sides keep things from rolling off the top, and it gives me places to hang stuff.
1/2 sheet back, raised up high...
LOTS of shelves/mounting surface.
Every 'Big Box' lumber store has a panel cutter, 1/4 & 1/2 sheets are easy to cut on a panel cutter!

Deep tables were constantly making me get out of the chair to chase things,
Low tables kept making me stoop over,
No crown on the edge of the table means chasing things off the edges all the time,

Like I said, I have a bad back (military injury) so I found a sturdy chair I can sit in for hours, and built the bench to match the chair/my body...
Humped over or stretching for hours stoves me up, it did before I was damaged, so its not just a back thing (until YOUR back starts hurting!).

One good thing about reloading benches is NO STANDARDS!
You get to use what ever you want!
Mine are functional, I don't care much what people think its *Supposed* to look like... Function over looks...
Some guys like stainless tops, slick paint legs/trim, and that's fine with me, I'm probably not going to take the time to do MINE that way...

Mine is in a back room, not a show place, there won't be two dozen people see it in the next 20 years, but its ROCK STEADY, functional, and comfortable...
The two 1/4 sheet end pieces make it self leveling & anti-slide/walk,
The back 1/2 sheet jacked up makes for a BUNCH of storage,
The double 1/4 sheet top and underside brace makes for a top that doesn't bounce or flex, cheap & easy to do...

Once you have a back you can screw into, shelves with dedicated holes, slots, ect for die sets, tools, parts...
Nothing like having it all at hand, no searching through boxes, crates, shelves for anything!

Having a place to mount lights!
Mr. Murphy sees to it the lighting NEVER does you any good!
My cheap extending magnifier/light has been the one thing that I use in all functions!
You don't think about lights until eyes get old and you can't read things without some help via magnification...

This is one area there is a TON of room for self expression!
Do what you want! Make it fit YOU!
 
JeepHammer you won't get any argument from me about anything you've said.

The 1st bench I ever used was made from and old nightstand table. It was about 22" wide, 16" deep and 28" tall. Wasn't much but fit the space I had, was very sturdy and was still easily moved around.

Today the bench I have is similar to yours in size and construction only it is made from 2 recycled desks. The main part is a cheap old student type computer desk that have added a top from a commercial office desk to. This one is about 52" wide and 28" deep with the old hutch on top.

I too sit to reload because of some horrible legs and find it hard to stand for long periods in one spot. Using an adjustable height computer chair I can sit up straight with feet flat on the floor and still be able to see into the cases to visually check powder charges. Also everything is easily within hand reach. Best part is I have $0.00 invested in this bench.
 
I'm not about to pay a ton of money for some 'Dedicated' bench because it showed up in some video or catalog, or because some 'Celebrity' endorses it...
All sorts of body sizes, shapes, conditions means all sorts of benches will 'Fit'!

I load with others, teaching, gang projects, ect., so a 'Circular' bench for time saving isn't going to work for me... Others it might... I'm not going to crap on what others have done.

I like my 2'X4' benches because they can fairly easily be moved out of the way for other projects, and they will go out standard doorways without tipping them over or disassembling...

I envy the guys that have a 'Nook' to build into, nothing is more solid than wall studs to anchor to, and 'Nooks' are out of the way...

I started notching the benches, inset the presses so its not a 'Hip Buster', only took me 40 years to think of it, but I'm not going back!
Having that press inset keeps the table from tipping/rocking and keeps the press from busting hips/elbows!
Makes for easier cabinet doors/tops when you want to conceal/lock things up.
The tall sides/back help with that too.

Its up to anyone what they want to use, but I urge folks to have a look around at others stuff, and to think twice about those short 'Bench' tables just because they have a thick top...
 
All great points KMW. Need lighting for sure. That's my next addition. Picked up a couple under cabinet lights. Need to get a comfortable stool too.
So far I'm having a blast with it. Just as you guys said, my own little corner of the world! Great little room to get lost in!
Thanks for all your tips and comments. I'm living it.


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