Reloading bench set up advice?

[fariaguard]

A complete newbie to reloading.

A Redding T7 Turret press is what I will be mounting.

Can you guys post some pictures of your benches?

I'm thinking a bench that is 5ft long and 30" deep would be OK. Is this enough room for all the accessories? I want a birch or maple 1.5" - 1.75" thick bench top for rigidity, also a shelf on top of the bench with a peg board back and a shelf beneath for storage.

I will not be reloading thousands of rounds at a time but a hundred or two at a time on a weekend here and there. I don't want to outgrow it.

Thanks.

 

[FrankenMauser]

Apparently, I don't have any actual pictures of my benches. And they aren't in any shape to be photographed right now. )

But, I do have some renderings from the design phase of what has become the reloading bench (and the old reloading bench is now the work bench). I spent months planning this, so it would be as efficient as possible.

The plan:
1-3/4" solid-core doors for the bench surface.
Scrap door jambs around the door slabs.
Scrap pallet "stickers" (roughly 2x3") for the structure.
Adjustable scale support (doubles as a door to help keep the scale clean - like the NMRA bench design).
Adjustable feet for leveling.
Built-in lighting.
Built-in switches to operate the lighting and built-in power outlets.
A 'quick change' dovetail arrangement made from 3/4" plywood.
The lighting was to be cantilevered off the shelves, which were to be through-bolted to the bench with all-thread (through the full height of the shelves).
And the shelves were very carefully planned out for efficiency. (Every shelf had a specific purpose, and it's dimensions were based on what was supposed to go there.)

Left side:
29.5" deep (across the door jambs), to fit through a 30" door.
64" standard workspace.
11" of clamping surface (the unsupported portion sticking out on the left end).
-75.25" total length.
36" high. (For use with a 24" tall bar stool and my arms - other people generally prefer a different height.)

Right side:
28" deep. (A little extra fudge factor for doorway passage, since it's longer.)
80" work space, with a corner knocked off to save my hip while going into the storage room.
36" high.

Reality:
Life happened after I built the left hand bench in the rendering.
The right hand portion never got built.
The shelves never happened.
I had to move twice before I could even finish the wiring.
The basic bench, as it sits, is actually 34.5" tall, as well ... since the 1.5" of plywood was never added to the top.
I still don't have any wood on the lower supports to form shelving.
And I drilled and bolted the presses to the bench.


Hey, I found two pictures!
Other than finally adding one "always on" outlet, two switched outlets, two switches for the outlets, and a third switch for the current over-head lighting, this is as far as it got:

(Note the plywood behind the bench. That was to be the shelves. Now, it's annoying my brother by getting in the way in his garage.)

 

[Clark]

How many seconds to load each round?
Move things around so your left hand does left hand stuff.
Are you comfortable?
What else can you do at the same time? TV? computer? radio? baby sit? watch for varmints?
Lighting good for quality control?
Are you getting the ammo packaged and documented and stored?
Are you staying organized?

Get what is tuned up for you.
I like to pick up primed brass, charge with powder, seat a bullet, and put the round in the cartridge box.* Those 4 steps may take 10 seconds.
You may hate that and want loading trays.

*I can do that and watch youtube videos on quantum mechanics at the same time.

 

[g.willikers]

Have you used the search feature on the forum?
There's many previous threads on the subject.
On the other hand, just about any bench or desk will do, too.
I use an large old computer desk, the kind left over from the days when monitors were the size of tvs and weighed a ton.
Plenty of room, especially if it has some shelving, too.

 

[math teacher]

Yes be sure to use a sturdy bench top. I once split a fir 2X12 with my Rockchucker. The replacement board has stood up for years. A press can put quite a bit of torque on its anchor point.

 

[C7AR15]

Kitchen Pantry

I got a 2 door kitchen pantry, 5 ft. tall with 4/5 shelves.

Low cost $200 and it will hold tons of gear. Your primers, powder, bullets, dies, tumbler, scales and case trimmer. It is a perfect addition to a reloading bench and it keeps stuff out of sight. (and dust free)

Also a combination cable lock through the handles will keep kids out.

 

[Shimpy]

I'm not into it now but my bench was 50" long by 19" deep. I had my RockChucker press mounted on the far right side. In the middle was my powder measure and directly behind it on a shelf a powder scale.

On the left side was a lub-sizer for cast bullets. Near the powder measure was a priming tool, but I perfered using a hand priming tool that i made similiar to Lee.

I had holes drilled in the bench whenever I needed to mount my barrel vise.

 

[Jasun]

I happened to have a nice big closet in my basement I set mine up in. 5' wide by 22" deep. Plenty of room. Wired up an outlet on the top shelf and the lower shelf so I can have my brass tumbler going while it is still out of the way. I started with just one shelf but gun powder is addictive.... Plus for every die set I get I get an extra turret plate. Changing calibres is nice and simple, but I had to add a shelf because I ran out of room.

Mine isn't made out of anything special. I used 3/4" CDX that I had laying around and just used 2x3's for everything else. I am 100% satisfied that I glued carpet to the top as it keeps things from rolling around.

Also I bought the rotating bin and it works ok form brass and other things but the blue totes work best for heavy loads and they hold about 400-500 rounds of 9mm 115gr fmjs.

I would recommend you get a good stool. I found mine at a barn sale and am extremely happy with it. The back helps mine not to hurt!

 

[walnut1704]

I use one of these.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/ultra-heavy-duty-workbench/prod1490086.ip?navAction=

 

[F. Guffey]

Fariaguard, I do not have a bench, I have stands, in a bind I can come up with an old case iron base for an old lathe made before 1900. The old lathe was headed to an iron and metal yard with tons of metal in the back of a truck. Anyhow, the driver help me dig it out, he thought it was funny when I told him we had to hurry because my wife is standing in line at a restaurant thinking I am standing behind her.

F. Guffey

 

[Mobuck]

Mine is solidly attached to a concrete floor on the bottom and floor joists at the top. In addition, it has approx 25-30K bullets spread across the lower shelf. No wiggle there.

 

[BBarn]

I’ve built a few using plywood, 2X4s, and some trim molding. Take ½ sheet of ¾” plywood and cut it in half, and glue together. That makes a nice, solid 1½” thick top, and I cover the edges of the plywood with molding. Make the four legs and top frame from 2X4s. Position the front top frame brace a proper distance from the front of the top to leave room for the press bolts and nuts to clear the brace. A 2’ x 4’ top and is sufficient for a press and powder dispenser, and leaves enough room to work as well.

I typically add some bracing near the bottom of the legs also, and those braces can also serve as a foundation for a lower shelf. I also typically add a couple of 5-6” deep shelves on top of the bench at the back, making them from 2X6” and/or 1X6” boards. I add a center brace from the upper shelves to the top. I also prefer doors on the upper shelves to keep the dust off of that storage area.

When done like the above, you can store quite a bit of loading supplies and equipment and the shelves will hold quite a bit of weight if done right. I typically sand and polyurethane the upper top and shelves, and paint the legs and lower shelf.

 

[rclark]

I like to use my bench for other things. So there is only two things bolted to the bench. The press and the powder measure. Works for me.

 

[Chainsaw.]

To the OP. Ypu pretty much nailed my bench. 5'5" x 30". Peg board on back. I did a heavy shelf at the top for coffee cans full of brass, a smaller shelf below that for all the components. I decided to not put a shelf below for leg room but that may have been a mistake. An led light bar finishes it off. Hopefully a SS top will come soon.

Home depot sells brackets for making shelfs out of 4x4 and 2x4 whoch is what I did. Turned out great and is sturdy.

 

[Chaz88]

As you are probably gathering the possibilities for setting up a bench are endless.

I have two recommendations. 1. Do not attach a shelf to the bench, attach independently to the wall. 2. If you have the option, screw the bench to the wall studs and floor.

 

[rclark]

screw the bench to the wall studs and floor.

Depends on how 'heavy' your bench is I suspect. Mine doesn't 'move' and it isn't bolted to the wall. Sits on cement basement floor. Oh, yeah, primers are stored under the bench, while powder and bullets are stored in a cabinet across the room. Don't like primers and powders stored together.