Would this make a good bench?

I

Itsa Bughunt

New member
I used to work at a data center and most of the clients packed up and moved to Atlanta, leaving some of these behind:

http://sd-office.com/i-9146126-mayline-maytrix-lan-racking-system-48-basic-system.html

These are very sturdy, and mine has front supports for the table. The table is 1" particle board with rubber edging and a laminate (formica?) top. I planned to use it for my R/C hobbies, but maybe could be repurposed for reloading. I didn't pay anything for it.

Mine is wider than the one shown. Work surface and shelves are 48" wide.
 
I guess if it's free you can't go too far wrong. That said, I've never thought particle board would be good for reloading. I think the stress put on it from thousands of cycles from a press would eventually break it. Just have some thick plywood handy to replace it.
 
The front supports would definitely help. I use half of a generic shelving unit for most of my reloading. I anchored it to the wall and loaded it down with a couple hundred pounds of bullets, and used a thick piece of plywood on the top. It doesn't move. Yours looks sturdier what I used.
 
Don't see why not. 4' wide bench should be a good start.

There is a difference in what people call particle board. Particle board sheathing is not made the same as the particle board/compressed board that has been laminated for work tops or desk tops.

I have a 1.125" "particle board" bench top that was taken from a commercial work desk that I had used in the garage. At one time it had a 600lb engine sitting on it only and supported by metal framed legs on both ends with one metal cross member. That top did not distort a bit.
 
Yowza! At that price, it should pull the handle for you! My 550 loader is mounted on an old office desk....
 
I made shelves and benches like that, If I was doing the work I would take two stands and build one bench. For the bench top I used solid core doors.

F. Guffey
 
It would fit the bill except for mounting a press. It says it is 1" particle board. Repeated use with a press is going to crack it.

Solid core door as stated above might be more suitable for a press.
 
Piece of 3/4" plywood under that particle board would certainly help. Just looking at it I'd say it's no where near stout enough, heavier is much better. I made my own table with two layers of plywood and rather skimpy leg's. To make it work the back is screwed into a wall and the studs and the skimpy leg's are anchored to the floor with L bracket's. The reloading table has to be sturdy and the best way is go heavy with it. My shooting bench table is 1 1/8th car decking. It would make a great reloading table top. But I'd still anchor it to the floor and a wall. That idea to use a solid core door in super. Wish I'd have though of it.
 
I agree with particle board possibly deteriorating. Maybe a double stack of 3/4" plywood?

I had 4 of these, thinking to sell 3 and keep one. I put them up on CL, and didn't even get a nibble. 3 went for scrap metal.
 
Say NO to particleboard and YES to 1/2" thick plywood, doubled up and glued and screwed together. Particleboard is not meant to take the rotational forces that a reloading press will induce. Even then, you will want to bolt the unit so the forces do not make it topple over.

The Gorilla racking system frequently sold at Sam's or Costco with the aforementioned double plywood top works very well - set side by side, you'll have 8' of work space.
 
When you screw the two piece's of plywood together, put the screw's in from the bottom. Two sheet's of 3/4 will allow you to use a bit longer screw in it, 1 1/4" long.
 
at first no way, put a piece of plywood on top or bottom. and build front legs that are braced
Click to expand...

Mine has braces that extend from the front end of the legs up to the table support brackets. There's a floor plate, and I thought of placing several sacks of concrete there to hold the table down so I wouldn't need to bolt it to the floor. There are center brackets under the center of the table and each of the shelves.
 
The Gorilla racking system frequently sold at Sam's or Costco with the aforementioned double plywood top works very well - set side by side, you'll have 8' of work space.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I'll find someone with a membership and check it out. 48" did seem kind of narrow compared to some reloading benches I've seen.
 
Particle board breaks easily. Isn't from too much weight. It's from putting a wee bit of force on the edge. Mine busted on the very first use of the press. Fairly easily fixed with a hunk of 1/4" mild steel plate though. Didn't pay for that either.
Wouldn't cost a great deal of money to replace the OSB/particle board with something like plywood. Kind of depends on how solid the whole thing is.
 
This is a repurposed computer desk. The top came from an industrial desk that is 48" wide and 1.125" thick. As you can clearly see there are no added supports under the presses and it does not flex.







I have had this top as a bench for well over 20 years and it is still rock solid.
 
if nothing else add in some plastic storage containers or organizers and it would make a great place to store bullets, powder, primers etc and a place to do case prep.
 
No it hasn't yet. I also know none of you will believe this but that desk top isn't even fastened to the desk. The original desk top is still under it and I've been using it this way for almost a year just as it sits in these pictures.

That laminated desk top is over 35 years old. I recovered it from were I was working after they were going to scrap it. It has been used as a work bench top for the past 17 years in my garage and was relocated to this bench/desk when I took up reloading again about 1 year ago.

Also that top is 48"X30"X1.125" and weighs just under 70 pounds.

Again some may not believe me but that top does not move or flex. I experience no problems with that Lee press on it because of movement. And I do prime on press.
 
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