Need help - gun room/shop

[Sniper338]

We are getting stuff ready to build a house and i have my gun room in the plans! Im going to get cabinets and such from lowes or home depot to save money.. no reason for $8000 cabinets for this guy... what im wondering is what type of counter top to do... i gotta have something that will be strong enough at least in one spot for a counter top mounted rock chucker press i use for depriming and resizing.... all the other reloading equiptment it doesntmatter for.. water/stain proof would be nice though... not sure what kind of counter tops i should do. I dont really want to spend the miney on granite either for it...

Ive heard of people using old bowling alley lane... but i dont see that possible to get... cant go with cheap fiber board cuz that will break...

Any ideas?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Cover plywood with thin aluminum sheet with aluminum angle on the edges

 

[mshelton]

I've got 2 half inch sheets of plywood then laminated, works well.

I epoxied threaded inserts into the ply before the laminate layer and open the holes up, allows me to put my presses (3 mecs and a forester) on plates and bolt them to the Top as needed or use the whole counter top to work on something. Makes the whole bench top modular.

 

[Minesweeper3433]

You can also go to a local IKEA furniture store and get a maple counter top just the top and put it onto cabinets as a base. Then for mounting a press use small sheet of aluminum on top and bottom to give it extra strength.

 

[Joe Salt]

Last year I got a table from Sam's Club, nice thick top for your press and all metal legs and there adjustable. About $225 with tax!

Joe Salt

 

[dickn52]

I used 2 sheets of 3/4 inch for a 1.5" total. Screwed to my Lowe's oak cabinets. If I need to, I can remove the screws and replace it in time. I also bought the over head cabinets and gave myself about 30" between the two. Then ran peg board down one under cabinet, stip LED lighting recessed under the uppers and that was my reloading table. Oh, and I installed three "T" tracks for my equipment. Easy on and off and store the press, swager, comparator etc underneath and off the top when not in use.

 

[jrm850]

Maple butcher block work surfaces? Mcmaster.com carries them.

 

[K22]

My table top consists of a 3/4" plywood base with 1/4" masonite* top (screwed on) that has two coats of polyurathene applied.

It a very smooth, durable surface and quite economical. Mine is going on 10 years of heavy use and still is in great shape.


*: I think it's called masonite - it's that brown colored 4'x'8 sheet material that they sale at Home Depot with a smooth surface on one side and ruff on the other side. It comes in 1/8 and 1/4" thicknesses. The 1/4" is better for table tops.

 

[TIMO]

For my bench, a neighbor had given me some laminated oak flooring out of a semi trailer. It is about 1.5" thick. I sanded it and put about 10 coats of polyurethane on it. If I can get a pic I will post it.

Tim

 

[snert]

I just redid mine ayear ago. I went to Mr. Seconds/Bargain outlet, bought one 8 foot straight and an eight foot and four foot 45 degree cut countertop. I framed with standard stud 2x4 and mounted the laminate fiberboard countertops. I put 2x4 bracing directly under my press and other heavies, and bought 1/4 inch LONG mounting bolts. I secured the legs of the framing to the floor with "L" brackets (keeps stuff from lifting on the upstroke). I have been using it a year with a T7 and a 550B mounted. No issues, and I love how easy it cleans up. I bought a run of cabinets unfinished from Lowes and I am now more organized and neater than I have ever been. And I spent about $700

It is more than sturdy enough

Snert

 

[Ackman]

Instead of bolting presses to a counter, mine are on a stand......8" long heavy H beam, standing vertically between 2 squares/rectangles of 1/2" steel plate, welded. A bottom layer of 1/2" birch ply to keep from scratching whatever it's on. With 4 sides for mounting it has a rockchucker, a Dillon, and a powder measure bolted to 3 of them. It's a heavy sucker and very stable, doesn't move unless I want it to. Sits on a std. cabinet countertop, everything is at a perfect height for either standing or a tall stool.

 

[JamesnTN]

I use the maple butcher top. I got the contractors grade which isn't finished and installed. Lumber liquidators is where I got mine. My bench is 16' long on one side and on another it's 5'

 

[joshb]

Maple butcher block comes in counter top widths and is pretty indestructible. The truck bedding comes in oak and mohagany. 1 foot wide shiplap boards as long as 50 ft. Use 4-5 coats of urethane or varnish. When ya look at cabinets ask about the hardware upgrade for heavy duty drawer slides ,full extension type. Money well spent. Good luck. Check around for cabinet wholesalers. Sometimes they'll beat the depot and lowes.

 

[Sniper338]

Im loving the look of the butcher block.... what did that run yall a sheet? Where did yall find it at? Ill habe to look around but that looks good and sounds solid

 

[JamesnTN]

Im loving the look of the butcher block.... what did that run yall a sheet? Where did yall find it at? Ill habe to look around but that looks good and sounds solid

Here you go.

http://t.lumberliquidators.com/ll/c/x-lft-Maple-Butcher-Block-Countertop-Williamsburg-Butcher-Block-Co.-MABB8/10006983

I may have used the oak over the maple I can't remember right off hand but here's a link for the oak.

http://t.lumberliquidators.com/ll/c/%27-Builder-Oak-Countertop-Williamsburg-Butcher-Block-Co.-OAKBB8L-H/10037933


Here's a closeup of it.

Once I installed it I took cooking oil poured over the top and soaked the block to give it the look it has.

 

[cncmill]

Global Industrial. Many to choose from.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/searchResult?p=category1_id%3D3B&q=bench top




Erick Crouthamel

 

[Bob L.]

Last year I got a table from Sam's Club, nice thick top for your press and all metal legs and there adjustable. About $225 with tax!

Joe Salt

+1 on this. I have 3.

 

[fishin-goat]

I built mine with a solid core door cut down to size and Formica and built my buddy's with 1-1/8" plywood with Formica, with the solid door being thicker I was able to router in an RCBS base plate flush with the surface.

 

[Hoier]

I just bought one of the 8' workbenches from Craftsmen with the butcher block top. But now reading this I wish I went the same route you're going. But I do love the butcher block.

 

[joshb]

James! My gosh! MINERAL OIL!! Not cooking oil! If you want to eat off it! Tung oil would be better.