Reloading bench build...
- Thread starter TerryH
- Start date
powderbrake
Gold $$ Contributor
You have a great shop, and do excellent work.
I totally agree, you can never have too many clamps!
I envy your sliding table for your saw.
To echo the comments from others, bolt that thing to the wall. I have bolted all my benches to the concrete foundation, and it makes them rigid as the house. I bolt through the top stringer under the table top.
You table will be solid, as you intended. Another approach is a "torsion box" table made of a top and bottom layer and a gridwork of mdf in the middle. This creates a light , yet extremely stiff table.
Here is a top for a shooting table which I designed and fabricated. Exterior parts are oak, top and bottom and grid of 1/4 MDF.
It is sitting on my Bench/Assembly table, which is also a torsion box with a 3/4 X 3" thick MDF grid, 3/4 MDF top and bottom, and is finished with Formica to match the saw table.
I totally agree, you can never have too many clamps!
I envy your sliding table for your saw.
To echo the comments from others, bolt that thing to the wall. I have bolted all my benches to the concrete foundation, and it makes them rigid as the house. I bolt through the top stringer under the table top.
You table will be solid, as you intended. Another approach is a "torsion box" table made of a top and bottom layer and a gridwork of mdf in the middle. This creates a light , yet extremely stiff table.
Here is a top for a shooting table which I designed and fabricated. Exterior parts are oak, top and bottom and grid of 1/4 MDF.
It is sitting on my Bench/Assembly table, which is also a torsion box with a 3/4 X 3" thick MDF grid, 3/4 MDF top and bottom, and is finished with Formica to match the saw table.
Hammer, the house is needed to keep mama happy and if mama ain't happy...
Another vote for bolting the bench to the wall.
Also might want to think about NOT bolting the press(es) to the bench. I mount mine to a piece of 3/4" Baltic birch and then I can use C-clamps to clamp them to any location I want on the bench. Also allows me to take the press to the range to do on-site load development. You will probably use this bench for non-reloading activities and you don't want to have to remove the press(es) to do them. Then you have the holes to contend with.
It will take trial and error to determine exactly where you like the press(es) to be mounted. Using the above stated method allows you to change the locations at will. As you add reloading equipment to your collection you will be moving other equipment to different locations. This method allows that with ease. And the bench always looks good.
Also might want to think about NOT bolting the press(es) to the bench. I mount mine to a piece of 3/4" Baltic birch and then I can use C-clamps to clamp them to any location I want on the bench. Also allows me to take the press to the range to do on-site load development. You will probably use this bench for non-reloading activities and you don't want to have to remove the press(es) to do them. Then you have the holes to contend with.
It will take trial and error to determine exactly where you like the press(es) to be mounted. Using the above stated method allows you to change the locations at will. As you add reloading equipment to your collection you will be moving other equipment to different locations. This method allows that with ease. And the bench always looks good.
Some thoughts from living in my own shops for lo these many yrs.
I've changed my layout so many times that now everything in my shop is on casters, including 30ft of reloading benches. I'm careful to set hts the same on everything as my radial arm/chop/miter saws and cutoff equipment is also on rolling 8ft tables....... even the horizontal bandsaw is blocked up and mobile. Some of my rolling tables have 110VAC on all faces. I like them all to be stable enough that I can mount a barrel vise on even the short end and easily make 150ftlb torque with no movement/tipping. And good enough wheellocks for swaging bullets.
I hook to walls (and to each other) using tabs and screws
For those few setups without locking casters, like my welding bench with steel casters, I throw chain on the concrete floor and wrap it around the wheels
I've changed my layout so many times that now everything in my shop is on casters, including 30ft of reloading benches. I'm careful to set hts the same on everything as my radial arm/chop/miter saws and cutoff equipment is also on rolling 8ft tables....... even the horizontal bandsaw is blocked up and mobile. Some of my rolling tables have 110VAC on all faces. I like them all to be stable enough that I can mount a barrel vise on even the short end and easily make 150ftlb torque with no movement/tipping. And good enough wheellocks for swaging bullets.
I hook to walls (and to each other) using tabs and screws
For those few setups without locking casters, like my welding bench with steel casters, I throw chain on the concrete floor and wrap it around the wheels
Wow! That is cool! Thanks for posting it.
I've rotated everything about 50 times but it's been set like this for a long time. Most everything is bolted to the floor now. It works well as is so I'm determined to leave it alone now.
At this point all of this is a work in progress. I feel like I need to live with it for a while before I mount anything.
Exactly.
Was out in the shop early this morning. I cut the rails for the end panels and routed the grooves in those and the legs to accept the melamine insert.
Melamine is oversize to I cut shallow rabbits on the back side of the panel to fit.
Dry fit after cutting the curve on the lower rails.
Once proper fit was confirmed I drilled for the pocket screws and assembled the end panels. I cut the curves on the long lower rails and drilled for pocket screws in those as well and assembled the base.
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[url=https://flic.kr/p/21KY3pS]
I added supports for the lower shelf and cut the melamine and installed. Once the base was assembled I moved it onto the floor and added the top. I kinda like it. Sill need more sanding and then I'll put a few coats of wipe on poly on it and call it good.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/GUkXbk]
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Melamine is oversize to I cut shallow rabbits on the back side of the panel to fit.
Dry fit after cutting the curve on the lower rails.
Once proper fit was confirmed I drilled for the pocket screws and assembled the end panels. I cut the curves on the long lower rails and drilled for pocket screws in those as well and assembled the base.
[/ur][url=https://flic.kr/p/21KY3pS]
I added supports for the lower shelf and cut the melamine and installed. Once the base was assembled I moved it onto the floor and added the top. I kinda like it. Sill need more sanding and then I'll put a few coats of wipe on poly on it and call it good.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/GUkXbk]
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One thing I did on my loading bench was to use "L" brackets and anchor the bench legs to the concrete floor. There will be no movement after that.
Quick trip to Harbor Freight for some storage boxes. Seems there is a ton of peripherals involved in this deal that need a home. Going to build some sort of cabinet to house these boxes. UPS man was kind to me today as well. Got the 4" Yost vise and soft jaws, K&M arbor press and primer seater along with my Wilson setaing die.
powderbrake
Gold $$ Contributor
Very classy table. It looks more like furniture than a loading bench. Lots of nice touches with the curves and the mortise and tenon joints and the pocket screws.
Very nice. Extra points for the Veritas sketch pad in the OP
Very nice. Extra points for the Veritas sketch pad in the OP
Thanks! I’m a big Veritas fan.
I gotta bench from Harbor Freight..........made in China
Nothing wrong with the HF benches. They are pretty nice actually.
Thanks!
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