Reloading press mounting

[bobcat93]

Hi guys. Ive been in the building industry most of my life, ive worked with granite countertop fabricators, ive installed granit tops, and it a back breaker.
One thing i never thought of is reloading press mounting.
Im in a situation where im building a desk / reloading area. Im was contemplating using a removable press mount but they look ugly i see no benefit.
Has anyone drilled holes thru there granite top to mount a press? Will the granite crack and break? Does it need to be reinforced durring fabrication.
Ive seen guys inlay and epoxy bar stock on the underside of granite tops to reinforce gaps like work station area for chairs, or they will reinforce the underside with epoxy and fiberglass mesh.
My wife wants all matching tops in the house and this is one of them.
Could be a nice surface for a reloading bench. I suppose
Has any one bit the bullet ,drilled the holes and mounted press? How has your granite held up?.
Thanks for any reply in advance. Did you have it reinforced?
I would be better off talking to the fabricator. But i want to hear from some one who has doen it.

 

[bozo699]

I would make a plywood mount for the press that runs the width of your desk, I would have a board at the back splash the plywood fit under. No over hang on the granite and clamp the plywood on the front side. When done reloading remove it. No holes necessary at all.
Wayne

 

[Oso]

Say it with me, “I am a strong and capable man… I deserve my own work space!”

Ted Lasso

 

[joshb]

I was a home builder for 30 years. It will crack. Don’t do it.. Do what the bozo said!
About making “all the surfaces the same”? BORING! Worst decorating mistake I’ve been called back to fix. Granite isn’t cheap.
Add: I built myself a reloading desk using oak. I was going to drill the top but I worried about it splitting from the force of resizing brass. You have to think about the leverage force imposed on the top from the press. It is substantial! I built this to sit on the desk. It’s bolted to the top but the back end will lift off the top a little when I’m resizing a tough piece of 308 brass. If I resize a large batch, I’ll put a sand bag on the back portion.

 

[jpx2rk]

I have one of the FA portable reloading benches with a laminated top and folding metal side shelves that has served my needs well. I mounted 2 Lee Challenger presses on opposite sides, and keep the shelves in the up position for working space.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Could you install a steel plate the same thickness between the granite pieces she likes?

 

[bozo699]

I was a home builder for 30 years. It will crack. Don’t do it.. Do what the bozo said!
About making “all the surfaces the same”? BORING! Worst decorating mistake I’ve been called back to fix. Granite isn’t cheap.
Add: I built myself a reloading desk using oak. I was going to drill the top but I worried about it splitting from the force of resizing brass. You have to think about the leverage force imposed on the top from the press. It is substantial! I built this to sit on the desk. It’s bolted to the top but the back end will lift off the top a little when I’m resizing a tough piece of 308 brass. If I resize a large batch, I’ll put a sand bag on the back portion.
View attachment 1648314

This is exactly how I built mine joshb other than I ran it to the back of the table ran a board 3/4” above table top, my press mount board slides between table top and press mount, where you ran bolts I just use a clamp. It’s solid as a rock never moves and when done I take it down and beautiful oak is unblemished. I have other mounts that are for trimmers or whatever tools I want secured.
Wayne

PS… nice craftsmanship my friend

 

[Texas Solo]

My bench top is made of 2x8. I got some flex out of it. I added a piece of 3/8 steel under the press. Problem solved.

 

[RCE1]

My bench is a thick butcher block top on a set of IKEA cabinets. Borrowing a trick from Gavin Gear, I inlet some tee-track into my table top. These allow me to conveniently mount a lot of different tools on my bench quickly and without drilling any extra holes.

The other trick I like is Inline Fabrications universal mounts. Makes it really easy to change presses by removing one press and its plate and replacing it with another. He also sell some materials that allowed me to mount my extra presses on a rack on the wall. In my tiny space, I need to use every inch of space.

 

[CJ6]

With the large variety of laminate finishes available, I'd be surprised if you couldn't find some that would be compatible to the countertops you have.
I've used laminate for decades and it works great. I run a 2x12 under the leading edge for added strength supporting press mounting.

 

[bobcat93]

Hummm, that actually sounds logical.
Find a similar laminate.
Simple enough.
Ive always built my reloading area. Every place i live no home is complete with out one.
Ive even worked out my own mounting style, that is more solid then anything built from wood.
I just never owned granite..i dont particularly like it, do to its weight..i dont want to rip out anything that heavy some day. Haha
Corian solid surface is my favorite. But i dont want to spend the money on it
When i use to make it myself. Being retired i dont have access to those goodies any more. And it sucks!..hahaha..the absolute worst part of retirement is stepping out of the game and loosing those contacts.
Here is a pic of a Corian top i fabricated under supervision from a cabinet buider..
I was stepping back out of field production , and they stuck me in the cabinet shop ( we made all of our own stuff) not many do that.
Cabinet doesnt fit, run back to the shop and make another. It was a real pain high end stuff ..i got sick of it and finally quit. But i was at the top of my game and could pull off amazing feats hahaha.
Oh well like they say when you die your job position will post fast then your obituary.
Anyway here is my press mounting method pic.
Trust me the press will flex before the top, and mount will.
The top i think is called milkyway by Corian with an extra deep corian sink.
If you havent owned a corian sink your missing out.
Haha..so cool seamless connection and to clean it you fill it with water with a splash of bleach. Spotless in about 15min rinse it away
Slick, as snot.
Thoses days are gone now i have to get creative again

 

[powderbrake]

Maybe something like this would work for you.
My bench is 72" long and 28" deep. I always sit in a desk chair when reloading.
The top is plywood, one layer of 3/4" and one layer of 1/2". The 1/2 " layer is 21" deep, and a 1/2 " thick 8 X 72" piece of aluminum makes the top front. The aluminum is secured by flat head bolts coming up through the 3/4 ply into tapped holes in the aluminum.
The top has a solid surface Formica glued to it, except over the aluminum. I drill and tap the aluminum to fit my 2 Dillons, a Harrels press, a Rockchucker and a Ponsness-Warren 12 gage Progressive Press, and other stuff like a RCBS primer seater, stand for a powder measure etc. The bench is lagged to the concrete wall, so the presses absolutely DO NOT MOVE during use.

In the picture the right hand side is covered by a loose pad, made from 1/4 rubber sheet, with the same Formica glued to it. This is for when I am working on handguns, so they don't hit the aluminum.

You could add an aluminum plate to the front of your bench, and a 1/2" fill of your same top wood behind it. It doesn't have to be full length, maybe a foot or two, tapped for all the stuff you want to mount. It doesn't take very long to screw 4 1/4-20 screws to mount a press.

Why aluminum, and not steel ? No finish required, no rust, and it is MUCH easier to tap.

 

[old codger]

My press is mounted to a top made of two layers of 3/4" plywood. I have a Lee turret press, a Dillon 550, a Dillon primer pocket swage and a Lyman case trimmer all mounted on my table. The problem came when I was given an Real Avid vise. Not enough room, so I went with the InLineFabrication mounting plate for the vise. I can remove the vise and set it aside when it is not needed. Can mount it in seconds when needed.

 

[fn1889m]

Work benches need to be made of wood for a reason. Made a 2’ x 8’ table top from a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 AC plywood glued and screwed together, mounted on a frame made of 2x4s, attached to a ledger bolted onto the garage wall. It is at stand up height, with open shelves underneath. I am not a carpenter, but it is stout, square and true. 3 presses and a vice. Aluminum plate for rigidity under the Harrell’s turret, and a plate under the beam scale. I never hesitate to drill holes in the top. Plug and paint as needed. I had the garage width expanded to from 12? to 16 feet when built, and bought a good FM radio. ;-). Dont reload in the house.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I drilled a granite surface plate. Used a regular concrete drill bit. Not hard to do. Do not use a hammer drill! I would epoxy a steel plate to the granite and mount the press to it.

 

[ChrisNZ]

My bench top is made of 2x8. I got some flex out of it. I added a piece of 3/8 steel under the press. Problem solved

I built my bench out of solid 2" timber but still put the same 3/8" plate underneath where the press bolts stick through. I figured you don't want to even risk splitting the top.

 

[M-61]

2 pieces 3/4” plywood
1/8” steel top
I really never held LEE in high regard. However this LEE cast iron press is probably the best engineered, most solid press I own.
I have 11 presses which seven are mounted.
That’s LEE’s mounting plate should you want to remove it to switch. I don’t but I do have 3 reloading benches.

 

[M-61]

Lousy pic