Reloading Bench Size

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  • Doublehelix

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    Jun 20, 2015
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    I notice from the reloading room thread sticky thread that a lot of folks have benches that are similar to the National Reloading Manufacturers Association plans that are all over the internet. I am looking to build that very bench, or one that is very similar, and was wondering what size is a good size without being too small.

    So first of all, I know that no bench is ever too large, and every workbench that I have ever used is always just a touch too small for whatever job I am working on, but this bench is going into a small basement room (10x10), and I am going to need all the room I can get since I really can't take the whole room for my reloading needs.

    The NRMA plans call for a bench that is about 6 feet wide and about 34" deep. The 34" deep dimension means I am going to have to do the final assembly in the room since the door is only 30" wide.

    My question (finally): Is 6 feet really necessary, or could I get by with a 4-foot bench? I know the answer is "Of course you can *get by*", but I am wondering if anything shorter than 6 feet is just not worth building for this application. I am going to be a pretty low-throughput operation for a while, and I am going to be using a small Lee Classic Turret Press.

    Thanks in advance.
     

    red_zr24x4

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    My reloading room is pretty much the same size, 10x10.
    My bench is on 3 walls, think U shaped. It's about 30" deep. 2 Dillon 550's and 2 Rockchuckers and there's not much room left.
     

    ru44mag

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    My reloading room is pretty much the same size, 10x10.
    My bench is on 3 walls, think U shaped. It's about 30" deep. 2 Dillon 550's and 2 Rockchuckers and there's not much room left.

    I think it depends on how much equipment you have and are planing to use. Try to do a mock set up. The U shape or an L shape might be more efficient. How much do you want to move around. My table is 6 feet wide but only 16 inches deep. When I built it, I was not thinking reloading table, but it works very well for my extremely small time operation. I did set my powder measure on a shelf to the left, giving myself something of an L shaped work station. I don't think I would like it if my table were less then 6 feet wide.
     

    chezuki

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    Behind Bars
    FWIW, space is what you make of it. I reloaded for 4 years with my press mounted to a 16" section of 2x12 bolted to a harbor freight angle grinder stand because I lived in a small apartment. Started with a Lee Pro 1000 and later upgraded to a Dillon 650.

     

    natdscott

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    Go six feet long, but only 24" deep. The back of a 3' bench is mostly a jumble of cluttercrap better stored on the over-bench shelving (dies, load diaries, precision tools, light components) or under-bench shelving (bullets, heavy tooling, lathes, other presses). Put the 1x8" over-bench shelving high enough that a nice light bar or string of dimmable LED pucks can be installed.

    Oh. And don't forget a dehumidifier in the budget.

    -Nate
     

    OHOIAN

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    Jul 20, 2014
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    024s.jpg
    This is a 2 foot deep 4 foot wide section of my bench. You can see that it has enough room for reloading and some storage, but not anything else. Click on image to inlarge.
     

    oldpink

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    Apr 7, 2009
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    I'm embarrassed to say that I have one of the Homak benches with two drawers and a single shelf above the bench surface, with the bench surface being roughly 2'x2'.
    It's all that I've used for the last nearly thirty years.
     

    bobjones223

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    Mar 3, 2011
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    I think what I am seeing is it all depends on what components you are using and how you store things. The reloader really doesn't take up a lot of room but all of the components do. I have a smaller bench maybe 32"X5' but it is a duel purpose bench. Storage underneath for loaded rounds and other gun stuff. The top has gun smithing tools (hammers, punches, vise, files, and dremmil). Cabinets store the tumbler, media, brass, powder, and projectiles.

    This setup does require pulling components out of the cabinet every time I start reloading and putting them away when done. But as you have seen above it doesn't take a ton of space to just do the reloading if you have storage else where for everything else.

    All in told when I am reloading i think I may use 30" of the 5' bench. If I had a different loader I could probably get by with less. I have small Lee turret press where I have to manually feed each brass, primer, and projectile so a lot of that space is taken up with containers of brass, projectiles, and loaded rounds.
     

    Doublehelix

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    Lots of different opinions for sure!

    @red_zr24x4 & @ru44mag: I might go for a small U-shaped setup, but I need room for some shelving, safe, desk, and a few other assorted items that take up a lot of room.

    @jd4320t: That is what I was worried about, going to small and regretting it later.

    @chezuki: Haha! That is great! Where there is a will, there is a way! I want to make things comfortable enough so that it is not a pain in the butt to reload, so I won't be going quite that small! I get your point however, and I can make due with whatever I end up with.

    @natdscott: Great advice on the storage and lights. There is a dehumidifier in the next room in the basement, but a small one in the reloading room is a great idea, and I did not think of that. Great idea!

    @OHOIAN: Your setup looks small, but efficient. I was thinking last night in bed that I might want to use the same bench as a gun cleaning/repair bench as well as a reloading bench (possibly), so if I decide to do this, I am definitely going to need some free real estate. This means a 6-foot bench for sure.

    @oldpink & @RMC: Thanks, I am sure I could get by with a smaller size, and I might go for something that is less deep, but the more I hear and the more I think about it, I think I am going to try to squeeze in the 6-footer.

    @bobjones223: I agree, it is all about efficiency and organization. I am pretty good at organization, so I should be OK there.


    Thank you guys, I appreciate all of the advice. The more I hear, the more I am leaning towards trying to rearrange things enough to fit the 6-footer in the room, but maybe not as deep as the original plans. As I mentioned above, I was thinking late last night that I might want to setup the table so I can use it as a gun cleaning and repair bench when I am not reloading. This means some free real estate and maybe a bracket so I can remove the press when not in use.
     

    ckcollins2003

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    Apr 29, 2011
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    My advice is don't go small. My first reloading bench was just enough to hold the press, powder drop, and scale. Then I needed more room as I got more components. Then I needed more room when I started reloading more calibers. Then I needed more room when I bought a progressive.

    Now I have a 4ft 6in workbench that I built at the beginning of summer. I made it a stand up bench for in the garage, put a shelf underneath and a shelf over-head. It's gradually filling up and beginning to not be enough once again. I'm beginning to wonder if I won't need the entire garage here in a few years :):
     

    Seancass

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    Mine is 48x18. Two presses. Could be bigger, was initially built for apartment. I also purposely made it small to avoid clutter. I can only do one or two things at a time before i have to pick something up to do the next task. This helps mitigate my extreme tendency towards clutter.
     

    Doublehelix

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    My advice is don't go small. My first reloading bench was just enough to hold the press, powder drop, and scale. Then I needed more room as I got more components. Then I needed more room when I started reloading more calibers. Then I needed more room when I bought a progressive.

    Now I have a 4ft 6in workbench that I built at the beginning of summer. I made it a stand up bench for in the garage, put a shelf underneath and a shelf over-head. It's gradually filling up and beginning to not be enough once again. I'm beginning to wonder if I won't need the entire garage here in a few years :):

    Yeah, I can see that coming for me as well.

    QUESTION TO THE GROUP:

    Do any of you use your reloading bench as a gun cleaning/repair bench like I am starting to envision, or do you keep those functions separate?
     

    jgressley2003

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    Ive got a 4 foot bench that is good to work on. However with having to store things on top and underneath it got tight to work with at times so I got a 3 foot table from my parents to store things on and I put my case trimmer and back up press on it. Now I don't have to shuffle things around which is great.
     

    RMC

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    Yeah, I can see that coming for me as well.

    QUESTION TO THE GROUP:

    Do any of you use your reloading bench as a gun cleaning/repair bench like I am starting to envision, or do you keep those functions separate?

    If you mount your press so it's easy-on/easy-off, you can make use of smaller tables without a lot of effort. I clean guns a lot more often than I reload so dealing with 4 bolts isn't much of an inconvenience for me. Since all the force of reloading is towards the front and down, I only need to keep the press from tilting and I could probably accomplish the same thing with a single pin or bracket to hold the back down. Wood screws and lag bolts have a tendency to strip the holes if installed and removed numerous times so I prefer bolts with nuts and washers.
     

    Doublehelix

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    If you mount your press so it's easy-on/easy-off, you can make use of smaller tables without a lot of effort. I clean guns a lot more often than I reload so dealing with 4 bolts isn't much of an inconvenience for me. Since all the force of reloading is towards the front and down, I only need to keep the press from tilting and I could probably accomplish the same thing with a single pin or bracket to hold the back down. Wood screws and lag bolts have a tendency to strip the holes if installed and removed numerous times so I prefer bolts with nuts and washers.

    Great advice. I might see if I can find some large carriage bolts with washers and some big wing nuts for easy disassembly.
     

    padawan

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    We use 36D"x60L"x 30" tall used maple conference room tables. Bolted a lip rail 2x4 on the back and have the presses mounted to 2x10's for a quick mount system. The 2x10's slide under the back lip rail and sit flush with the front edge. Just pick the press up, pull out, move if needed.

    Bolts and 't' nuts to mount the presses to the 2x10's.
     
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    Doublehelix

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    We use 36D"x60L"x 30" tall used maple conference room tables. Bolted a lip rail 2x4 on the back and have the presses mounted to 2x10's for a quick mount system. The 2x10's slide under the back lip rail and sit flush with the front edge. Just pick the press up, pull out, move if needed.

    Bolts and 't' nuts to mount the presses to the 2x10's.

    Hmmmm... sounds interesting. Do you have a picture?
     

    padawan

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    Hmmmm... sounds interesting. Do you have a picture?

    Here you go...

    annotated.jpg <annotated backofbench.jpg < back of table with 2x4 and lip board with 2x10 under lip t-nutsonbottom.jpg < t nuts pressbolted.jpg < press on 2x10. Presses.jpg < Presses BEFORE shelving overhead and now total clutter. :) Track lighting with extenders and Par 30 bulbs. Wall pictures are gone. :)

    I discovered this mounting idea from searching for 'reloading press mounts'.

    Its simple when you 'see' how it works. Just use a 'C' clamp on the front to secure the press with a sheet of waffle foam drawer insert underneath. Trust me- it doesn't move.

    Went with a table/desk height 'loading bench' because I can sit in a roll around adjustable height office chair and work the press. For me, its much better than sitting on a bench stool. YMMV.
     
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