Reloading Bench Size

[Sniper 79]

Same size room. I went with a bench along one wall. It is deep. Keep all brass and bullets on back of bench to act as balast. All loaded ammo on bottom shelf in ammo cans also as balast. I run a Dillon and a single stage setup.

Found oak cabinets at a yard sale for powder, primers, dies and stuff. Under Cabinet keep a Black and Decker work table for cleaning guns and milling down brass for 300blk.

Guns usually get cleaned outside because of the vapors. If I could do it all over a U shape would be the deal. Pics are a pain to put up on here. Wish it was easier.

 

[Bfish]

I have enough space on my bench top but it's only because I have lots of storage elsewhere... I feel like that's the most important thing.

 

[Doublehelix]

Here you go...

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.

Totally brilliant! I love it! Now that I see the images, it makes much more sense.

I am trying to think of something "better" than a C-Clamp at the front edge however. It seems to me that it would get in the way, but maybe not. I am off to Google land to search for "reloading press mounts" and to get some more ideas.

Thanks for sharing this, it gives me some great ideas.

 

[Doublehelix]

Same size room. I went with a bench along one wall. It is deep. Keep all brass and bullets on back of bench to act as balast. All loaded ammo on bottom shelf in ammo cans also as balast. I run a Dillon and a single stage setup.

Found oak cabinets at a yard sale for powder, primers, dies and stuff. Under Cabinet keep a Black and Decker work table for cleaning guns and milling down brass for 300blk.

Guns usually get cleaned outside because of the vapors. If I could do it all over a U shape would be the deal. Pics are a pain to put up on here. Wish it was easier.

Thanks, so you need to keep weight on the table as a ballast to keep it from moving? Dang. I have seen posts where people say they have used brackets and bolted theirs to the wall studs, but I was not planning on doing that unless I really have to. Sounds like something I need to consider. My plan now is to elevate the top cabinets/shelves above the top of the bench to give me some more bench room rather than have them sit on top of the bench. I will lose that "ballast effect" if I do that, so maybe I will need to bolt to the wall after all.

I would love to do a U-shaped setup, but I am just not going to have enough room to do that with the other stuff that I am going to have to put in the room with me (safe, storage cabinets, shelves, etc.). I am lucky to convince Mrs. Helix that I needed the space to begin with. She wants me in the garage where I will either die of heat or freeze to death depending on the season!

For posting pictures, it is really not that hard. I fought it at first as well, but finally just went to Photobucket and signed up for a free account. You just drag and drop your pictures there to upload them, then to post them here, you just copy the link that they provide on the image page, and paste it here into your post. It is easier than it sounds, and takes only second to get an image from my computer uploaded to Photobucket and added to an INGO post.

I wanted to ask you about the "cleaning outdoors" part of your post. I always clean outdoors on my back deck now, mostly because of the carbon and lead that gets generated from cleaning. In the winter it is too cold, and in the summer, I need to get up early when it is still cool (usually on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee). So when you say "vapors" are you referring to the cleaning solvents or the carbon/lead powder? I think I will start a new thread on this topic and see what other opinions there are out there on this. I use Ballistol for cleaning which has a distinct odor, although I must say I have grown accustomed to the smell and actually sort of like it now!

Thanks for your reply.

I have enough space on my bench top but it's only because I have lots of storage elsewhere... I feel like that's the most important thing.

Thanks, that seems like a common theme in this thread: storage space. I do like a tidy work space, so I am going to have to make sure that I find enough storage so I don't have to use the bench top for that. I have some room in one of the storage cabinets in the room, and I am building an under-bench shelf and over-bench cabinets/shelves. I am sure it won't be enough... It never is!

 

[Leadeye]

Only issue that I have with my reloading benches is at least one needs to be heavier. Case forming and bullet sizing sometimes require force that shakes stuff on the benches.

 

[Sniper 79]

I got lucky when we bought this house it was already a hand loading room. I was previously in the garage at our old house. Used a shorter bench sitting and like to stand better. Much better leverage when loading things like rifle or 44mag. The reason for the ballast is I have an RCBS auto powder dispenser. It will pour another powder charge while I seat a bullet. If it moves it will act up and throw over or under. The bench is also screwed to the wall will L brackets.


I used Tiny pic before to post pics. Will check out photo bucket.

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Like others may have mentioned it will all depend on your style of loading (sit, stand, lean) and equipment you would like and future adventures in loading and shooting.

Double checked the room is 10x10 and the bench is 7' wide. Leaves a foot and a half on either side to put media buckets or my scrap brass buckets. What I meant by most of my cleaning is done outside is because of the bad fumes. I use Kroil or Hoppes 9 and it is a small room inside the house and it cant be good for you. I do the spraying outside during the summer and switch to a better product for inside winter use.

Hope this helps. Hit me up if you would like any more info.

 

[Fullmag]

Yes very important bench being mounted to the wall. Makes very big difference used to have problems with powder measure accuracy due to vibrations during the full length sizing process.

 

[Doublehelix]

I got lucky when we bought this house it was already a hand loading room. I was previously in the garage at our old house. Used a shorter bench sitting and like to stand better. Much better leverage when loading things like rifle or 44mag. The reason for the ballast is I have an RCBS auto powder dispenser. It will pour another powder charge while I seat a bullet. If it moves it will act up and throw over or under. The bench is also screwed to the wall will L brackets.

Like others may have mentioned it will all depend on your style of loading (sit, stand, lean) and equipment you would like and future adventures in loading and shooting.

Double checked the room is 10x10 and the bench is 7' wide. Leaves a foot and a half on either side to put media buckets or my scrap brass buckets. What I meant by most of my cleaning is done outside is because of the bad fumes. I use Kroil or Hoppes 9 and it is a small room inside the house and it cant be good for you. I do the spraying outside during the summer and switch to a better product for inside winter use.

Hope this helps. Hit me up if you would like any more info.

Appreciate all the advice and offer of help. Nice bench! It looks like 7' is none too small either.

I have that same RCBS scale without the loader. I have a disk loader that I bought for my press (Lee Classic Turret) to start with. I will see if it is accurate enough. The nice thing about that scale is that I can always add the dispenser later if I choose.

I am not sure what my "style" is going to be since this is my first bench. I'm probably OK with standing, but a nice rolling seat might be nice too. It sounds like the increased leverage while standing is going to be an advantage, especially with rifle rounds, so I do plan on building it high enough so I can stand if I want to. The plans call for legs that are 42" high, and then add the thickness of the top, so slightly higher than that.

I get what you saying about the fumes. I think the Ballistol is supposed to be non-toxic, but that may be for skin contact and not inhalation. I'll take a look into that a bit further. It would be really nice to make this my "gun bench" as well as a reloading bench. I hate dragging all the supplies out in my duffel bag and setting everything up on the back deck every time I need to clean, and then of course packing everything back up again when I am done.

Funny thing, right before I typed this reply, Mrs. Helix saw the Bench Plans on my office desk again, and we had another "conversation" about the bench location! I think it is time to go down to the Coach store to buy her another purse and matching wallet to soften her up! She is convinced that this kind of stuff belongs in the garage with all of that "nasty gunpowder and stuff"! Haha... ugh! Time to put on the Doublehelix charm and come home bearing gifts!

Yes very important bench being mounted to the wall. Makes very big difference used to have problems with powder measure accuracy due to vibrations during the full length sizing process.

Thanks for that. Sounds like this is a pattern with just about every response. I will make sure I do that from the get-go.

 

[gmcttr]

... and we had another "conversation" about the bench location....She is convinced that this kind of stuff belongs in the garage with all of that "nasty gunpowder and stuff"! Haha... ugh...

You might remind her that the garage will need to be heated and air conditioned to protect the investment in equipment and components, add a sound system, etc. and it should make a nice man cave.

 

[padawan]

Funny thing, right before I typed this reply, Mrs. Helix saw the Bench Plans on my office desk again, and we had another "conversation" about the bench location! I think it is time to go down to the Coach store to buy her another purse and matching wallet to soften her up! She is convinced that this kind of stuff belongs in the garage with all of that "nasty gunpowder and stuff"! Haha... ugh! Time to put on the Doublehelix charm and come home bearing gifts!

Smart man. 'Happy Wife, Happy Life=nice gun room/loading room'.

 

[Leo]

As wide as possible is always nice. I never understood the 34 inch deep suggested in the common plans. I guess if you store things on the bench top, those items would eat up 10 or 12 inches of the top and leave the 2 feet you actually need. I do not store anything on my bench top.

My current bench is chair height, but the one before that was bar stool height. If I am spending a good part of the day loading, like for a couple thousand shotshells, I actually like the tall stool bench better.

All of my different reloading presses are bolted to boards that I "C" clamp to whatever I is handy. I have loaded many times in a kitchen table, my desk ( a real mahogany desk built before the particle board era) or on a portable workmate type stand from Black and Decker or Skil. The light stands are a problem when full length sizing 30 caliber rifle brass, but are fine with pistol calibers.