Ammoland article Building a reloading workbench Do's & Don'ts

Pretty good article. But then I always have been a "kinetic learner", and prone to mess with things even if they are "good enough". Never one to wonder, could I have made it better, I think you could launch a SpaceX rocket off of my current bench. That said, it also means that "minor" improvements require major carpentry. That's why I am on my third bench.

Reloading, while not necessarily synonymous with OCD, is a "leading indicator".
 
Charlie R said:
Pretty good article. But then I always have been a "kinetic learner", and prone to mess with things even if they are "good enough". Never one to wonder, could I have made it better, I think you could launch a SpaceX rocket off of my current bench. That said, it also means that "minor" improvements require major carpentry. That's why I am on my third bench.

Reloading, while not necessarily synonymous with OCD, is a "leading indicator".
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My bench is due for an over haul but my reloading room in general is kept extremely organized. That and my Safe are my two main concerns in regards to “everything in its place”
 
Thanks for this- I'm still making plans for my bench- but the starting point is getting a piece of formica. I need to hit the ReStore because I can't see myself spending $100 for a new one at Lowes I'm just going to put a bunch of holes in.
 
11B CIB said:
That and my Safe are my two main concerns in regards to “everything in its place”
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Same here, of course am not sure that it is because I am so OCD or because the safe and reloading room are the only parts of my life that the kids and the wife do not have unrestricted access too.

Amazing how organized I can remain, when said organization is behind a locked door. The lock is, of course, to keep the "kids" out.

Take my wife's kitchen for example. To me it makes sense to place the things you use most often within close reach of the dish washer. But NO!!!!! apparently I was wrong - again. At least I have been told that is is the case. But I offer the tidiness of my reloading room compared to the kitchen as empirical evidence of the soundness of my thinking.
 
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Sas quatch said:
Thanks for this- I'm still making plans for my bench- but the starting point is getting a piece of formica. I need to hit the ReStore because I can't see myself spending $100 for a new one at Lowes I'm just going to put a bunch of holes in.
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Go for granite at Restore.
 
Charlie R said:
because the safe and reloading room are the only parts of my life that the kids and the wife do not have unrestricted access too.
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This is the truth for me. Wife gets annoyed that I spend time at the reloading bench downstairs but it's my Happy Place(tm). :oops:
 
My 2 cents: bolt to wall and or floor. Go heavy on the bench top. Old solid wood commercial doors make great bench tops. The article said to build in storage on the bench. Bad idea. I dont like reaching over and around presses to get to stuff. Bench can be shallower w/o storage. Use another bench or table for powder weighing. Scales dont like impact and vibration presses and press operators produce.
 
Sas quatch said:
Thanks for this- I'm still making plans for my bench- but the starting point is getting a piece of formica. I need to hit the ReStore because I can't see myself spending $100 for a new one at Lowes I'm just going to put a bunch of holes in.
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Are you anywhere near Asheville? I have a piece I'd donate to your cause.

Note it's only 21" wide, but about 8' long. If you can live with a strategically-placed seam, it might work.
 
Thanks for the offer- managed to pick up a bizarre 8' tabletop for.. (drumroll) $5.

Now I'm struggling through the dilemma of "bolt presses to the table, or bolt them to a mount". One of the plans above has a clever dovetail system that I'm going to look into a bit more.
 
My bench has a 1/8 carbon steel top on it. Got it free from a machine that was being overhauled but it's perfect for me. Dillon on one end, other end has holes drilled to accept a bolt for a removable single stage press mount. When the single stage isn't on the table, I have a piece of carpet on the top when working on anything. Good thing about the carpet, stuff doesn't roll off the edge.

Bench design should really be a function of what type of shooting you're reloading for. If you're doing precision ammo, it make sense to have it organized to optimize that workflow. PewPew production would be set up differently with a Dillon or Hornady and all components easily at hand. For me these days, I'm doing more black powder ammo prep than most anything else so I'm casting on a bench in the garage. I sort, size and lube minie balls on the bench inside. When sorting .69 roundball, that carpet top is great to stop them from rolling off. And yes, a .69cal round ball falling from the top of a work bench on your foot isn't a very pleasant experience if it hits a toe. For me, my bench can be configured to deal with a task at hand be it .556, .308, .58 Minie, .69 round ball. So the only thing that is permanently on my bench now is the Dillon at one end with the associated tool heads.
 
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