New reloading bench

[Adam_MA]

FINALLY!!

For some time now, I had my progressive press, setup on this little table and was stuck sitting on a milk crate to do my reloading. It worked well, but after an hour or so on the press, my back would be killing me.

So, I was talking with the maintenance guy here at work, and in the loading dock, there were some countertop pieces that were left from when we renovated the building. He said to take what I wanted, because he was going to toss them.

Here's what I used to reload on...

My media separator just sitting on the floor ALWAYS in the way, and for scale.. That's a 4' level leaning against the bigger bench.

And I had my dedicated decapping press setup on my actual workbench and my tumbler sitting behind it...

And here's the new one..

Free corner piece of countertop
18' of 4X4 post for legs (I only had to buy one 10' post I had the rest left over from my deck)
16' 2X4 for leg supports/foot rest (had 4, 8 footers left over from building a room this past summer)
1 box of 1" wood screws
1 box of 2 1/2" wood screws
12 galvanized corner ties

All together, I figure I am into this bad boy for about $30

And the pics.

I set the presses up all the way on the ends like that, for future expansion. In the near future, I will be adding 1 more progressive press next to the one already setup, and a single stage press on the left side. This will leave me with an open area in the middle, to setup my case prep tools, powder dispenser, etc, and still have everything within easy reach...

What do you think?

Adam

 

[Admin]

That is Bad Ass!

 

[Adam_MA]

Thanks!

 

[Len-2A Training]

Very nice.

Quite an improvement.

 

[Adam_MA]

Yeah... I can't wait to get to some reloading just to see how it feels!

 

[Nickle]

Tell me just HOW do you keep it so neat and clean?

 

[Adam_MA]

Tell me just HOW do you keep it so neat and clean?

That's easy... It's brand new, and I haven't even loaded on it yet!

Take a look at the top 2 pictures, I'm gonna do my best to keep the new one clean, but I have a feeling it will end up looking much the same in no time!

Adam

 

[Nickle]

One tip, from experience. Put your tumbler on the floor. It'll be quieter and won't fall off.

 

[Adam_MA]

Maybe I'll give that a try... But this one is VERY quiet, and it stays exactly where I put it. And works pretty good too.

Adam

 

[Nickle]

I'm using Midway's House Brand, Frankford, IIRC. Cheap and works. My father burns out (or through) one about every year.

 

[Adam_MA]

Damn. Maybe time to invest into a heavy duty one!

 

[Nickle]

He's had at least 2 Thumbler's Tumblers (and they're REAL tumblers. Killed both of them. Adam, I used to process about 6 cases of 7.35 Terni every year when I was a lot younger, in the late 1960's. 1420 rounds to the case (8520 total), and that was to make just 2 calibers, 6.5 Carcano and 7.35 Terni. We don't do that amount of business any more, but thats an indicator of the abuse a tumbler gets. He uses 2 or 3 at a time.

 

[tele_mark]

Nice Job!! I'm already thinking about building a decent bench as a summer project, and that's definitly inspired me. I do have a heavy banch in the basement right now, but it's set up for ski tuning/waxing right now. I have a small basement and need to come up with something that combines both functions somehow. I've got you out-cheaped on the before picture, however. This is my reloading setup. The "bench" is an old shipping crate that a big ass power supply came in that they were throwing out at work, along with the plywood top. It's actually rock solid though:

http://home.comcast.net/~wi1w/bench.jpg

PS -- why the puny file attachment size on a paid membership account? I gave up trying to attach this after many many tries, an it was only 80k to start, and I gave up after 4 tries and finalkly getting it down to 50K.

 

[Adam_MA]

Don't know if you had me out cheeped with that bench... I grabbed that little table from the trash pile at work. Used to be a printer table.

My basement is pretty small too. Actually there are very few spots(only in between a couple of the floor joists that don't have insulation in them) that I can stand straight up. The location that I picked for the bench made use of one of those locations.

Let me guess, that picture of your press is before you finished getting it setup for your first reloading session?


Adam
Adam

 

[Nickle]

Mine (home one) is a quickly fabricated bench with a 3/4 inch plywood top. It works, and I keep putting off building my good one with the butcher block top I've got.

It works.

At the shop, we use 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick steel plates for tops, drilled and tapped to fit the presses.

 

[Adam_MA]

It don't have to be pretty, just functional!

 

[Nickle]

Ayup, that's why I tolerate some of the BUTT UGLY guns I have. I've never seen a pretty AK, but sure do work.

 

[Adam_MA]

WHAT?!?!
AK's are beautiful guns!

 

[tele_mark]

Don't know if you had me out cheeped with that bench... I grabbed that little table from the trash pile at work. Used to be a printer table.

My basement is pretty small too. Actually there are very few spots(only in between a couple of the floor joists that don't have insulation in them) that I can stand straight up. The location that I picked for the bench made use of one of those locations.

Let me guess, that picture of your press is before you finished getting it setup for your first reloading session?


Adam
Adam

Nope -- I took that picture today, to post it! I've only loaded 100 rounds on it. The box underneath is partially filled with some of the 1000 +- .40 S&W cases I won on eBay. The milk jug underneath the bench is filled with ones I've de-capped, re-sized, and checked the length on, ready for loading. I just now sent an order to Midway that includes the little Lee single stage press in your photo -- I'm also going to set up a dedicated de-capping/sizing station -- using the progressive for processing incoming brass is cumbersome. I've got 1000 Precision Bullets 170 grain heads for my next reloading session,. I've also got one of those Lee Adjustable Charge Bar Auto Disk's in that Midway order. When that arrives I'll get back to loading stuff. This was my first order under my C&R FFL, and I must say I'm impressed!

 

[JonJ]

WHAT?!?!
AK's are beautiful guns!

In their own kinda way!

 

[Adam_MA]

Mark,
I only said that about being before you first reloaded, because it looks like you are missing a couple of things from your press. First (and maybe I just can't see it in the picture) it looks like your powder dispenser reset chain is missing. Next you don't have the case feeder on the press. If you look in the pictures I posted, you will see 4 clear tubes with a red dish on top. The red dish is actually an extra option that allows you to simply dump a bunch of empty cases into the top, give it a jiggle, and all the cases fall down into the tubes the right way. Each tube holds about 25 cases and sits on top of the black piece that pushes the case into the shell plate. It makes things MUCH faster.

Gimme a minute or 3 and I'll go take a pic of mine to show what I'm talking about.

Adam

 

[tele_mark]

Hi Adam -- good eye! Yep, I take the chain off the press when I'm using it for de-capping. No reason I guess, just one less thing to get in the way. I haven't used the case feeder yet. I will set it up soon, probably this weekend to get ready for the next reload session. But damn -- you reminded me -- I forgot to order the case collator -- DOH!! BTW -- I don't even own this thing yet, but I'm sure buying stuff for it. After the initial 100 rounds, I'm 99% sure I'm going to buy it from the owner. He wants $30 for it -- down from the original $50. How can I go wrong?

 

[Adam_MA]

Ok...
Here are some pics.

Case feeder base

Tubes with the case Collator on top

Top view of case Collator

Reset chain (very important, because without it, you cannot be sure the powder measure is properly resetting after each charge)

Adam

 

[Adam_MA]

I guess I wasn't fast enough with my pics...

As for the chain, I wouldn't even bother taking it off for decapping, I used it that way for a while, until I got the Lee C press with the universal decapping die!

As for the press, if you don't buy it, let me know and I will!

Adam

 

[tele_mark]

I guess I wasn't fast enough with my pics...

As for the chain, I wouldn't even bother taking it off for decapping, I used it that way for a while, until I got the Lee C press with the universal decapping die!

As for the press, if you don't buy it, let me know and I will!

Adam

Good pics, though. I was having trouble tryiong to figure out how to mount the case feeder. Your pics will help. One thing about Lee -- their instructions could use work.

I think I'm going to have to buy it -- I'm already bidding on stuff on eBay to use it for .38/.357.

 

[Adam_MA]

Glad I could help.
Like I said before, if you need any help getting things setup on that press, just let me know and I'll take some pics and answer some questions for ya!

Adam

 

[Nickle]

Hey Adam, I do think Ak's are UGLY, but, hey, they're extremely reliable and 100% functional. I've got 2, a regular one and a super-sized one (RomAK 3 "Dragunov")

 

[Len-2A Training]

I was up in Nashua on business earlier this week, so after work I stopped by Sam's Club and spotted this gorgeous table on close-out that would make a great reloading bench. It was ~6' x2' heavy steel legs with a solid maple (1.75" thick) top for $199!

No, I didn't buy it as my house came complete with a workshop with a built-in table tops on 2 walls. Now if I could just keep them clean enough to use for reloading again!!

Due to impending snow here today my Wife asked me to drop her at the commuter rail station. Someone unloaded most of a household in furniture/clothes! We used to have a charity collection bin there, but it is now gone . . . but that doesn't prevent these over-educated morons from dumping their junk there! At any rate, there is a walnut Formica table top sitting there that appears 5-6' long by 30", another cheap reloading bench, just buy legs at Lowe's or Home Depot.

 

[Cptn5spd]

Much much better, looks good. I know in your first picture that was not really a Michelob bottle open while handling ammunition.

 

[Adam_MA]

I know in your first picture that was not really a Michelob bottle open while handling ammunition.

No, the open bottle was after I had completed building the table, and mounting my presses. The power tools were put away, and the camera and beer came out!

Just a reward for myself!

Adam