Reloading Bench

[Jamie]

As many of you may know, I sold my house and moved in with my sister. I've had to downsize just about everything, but am fairly comfortable here. My only real issue is not having space for my reloading equipment. Right now it's in the same 8'x10' room as my guns and you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a gun safe or banging your shins on my dinky little reloading bench. Everything is piled up and a huge mess. It's also right next to my neices playroom and my stuff is slowly spilling into her space.
Fast forward to today. Finished shingling the roof of sis's house and decided to do a little something for myself in the basement. Sis only goes down there to do laundry, so she said I could do whatever I want down there. I cleaned up the front wall and started building a new reloading bench with some lumber I had laying around. It's still a work in progress, but not a bad start for 4 hours work. Bench is 12' long, 2' deep, and 36" high. It was tough at first to get anything straight due to the wavy floor and fieldstone foundation, but after a little trial and error I think the frame turned out well. It's straight, level, and plumb. Everything so far is screwed together with 3' deck screws. I only stopped because I ran out of lumber and gumption. Next steps will be insulating behind it, adding more support to the framework, adding shelves above and below, adding a 3/4' thick plywood top, wiring it for outlets and lights, then bolting down the vise, grinder, and presses.
I'll keep updating this thread as I complete more work. Thanks for looking!

Jamie

 

[eisenhow]

Looks like a GREAT start, I'm jealous. I'm still trying to figure out where I can setup a bench in my small house. I have way too much junk in too small house here!

 

[Romokid]

Wow that does look nice. In my first house I had my reloading set in my finished basement. In the house I'm in now I had planned to kind of do the same, its just the basement is unfinished. Since we've moved I can't figure out how I can keep the basement dry (within my budget) it is just very very damp all the time and that is with running a de-humidifier. Now seeing your future set up makes me jealous

 

[Big Daddy 45acp]

Looks great!

The only thing I would change, is the legs.
Double up those 2 bys and the bench will take a beating over a longer time.

Keep the pics coming!

 

[Jamie]

Looks great!

The only thing I would change, is the legs.
Double up those 2 bys and the bench will take a beating over a longer time.

Keep the pics coming!

I ran out of lumber tonight. I'm actually going to triple the 2x4s and add diagonal bracing. I tend to lean towards the "overbuilt" concept of assembling things!

 

[Big Daddy 45acp]

I ran out of lumber tonight. I'm actually going to triple the 2x4s and add diagonal bracing. I tend to lean towards the "overbuilt" concept of assembling things!

When it's done, I'll come over and jump on it. If it survives, then it is sufficiently over built!

 

[Jamie]

When it's done, I'll come over and jump on it. If it survives, then it is sufficiently over built!

Hmmm, time to change a few parameters. I was only planning on parking my truck on it!

 

[Jamie]

Day 2: Threw some insulation up along the sill since it won't be accessible later. Tripled up the legs (Happy now, Scott?!!!) and added some nailers in the rear to catch the top.Mounted some switch and outlet boxes and the overhead box for the track lighting. Ran some wire, then opened up the panel...yikes! Spent the rest of the afternoon tracing wires, pulling out discontinued crap, and generally cleaning things up. Ended up pulling a 30 amp breaker out so now I'll have 2 slots for future use. I know the picture looks bad, but it was taken early into tracing all the wires. Note: Top is not secured. I'll probably either use that particle board for shelves underneath or as a base for the 2 layers of 1/2" CDX plywood that will make up the top surface. Also, I know it looks closer, but the bench is more than 3' from the open door of the panel per MA code.

 

[doobie]

....Everything so far is screwed together with 3' deck screws.

Wow, I never knew they made 3' deck screws. How long does it take to screw one of those in?

 

[Jasper]

you sir, look like you could you a panel change / upgrade.

(NES Electrician here )


(FWIW, this is the panel i just did @ my parents new house in saugus. oddly enough, my newly built *as of like 5 hours ago* reloading/cleaning/maintenance bench is also just beyond my panel, albeit not in this picture)

 

[Gonzo]

Now THAT is a beautiful panel.

 

[Big Daddy 45acp]

Now THAT is a beautiful panel.

But Inspectors hate those types of panels.

No chance for the "I'll just overlook this." surcharge.

 

[Patriot]

you sir, look like you could you a panel change / upgrade.

(NES Electrician here )


(FWIW, this is the panel i just did @ my parents new house in saugus. oddly enough, my newly built *as of like 5 hours ago* reloading/cleaning/maintenance bench is also just beyond my panel, albeit not in this picture)

What is all the other stuff you have off that panel and are you licensed and available for private residential work?

 

[Jasper]

What is all the other stuff you have off that panel and are you licensed and available for private residential work?

I've been in the trade nearly 7 years now, but (stupidly) worked under the table for ~ 3.5 years. i'm actually eligible for my license in ~ 5 months (Via W-2's). i do, however, do a LOT of work with a couple of local electricians, as well as my father (licensed master electrician in MA for over 35 years).

therest of the stuff you see is a combination of transient surge suppression, a Sentron ESL fire alarm panel (low voltage / non-intelligent standalone panel), and OpenHouse data management bits and pieces.

left to right, the 3 blocks you see are amplied coax blocks (1 in, 6 out), Cat5/ethernet (run through a 16port switch, not seen), and a 4-line telephone block (supports up to 4 incoming lines as it sits, with 16 phone lines throughout the house).

the box to the right of the panel is a surge suppressor. very simple to install. covers both phases in a 120/240v panel, and is insured (IIRC) to something like $75k? (although i still strongly recommend putting sensitive electronics such as TV's and computers on their own surge suppressors).



i am always available for residential work. depending on the job, it'll either be just me, or myself and another electrician i've been working with for years. send me a PM if you'd like any more information (as i don't want to step on any toes here).

 

[Jasper]

before we get TOO off topic, here's the bench i built last night. i'm searching around the local hardware / home improvement stores for some wall mount organizer trays and some fairly low-key shelf brackets (oddly enough home depot only had brackets that had closet-rod hangers attached to them)

(forgive the mess. i've been EXTREMELY busy trying to get the rest of the basement finished / painted / finish carpentry /etc)

(note, i KNOW it doesnt look like much, but trust me when i say i literally jumped OVER some boxes and landed ass first right in the middle of the bench. not a squeak from it. i, too, used 3" screws on everything. theres a 2x4 anchored to the concrete wall behind the bench (used ~ 8 tapcon's, and if you're familiar with tapcons, you'll know a single 3/16"x5" tapcon is rated for like 250lb's...i've got 8). i didnt want to lay any bracing across the floor because of storage. i have every intention of getting ahold of some old kitchen cabinets (throwaways, i hope), putting them together on a frame, and putting casters on it. moveable storage FTW!)

 

[Jasper]

my basement was a DISASTER. after we moved in, it became a dumping grounds while we finished the rest of the finish carpentry / painting / etc in the rest of the basement. i spent about 4 hours picking up all the trash, and putting together some cheap-o new shelving to organize the leftover tile, grout, paint, electrical supplies, etc, and finished off the shelving and "backsplash" on my bench. the only thing i think i might still do is add some pegboard above the bench for small often used tools, and perhaps some more shelving on the wall to the left.


and here we are, nearly finished (still debating pegboard and additional shelving)

now, i dont NEED to reload what i'm shooting yet. im not even CLOSE to using that much ammo (although by next summer, i probably will be). i figure i'll take a hint from the guys like Janq and Jamz (who both could have saved THOUSANDS in ammo prices) if they had started reloading sooner. as of now, i'm planning on picking up a tumbler and some media, a case trimmer for .223, deburring/chamfering dies, and one of those standalone de-prime / re-prime tools that will also resize the cases. i figure if i clean / reprime all the brass i've already got saved, i'll have a good jump on reloading once i actually get my press (hopefully either right after christmas time, or right after tax time)

 

[Jamie]

Made some more progress over the past few nights. The top of the bench is now 1 layer of 1/2" particle board followed by 2 layers of 1/2" CDX plywood. All glued and screwed with 2" screws. The back pieces are up (insulated behind), also 1/2" particle board. 7 outlets and a switch for the track lighting are done. Added shelves underneath tonight. So far I'm into this for $94.00 worth of materials. Everything else I had laying around. I've gone through 5 pounds of 3" deck screws, 2 pounds of 2" drywall screws, and almost a full quart of wood glue. Sorry about the lack of progress pictures between these and the last ones, but I kept forgetting the damn camera.
Any suggestions for finishes on the wood? I was thinking a stain for the top followed by a few coats of polyurethane, and just primer and paint for all the particle board sections. What have you guys used that resists solvents and cleans off easily?

Pics:

Next in line will be some simple shelving on the back wall, insulate and close in behind the lower shelves, and paint/poly shebang. Any criticism and/or suggestions are more than welcome.

Jamie

 

[center442]

Very nice, HardJeepGuy. All that space is making me envious. It is a huge difference from your first pics.

Keep us posted. I would suggest a light color for the top of the bench. Actually, some type of a kitchen counter laminate would work well. The light color makes it easy to spot small things like primers, pins, etc. that you place down on the bench. If you go with wood, I would seal it as well as you can. Powder granules love to find their way into every little crack or crevice. A laminate is very easy to sweep clean.

Good luck with your project!

 

[Patriot]

If you plan on having your media/brass cleaner on the bench I would suggest some vibration
damping material for that portion of the bench where you plan on it residing.

 

[Jamie]

If you plan on having your media/brass cleaner on the bench I would suggest some vibration
damping material for that portion of the bench where you plan on it residing.

Tumbler will be run on the concrete floor, and only when I'm not down there. Too damn loud for me. I'm also looking at leaving the option open for an exhaust hood ducted to the outside. Does your average kitchen range hood draw enough CFM to be effective for casting lead, or are there specialized set-ups for that purpose? I also have access to a draft inducer for oil burners that I can modify to pull about 600 CFM in a 6" pipe. I just don't want anything that's going to be obnoxiously loud or suck my hat off when I'm working near it.

My boys are over for the weekend and are itching to work on it so I think I'll indulge them. Not sure how much progress we'll make, but either way it'll be fun!

 

[Big Daddy 45acp]

Gee, looks great! I am jealous.

Personally I would add more outlets.

However, it does look like I could tap dance on it!

BTW, if you EVER see me dancing, take my keys! That is a sure sign that I am in no condition to drive!

 

[Jamie]

I've gotten a little more done in the last few nights. Painted the back section (particle board) with 2 coats of Kilz. Never again. Painting over particle board sucks. Next time I'll pony up for plywood. After that dried, I pulled all the masking tape and plastic off and started applying the polyeurethane to the sanded plywood top. This is after 2 coats. I'm shooting for about 8 coats or so, with a light sand with steel wool between each coat. If it turns out OK I'll leave it at that, if not I'll install some sort of formica top with contact cement over it.
Still looking for any suggestions for a hood/ventilation for future casting area. I'm dumb enough as it is, I don't need to be sucking up lead fumes.

 

[Bugs100]

If you want to cut down the noise from your tumbler put a plastic straw over the center rod.

The straws from Mc Donalds shakes work great because their made thicker than a normal straw.

 

[Jasper]

DONE!

poor quality pic, i know (took it with my blackberry). will take a better one tomorrow.

i still have a piece of pegboard to put up (on the wall to the left of the bench, goes bench to ceiling and is same width as the bench). can NEVER have enough tool storage!

i didn't go the Kilz route that you did (didnt think it would work as well as i'd want it to). i put down a piece of matte white formica on the bench surface. makes for a nice non-porous surface (i was worried about powder getting nestled in the cracks/divots in the CDX and becoming a problem later on). plus, the white surface makes ANYTHING i leave on the bench easy to see! no losing primers.


press is a Dillon Square Deal. (thanks EddieCoyle). only reload pistol calibers with it, but thats okay. i'm no where near ready (component/equipment wise) to start reloading rifle yet. besides, i dont shoot enough .223 to justify it yet (whereas i plan on shooting a LOT of 9mm / .38 / .45 **when i get my 1911**).

i'm stoked. i'm also high as a kite right now. rather than stink out everyone upstairs, i kept the door downstairs shut, and opened the windows (which are only roll outs, not GREAT ventilation). holy hell contact cement vapors get in your head fast!


and FWIW, there is NO PLAY / NO FLEXING whatsoever where the press is mounted. solid as a rock!

i do like your idea with the seperate track lighting. i may end up picking up another work light (perhaps a flexible one) so i can light up the press like a christmas tree.

i've still got more components to buy (tumbler, media seperator, scale and powderpan, caliber conversion kits, etc), and another whole press setup if i want to do rifle stuff, but thats another day (and another paycheck!)

 

[namedpipes]

HardJeepGuy: GREAT work - You might want to skin the ceiling over the bench and area you work in just in front. A couple of sheets of sheetrock and some light paint and the area will be even brighter, and less likely to drop dust and crap when someone walks by overhead. Also, if that is an area where someone might spill a drink, older house's floors sometimes aren't that hreat at keeping liquids from dripping through. I speak from experience...

Jasper: GREAT work - If that was representative of your normal work, Ill bet you get a lot of referral business.

 

[Jamie]

namedpipes, the ceiling will be sheetrocked after I finish cleaning up the wiring disaster left by the previous owner. Thanks for the input!

I've started putting some of my gear and supplies in the new reloading area to see how things fit and function. Added some simple shelving and my lockable storage cabinet to reduce clutter. Also picked up a metric shit-ton of casting goodies (very little of which is shown), so I decided to install a modified range hood ducted to the outside. Gave it a trial run tonight, and so far, so good. I wasn't sure how big of a mess I was going to make, so I put down the big towel and piece of plywood to protect the polyurethane for now. I still haven't bolted down the Lube/resizer, just mounted it to the heater for now. Also picked up a piece of 1/4" plate to mount the cheap Lee single stage on to try to reduce flex and deflection. The powder measures, Zip-Trim, SuperSwager, and shotgun press are all mounted to 1x3 oak and get clamped to the bench to save on space. That's about it for now, I'll update as I get more accomplished.

Jamie

p.s. The shelf under the bench doubles as a perfect footrest when sitting in the stool. I have 2 other bar stools in storage that may end up here too.

 

[jim42]

Oh-yeah nicely done!!!!!!!

 

[CRSIII]

HJG, outstanding! Now, about my basement...

 

[rickster58]

Wow that's a serious bench!

 

[meth0d]

WOW!!! Great work guys, those set ups look great!!