How strong is your reloading bench?

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Charlie1022

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I have always built my reloading benches as strong as possible with thick tops for strength. My current bench is made from 2X10's withe a 1 1/4 inch thick work bench material all glued together and laged to the wall and just does not move under any of my reloading processes. I also made mine 30 inches deep and is 40 inches tall so I can reload from my tall stool or standing up. No need for a strong mount for my 2 Dillon RL550B presses or my Lyman Orange Crusher press. I have reviewed many pictures of other reloading benches and it seams like many are just made from 3/4" plywood for the tops. What did you built your benches from?
 
You must have got your idea of a bench from me. My top is a 2" thick laminate core commercial door. Where I work we often have to replace them because they are so heavy and screw holes tend to wear to the point that screws and hardware won't hold anymore. The frame for this is bolted to the posts of my shop and supported by a 3" timber to the floor with a cabinet built underneath. I'd say it is every bit solid enough to park a Cat truck engine on it. Behind where I stand to do that work is a table/bench I made that 2 strong guys and myself cannot pick up, as in heavy enough to put a big vice on and wrench on anything.
 
I use an inordinately heavy and robust us army surplus office desk.

All loaded down with reloading and gun related crap I'm sure it weighs 400+lbs and doesn't even budge or creak during even the most forceful case forming operations with my RC IV


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posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complaints about
 
3/4" oak veneer plywood on top of kitchen cabinets. No problems with reloading at all.
 
i used to use mine as an aquarium stand for three tanks weighing over 1,500 pounds but shooting and reloading put that hobby on the back burner :rolleyes: . 8'x2' 3/4" piece of ply over a very sturdy framework and bolted down to the floor. sucker doesnt move one bit. also, give credit where it is due if someone asks you where you thought of the ingenious idea of a shoe organizer for brass storage :cool:
 

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I feel confidant that mine would hold up a typical diesel motor from any of the common pick ups.

I used 2X6's to build mine.
 
A folding card table could work great for my reloading bench.

The presses are mounted to free standing floor stands made from 1"x1" square tubing. I move the press to be used up next to the table, the others stored out of the way against the wall.

Not as impressive as jmorris' but just as serviceable for me.
 
I've made thousands of rounds right off a craftsman folding work/miter saw table on a single stage press w/o ever an issue.YMMV
 
I have more than one reloading area, but below is my "most used" bench. I milled it out of an ash tree that i harvested, and then built the bench with a 3-1/2" thick top, so it's pretty strong, the shelves are solid ash too,

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The legs are solid oak, and there's no fasteners in it any place as it doesn't need any.

Nothing i've done on it has move it one bit, in any way! standard.jpg

DM
 
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There's a bunch of ways to make one sturdy as hell, but I doubt any is simpler or cheaper to build than using a torsion beam. Like this one I posted plans for (screwed against a wall):

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http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/319362_.html&page=1


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Yeah, you can even add a leg in the middle if you want, but that one was just for the drawers I built.
 
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I'm not exactly sure how strong it is but this was my first strength test. It passed. :)
 
Over-Engineering is a Good Thing

Mine has 4x4 legs, 2x4 frame, and 2x12 top, all held together with 3/8" bolts (no nails that might work loose over time). With the bookshelf, books, and presses that populate it, I hesitate to guess at its current weight. I just know that I have not yet seen it move. :D

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I build mine out of stacked 2x4's. Which are held together with long drywall screws and 3/8" lag screws. So it is 3.5" thick, 14" wide and 12' long. It's anchored to the concrete block wall in the back and along one side. The front is supported by 4x4 cedar posts. It doesn't move at all during loading processes.
 
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The top is 3" thick. Which is four sheets of 3/4" plywood that was glued and screwed. It's mounted on top of metal cabinets, that are almost lab grade, which are anchored into the block wall. The bench doesn't move.
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I built mine form the junk pile. The legs are 4x4 and the skirts and top are 5/8 inch ply. I did add some reinforcing at the press location. It is adequate and does not move with reloading steps, even sizing large cases.
 
Not strong enough, but working for now.

I use a 6' folding banquet table with some reinforcement. It's what I have to work with until I buy a house again and can build a fixed bench. The only time I have gotten significant flex is when I was FL sizing some once-fired 7mm RM cases, and that is not a frequent activity. (I don't know in what gun these were fired, but it must have a very generous chamber or very loose headspace; the shoulders were way out of spec and had to be pushed back a lot.)

I can live with a little flex in the bench top for now since the press itself does not flex.
 
My reloading bench is this strong:

It consists of two upside down trays secured to 2x6" leggs. It uses four 2x6"s for leggs. It has a 1" thick MDF board on top which is glued and screwed to a box made out of 2x6"s. The top assembly is glued and doweled to the leggs and there is a secondary smaller box, also made of MDF and 2x6"s in the middle forming a shelf, also glued and doweled to the leggs. The structure can withstand a MOAB strike. I made it 20 years ago when I started reloading.
 
I was given an office desk that a friend was getting rid of. Turns out it was a 1960's era Air Force desk constructed of solid metal. I reinforced the press with a 6x12 aluminum plate 1/2" thick on the underside of the desk. It is almost as sturdy as using a 2" thick solid oak door for a reloading table. The brass will give way before the desk does.
 
Right now I'm on a bit of a temporary bench. Its basically two 4x4's that are used to raise the surface off of a desk, with 2 1/4" sheets of plywood stacked atop those and screwed down. I then have two metal brackets that I used to affix the basic structure to the desk to keep it from moving around.

Not the strongest of setups, but it works. I intend on building a bigger more solid bench setup sometime next year.
 
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