Carpentry plans for reloading bench?

[Legionnaire]

Plans for reloading bench?

Anybody have some good plans for a bench? I plan to start reloading this fall (I've been putting it off for years), and want to put together a good, solid bench with built in lighting and lockable storage space. Need to house a Dillon 550B. Anybody have plans, or can you point me in the right direction?

Also pics of your setup would be appreciated.

For those interested, I'll be starting out with .44 and .41 mag ammo, eventually to be followed by .357/.38 and .40S&W. Rifle ammo someday.

 

[Cherokee]

I built my bench about 30 years ago. 3x8' with shelf unit w/sliding doors. It has survived moving around the country 5-6 times and I still feel no need to replace it. Don't have plans but contact me off list, if interested, and I'll describe it for you.

 

[DrDremel]

Email me at [email protected] for plans. It has a bill of material as well.

 

[Legionnaire]

Thanks for the offers, guys. Emails sent.

I'm fairly handy with tools and cabinetry, have table saw, router table, etc., so could design and build something myself ... but figure there's no need to reinvent the wheel if a good design already exists.

So let me ask the following. Besides being very sturdy, what features do you all think would be appropriate for the "ideal" reloading bench? For example, what height do you prefer? Do you work standing, or sitting down? I'd like to keep the bench to something that can be moved through a standard interior door without complete disassembly, so what are minimal surface dimensions to have adequate room to work? Is building an above-bench storage cabinet worthwhile, or is under the bench sufficient? Would you install lighting on the bench itself, or rely on overheads? What about something like the computer hutches people use in their family rooms that, when you close the front doors, hide everything? (I'm not suggesting I'd reload in the family room, just wondering about the utility of a bench/cabinet that can be totally enclosed and locked when not in use).

Any/all tips welcome. I'm planning on this being an into-the-fall building project, with installation of the reloading equipment before the end of the year.

 

[cordex]

Ha! Just built one with a friend yesterday.

Due to his particular requirements, we made it approximately a 36" cube with a main work surface constructed out of 2x6s and a plywood facing, plus a chipboard storage surface underneath. It is built so that a pallet jack can be used to move it when it is set up. Legs were 2x6s, supports were 2x4s. May not be purdy, but is plenty sturdy. Wouldn't go through an interior door, though.

 

[Legionnaire]

So anyone else want to chime in as I haul out my graph paper and start sketching?

 

[yzguy]

take a look at this thread for a few ideas...

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27365&highlight=bench+day

 

[Legionnaire]

yzguy, EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thanks!! (I searched on "reloading*bench" but somehow missed that thread.) :banghead:

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

Install a slight raised lip at the front of the bench

Install a slight raised lip at the front of the bench to keep primers and primer tubes from rolling off and exploding as it has happened to some very unfortunate fellows.

John Paul

 

[Rock45]

No formal plans, but I have pics to share

This is the bench that I built a few months ago to mount my presses on, note the lower extension on the right side so I can sit at the single stage and decap mass quantities...the main bench top is 72" x 28" with a double layer of 5/8" plywood glued and screwed to the top to bolt the presses to.
Plenty of storage room underneath.