Show your reloading benches

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:27 pm

Yeah, I know we've done this before..

But I'm getting ready to start reloading again and need to setup a bench.

There is no room in the garage so what I really want to see are the compact benches/cabinets used indoors.

Thanks guys

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:36 pm

A lot of stuff in a small area!!

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:39 pm

OK, once again here's mine, two cabinet bases and a piece of molded countertop with 3/4" OSB glued and screwed to the bottom. Cheap and easy, materials were freightdamaged stuff at the lumberyard sale. Old fridge makes dandy storage for powder, primers, ammo, etc.

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Sun May 31, 2009 5:31 pm

You can't see in this pic, but there is some powder, primers, more cases, an Auto-Prime and an L.E. Wilson Trimmer up above.

Bear 45/70 · Post by **Bear 45/70** » Sun May 31, 2009 5:41 pm

Mine is a disaster area right now. The computer room got taken over by the youngest daughter moving back in for 3 months. So everything from there went into the gun room. Now that the daughter is back in her own place the move of things has started back to the computer room. But it is still a disaster.

From the door way looking straight in. The computer on the desk is the old XP system with all my gun programs and gun data on it.

Looking to the right in the door way.

From the left side of the desk.

From the left of the desk looking towards the right of the door.

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:12 pm

Bear 45/70 wrote:Mine is a disaster area right now. The computer room got taken over by the youngest daughter moving back in for 3 months. So everything from there went into the gun room. Now that the daughter is back in her own place the move of things has started back to the computer room. But it is still a disaster.

Yeah, I feel for ya, my oldest moved in a year and a half ago and I'm lucky to have an isle in the garage (she took up 1/4-1/3 of the garage). I have my safes and as much of my gun gear as possible stuffed in the office closet. one wall in the dining area is covered with gun/archery tools, etc. I got word she may be out by the end of the year and I was only expecting 2-3 months.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:40 pm

Main bench

Various cast bullets,

,

Spare cash for Winchesters and Colts

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:41 pm

Got any spare spare cash??

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:48 pm

geobru wrote:Got any spare spare cash??

Ha! You like that?

Well, I gotta keep this short as I am looking for a penny to keep the one in my pocket company.

I believe thats a pic of some big drug bust in S. America------------Sixgun'

Oh, the bench for bsaride--I started out with a table about the size of a European cafe table---(you know, the little ditsy things those liberals suck their tea on) Think redneck--anything to get you by until circumstances allow you to do it the way you really want to.-

Bear 45-70---You get my nomination for being the coolest guy on the board

I always did like a guy who tells it like it is, with no sugar coating.

madman4570 · Post by **madman4570** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:49 pm

Good Lord no,I would be embarrassed.Some of mine is in the garage.
Shotgun stuff/reloader in basement and my RCBS little rock chucker setup for my handgun stuff in one of the spare bedrooms
I know I have to get it together.
Man, some of your guys look like a pro reloading place

Mine is like Bears, only messy!

Cimarron Red · Post by **Cimarron Red** » Sun May 31, 2009 9:03 pm

Here's mine. It's in my detached two-car garage .Also show is my casting area. Since I took these shots, I've added two more benches.

Bear 45/70 · Post by **Bear 45/70** » Sun May 31, 2009 9:21 pm

Sixgun wrote: Bear 45-70---You get my nomination for being the coolest guy on the board I always did like a guy who tells it like it is, with no sugar coating.

Well thanks, but I don't know about the not sugar coating part. But my reloading room is in a bedroom on the main floor of the house. When we came up with one spare bedroom I got it as a reloading/gun room. Then again Mama has a number of her guns in there so maybe that explains it.

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Sun May 31, 2009 9:58 pm

Heres mine. Its in my basement & is a general gun/reloading/tinkering/escape from the family type room.

Heres how it started out,

Part way thru,

Closest pic to how it now stands, a work in progress, the vise has been moved & my trimmer is mounted where the vise is in these pics. Theres also a ventalation fan in that window now for whenever I start casting & a few more shelves. I guess I need new pics eh?

The tinkering area just to the left of the loading area.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:45 am

I've made a couple of changes since the last time I posted a picture of my reloading bench. The biggest change is that I organized an area on the right side (as you're looking at the picture) of the second shelf that has strictly handgun powders, primes, bullets, brass, and dies.

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:15 pm

Mine's in my shop in the detached garage/building behind my house. I put all that in after puting up a ceiling and wall to create a complete, lockable, air conditioned separate room. Made the cabinets and also put up heavy duty shelves for the surplus ammo storage (not shown). I need to clean this whole area up and put some more cabinets in but it does well for me.

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 5:21 pm

Sixgun wrote:Main bench

Various cast bullets,
,

Spare cash for Winchesters and Colts

Thats the ticket....
very nice..

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 5:25 pm

Here's mine from last year. I have significantly more "stuff" now as I've been accumulating for the last couple of years.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 6:27 pm

"A Clean Desk is a Sign of a Sick Mind"

Cartridge reloading and casting... progressive and single stage along with case prep:

Add another Dillon and a Rockchucker to the above since the above was taken.

A couple of shotshell reloaders:

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:03 am

Every time this thread has emerged in the last year or so, I have held off showing all of you my reloading bench. Many of you have these cool man caves that serve you well. Well, when it was time to start reloading that old 40-82, I had just moved across country for the third time in five years. Not because I wanted to, but due to the fact that I had to go where the jobs were to make ends meet.

Fast forward to the present. I have this HUGE shop that is 40 by 60 feet, but it needs a cement floor. I couldn't wait for the floor before I started reloading, so I needed something that was temporary, mobile, and that would enable me to resize 45-90 cases to 40-82. So, a little sheepishly I present to all of you,

my reloading chair.

Before I permanently leave this website (because you are going to laugh me clear off the internet), I will say that it does get the job done. You might ask how I use it to resize brass? Well, it goes into the prone position on the floor. One foot is planted on the chair back while the other is on the rear rail. All I can say is that it gets the job done!!

Boy do I ever feel better now that I have that off my chest. You all can have your newfangled fancy reloading benches. My reloading chair doubles as an extra chair when we have company!!

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:38 am

OK, I'm still waiting to see the reloading press mounted to the tailgate of a pickup.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:15 am

Sorry, no tailgate for me!

I built this bench about a decade ago when my reloading was confined to my garage. Space was at a premium, so I needed something pretty flexible, that gave me a lot of storage as well. This bench is only 4 feet wide, but holds a ton of stuff, easy to get at, and as you can see, has an interesting table top.

The key is the "inserts". The center of the top has a removable section.

Each tool is mounted on an "insert" that fits into this section and can be secured via the two large bolts with butterfly nuts. No tools needed. So, if I need a press...

If I need to trim some brass...

If I need to clean some brass...

Changing these inserts takes all of 30 seconds if I go extra slow. The system works so well that when I moved into this house almost four years ago - with a nice, large unfinished basement, I didn't switch out to a larger bench.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:36 am

bsaride wrote:OK, I'm still waiting to see the reloading press mounted to the tailgate of a pickup.

Totally unnecessary. That's why several of us have a LEE Hand Press as shown in mine and "Andrew's" posts.

Idiot · Post by **Idiot** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:01 pm

geobru wrote:my reloading chair.

When it's 115 degrees in the garage, where my reloading is done, I resort the same set up - inside the house. It works and the cartridges still go bang each and every time I pull the trigger.

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:46 pm

Idiot wrote:
geobru wrote:my reloading chair.

When it's 115 degrees in the garage, where my reloading is done, I resort the same set up - inside the house. It works and the cartridges still go bang each and every time I pull the trigger.

Yup. When I lived in an apartment I bolted my presses to a piece of 3/4" plywood and used quick-grip clamps to attach it to my kitchen table. Not ideal but it worked!

alnitak · Post by **alnitak** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:38 pm

Sixgun wrote:Main bench

Various cast bullets,
,

Holy cow, Sixgun! That's not a bench...it's a FACTORY!

Very nice!

To the OP, my "compact" reloading setup is a Lee Handpress. Works for my couple hundred rounds a month that I shoot.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 8:24 pm

John Taffin describes himself as one who's interests are very narrow. He shoots, hunts, reloads, watches little or no TV, no sports, spends little money on transportation vehicles, and all his vacations are geared towards shooting or hunting. He lives by the 4-F's---------Faith, Family, Friends, and Firearms----------John and I were cut from the same mould.

Thats why my bench and firearms are what they are. Its what I live for. Very little else interests me. If you want to get good at something, narrow your interests to what your passions are, get rid of the clutter, and be careful who you hang with. Its why I like it here

-----Sixgun

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 9:44 pm

bsaride wrote:OK, I'm still waiting to see the reloading press mounted to the tailgate of a pickup.

No pics... but I have an old Lyman "C" press that's bolted to a piece of 1" plywood and would be "C" clamped to the brackets on the tailgate of the my p/u that held my anvil in place when I was horseshoein' back in the mid '70's. I still have the press; AND it's still bolted to that piece of wood. Although it hasn't been used much recently, it still gets carted around when I'm going off to a match that involves some travel away from home.

As Ed said, the Lee Handpress is a bit handier and far more portable!

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:14 pm

Craftsman ready to assemble work bench -- Rockchucker to the right, powder measure is currently mounted to the left --- everything else in between when in action.
I have separate storage for components and other tools now, as the 4' wide bench does not have enough space to hold tools for 10 calibers, plus all the miscellaneous other stuff --- but its big enough to get things done in a somewhat organized fashion

alnitak · Post by **alnitak** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:25 am

Sixgun wrote:If you want to get good at something, narrow your interests to what your passions are, get rid of the clutter, and be careful who you hang with.

Well said!

Charles · Post by **Charles** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:23 am

Cimarron Red --- Where did you get those lights mounted on the benches? I need a couple for my benches and those look like what I want.

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:12 pm

Finally started to move into my "hobby" room and out of the corner of the basement:

Still mov'n in. Used to look like this:

stuck in the corner.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:44 pm

Charles wrote:Cimarron Red --- Where did you get those lights mounted on the benches? I need a couple for my benches and those look like what I want.

Even though the question wasn't directed at me, you can get lights like that at Office Depot and Staples. If you don't have one in your area you can order them off the internet.

Cimarron Red · Post by **Cimarron Red** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:27 pm

Charles,

Modoc Ed is likely correct about sources for those lights, but I bought them at K-Mart or Walmart probably 15 years ago. They have a separate base that can be clamped on or, as I've done, screwed on. The rotary switches are cheap and prone to becoming inoperable, so I just plug the lights in and unplug them when I'm finished.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 5:02 pm

I live in a relatively small town, in a modest home; so perhaps I qualify for at least Honorable Mention as a dedicated reloader with the least amount of available working area. My garage is full to the brim with various homeowner stuff, so I had to really economize my workspace so that I can still store both vehicles inside.

I keep brass, bullets, extra powder and other stuff in secured areas, but here is a view of the reloading area. You are in a standard sized two-car urban garage looking towards garage door. Prefabricated cabinets, purchased from a building supply store, have been installed along the three garage walls. One of the modules is a sunken workbench area that I modified for reloading by bracing it and adding a sheet of thick plyboard to support three presses and bear any extra strain.

Here is what the reloading area usually looks like. When I want to reload, I move the truck onto the driveway.

Here, one cabinet door has been opened to the left of the reloading area. A clip-on electrical fan, stored within that cabinet, is clamped on the door so that it blows across the workbench and out the opened garage door, to expel the lead vapors.

Then, the upper cabinet doors (usually locked) are opened. These are actually mounted on
lift-off hinges.

I purchased them from http://www.hardwaresource.com/Store_Vie ... asp?Cat=28

With cabinet wide open and the doors removed, I can install the powder dispenser atop my progressive press, use my powder scale as it sits about eye-level on the shelf, and pull down the appropriate powder and die setup to reload. The boolits currently being used are stored in the back right indented portion f the work bench (against the wall).

The modest setup allows me to use up to three presses at the same time. You see an RCBS Uniflow power measure in the far left at the back; an RCBS Piggyback progressive press for pistol loads, an RCBS Rockchucker for more precise long gun loads, and a Lee Turret Press for other operations (like decapping and using the various Lee Factory Crimp dies). The Lee Turret also has the Lee Autodisk attachments for some loading procedures.

Each of these items is positioned to allow just barely the minimum amount of space to comfortably work with.

When I need more space, I use a folding utility table, placing it on my left. I set this up, for instance, when I lube rifle bullets from a pad. I use carbide dies to eliminate the lubing requirement for my pistol loads.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 5:36 pm

JohndeFresno - Nice setup. Everything close at hand. That's a pretty impressive press setup.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 6:14 pm

Thanks, Ed.

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 6:15 pm

Gotta remember to leave room on the pegboard for a pipe wrench and hammer, lol.

Nice setup. Looked at OSH and Harbor Freight on my lunch hour today, didn't see
anything that I liked.

I'm thinking of pulling out the kitchen table as it never gets used (except when I'm
cleaning a rifle). Putting in a bench with backboard and shelf. Thinking about one of
those plastic cabinets on the back porch for putting my casting stove, etc in and be
able to go out and cast anytime.

My oldest might, yeah right, but she is actively looking for a place of her own. If she
moves out I get my bedroom back and about 1/3 of the garage. Then whatever I buy
this week will have a permanent usable home.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:10 pm

BSA -

Those cabinets came either from OSH or else Home Depot, but many years ago. Your sharp eyeball has indeed caught the vestiges of the original "tool area" that was converted to far more practical pursuits!

I now use the pipe wrench for fine tuning the adjustments on the dies; and the hammer comes in handy for making sure that the primers are properly seated.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 8:57 pm

JohndeFresno - very ingenius use of space!

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 11:53 pm

Thank you, YK!

JustaJeepGuy · Post by **JustaJeepGuy** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:35 pm

JohndeFresno wrote:I now use the pipe wrench for fine tuning the adjustments on the dies; and the hammer comes in handy for making sure that the primers are properly seated.

The right tools for the job, eh?

pete-driver · Post by **pete-driver** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:00 pm

My bench is in the dinning room of our small house. The basement is too wet and this is the only place to have it. It can all be taken down and put in a closet. It is held to the wall by a tie down strap like used on a trailer. I keep all my dies, bullets and accessory's in a tool box with wheels.

This is the dining room table where I fill the cases.

I just made this drop tube today. Brass from the hardware $6.00 two o-rings $.25 the rest is scrap I had laying around. Haven't tried it yet I need to buy some black powder. John

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:21 pm

Well,

Looked around some more and found this on Sears website, special order
takes about a month to arrive because of the galvanized top. I like it better
than the others because the front is closed. $290 plus tax and 10% off that
if I order today and of course the website rejected me, will try again later.
OK, online order went thru, $283.83 total, and I know this is high but it is also
a lifetime investment.

Sears 00961866000.jpg

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 6:50 pm

That looks like a good bench and it will make a great start.

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:10 pm

Modoc ED wrote:That looks like a good bench and it will make a great start.

Yeah, went to all the local stores and the best looking one was at Sears (not this one,
but similar) so I went online and checked it out.

The hard part is waiting until July 1st to go pick it up and assemble.

morgan in nm · Post by **morgan in nm** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 10:01 pm

I bought 2 of those sears open-front benches with 2 drawers each. about 6ft long and I like them. I wanted the open front because I don't like a table wobble and what I did is store lead on the bottom shelf after I levelled them so there is no movement at all. Works great. I wish I would have bought some peg-board to but on the wall but I instead went to Wally world and bought some organizer-type shelving with all the little drawers that I use for SH's, small tools, spare brass that I don't have enough to be worth reloading, and parts. Camera is broke so no pictures at this time.