reloading bench questions/ideas

[FluorideInMyWater]

just forked out some $$$ on a Mark 7 apex 10 in a few calibers plus a dillon 750 to process brass on. so along with my normally ignorante postes, here are a few questions.

ok, first is specs. i'm looking at 72 x 30 inches top butcher block kind of wood to mount the presses on. i don't think i need deeper......

do most people just screw it into the top? i saw a guy on youtube called the "ultimate reloader" and he has fancy tracks to mount his presses into but the front of the machines bases are seem to be flush with the front of the bench (?)

so, i don't have much room in my garage but i have a 4 bedroom house (in vegas......not that impressive) so i was thinking of dedicating the front living room to reloading. gonna want a tv to occupy mind while pressing away. that got me thinking about putting the base of the the frame on wheels so i can just wheel it into the front room, back family room, and also have the option to moving it back into the garage....

would having your presses on wheels cause possible issues due to the minor torqueing of the bench when moving it, or could it somehow throw something out of alignment like the powder drop tube. was thinking maybe moving it might cause just enough torquing to cause something to misalign?

then last question..........i was originally doing it all in the garage. could having a gas heater pilot light possibly cause an explosion if the garage is collecting gasses from the gunpowder? i know lots of people say they load in thier basement but i never thought to ask if that was where thier water heater was located. is this risky? yes, i overthink everything.

but i arrived at the idea of doign it in the living room or family room was due to the fact that 1/2 the year tempuraures are over 110-F and that would just be very unpleasant, although i thought about buying one of those portable A/C units that just cools the room, but i really don't want to be in the garage, which lead me to think about the livingroom or family room which is what got me to thinking about making one on caster that i could just roll in front of the tv.........40 degrees cooler, no pilot lights to cause an explosion...

so does anyone else have a non-traditional place where they do thier reloading?

what do you think about the safety concern from the pilot light?
what do you think about mounting the work bench on caster?
what do you think about the dimensions?

thanks in advance!

[ar15barrels]

just forked out some $$$ on a Mark 7 apex 10 in a few calibers plus a dillon 750 to process brass on. so along with my normally ignorante postes, here are a few questions.

ok, first is specs. i'm looking at 72 x 30 inches top butcher block kind of wood to mount the presses on. i don't think i need deeper......

do most people just screw it into the top? i saw a guy on youtube called the "ultimate reloader" and he has fancy tracks to mount his presses into but the front of the machines bases are seem to be flush with the front of the bench (?)

so, i don't have much room in my garage but i have a 4 bedroom house (in vegas......not that impressive) so i was thinking of dedicating the front living room to reloading. gonna want a tv to occupy mind while pressing away. that got me thinking about putting the base of the the frame on wheels so i can just wheel it into the front room, back family room, and also have the option to moving it back into the garage....

would having your presses on wheels cause possible issues due to the minor torqueing of the bench when moving it, or could it somehow throw something out of alignment like the powder drop tube. was thinking maybe moving it might cause just enough torquing to cause something to misalign?

then last question..........i was originally doing it all in the garage. could having a gas heater pilot light possibly cause an explosion if the garage is collecting gasses from the gunpowder? i know lots of people say they load in thier basement but i never thought to ask if that was where thier water heater was located. is this risky? yes, i overthink everything.

but i arrived at the idea of doign it in the living room or family room was due to the fact that 1/2 the year tempuraures are over 110-F and that would just be very unpleasant, although i thought about buying one of those portable A/C units that just cools the room, but i really don't want to be in the garage, which lead me to think about the livingroom or family room which is what got me to thinking about making one on caster that i could just roll in front of the tv.........40 degrees cooler, no pilot lights to cause an explosion...

so does anyone else have a non-traditional place where they do thier reloading?

what do you think about the safety concern from the pilot light?
what do you think about mounting the work bench on caster?
what do you think about the dimensions?

thanks in advance!

FULL STOP.

[bigbossman]

FULL STOP.

Gotta agree with this. Your mind should be occupied with what you are doing, you know..... with live primers and gunpowder.

[ar15barrels]

just forked out some $$$ on a Mark 7 apex 10 in a few calibers plus a dillon 750 to process brass on. so along with my normally ignorante postes, here are a few questions.

ok, first is specs. i'm looking at 72 x 30 inches top butcher block kind of wood to mount the presses on. i don't think i need deeper......

do most people just screw it into the top? i saw a guy on youtube called the "ultimate reloader" and he has fancy tracks to mount his presses into but the front of the machines bases are seem to be flush with the front of the bench (?)

so, i don't have much room in my garage but i have a 4 bedroom house (in vegas......not that impressive) so i was thinking of dedicating the front living room to reloading. gonna want a tv to occupy mind while pressing away. that got me thinking about putting the base of the the frame on wheels so i can just wheel it into the front room, back family room, and also have the option to moving it back into the garage....

would having your presses on wheels cause possible issues due to the minor torqueing of the bench when moving it, or could it somehow throw something out of alignment like the powder drop tube. was thinking maybe moving it might cause just enough torquing to cause something to misalign?

then last question..........i was originally doing it all in the garage. could having a gas heater pilot light possibly cause an explosion if the garage is collecting gasses from the gunpowder? i know lots of people say they load in thier basement but i never thought to ask if that was where thier water heater was located. is this risky? yes, i overthink everything.

but i arrived at the idea of doign it in the living room or family room was due to the fact that 1/2 the year tempuraures are over 110-F and that would just be very unpleasant, although i thought about buying one of those portable A/C units that just cools the room, but i really don't want to be in the garage, which lead me to think about the livingroom or family room which is what got me to thinking about making one on caster that i could just roll in front of the tv.........40 degrees cooler, no pilot lights to cause an explosion...

so does anyone else have a non-traditional place where they do thier reloading?

what do you think about the safety concern from the pilot light?
what do you think about mounting the work bench on caster?
what do you think about the dimensions?

thanks in advance!

Dedicate a smaller bedroom in the house.
No distractions while reloading.
You will want an 8' wide bench for the 2 presses you mentioned.
6' will be crowded if you are going to also have a scale and stuff on the bench.
Attach the bench to a wall.
Load 500-1000lbs of bullets on the bottom shelf to stabilize the bench.
Screw the presses to the top.

I ran 4 dillons on a 12' countertop that I BUILT IN to 3 walls of a bedroom years ago and the presses were definitely too crowded with only 3 feet for each press.



My current bench was built like this:


Two layers of 3/4" MDF are glue limanated together after the bottom layer was screwed down so it is very solid and has no exposed screws on top.

[Dirtlaw]

just forked out some $$$ on a Mark 7 apex 10 in a few calibers plus a dillon 750 to process brass on. so along with my normally ignorante postes, here are a few questions.

ok, first is specs. i'm looking at 72 x 30 inches top butcher block kind of wood to mount the presses on. i don't think i need deeper......

do most people just screw it into the top? i saw a guy on youtube called the "ultimate reloader" and he has fancy tracks to mount his presses into but the front of the machines bases are seem to be flush with the front of the bench (?)

so, i don't have much room in my garage but i have a 4 bedroom house (in vegas......not that impressive) so i was thinking of dedicating the front living room to reloading. gonna want a tv to occupy mind while pressing away. that got me thinking about putting the base of the the frame on wheels so i can just wheel it into the front room, back family room, and also have the option to moving it back into the garage....

would having your presses on wheels cause possible issues due to the minor torqueing of the bench when moving it, or could it somehow throw something out of alignment like the powder drop tube. was thinking maybe moving it might cause just enough torquing to cause something to misalign?

then last question..........i was originally doing it all in the garage. could having a gas heater pilot light possibly cause an explosion if the garage is collecting gasses from the gunpowder? i know lots of people say they load in thier basement but i never thought to ask if that was where thier water heater was located. is this risky? yes, i overthink everything.

but i arrived at the idea of doign it in the living room or family room was due to the fact that 1/2 the year tempuraures are over 110-F and that would just be very unpleasant, although i thought about buying one of those portable A/C units that just cools the room, but i really don't want to be in the garage, which lead me to think about the livingroom or family room which is what got me to thinking about making one on caster that i could just roll in front of the tv.........40 degrees cooler, no pilot lights to cause an explosion...

so does anyone else have a non-traditional place where they do thier reloading?

what do you think about the safety concern from the pilot light?
what do you think about mounting the work bench on caster?
what do you think about the dimensions?

thanks in advance!

My bench has casters. The casters have not presented any problems of which I am aware. Any size bench that works for you is fine. The plus of a larger bench is that you have the space to do various things at the same time without interfering with the existing task. So it can be a time saver.

[RNE228]

Total agreement with Randall here; pay attention to reloading. One of the reasons I reload is to get away from the boob tube, computer, cell phone

Reloading is a pretty safe rewarding hobby. If you pay attention to detail. Not the TV.

FULL STOP.

[divingin]

do most people just screw it into the top?

That's what I do. More accurately, bolted to the top (nut and bolt with washers.)

so, i don't have much room in my garage but i have a 4 bedroom house (in vegas......not that impressive) so i was thinking of dedicating the front living room to reloading. gonna want a tv to occupy mind while pressing away.

No to the TV. Do you really want all that money sitting out where people at the door (or walking by or whatever) can easily see it?

Don't know what your family situation is, but I'd go for dedicating a bedroom if possible.

that got me thinking about putting the base of the the frame on wheels so i can just wheel it into the front room, back family room, and also have the option to moving it back into the garage....

Some presses take a decent amount of torque to operate. Make sure the wheels lock pretty well. But it should be possible.

would having your presses on wheels cause possible issues due to the minor torqueing of the bench when moving it, or could it somehow throw something out of alignment like the powder drop tube. was thinking maybe moving it might cause just enough torquing to cause something to misalign?

I doubt it. If that causes any kind of misalignment problem, I think you'd be better off replacing the press (yes, I did see what you were planning on using.)

then last question..........i was originally doing it all in the garage. could having a gas heater pilot light possibly cause an explosion if the garage is collecting gasses from the gunpowder?

Powder does not offgas unless it's decomposing (as far as I know.) Even then, I think the gasses are more corrosive than flammable.

[Dirtlaw]

Total agreement with Randall here; pay attention to reloading. One of the reasons I reload is to get away from the boob tube, computer, cell phone

Reloading is a pretty safe rewarding hobby. If you pay attention to detail. Not the TV.

There tends to be a strong temptation to use distractions to make the work more pleasurable. But as noted above the temptation is an invitation to disaster. Also, TAKE BREAKS OR QUIT FOR THE DAY WHEN YOU FEEL TIRED.

[bergmen]

I reload in the garage when it is cool enough (early mornings, it gets hot in here after noon in the summer). I store my powder and primers in a room that is cool all day (even in the summer).

I will not answer the phone and I won't even have a radio in the garage. Total silence and no interruptions allowed. It does get tedious at times (especially if I am putting up a few hundred rounds of 9mm) with a single stage press but that is what is required to be certain of consistent, safe ammo.

Dan

[FluorideInMyWater]

Yeah. Good point on just focusing on the reloading. In renting a house by myself. Om in a gated community with no sidewalks so there is no traffic pasty my door window. Even if there was i keep the front blinds and door bolted and closed.
That was where i got tje the caster idea bc i could wheel the bench wherever i want. Plus i jabe a few heppa air filters to turn on that would suck all tje little airborne particulates outof the room. I thought about 2 separate benches on casters just bc it would be way easier to move my roading press and my processing press independently. So each press would have 2 feet to mount and 2 feet of workspace, although decreasing tje width from 8 or 6 feet down to 4 feet would make it more prone to tipping over. The obvious location is the garage, but it gets up to about 160-F on the day, but there are those newish single room air conditioners...but i dont want to store my finished ammo in there. Not sure of anyone commented on the water heaters pilot light possibly being an issue in the garage...(?) ...i dont know.if it's harmless or smoking cigarette in an explosives factory.
And the TV... i dont want it there to watch, per say, but to provide some ambient background white noise while i consentrate on the reloadong process. I have several movies ive seen 20 times and when i wake up in the morning i turn one one while on drink my coffee....amd ive seen them so many times that i really just have it to fill the dead air in the background.
Now getting a top hardwood top is going to be one of my biggest challenges. If i had a table.saw i could rip some 8 to 12" wide planks and then glue them together amd use clamps to hold it while it dries. But i checked on amazon for a small table and they are still more expensive than buying a pre fabricated one ($250 - $500). I wonder if i could get lumber yard to rip the planks so they are 100% square and then buy some wood clamps. Either way i jabe to put $ into a tool in order to make a tool to make the bench. I found some solid work bench legs/ends for $100. And it would be super easy to just bolt a top chopping block on top and be done with it. But like i said that will run from $240-$500.
Anyone have an opinion on depth size? I thought 2.5" was reasonable, but still wondering about making it 3-feet. There is a craftsman work bench for about $279, is 72 inches x 24 inches. I'm thinking that 30 inches is more reasonable.
Ah yes, the chair. Any recommendations for an adjustable swivel chair that is good for long sitting sessions?
I think that's about it.
I did purchase press covers for tje dillon xl750 amd the apex 10, but also plan to have a large sheet i can just throw over the entire work bench. I dont get any visitors but it would be good to have a full cover to drape over it when it's not in use. Im not required to tell my guests what's underneath. I can just make something up.
Reloading insurance? May need to discuss that but not tonight.
Thanks all for responding!

[Dirtlaw]

Yeah. Good point on just focusing on the reloading. In renting a house by myself. Om in a gated community with no sidewalks so there is no traffic pasty my door window. Even if there was i keep the front blinds and door bolted and closed.
That was where i got tje the caster idea bc i could wheel the bench wherever i want. Plus i jabe a few heppa air filters to turn on that would suck all tje little airborne particulates outof the room. I thought about 2 separate benches on casters just bc it would be way easier to move my roading press and my processing press independently. So each press would have 2 feet to mount and 2 feet of workspace, although decreasing tje width from 8 or 6 feet down to 4 feet would make it more prone to tipping over. The obvious location is the garage, but it gets up to about 160-F on the day, but there are those newish single room air conditioners...but i dont want to store my finished ammo in there. Not sure of anyone commented on the water heaters pilot light possibly being an issue in the garage...(?) ...i dont know.if it's harmless or smoking cigarette in an explosives factory.
And the TV... i dont want it there to watch, per say, but to provide some ambient background white noise while i consentrate on the reloadong process. I have several movies ive seen 20 times and when i wake up in the morning i turn one one while on drink my coffee....amd ive seen them so many times that i really just have it to fill the dead air in the background.
Now getting a top hardwood top is going to be one of my biggest challenges. If i had a table.saw i could rip some 8 to 12" wide planks and then glue them together amd use clamps to hold it while it dries. But i checked on amazon for a small table and they are still more expensive than buying a pre fabricated one ($250 - $500). I wonder if i could get lumber yard to rip the planks so they are 100% square and then buy some wood clamps. Either way i jabe to put $ into a tool in order to make a tool to make the bench. I found some solid work bench legs/ends for $100. And it would be super easy to just bolt a top chopping block on top and be done with it. But like i said that will run from $240-$500.
Anyone have an opinion on depth size? I thought 2.5" was reasonable, but still wondering about making it 3-feet. There is a craftsman work bench for about $279, is 72 inches x 24 inches. I'm thinking that 30 inches is more reasonable.
Ah yes, the chair. Any recommendations for an adjustable swivel chair that is good for long sitting sessions?
I think that's about it.
I did purchase press covers for tje dillon xl750 amd the apex 10, but also plan to have a large sheet i can just throw over the entire work bench. I dont get any visitors but it would be good to have a full cover to drape over it when it's not in use. Im not required to tell my guests what's underneath. I can just make something up.
Reloading insurance? May need to discuss that but not tonight.
Thanks all for responding!

I purchased a castered table at Home Depot -- it's something like 4' x 2' and has an adjustable height crank. As I recall it was around $300-400. Being able to move the bench around easily was important to me because I planned to eventually move it to another room. I also have a small mill and small lathe mounted on two Home Depot castered benches that have drawers and electrical outlets. The two foot width allows me to easily move through doors without tearing everything apart which would be a huge hastle. A mounting system is a nice feature, but for now I've just attached various machines / components to 3/4 inch oak planks which I clamp to the table with a couple of woodworker's clamps so nothing gets marred or chewed up. I'm interested in precision so I use a single stage and I pretty much limit myself to one step at a time.

[JagerDog]

Total agreement with Randall here; pay attention to reloading. One of the reasons I reload is to get away from the boob tube, computer, cell phone, wife.

Reloading is a pretty safe rewarding hobby. If you pay attention to detail. Not the TV.

FIFY.


I'm reloading honey. It' quite dangerous if you interrupt me.

How you mount is largely dictated by how much you expect to remove/exchange. Swapping presses often is different than set and forget.

I'm still using an old vanity I picked up from a a cabinet maker decades ago. Mostly I drilled clearance holes with T-nuts from the underside. Works for moderate press changing.

[Dirtlaw]

FIFY.


I'm reloading honey. It' quite dangerous if you interrupt me.

My wife's response: "It will be more dangerous for you if I don't."

[FluorideInMyWater]

i found some table frames that are industrial strength. you have to provide your own top and bolt it to the frame/legs. i was actually thinking of going to a lumber yard to see how much it would cost to get them to rip a few boards so i can joint them together. it's just hard to believe that a top board goes for $250-$400. i wish i had a table saw

[Dirtlaw]

i found some table frames that are industrial strength. you have to provide your own top and bolt it to the frame/legs. i was actually thinking of going to a lumber yard to see how much it would cost to get them to rip a few boards so i can joint them together. it's just hard to believe that a top board goes for $250-$400. i wish i had a table saw

I believe Rocklers may be having a sale on bench tops for woodworking. That would do for you well.