Back to the loading bench

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  • Last Post 18 March 2016
bandmiller2 posted this 24 January 2016

With the snow and cold I'am spending more time at the loading bench. I have four Mec shotsell loaders two rock chuckers and one Dillon progressive. Needless to say I don't have bench space to mount them all. I have a good sized Parker machinests vice on the bench and have all the loaders mounted on 10” pieces of 4” angle iron. I clamp the press I'am using in the vice, its also usefull for working on guns. Case trimmers also get clamped in the vice. Everything is at a handy working hite. Frank C.

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Antietamgw posted this 25 January 2016

I was hoping to spend the day in the shop. Plowing snow nixed that idea... 

Using your vise to secure loading tools is a good idea.  Maybe this would be a good thread to see how others set up their bench. 

I'm fortunate that I have about 10' of bench space to dedicate to presses, etc.  Still, it's not enough to keep everything permanently attached without getting cluttered. I'd like to be able switch presses around relatively quickly.  The front edge of my benches are lined with a piece of 2"X5” angle iron with the 5” side on the bench top.  I've seen a few “quick change” ideas, one interesting idea using dovetailed spaces in the benchtop that accept a plate with a press secured to it. I'm thinking maybe just drilling and tapping the steel benchtop to secure 1/4” plates with a press attached might be a simple way to keep a clean, flat top and still be able to switch presses, lubrisizer, versa-vise (parrot vise) pretty quickly. What are you folks using?

Keep your plowshare and your sword. Know how and when to use them.

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RicinYakima posted this 25 January 2016

OK, here is my reloading area.  

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norm posted this 25 January 2016

I have an RCBS partner press bolted to a piece of plate iron. I c-clamp it to the bench. Also have my lube sizers mounted the same way.

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bandmiller2 posted this 25 January 2016

There are devices to switch loading tools, but by far the vice is the handiest for me, many other uses too. I have a set of soft jaws to hold barrels or the whole gun. I still use the old Lyman case forming dies and use the vice to press in the cases. Its also like having a third hand. Frank C.

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norm posted this 26 January 2016

Ric, What brand press is that?

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RicinYakima posted this 26 January 2016

That is a Redding “standard” from the 1950's. They were not very popular, so Lachmiller bought the rest of the castings and made shotgun tools out of them.

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norm posted this 26 January 2016

Thanks

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RicinYakima posted this 26 January 2016

When RCBS bought out Lachmiller, they finished a few in RCBS green. RCBS collectors pay a fare price for them, plus they work really well at resizing brass shot gun shells.

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frnkeore posted this 26 January 2016

I have four of those. Two Redding And Two Lachmiller. I mounted these on a 1/4” aluminum plate. I changed the lachmiller to a bullet sizer. It can be used as a push through or will eject the bullet (with a nose punch in the bottom hole) on the up stroke. Frank

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Antietamgw posted this 26 January 2016

You guys get alot into a compact area! Looks like c clamps are used a good bit. My bench has cabinets underneath and it doesn't allow a very deep reach for the clamp.

Keep your plowshare and your sword. Know how and when to use them.

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RicinYakima posted this 26 January 2016

Not really, as the plate mounted on the bench is drilled and tapped for: Lyman lube/sized, SAECO lube/sized, RCBS Summit press, Redding press and C&H 444 press. The shelf above works for the Harrell powder measure and the Pacific. The only thing that gets clamped to the desk top is the RCBS mounting plate that is tapped for all of their small tools. Nothing is convenient, but nothing takes more than a couple of minutes to replace.

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frnkeore posted this 26 January 2016

What you see my presses clamped to, is the back side of the Harbor Freight hardwood bench top.

They run about $140 (got it for my Bday, 5 years ago) and I wouldn't be w/o it now :)

Frank

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goodsteel posted this 26 January 2016

I bought 4 sheets of good plywood. I ripped 12” off the long way. I laminated these three together, screwed and glued. I built a framework of 2X4s under the bench that left a 4” edge all the way around. To the ends, I bolted 4X4 legs that are braced on 45 degree angles in every direction. Finally, I took the 12” pieces I ripped off, and built shelves for the bench. Three above, and one below.

My father was the one who designed this excellent bench and I have built two of them over the years. They are solid as a rock, but if I am doing heavy sizing operations, I toe clamp the press to the milling machine (@ 3750lb: good luck budging that).

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Scearcy posted this 27 January 2016

Goodsteel, Can you show us a picture? Jim

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RicinYakima posted this 28 January 2016

There is an RCBS tool on ebay right now, if you want to see one. It has the same handle style as the Lachmiller.

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Antietamgw posted this 28 January 2016

RicinYakima wrote: Not really, as the plate mounted on the bench is drilled and tapped for: Lyman lube/sized, SAECO lube/sized, RCBS Summit press, Redding press and C&H 444 press. The shelf above works for the Harrell powder measure and the Pacific. The only thing that gets clamped to the desk top is the RCBS mounting plate that is tapped for all of their small tools. Nothing is convenient, but nothing takes more than a couple of minutes to replace. That's kind of my idea, drill and tap the bench top.  I guess it would be similar to yours, just have a few more spaces so I didn't need to switch things out quite as often.  I figure 4 bolts shouldn't take much effort. 

Keep your plowshare and your sword. Know how and when to use them.

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Brodie posted this 28 January 2016

I think that it was Pat Marlin who used to market an aluminum holder that screwed into the top of your bench and accepted plates that were pre drilled for various presses and lubrisizers.  He advertised on the Boolits cite and they looked like a very useful and viable set up.  You could buy one holder and any number of plates.  Putting a hot iron on the holder with the luber on it doubled as a heater for hard bullet lubes.

The last bench I built for my loading gear was made from one sheet of 3/4” plywood and some 1x4 stock.  I cut the plywood to length, ripped it in half, glued to to halves together to give me a 1.5” top, and made the legs from 1x4 stock screwed and glued at right angles.  Like goodsteel I framed in 4” with 1x4 and screwed the legs to the frame,  It made a good sturdy bench covered with formica it left no place for primers or powder to nestle into joints or cracks.  I drilled holes for my RCBS press, lubrisizer, Dillon , and MEC shot shell loaders.  \ The bench was about 40 inches long by 24 inches deep, and 30” high. Brodie

B.E.Brickey

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delmarskid1 posted this 29 January 2016

I built a bench out of 1 3/8” laminated truck flooring. I've had to move this beast twice. Next time they can bury me in it.

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vmwilson posted this 29 January 2016

7-1/2” x 9” x 1/2” aluminum tapped for presses. When I mount my lube/sizer or vise they're mounted on 3/4” plywood which then bolts into the plate. Shotshell presses also on plywood.

Mike

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Dale53 posted this 06 February 2016

Here's my main bench. It handles my RCBS Rockchucker and two Dillon 550B's. It is built of salvaged lumber. The legs are 4"x5” telephone pole cross ties. The top is built of 2"x10” with a 1/4” plywood top. It has one full length shelf underneath (a 2x10) for heavy objects. The bench is bolted together. The top is one piece (I have moved it three times). It is movable but too heavy to be classified “portable". I have used it since 1962,

http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/QDalesBench3-18-2008-0649.jpg.html>http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/QDalesBench3-18-2008-0654.jpg.html>http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/QDalesBench3-18-2008-0656.jpg.html>http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/QDalesBench3-18-2008-0660.jpg.html>

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