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Charles L. Cotton wrote:
You did a great job! It's nice to have a place to hide from the world and make something.

Chas.

Thanks Charles!

I've been allowed to remove some furniture from one of the spare upstairs bedrooms and set up a bench. All it cost me was an iPad ! LOL

Questions-- desk height or workbench height ? I'm leaning towards desk height as I've got a comfy desk chair. If a workbench height is easier to use that's OK. I can get a comfy bench height stool like Gary's Kobalt one for example.

Top surface-- raw hardwood plywood or laminate finish ?

It's currently a carpeted room. I dont see that changing to tile for a couple of years. What do folks do about static electricity ? Static mat for the chair ? Any other precautions ?

Piney wrote:Questions-- desk height or workbench height ? I'm leaning towards desk height as I've got a comfy desk chair. If a workbench height is easier to use that's OK. I can get a comfy bench height stool like Gary's Kobalt one for example.

I've go an old computer desk and it's ok, but if you're running a press, I think you can get better control and consistency standing at a bench. If you're just doing charges or simple measures/hand work, sitting at a desk would probably be ok. I also find that my back feels less stiff at the end of a couple of hours of bench work as opposed to sitting/hunching over a desk.

Top surface-- raw hardwood plywood or laminate finish ?

If I could do it again, I'd do hardwood with a sealant/shellac on it. If you used a laminate, it might start chipping on hard use or when you drill mounting holes.

Oh yeah, and add a little half-round or something along the edges to keep stuff from rolling off!

It's currently a carpeted room. I dont see that changing to tile for a couple of years. What do folks do about static electricity ? Static mat for the chair ? Any other precautions ?

I have carpet as well. I'm in Houston, so dry/static air really isn't that much of an issue. I am from a northern climate where this can be a problem so I am in the habit of touching a piece of metal whenever I move around the room. I witnessed a guy at a gas pump get lit up on static one day, so now I do this sorta grounding when I'm around anything flammable! Again, if I could do my setup over again, I'd get either an anti-static mat or one of those bamboo 'rugs' that have a rubber backing.

Piney wrote:It's currently a carpeted room. I dont see that changing to tile for a couple of years.

You might also think about loose primers!! Because no matter how hard you try you WILL at some point in time drop a couple or more live ones on the floor. With some thin or "outdoor" carpets this is generally not a problem but in a "shag" or deep pile carpet it can be a serious Uh-Oh.

I'm not sure how you'd solve this outside of getting rid of the carpet sooner rather than later.

Just my 2c.

Gerry

Gyrogearhead wrote:

Piney wrote:It's currently a carpeted room. I dont see that changing to tile for a couple of years.

You might also think about loose primers!! Because no matter how hard you try you WILL at some point in time drop a couple or more live ones on the floor. With some thin or "outdoor" carpets this is generally not a problem but in a "shag" or deep pile carpet it can be a serious Uh-Oh.

I'm not sure how you'd solve this outside of getting rid of the carpet sooner rather than later.

Just my 2c.

Gerry

Good point--Thanks

Its a smooth medium pile light colored carpet. No shag since high school days. Problems with loose primers on carpet assume I"d vacum in there !

Yeah, My "play room" hasn't seen a vacuum cleaner in a few years either although I've been known to broom up some of the messier goof ups.

Gerry

When you need to vacuum your reloading area no matter what floor type, USE a SHOP vac with NO beater Brush.

I found the results of using the normal upright interesting ... my wife not so much .

Never thought about the caps and a vacuum cleaner. I have a bunch of the snap caps you throw left over from the holidays. Just thinking how devious I could be with a few of those in the carpet before the wife vacuums...... Hmmmm..Nah... too cold to sleep in the garage....

Greetings--

New 650 on a new bench.

A few comments--
2x4 construction, fastened together with 1/4" lags and deck screws. Based on a number of others' comments on stability, I used 2x6 as the top, covered by a 1/2 grade AC plywood top. I finished the top with 3 coats of polyurathane.
I had hoped it would be stable on the carpet, but nope. I tried using it free standing. It was dificult to use as it shook too much. I fastened it to the wall studs with 1/4" lags at the top rail.

I built the height so that I could either stand or sit on a bar stool. I've had some pratctice at that. I built the lower shelf at a height so that if I decided later to lower the legs to sit in a chair, I wouldnt have to move it. A waste of space with just 1 shelf-- perhaps.

Gotchas--
The height of shelf just happened to sit right at the electrical plug. I connected two extention cords with the flat plugs. I then added a 2x4 along the back to fasten to the wall to give the plugs space.

Dillon's installation instructions state that one should leave an overhang to fasten the press through-- *unless* a strong mount is used. If so, it doesnt matter. Not true ! It also states not to use lags bolts. I built the bench w/o a top overhang on purpose for added strength. I mounted the press back a bit to use bolts through the 2x6 top. Guess what-- the handle hit the top. I sanded a notch for the handle.

Future--
Add 1x4 trim around the front and side
Add 1/4 round molding around the top to keep things from rolling off.
Add rear shelves

Great looking bench. That ought to last a lifetime!!

+1 on fastening to the wall. I had to do the same thing when I built my bench. Free standing is just too wobbley.

Gerry

Hello all,
No pics just now as I'm out of the reloading biz for a bit, but back when I used to do it a lot I used one of those pretty cheap office depot put-it-together yourself credenzas made out of MDF. It worked great and was cheap!! Had drawers for all of my manuals, dies, bullets, powder AND most gear. I mounted my RockChucker press and powder measure on wood blocks and fixed them to the desktop with C-clamps. Had plenty of surface area and was strong enough that no re-inforcement was needed. Also met the Mrs .45 requirement of being neat and organized, as I used a spare bedroom.

For seating I used an old, tall drafting table chair so I sat up almost as high as the desktop to give good leverage for running the press. Sorry for no pics, but thought I'd share a cheap option for those thinkig about it. Cheers!!

This is my therapy room...

I can see wood on the table = bench is too clean and neat!

What I call a bench is a stool seated in front of a large pile of things... table is somewhere underneath it all.

texasmusic wrote:I can see wood on the table = bench is too clean and neat!

What I call a bench is a stool seated in front of a large pile of things... table is somewhere underneath it all.

Then you would love mine. LOL What "covers" it depends on the last 3 projects I have done or the stuff my wife wants out of the house. She piles it on my little work space knowing I have to move it to work.

Seabear wrote:

texasmusic wrote:I can see wood on the table = bench is too clean and neat!

What I call a bench is a stool seated in front of a large pile of things... table is somewhere underneath it all.

Then you would love mine. LOL What "covers" it depends on the last 3 projects I have done or the stuff my wife wants out of the house. She piles it on my little work space knowing I have to move it to work.

WoW...Sounds kinda like my bench's..!!!
I have a commercial meat slicer that I am rebuilding for HER, plus a surface planer I am replacing the knives on, plus a computer I am working on...Dang meat slicer is all METRIC...That sucks..!!!!

And YES...I have a pile also of stuff that was in the house she "Asked" me to do something with, which is code for putting it in my shop..!!!

I'm having fun !!!
Don2