[Artie1957]

I have been using an old computer desk for reloading and I want to build something a little more substantial and sturdier. With that being said- what would you do differently to yours if you could start over? Did you buy one already made or did you build yours from scratch?

 

[Coalcracker]

I built mine from construction scraps.

 

[deputy]

both.......

i have an old.....for lack of a better term......air force desk i like to call it. Big, lots of metal, and heavy....very heavy......believe it was military surplus from a base closure.
Later on an uncle built me a rather nice wood reloading desk.......long and deep ,,,,,,,can really throw lots of stuff on it to keep me disorganized.

 

[Mike Weber]

I'm in the process of rebuilding mine. My old bench used one of those kits with plastic legs, couldn't handle the weight of all the ammo stored under it. New bench has steel angle iron legs on heavy duty casters built for some real heavy use.

 

[Square target]

I used treated 4x4's, 2x6's 2x4's, misc scrap wood and OSB. The only thing i would do differently would be to use a different or thicker material for the top. If you do a lot of rifle sizing i would make sure your bench is stable too. I actually cracked the top by one machine and had to put some sheet metal down to reinforce it. Fastening to a wall, making a L shaped bench and or putting shelves underneath with heavy stuff like ammo, lead or bullets will make it super stable.

 

[Stamps6]

It’s got to be strong, solid and I prefer that it be attached to a wall for stability. You need some shelves, the more the better. If you’re like me and like to sit on a stool then the proper height and it has to have some knee room. I know as I get older, lighting gets to be real important. I just put a new 48” double tube LED fixture over mine. I’m on the verge of building a new one for myself and as I said before I’ve got some granite counter tops I’ve been saving. I know it’s expensive but a great top is 3/4” Form Ply you get from a concrete forming yard. It’s about $75 a 4x8 sheet. It is coated with a high density ply. (Plastic), has 19 or 20 plys and no voids.

 

[underdog]

Search term =
Reloading Bench Plans and Designs
Results = Stuff like

Top 60 Best Reloading Bench Ideas - Room Designs

Discover the ultimate spaces for perfecting hand-loaded ammo with the top 60 best reloading bench ideas. Explore room designs for firearm enthusiasts.

nextluxury.com

 

[Wag]

Hoping this attachment works. I built this for my workbench in my garage, not specific to reloading but the reason I chose this design is because it's so easily adaptable to everything under the sun. Make it longer, shorter, higher, lower, add drawers or shelves or whatever else you like.

And dang, is it ever heavy. If I move, I'll likely just leave it here!

--Wag--

 

[AgedWarrior]

Artie, I build mine from scratch with simple materials. With the exception of the heavy countertop piece, all else is 2x4, 1x8, 1x10 and plywood. The materials are fairly obvious I guess and so is my poor carpenter skills, but the bench is strong, level and very stable. I built a similar bench at my last home in Iowa and it went through many years and many reloads without the slightest issue. I do not store bullets on the shelf below because I buy in bulk and really do not need that much weight on the shelving, though it would probably sustain it okay. Lighting is very important to me, especially when charging a full loading block, so I always have good lighting directly over the bench. I also tend to use three sides of the bench (front and both ends) to work from; that forces me to keep my bench relatively clear, but allows me to work in a smaller area. Additionally, my case trimmer and bench primer can be swapped out via two holes in the bench and both tools are mounted on a piece of 1x10 with aligning holes so they can be installed with bolts and wingnuts, and removed when not in use. I will take a couple extra pics and post later on this.

Bottom line, for me, the bench is cost effective and very usable for many years.

The following pic is of my bench in our home in Iowa before we moved.

 

[AgedWarrior]

This is my simple means of better utilizing space with my case trimmer and priming tool. When neither is installed I have plenty of space for powder charging or other work as I see fit.

 

[Philmo11]

I don’t know to what extent you want to go but there’s not a lot of room in my gun room so I used a metal workbench frame from Menards, 3/4” plywood under a counter top and anchored to the wall. The Formica top makes cleanups really easy. You will need to run a length of angle iron across the front underneath to help keep it from sagging over time. The front cross member isn’t very thick.

The other one is the same 3/4” plywood glued to the under side of the counter top and screwed down to an old tool stand, then anchored to the wall.

 

[Steyr Man 146]

I built mine

I am of a different style