Homemade reloading benchtop material?

[sp6x6]

 

[SmallHoles]

I'm a carpenter/cabinet builder and I bought this instead of building a benchhttps://www.samsclub.com/p/ultra-heavy-duty-workbench/prod1490086?xid=plp_product_1_5

I have something very similar I bought at Sears years ago.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I used a solid core 1-3/4" x 3' x 6'-8 door as a bench. I would go to a wider door and longer door. 1-3/4" x 4'6" x 8'-0" or something along that line. It also depends on the area you have to setup in. Where I have singe stage press at I put a steel plate under it, or a plywood section would work, attached on the bottom side of the door where the press goes. Something like a 12" square and attach at the four corners from the bottom side into the solid core door. You don't have to go through the door to attach the plywood. leaving the top smooth. I have several PW. presses and just bolt it to the top, large or wide washer on the bottom side to spread the load over a wider area( use wider washer where bolting through the door in all places on bottom side)It spread the load. Along the back wall I put a 2 x 4 attached to the wall touching the door on top to keep it from filling. I have a corner and place a 2 x 4 above and below the door to hold it in place. I set up something at the other end to hold it up along with something to store materials under neath it. I have been use this for about 38 years.

If you get a door to do the job, Be sure it's a solid core door. They are heavier than the normal interior door. It will take two people to handle the other door.

Mike

 

[Mooseknuckles]

I used 3/4 ply wood and topped it with flooring material I had laying around. Made for a nice smooth finish. The side I have my case trimmer and charge master lite in is stainless steel.

 

[ntsqd]

FWIW there's a thread on the snipers hide forum covering this topic with a lot of pics in it.

 

[blkdog]

I made mine from a military surplus steel office desk. reinforced the top writing shelf with 3/4 in plywood and mounted my press. handy drawers and shelves too. It has been working fine for 40 years.

 

[Rflshootr]

I like it but I've got four presses (Lee Classic, Forster Co-ax, Dillon 550c, Hornady PnP AP) to fit on my bench and I think that will be too small

Buy 2 and put them back to back, in line or on a 90* in a corner

 

[ghhunter]

I like it but I've got four presses (Lee Classic, Forster Co-ax, Dillon 550c, Hornady PnP AP) to fit on my bench and I think that will be too small

Check out products by Inline Fabrication.Helps a lot with bench organization.

 

[Philward]

I just saw some acacia slabs at Home Depot that would be a really nice bench top...1.5" thick I think.

 

[JJMoody]

Am I the only one who just happened to have 24" wide glu-lam beam cutoffs hanging around?
Old boss actually screwed the pooch on a fairly complicated cut and was gonna trash a 10' beam....

 

[scott0303]

Couple pieces of 3/4 plywood glued together then screwed and glued to the countertop. Press bolted through 2x4. No give at all.

 

[adk hunter]

One thing I forgot I did and didn't see above was I hilti-gun shot and glued a 2x4 base to the cement floor so the legs are screwed down too.

 

[KyCarl]

I stained and polyurethaned mine but it's really not necessary. Makes it nicer to wipe off.
Some sanding on the edges and it's not bad at all.
Cool tunes too Harmon Kardon and JBL My own little world.

 

[Dr. Vette]

The big box stores will sell laminate countertops in select colors and in lengths starting at roughly 10' and on 2' increments upward. And they are pretty cheap. Buy one of the proper length, I'd recommend a light colored one as many reloading parts are small and light is a huge factor in a reloading room. Then get yourself a piece of 3/4" plywood and a tube of PL200 construction adhesive in a tube. Cut the plywood to match the bottom of the countertop. Glue AND screw it to the bottom of the countertop. I made a base frame to support the bench out of 2x6. Anchored it to studs in the wall.

This is similar to what I did in my last house, but I just used particle board rather than 3/4" plywood as the underlayer. When you glue it in place while holding with clamps, it's not going to go anywhere once you glue and screw, then screw to the cabinets underneath.

I pity the person who tries to take apart that bench top if they decide to re-do the work room.