my apartment reloading bench

[bluebayou]

I can't compete with Mac's reloading room, but here is my apartment-sized reloading bench.  I fits in the closet too. 


I haven't figured out how to finish the doors.  I am on vacation for the next 12 days and plan on getting it done then.  I used Luan for the the paneling part of it.  I have always liked mahogany and the Luan is a much cheaper alternative.  I needed something to match the furniture too.  Other than the corner molding and a Grade C 2x4 the rest was my scrap.  I used the Minwax Red Mahogany Gel to thickly stain the 2x12 top.  Honestly, it works better than it looks and secures everything from the kids.  It is only a 2x2 work area, but it is only a 2x2 footprint also.  Any comments would be appreciated.

[quickdtoo]

Looks like a fine piece of craftsmanship and good enough for who and what it's for!! That's what my grandpa use to tell me!

Tim

[Mac11700]

Blue...

If it works for ya...don't worry...I lived in an apartment for 10 years before getting remarried...and I know just how tight space can be...

If you have them in your area...check out a cabnet liquidator...You may be able to find some pre-made cabnet doors to fit...If not...Go with 1/2" oak and stain to match your funiture...Lowes has the Foster wood bits to cut the perfect round holes for the hidden hinges I used...they run around $12.00...and the hinges are about $3.50 a-piece...

My apartment set up wasn't as nice as yours is...I had a black & decker workmate I used...and heavy cardboard boxes for everything else...

Mac

[Coastwatcher]

Looks like you did it right.   2x4s may not be pretty but a good loading bench has to be sturdy and heavy enough to stay put when you are pushing and pulling on the press.  My bench lifts when I'm pulling up on the handle.   A better setup is on my to do list.

[bluebayou]

I had a 2x12 over folding sawhorses for a bench prior to this.  It folded up really nice, but it torqued over when using the sizing die.  This new table doesn't budge. 

Thanks for the words of encouragement.  Just wanted to share to show others that you can have a small, functional bench.  Thanks for the tip on the cabinet shop.  There are a couple of places in the next town over that make cabinets.  Otherwise, I will get some oak as you suggest.  I already bought some hidden, Euro hinges.  I actually wanted the B&D Workmate so that I could fold it up, but I can't find one anywhere.  It is on my Christmas list.

[Mac11700]

Here...both Lowes & Home Depot carry them...and the generic ones too...Nice thing about the work mates...they double as a portable shooting bench as well ...Something I still use mine for when needed..

Mac

[cheatermk3]

A 2x2 work area may seem small, but it's my experience that no matter how much benchtop I have, I will eventually fill it up, and have to clear an area to do my work.  That usually winds up being about 12x24... inches!

My first bench, in my sirst real garage/shop, was 3 wide and 15 feet long.  I had no trouble cluttering it up.

[Busta]

bluebayou,

That will work just fine. I built a bench similar to that (28"x36") 20 years ago and it still works today. That was when I was in the Air Force, living in base housing. My Rock Chucker looks to be the same vintage as yours, but they all looked that way for alot of years. My FIL has one from the 50's/60's I believe, it's identical to mine except his has the cast aluminum tray instead of the plastic. Mine only gets used for punching out primers and priming my .25 ACP brass for my muzzleloader ignition any more. I mostly just use muzzleloaders any more for deer/elk and I only own one center fire rifle these days (.223 Ultra Varmint). Don't hunt with the Ruger Redhawk in .44 mag any more, too hard on the ears and I don't like wearing hearing protection while hunting.

Thanks for the memories though. Those kids toys took me back to when my kids were just little shavers. I used to let my boy help punch out spent primers out of my .44 brass, but after that was done then he had to go upstairs so I could do the serious stuff. You sure don't want any distractions when loading. Made me chuckle when I thought back to him sitting there with the safety glasses on and a grin from ear to ear. That little boy is in his second year of college now and my daughter is a senior in high school. Boy they sure grow up quick!

[D.C.]

Hello bluebayou
 That looks like a fine little bench. You can use it were you want to ,and put it away when you are done. Looks like we have the same press.  Mine was called a Jr. got it when i was fourteen. it started out on my dads work bench out in the garage. It has been on several others since then. My latest bench was only a small one. It was a 3' long section of of 2x8 attached to a grid of 2x4s screwed to the wall in a largish storage closet.  Now all my stuff is packed away again for another move. Your little bench looks grand to me. D.C.

[cpj]

Heres mine, an old amplifier cabinet with a 1 inch thick oak top that was salvaged from my cousins barn that was leveled by a tornado a few years back. I salvaged the boards, ran them through the planer and glued up the top. The barn was over 100 years old. Nice press BTW, I got one just like it.

[bluebayou]

LOL, looks like everyone has the same RCBS press.  Mine is a garage sale special at $10.  A guy at the range looked at my brass one time and told me that it was ruined and was about to have head separation.  Why do you say that?  Because of marks at the webbing.  "Your press must be bent and not moving straight."  Oh, okay.  Like to see someone bend it. 

Busta, my four year old likes to run the Powder Pro and do the seating die.  Obviously, he can't cycle the die for resizing, but it is the thrill of the week to make bullets.  We got some strange looks from the neighbors when he told their kid that we were in the kitchen making bullets the other day.