Alpo Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Good people. I am looking for suggestions. I have just gotten a new reloading bench. It is 7 foot long and 15 inches wide. And I am trying to decide where to put what. My last loading bench was about 4 foot square, and I used probably less than two square feet of it. I had my press on one side at the corner, and then go around the corner and there was my powder measure. And the rest of the bench was just full of junk. Can you say "damn that boy's sloppy"? So I'm looking for suggestions. I'm not necessarily saying that I would accept them, but I would like to hear them. Put the press at the right end? At the left end? In the middle? Wherever I put the press I'm pretty sure that I want the powder measure on the left side of it. That's just what I'm used to. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horace Patootie, SASS #35798 Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 You might need more room. Is the table bolted to the wall so it doesn't tip ? Mine is 2 feet by 8 feet and have 5 presses on it. You never have enough room ! Horace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted August 26 Author Share Posted August 26 3 minutes ago, Horace Patootie, SASS #35798 said: Is the table bolted to the wall so it doesn't tip It will be. I just got it in the room a couple of days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Big tables collect stuff. If you want a clean workspace, make it small. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Lizard Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Be careful asking that question here...Someone might tell you... Texas Lizard Any place that works well for you.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Two 6" wide shelves across the back, tall enough to fit a bottle of powder. Use for your dies, primers, propellants, and projectiles, and miscellaneous tools. Powder measure near the middle of the bench, press to its right. That leaves the left half of the bench for your handbooks, reloading blocks, and empty cartridge boxes. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Here’s a shot of my bench from last year. That pink thing on the right is a chunk of pool “noodle” to cover the handle on my RCBS Automatic Primer. The first day I mounted it there I walked into the handle bruising my hip. My bench is 5’ long. The powder measure, priming tool and press are to the right. The lefts side is open for working on guns or whatever. Now my bench has 2 lamps. One just didn’t cut it. I like light when I am working reloading. 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Make the top thicker before you bolt anything to it. At a minimum it needs to be doubled. I would remove the top, reinforce it with a couple of 2X8's, then replace the top. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Oh, and by the way, that is the nearest that bench has ever been except when it was newly built. Mine’s always cluttered. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Kit Cool Gun Garth Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 OK.. I'll say it.... "damn that boy's sloppy" Just did a search with the above quote and this is what showed up. So... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 My loading bench. A very simple set-up. As I'm retired, I have a lot of time on my hands, especially in winter, so that's when I load for the following season. Just a few at a time. I have a lot of .45 Colt and .45 Cowboy Special brass for CAS so it works out well. Shelves are anchored to studs beneath the Gyproc. The room itself is in a corner of the basement, with no windows and was purpose built, with the walls facing the rest of the basement "Purpose Built, reinforced, wired and alarmed with a sturdy steel clad door and the entire room is monitored and alarmed. You may think this is overkill, but it's where I store my toys, (In a steel safe with other security features) but you must remember I live in Socialist (We hate Guns In the Hands Of Citizens) Canada, where ANY infraction of the rules will earn you confiscation, banning, prohibition orders and/or any other Punishment by Process. 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stump Water Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 9 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said: Make the top thicker before you bolt anything to it. At a minimum it needs to be doubled. I would remove the top, reinforce it with a couple of 2X8's, then replace the top. This. Even after, mount the press closer to an end/over a leg. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 (edited) Some pix of mine. When I built the top out of 2 layers of plywood, I cut the top one an eighth short and added the sixteenth aluminum around the edge so I can hang an Akron Bin wherever needed. The loader on the left is now a Grabber and there are threaded inserts in the middle section to hold down other loaders that are mounted to pieces of multi layer cabinet plywood. Edited August 26 by Eyesa Horg Added text 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 40 minutes ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said: My loading bench. A very simple set-up. As I'm retired, I have a lot of time on my hands, especially in winter, so that's when I load for the following season. Just a few at a time. I have a lot of .45 Colt and .45 Cowboy Special brass for CAS so it works out well. Shelves are anchored to studs beneath the Gyproc. The room itself is in a corner of the basement, with no windows and was purpose built, with the walls facing the rest of the basement "Purpose Built, reinforced, wired and alarmed with a sturdy steel clad door and the entire room is monitored and alarmed. You may think this is overkill, but it's where I store my toys, (In a steel safe with other security features) but you must remember I live in Socialist (We hate Guns In the Hands Of Citizens) Canada, where ANY infraction of the rules will earn you confiscation, banning, prohibition orders and/or any other Punishment by Process. Dang braggart. One bottle of Trail Boss and THREE bottles of Clays! Oh yeah...nice bench. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 First Up, I'm with the guys advising the top to your bench is not thick/heavy enough. Needs be at least two/three times as thick. Next, Iffin your Right handed, mount your press toward the right end of the bench and your powder measure about a foot, foot and a half to the left of the press. And lose those two file cabinets. The stuff that's in the file cabinets has been there for years and you don't really need it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 22 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said: Dang braggart. One bottle of Trail Boss and THREE bottles of Clays! Oh yeah...nice bench. It's an older picture. The Trail Boss and the CLAYS bottles are now empty. The last of it was loaded in .45 Colt cases for my rifle. I'm now loading Titegroup in Starline .45 Cowboy Specials for my SAA's Not sure what I'll try in the .45 Colt loads once the last of the loaded cartridges are used. I like a bulky powder in those large .45 Colt cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 1 hour ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said: I have one of those Trail Boss bottles and it’s nearly full. It’s too bad we don’t have a legal quick way to ship it. I would send it to you so you would have a set. I really don’t care for TB. Pretty sure that noise I just heard was a collective “WHAT?” 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 2 minutes ago, Pat Riot said: I have one of those Trail Boss bottles and it’s nearly full. It’s too bad we don’t have a legal quick way to ship it. I would send it to you so you would have a set. I really don’t care for TB. Pretty sure that noise I just heard was a collective “WHAT?” HUMMMM Free TB It might be worth me renewing my passport and driving down!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 (edited) 3 hours ago, Pat Riot said: I have one of those Trail Boss bottles and it’s nearly full. It’s too bad we don’t have a legal quick way to ship it. I would send it to you so you would have a set. I really don’t care for TB. Pretty sure that noise I just heard was a collective “WHAT?” That makes two of us. TB is some nasty, dirty stuff. In keeping with the bench thread though, it looks great on a bench...folks think you're rich and all. I'm with the double the top, bolt it to the wall and get rid of the filing cabinets crowd also. Edited August 26 by Cypress Sun 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 1 hour ago, Cypress Sun said: That makes two of us. TB is some nasty, dirty stuff. Yep and it smells like hot used soapy water when fired. @Alpo My suggestions 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.D. Daily Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 At least when the drawer slide mount to cabinet fails the draw will not fall very far. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.D. Daily Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 I used 3/4" particle board clamped to the top of a desk that was lag screwed to studs. Also I mounted a cookie sheet between my MEC Jr and bench top. The cookie sheet prevents the inevitable spilled shot from scattering all over the floor. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 (edited) 18 hours ago, J.D. Daily said: At least when the drawer slide mount to cabinet fails the draw will not fall very far. They're heavy duty slides and amazingly don't sag at all. The drawer only clears the bench by an eighth inch. Top drawer as more bullets and tools. The bullet bins have a slanted front, so it's easy to scoop out bullets into a small Akro bin that hangs next to the SDB when loading. I've used that rail to place bins more than I expected when I built it! At the Grabber I can hang hulls to the left and wads to the right. Finished shells go into a bin next to the hulls. Edited August 27 by Eyesa Horg Typo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracos Kid Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 7 hours ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said: It's an older picture. The Trail Boss and the CLAYS bottles are now empty. The last of it was loaded in .45 Colt cases for my rifle. I'm now loading Titegroup in Starline .45 Cowboy Specials for my SAA's Not sure what I'll try in the .45 Colt loads once the last of the loaded cartridges are used. I like a bulky powder in those large .45 Colt cases. I see that you have used Clays, as that is my preferred powder. I checked with Hodgdon to see what was comparable since Clays is no longer available, and they assured me to use HP38, as it is the same exact powder......Just so you might have an interest.... 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted August 27 Author Share Posted August 27 1 hour ago, Gracos Kid said: I see that you have used Clays, as that is my preferred powder. I checked with Hodgdon to see what was comparable since Clays is no longer available, and they assured me to use HP38, as it is the same exact powder......Just so you might have an interest.... Are you sure of that? The reason I ask is that Winchester 231 is the exact same powder as Hodgdon HP 38. And it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to make two identical powders and give them different names. Plus, a little quick research here on the web says that Clays is a flake powder. HP 38 is a ball. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 my take on this is that you need to setr it up for your pattern in reloading , are you only mounting one machine ? i have three , it makes a difference and usage dictates the position , i put the less used in the less prime real-estate without sacrificing use , gonna need shelf space for components too , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 3 hours ago, Gracos Kid said: I see that you have used Clays, as that is my preferred powder. I checked with Hodgdon to see what was comparable since Clays is no longer available, and they assured me to use HP38, as it is the same exact powder......Just so you might have an interest.... A quick check of load data at Hodgdon's reloading data center shows that this is 1000% wrong. As you can clearly see the starting load for HP-38 is greater than the maximum load for Clays. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME As Alpo pointed out Clays is a flake powder and HP-38 is a Spherical/ball powder. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracos Kid Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 (edited) 15 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said: A quick check of load data at Hodgdon's reloading data center shows that this is 1000% wrong. As you can clearly see the starting load for HP-38 is greater than the maximum load for Clays. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME As Alpo pointed out Clays is a flake powder and HP-38 is a Spherical/ball powder. 17 hours ago, Alpo said: Are you sure of that? The reason I ask is that Winchester 231 is the exact same powder as Hodgdon HP 38. And it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to make two identical powders and give them different names. Plus, a little quick research here on the web says that Clays is a flake powder. HP 38 is a ball. This was the reply I got from Hodgdon when I inquired about what powder to use since Clays was no longer available. It appeared from their response that Clays was the same as HP 38 and Win 231 ......I have not purchased or used either, but will consider when I need to buy more......But I do appreciate your information as to the difference in load pressure values. I am very careful with reloading, and will always load from the prescribed data......Thanks for your input as well..... I stand corrected..... Edited August 27 by Gracos Kid Added infor 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted August 27 Author Share Posted August 27 Kid, I see your confusion. What Curtis meant was that HP 38 and Winchester 231 were the same powder as each other. Not that they were the same powder as Clays. As each other. And either of them would make a good substitute for Clays. Not a direct load for load substitute. But they all have a similar burning rate and would work fine in the same class of cartridges. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 6 hours ago, Gracos Kid said: This was the reply I got from Hodgdon when I inquired about what powder to use since Clays was no longer available. It appeared from their response that Clays was the same as HP 38 and Win 231 ......I have not purchased or used either, but will consider when I need to buy more......But I do appreciate your information as to the difference in load pressure values. I am very careful with reloading, and will always load from the prescribed data......Thanks for your input as well..... I stand corrected..... I would ask them again, but ask if Universal is the same as Clays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 Don't guess, get a solid, published reference book, or visit the manufacturer site online. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 (edited) Messy? Amateurs! If you're right handed, I would put the press on the right side so you can set your loading tray and bullets on the left, convenient to pick up with your left hand. It seems clumsy to mount it on the left and either do everything with your right hand, or transfer cases & bullets from your right hand to your left hand to feed into the press. Probably why the press frame is offset to the right, to make a slightly bigger window for your left hand to work in. Edited August 28 by Three Foot Johnson 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 Whoa! And here I was feeling messy. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 1 hour ago, Three Foot Johnson said: Messy? Amateurs! If you're right handed, I would put the press on the right side so you can set your loading tray and bullets on the left, convenient to pick up with your left hand. It seems clumsy to mount it on the left and either do everything with your right hand, or transfer cases & bullets from your right hand to your left hand to feed into the press. Probably why the press frame is offset to the right, to make a slightly bigger window for your left hand to work in. You are my hero! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 On 8/25/2024 at 5:56 PM, Alpo said: Good people. I am looking for suggestions. I have just gotten a new reloading bench. It is 7 foot long and 15 inches wide. And I am trying to decide where to put what. My last loading bench was about 4 foot square, and I used probably less than two square feet of it. I had my press on one side at the corner, and then go around the corner and there was my powder measure. And the rest of the bench was just full of junk. Can you say "damn that boy's sloppy"? So I'm looking for suggestions. I'm not necessarily saying that I would accept them, but I would like to hear them. Put the press at the right end? At the left end? In the middle? Wherever I put the press I'm pretty sure that I want the powder measure on the left side of it. That's just what I'm used to. Any thoughts? Where to put what? Put it in my work shop and let me worry about the rest. See? Problem solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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