Reloading footprint?
- Thread starter Shootin Chef
- Start date
26 years ago I was apartment bound but had purchased an RCBS RockChucker kit for reloading. I needed a sturdy table to do this on so I went about gathering material to build one. I found a section of plywood that was two sheets of exterior plywood glued together and used for a sign at a furniture store. It was out back in the dumpster so I took care of it for them. I purchased new 2x4's and long bolts with large washers and nuts. I built a sturdy table that breaks down when it is needed to be moved. The two wooden grenade boxes "used" to hold ALL of my reloading gear as well. Added shelves to them and turned them upright to create cabinets with doors. I still use this setup once a week. The footprint is pretty small and occupies just one wall of a bedroom. I have shelves above the table now that hold loaded ammo and supplies. 
Zippy, maybe I'm over-estimating the force required to seat a bullet into a case. It just seems to me that the plywood at the screw heads would begin to tear.
Yes, there is some deflection, but I've never worried about the connections failing. If it concerns you, then you could use a larger diameter column. Or, you could make it more elaborate and replace the column with sides and some internal shelves, but it would be a lot heavier.
Everettstiles
New member
Space for reloading
Nimrod:
In past years I've sat in motel rooms w/ a single-stage press clamped to the desk in the room and loaded thousands of rounds. Keep the stuff in the back floor-board of the car.
For a permanent setup, the best, most space-efficient place I've found and used in a couple of houses is under the stairwell, either in the basement (if dry) or on the main floor. Close in underneath the stairwell, add a door, and it's out of sight. Nail a strong timber to the studs and fasten a piece of cabinet top over that. If you have 6 in stud wall, installing thin slats gives you all the shelf space you'll likely need for bullets, dies, & whatever. A press bolts to one side of the bench. A Lee shotshell loader fits between two studs on the other side. Rifles can be hung horizontally on wooden pegs up and down the wall. Plenty of room for dead storage underneath the bench. Two 1 x 4's protruding low down from the wall w/ notches to fit a rifle provides a convenient holder to run a cleaning rod down the barrell. It works.
Nimrod:
In past years I've sat in motel rooms w/ a single-stage press clamped to the desk in the room and loaded thousands of rounds. Keep the stuff in the back floor-board of the car.
For a permanent setup, the best, most space-efficient place I've found and used in a couple of houses is under the stairwell, either in the basement (if dry) or on the main floor. Close in underneath the stairwell, add a door, and it's out of sight. Nail a strong timber to the studs and fasten a piece of cabinet top over that. If you have 6 in stud wall, installing thin slats gives you all the shelf space you'll likely need for bullets, dies, & whatever. A press bolts to one side of the bench. A Lee shotshell loader fits between two studs on the other side. Rifles can be hung horizontally on wooden pegs up and down the wall. Plenty of room for dead storage underneath the bench. Two 1 x 4's protruding low down from the wall w/ notches to fit a rifle provides a convenient holder to run a cleaning rod down the barrell. It works.
My reloading area takes up 25 square feet. (5'X5') That is enough space for two presses, shells, bullets, primers, powder, scales, press parts and loaded rounds. That also includes the space for me to work in. The reloading bench is 2'X4' and is just big enough to get the job done.
As far as a reloading bench is concerned, my 1½" thick, 6' x 2' top I added to this old desk is about as small as I'd consider efficient. I've found that I need to keep things neat to efficiently use the small space but after 135,000rds of 8 calibers, I'm happy with the layout. The other issue you'll need to address is where do you store all the other things you use like components, finished ammo, tumbler media, etc.?
chris in va
New member
I do it in my easy chair.
BigJakeJ1s
New member
For a bench located up against two walls in the corner of a room, you need more bench area than one that is only up against one wall, and still more than a bench that is located in the middle of the room, away from any wall. Think about bench space in terms of accessible "frontage" space. I reload very easily on a bench that is only about 22" by 28", but I have access to all four sides (including the shelves below). Mine is on heavy duty casters, so it rolls out when I need it, and back into its corner when I don't.
Andy
Andy
Portable table
Heres mine built out of plate 5/16 steel and 2" pipe. It swivels back to front
or whichever station I need to work on. Pretty stable and works for me in my bedroom. Right now its handy because the weather outside is cold wet and nasty. Moved from my storage building inside.
View attachment 67120
Heres mine built out of plate 5/16 steel and 2" pipe. It swivels back to front
or whichever station I need to work on. Pretty stable and works for me in my bedroom. Right now its handy because the weather outside is cold wet and nasty. Moved from my storage building inside.
View attachment 67120
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After many years of having to keep my loading mobile and portable, I finally have a whole room dedicated to my hobby. I never realized just how much space it consumes until having the luxury to unpack it all, mount it all, and provide shelving to stock supplies and brass on. It's so nice to have everything ready to use and easily at hand.
sc928porsche
New member
All the money I save on reloading 30-378, 300WM, 260 Rem, etc. is spent on 44mag, 9mm, and 45acp!!! Its not uncomon for me to go through a thousand rounds or so on a range day. Reloading just make your shooting hobby more enjoyable. Not only are you spending more time at the range, you get to spend a lot of time making up the ammunition. I find the reloading and shooting is much more enjoyable than bar hopping.
I've never liked the idea of a bench fully devoted to reloading. It takes up too much space that I've got other uses for and it looks untidy. I also don't like all my reloading gear bolted down, since I like to reload at the range:
Occasionally, I'll find myself at the cabin or someplace else where I want to be able to put together and test a few loads. For those times, I take along a portable kit consisting of a Lee hand press, Lee scale, Lee dippers, and an RCBS hand priming device.
This kit contains everything I need for first class reloads and packs into a Doskocil pistol case.
Occasionally, I'll find myself at the cabin or someplace else where I want to be able to put together and test a few loads. For those times, I take along a portable kit consisting of a Lee hand press, Lee scale, Lee dippers, and an RCBS hand priming device.
This kit contains everything I need for first class reloads and packs into a Doskocil pistol case.
WANT A LCR 22LR
New member
My Lee 1000 is bolted to a short piece of 3" angle then clamped into the bench vise. This way it can be put away when not in use. In any event, be sure to have a surdy mounting with a progressive press as the operator must have good feedback. If mounted on a springy surface the operator will things like a flipped primer or other issue.
Shootin Chef I use a spare bedroom for my reloading. A friend gave me an old kitchen island with storage and drawers that I use for my work station. It worked out great and saved me alot of time constructing something from scratch. I have my Lee single stage mounted on it along with my powder measure.
One thing that I have learned is to save all the plastic jars you can, Jiff peanut butter jars, Dukes mayonaise jars and the like, make great containers to store tumbled brass.
One thing that I have learned is to save all the plastic jars you can, Jiff peanut butter jars, Dukes mayonaise jars and the like, make great containers to store tumbled brass.
While it doesn't have to take up that much space I've found it's nice to have a dedicated space and some privacy when reloading. That's why I have a shed in the backyard that is dedicated to reloading. It's insulated and has a heater for the winter. I believe it's 14'X10' and I have a bench along both lengths. One is set up for reloading the other is set up for casting bullets. I also have many items that I just attach temporarily with a C-clamp. I can spend days in the shed just goofing off.
For the first several years I reloaded, I kept all my gear in a Rubbermaid tub, and just clamped the press to the picnic table outside, or the kitchen table inside, as weather permitted. So maybe 4 sq. ft.
Now I've graduated to a dedicated desk. Just a plain ol' used office desk, with the press clamped on it, and my gear in the drawers. So now, maybe 10 sq. ft.
Now I've graduated to a dedicated desk. Just a plain ol' used office desk, with the press clamped on it, and my gear in the drawers. So now, maybe 10 sq. ft.
silvercorvette
New member
This is as small as it gets, before I got this sears tool table I bought a Frankford arsenal table that cost a lot more than this but when it arrived from Midway it turned out to be a flimsy piece of plastic junk. I got this a long time ago but if I remember correctly it is rated to hold 300 pounds, I weigh about 250 and stood on it to test it, it is rock solid and I am pretty sure it cost less than half of the Midway bench
