Cluttered and messy reloading bench

[Ian]

I don't know if any of you watch Jerry Miculek's utoob videos, but if you have I'm sure you noticed the wall behind the presses in his loading room. 1x shelves bowing so badly with boxes of jax bullets that the only thing keeping it all up is the fact that it's full-density all the way to the floor. That may have left an impression on me, for I made my loading room shelves out of 2x12s and none of them are more than 3.5' long.

 

[Cherokee]

All my shelving is 2x12's by 36" max. I have a large room 12X10 for reloading & storage, still it's not enough for over 50 years accumulation.

 

[Gary]

What mess? Almost looks like the work of a Anal Retentive.

 

[JonB]

My "ammo" shelving it also made from prefinished 2 x 8's that came from a old, well built scrapped out waterbed frame.

My cast bullet storage shelves are made from very vintage Oak dining table leafs. Space between bullet storage shelves allows only for one mayo jar...so I can't stack and make the shelves bend.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

I'm doing better. It possible to find lost things when not looking-if you know what I mean.

 

[Glaciers]

Well I thought I'd bring this old thread back up because I just added a little something to make my bench work better for me. I've been fairly successful at keeping most clutter to a minimum. I'm not sure if that means I'm not use my loading room as much as I should, but I'm trying. Anyway with the presses set on the bench where I want them (subject to change) I'm always having to reach around or past the press to get to the loading block.
So I had a couple of 1&1/8 inch plywood 8.5" X 8" all ready painted. Had a 1/2" oak dowel laying around, so I end drilled into the blocks and inserted the dowels, 2 to each. Then drilled 2 corresponding holes in the bench in between presses. The benches are made from glue lam beams so lots of meat to drill into. They are removable and rigid. They are tight to the bench, but slightly below the press, and they don't get in the way of the operation of the handle throw. Like them so far.

 

[Cherokee]

Good idea, did something similar using 3/4" wood & 1/4" steel welding rod. Need ended so to storage until needed again. It's nice when you can solve problems yourself.

 

[Ian]

That's one heluva bench top, John!

I crammed a lot of presses and sizers together on my benches just like you did, leaving just the bare minimum for loading blocks, bullet boxes, and space to to work. I also have shallow benches because any more than about 16" deep goes to waste and becomes piled with clutter. I considered "convertible" spaces and drop-leaves but nixed it because I'm not responsible enough to ever clear them off and stow them when not in use.

 

[Glaciers]

Yeah I went 24" because I store as many bullets on the back 6", they got to go somewhere and the weight helps the bench. I have overhead cabinets which are 12 inches, so with the bullet storage I only have 18 inches of bench top to clutter.
The bench being 3&1/2 inches thick allows for a lot of versatility.

 

[fiver]

I built my back bench deep and then put a pair of short benches to hold the powder dumps on, right behind the presses, and built them just high enough to slide small stuff like a 505 scale, or a case trimmer underneath.
then put a simple shelf up higher for stuff like most of my reloading books, and the next brass to be loaded on.
I'm still looking for an old school kitchen cabinet to replace the long shelf, and the lower benches on the wall.
the side benches are a lot thinner and the shelves above them barely allow room for the presses with a 550 tool head behind on the bench.
I like shelves, and I'm okay with a bunch of this and that on them, but I can't stand a bunch of clutter on the bench itself.