Finally!

[Bisley]

Got my reloading bench installed. A gentleman from church, semiretired construction contractor, measured and attached it to the poured concrete foundation, in considetation of 100 rounds of .308 Winchester. It sits inside the garage, with tapcon screws holding to to the wall, and 4x4 posts providing vertical support. It's about 42 inches off the floor, so I don't have to lean over too far to work. Two feet deep and twelve feet long. Can fit my press, measure, a vice (to sharpen tools, etc.) and space to put the chainsaw for sharpening. That's the homemade freestanding bench on the left, 2x4 feet with 2x4 supports and a shelf beneath, from when I lived in less spacious quarters. Reloading equipment and supplies along the top. Cleared up a bunch of floor space in the garage. Now I can start loading when it warms up a bit. Garage is not heated.

 

[S Mac]

Looking good.

 

[Bisley]

One thing about the bench, though.

I have gotten a couple of suprised reactions to its height. At 42+ inches, I am not leaning over everything for long periods; I can stand up straight without straining my back. Yet men who see the bench seem surprised, like this never occurred to them. Then they nurse sore backs.

 

[Cherokee]

I built mine at 36" and have used it for 40+ years. If I were to build it today, it would be at 40" based on my experience. If 42" works for you, then great; differences between bodies and style.

 

[Intheshop]

Going to be lots of enjoyment there Bisley.

 

[Ian]

My old one when I first built my shop was 42", perfect stool height for me. When I built my house and moved the reloading stuff indoors, I changed over to sitting mode and the benches are very low, IIRC 30". The casting bench is 28", just barely enough to get my knees under so I can work low and take the load off my shoulders. It was awkward at first but sitting with good posture in a rolling secretary's chair is mo'betta for the long run on my knees, hips, and back. The old reloading bench became a drill press and grinder bench in the shop, no bending over to see what you're doing there, either.

Also, being perpetually annoyed with modern house dimensions, I made every doorway 3-0, the bathroom countertops kitchen height (36") and the kitchen counters 40". That means a 4" platform under the stove and dishwasher and an extra-deep undermount sink, but it is soooo much more comfortable.

 

[Spindrift]

Very nice!

 

[fiver]

42 is my bench height also.
kitchen cabinets slide right under there, and the height is perfect for 2 shelves.
if I wanna sit down I use one of those higher bar stool type chairs..

 

[Walks]

Mine are 42" & 40" and I use 24" stools. Works great for me, I'm long-bodied.
I was surprised to find out that folks stand up to load. I've loaded/cast sitting on my rear just about my whole life.

 

[fiver]

if you have a pile of progressive presses sitting down isn't really an option.
your either needing a little leverage or getting up every 5 minutes for more stuff.

 

[Walks]

I have everything organized Before I sit down to Load. Ya just gotta have enough plastic bins.

Learned that from My Dad. He used to have enough stuff set up to load 500 rds of Shotgun ammo. Never had to move when loading. Primers on the bench right behind the press. BIG Box of empty hulls on the left, Bags of wads on the right. A case of empty boxes on the left on the shelf under the bench, an empty shotshell case on the right to put full boxes into.

He built "Dispenser Boxes" for empty hulls and wads out of plywood, He could build anything with His old ShopSmith. Wished I still had mine.

 

[fiver]

500 is like an hours work.
I'm out of powder/shot/primers about halfway through that. so they need a re-fill.
the wad baskets, and primer tray both hold 300 and the hull baskets hold 125 each.
I don't need to clear the bench until I hit 1-K rounds.
I keep the shot in 10lb containers, and powder in 1 lber's, so it's really a quick turn around with no struggling, every 2 hull baskets.
I usually run 5-6K rounds at a time [or over 2 days if I'm lazy] since that's what the bin holds, then sit down sort and box everything later in the week.

 

[Walks]

One Hour on a MEC 600 JR. will get you about 300rds.
We boys were THRILLED when Dad bought a 650. Production more then Doubled, especially with the Auto Primer Feed. Of course that was almost 60yrs ago.

These Days I load about 15-20 Boxes a year. Most with a Buddy that still Cowboy Shoots. I Can't handle the recoil. Both Shoulders are gone. Can barely handle the recoil from light cast loads over Unique or 2400. Half a dozen or so from My Grandfather's Model 12 20ga are all I can handle come Quail Season.

But the Hornady APEX Progressive turns them out smooth and fast. One session a year, about an hour and a half is as fast as I can go.

When I came home from The Navy in 1975, they had closed Winchester West Trap & Skeet Range to build the Container farm for L.A. Harbor.

Progress stinks.

 

[Bret4207]

If you ever get around to using the chainsaw enough that you're doing a lot of sharpening- Find a nice solid tree trunk about 18-24" through, a species that doesn't rot in a week like Basswood or Popple. Cut it just about elbow height and set it on it's end. Get yourself a "Stump Vise" from a chainsaw supply place or Ebay. Drive that sucker into the end of the log and you will find out it's the greatest thing since sliced bread and bottled beer combined. I used a vice in my shop for years and there was never enough room around it, even swiveling the base, to make every saw (I have 30 some I think) easy to file. Now I have the stump vise just outside the door to my saw shed and I can easily get access to all the saws, no matter how long or short the bar. No worries about oil and gas drips and the light is always good...except at night of course!

 

[fiver]

they finally upgraded the 650 to the 750, it's the 650 with the 550's primer slide.
I'm semi-patiently putting my nickels in order waiting for them to offer the frame upgrade.
I don't know why they didn't do it that way to begin with.

 

[Bret4207]

What the stump vise suggestion looks like-

 

[fiver]

Bret.
I'm kind of disappointed.
you couldn't even tie a midget heroine to that buzz saw, I'm guessing your still using the rail road tracks like in the old days.

 

[Bret4207]

You forget, I was Dudley Doright, not Snidley Whiplash! My buzzsaw is strictly for firewood. The only maiden sawing I do is is when I see one walking down the street, then I can say I saw her!

 

[fiver]

 

[CZ93X62]

The sawing of maidens is poor form, on many levels.

My bench height is 40", concrete surface to bottom of deck. This works well with bar stools or workshop stools, or while standing up. I am 6'2" with 34" pants inseam, if that helps.