Range Reloading Bench *** FYI ***

R

ronsroom1

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Ever get to the range and find there were none, or they were all taken. Since we all hall the kitchen sink to the range, one more piece of equipment won't matter. Saw one of these at a shoot and decided to make one myself. If you don't have a 10in. table saw, or access to one, Lowes or Home Depot will cut the wood, ( nominal charge,( any port in a storm )). I used 3/4 in. plywood, ( S1S ) surfaced one side; no giant knots. Mine measures 48 wide by 30 deep. More than enough room for all my range equipment. I just used dry wall screws, and never got around to edging it, never saw the need to. The legs were the hard part, locating them, that is. It was either Ace or True Value. Once the wood was cut, assembly was ,Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am. Posted this in case anybody might be interested, RonPicture 275.jpgPicture 269.jpgPicture 270.jpgPicture 271.jpgPicture 273.jpg
 
Use it for a while with your press and powder measure clamped on till you're sure you know where you want them, then drill mounting holes and put T-nuts in the bottom. I also mounted my cleaning cradle to the end this way...carry the hex capscrews and an allen wrench together to speed setup. Armor-Seal satin from Rockler has held up amazingly well for me, and it's easy to apply.

Jim

PS: "Banquet table legs" are the keywords when you're trying to find them.
 
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That table looks good. How is the weight?
An option that comes to mind is a plastic table sold at Sam's Club which I believe is called a banquet table. They come in 4' or 6' with the same legs as yours.
Hoping to keep it light, wood could still be installed at key stress points for tools.
Jim's Tee-nuts are a good idea as well.
 
The plastic banquet tables dont' work very well. I built two a few years ago, just like what's shown at the top of this thread. The one consideration I took into account when building, is what I would be hauling it in. Since I had a couple of cars that I might be using, I measured the trunks and designed the table to lay flat in them. Not the perfect size (always want more room) but is quite functional. I can load my table, two guns, rests, two chairs and all the reloading equipment and supplies for a week at the nationals in the trunk of a C5 vette.

Hovis
 
Weight is 36 lbs.
3/4 in. Plywood is heavy.
As far a hauling stuff goes, I have an Avalanche, so space is not an issue.
I would not drill holes in my Harrell, or Sinclair equip. to mount it to the bench. Comes the time that I can no longer shoot it, My thoughts are guys will not buy equip. with holes drilled in it, unless you are giving it away. I'll just keep using "C" clamps.
Thanks for the reply's Guys.
Let me know if anyone builds one.
Ron
 
There are hundreds of us that have built such a table. Three quarter plywood is a bit excessive unless you intend to FL size and 24 inches is more than enough depth for most applications. Find something that will tightly plug the legs to keep dirt out of your vehicle when those rubber cups fall off in a couple of uses. Moist earth will pack in the legs only to dry and fall out later. Extra time spent with some shellac or similar sealant will pay off as well. Try to avoid a great looking paint job as you don't need to create something else to worry about. It's just a tool......

Accessories to add are a lightweight plastic tarp that is just large enough to cover the table with all your stuff on it and a squeeze clamp for each corner. Fold the tarp and put the clamps on it for storage until its inevitable need. Never rely on a camper awning or an EZ-UP to keep your table dry. Actually, you can't have too many tarps and squeeze clamps but the one you use to cover your table needs to be as small as possible because every time you use it......you have to un-use it and the larger the tarp the more difficult it is to dry and fold.
 
Another nifty thing a friend of mine did on his hand made table was put velcro on it where his rifle cleaning cradle would sit with the other half of the velcro on the cradle. The cradle stays put then, no sliding. Easy and simple and very nice.

Carp
 
I make two tables from each set of legs. Put a single leg on the rear (A hinged 2X6 with an adjustable chain is one way) and you'll never worry about it rocking around. The chain and some eye hooks and small 'biners makes it easy to secure all your junk from flopping too.....

I have one 'U' shaped top where the rear leg has a pop-out seat on it. Lean back and the front picks up to pivot.

Use a router to make grab hannles once't you find the balance.

Use a router to make holes for shellboxes/coffee cup/pens and pencils/asstd gear covering the bottom with window screen or hardware cloth. You can even have holes for solvents and hangers for cleaning rods.

al
 
black & decker workmate is a little small but hard to beat for just reloading
 
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