Reloading Bench Photos

jshooter said:
pmclaine, That bench is amazing. Furniture quality.
Click to expand...


Its based on the NRMA/Shotgun sports plans. I was intending to build it myself but realized two kids, a day job, a good number of tools and just enough knowledge to be dangerous - I could see this being a big PITA. My wife suggested I contact a furniture builder in the Vermont/New Hampshire area we had bought some stuff from and ask if they could price it out. They put me in touch with their foreman that has his own business MinkBrook Studios - a great relationship developed and I got my bench for double the cost of materials I had priced out ($1K in plywood and etc as detailed in the NRMA plans). The materials from the furniture manufacturer are much better. I provided the 72 x 34 x 1.75 butcher block work top but the base and cabinet were done professionally. I would have spent more in my own labor, screwed up work and frustration. Anyone wants a bench they should contact Leo Breault at Mink Brook

http://www.minkbrookstudios.com/
 
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pmclaine, That is the bench I made, well the plans I used anyway. I used a panel saw at the lumber yard that I bought the stock at. They are a customer of mine so they didn't mind. If I had to attempt cutting the plywood freehand or with a straight edge and my circular saw it would look really bad so I can relate to your thought on enough knowledge to be dangerous. The butcher block top is awesome. It would be hard for me to drill a hole in that.
 
Wow pmclaine, your reloading area is wicked nice. I just have a simple bench I built myself with a 2x4 basics workbench legs kit, in my basically unfinished basement [grin].

Edit: I just noticed you have a Super 1050 [shocked] Nice!
 
Thank you for the positive comments. It was expensive but like I said less expensive than the value of my frustration, family battles and possible lost digits if I had done this on my own. The piece is substantial. Loaded down with supplies, tools, ammo etc I have to guess it weighs close to a literal ton and as a result the bench is rock steady without being wall mounted. I had to save for two years to get this but it was well worth the wait. Going down there to clean a gun, do a project, or reload is better therapy than sitting on Freuds couch.

Regards the S1050 it is an unbelievable machine. I have no previous reloading experience and this thing has worked flawlessly for this newby (and you can temper that description accounting for the fact I have only loaded 200 rds of .45 ACP through it as of this post - well see what happens if I can make it to 5-6K rounds with no issues). In the last two years I have read many threads concerning newbys and progressive machines and I am heeding the warnings. Its still untested but so far the S1050 is doing everything I expected (except for the teething issues on setup) and more.
 
BTSDOG said:
I bought my place in 87 and one of my top priorities was to put in a reloading room.....I got heavy into highpower rifle and reloading for every piece i own.....Then came my two beautiful daughters, and every thing got locked up for too many years.......Now that they've grown up, i'm dusting it all off and doing a little more shooting......just at a more leisurely pace......No more regimented shooting...............here's a few pics of my reloading room......enjoy...............
Click to expand...
Great setup and with humongous amount of room. You could have multiple hobbies using that area, no doubt.​
 
pmclaine said:
Thank you for the positive comments. It was expensive but like I said less expensive than the value of my frustration, family battles and possible lost digits if I had done this on my own. The piece is substantial. Loaded down with supplies, tools, ammo etc I have to guess it weighs close to a literal ton and as a result the bench is rock steady without being wall mounted. I had to save for two years to get this but it was well worth the wait. Going down there to clean a gun, do a project, or reload is better therapy than sitting on Freuds couch.

Regards the S1050 it is an unbelievable machine. I have no previous reloading experience and this thing has worked flawlessly for this newby (and you can temper that description accounting for the fact I have only loaded 200 rds of .45 ACP through it as of this post - well see what happens if I can make it to 5-6K rounds with no issues). In the last two years I have read many threads concerning newbys and progressive machines and I am heeding the warnings. Its still untested but so far the S1050 is doing everything I expected (except for the teething issues on setup) and more.
Click to expand...

Great reloading area...I wish I had the budget to start on a press like that!
 
Put a Dillon catalog in every bathroom, give up the extra beer or so and wait two years - it will happen.

I have some old Dillon catalogs if anyone wants them.
 
I'm married, two kids, and old enough to know whats attainable and whats beyond my reach (guess I cant be a congressman now), I can admire the eye candy but being a realist I only made plans to actually obtain things like the 1050 and the RF100.
 
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My humble reloading setup

2011-06-12_09-06-36_444.jpg
 
I'm not at all a fan of powder dippers. They are John Lee's contribution to some bad reloading practices. That is to say that some people rely on Lee's chart for the dippers, and never check the actual weight. I see that he has a digital scale, so I hope that he uses the scale to check powder weights.
 
I snapped the photo just before I measured out the first 308 charge for that day. I use the dipper first to get some powder in the pan, then i use a powder tickler on the beam scale to top it off to the charge weight. I confirm on the electronic scale.
 
View attachment 18544

Finally got to dig out my bench #2.....been reloading on top of a tool roll cab so far. Built this a while back with all free stuff right down to the construction adhesive.
I just have not had time to get in and organize yet.

Its a mess as my total work space for all my stuff safe,tools,reloading are confined to the only un finshed area in my basement other than next to the heater in the next room.

I have another reloading area off sight. That bench is a 1/3 scale of the reloading bench plans from the NRA, its stought and stiffer than this one. I also have a large Isles brand work bench with my shotshell reloaders set up on. This is aslo off sight as I do not have the space. I need to build a garage.
 
You need to get more stuff to fill up that room. It's awesome in my book.

Sent from the Hyundai of the droids, the Samsung Replenish, using Tapatalk.
 
I'm jealous. I simply don't have the room for reloading right now.
I've been saving brass for quite a while.

I need to ask you reloading folks...

I try to save most of my brass, planning to reload eventually. Am I hurting the integrity of the brass by storing it for a loooong time without running it in a tumbler???
 
SheepDog_B said:
I'm jealous. I simply don't have the room for reloading right now.
I've been saving brass for quite a while.

I need to ask you reloading folks...

I try to save most of my brass, planning to reload eventually. Am I hurting the integrity of the brass by storing it for a loooong time without running it in a tumbler???
Click to expand...

No, but you need to store it out of the humidity or it will corrode. Plastic baggies work pretty good. Ammo boxes aren't bad either.
 
more stuff, heck I had to move the drill press, table saw, belt sander and my fishing gear just to take the picture......my total area for all "my" junk is 10x6. I have to constantly rotate items depending on what I am doing next.
 
mac1911 said:
more stuff, heck I had to move the drill press, table saw, belt sander and my fishing gear just to take the picture......my total area for all "my" junk is 10x6. I have to constantly rotate items depending on what I am doing next.
Click to expand...

sounds familiar. I got tons of boxes to keep "similar" junk together.
 

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