Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Build a Reloading Bench in a Super Tight Space?

My only space for a reloading bench is inside a 64" wide closet with sliding doors. And I only get HALF of the closet!

HELP! Anyone ever tried to build a workable reloading bench setup in a space this small?

The bench top can be a maximum of 32 inches from side to side and 23 inches from front to back. Of the 32 inches, 10 inches on the right hand side can't be reached from the front because the frame of the closet doors is smaller than the inside space. In other words, even though the closet is 64" wide, the doors are only 46" wide. I'm imagining that area to be good for nothing but storage.

The only dimension that has some reasonable space is vertical: I can put shelves above it up to the ceiling at 8 feet.

I'm using a single-stage press, the RCBS Rockchucker. I load for 3 rifle calibers and don't need really fast operation or large volumes of ammo. I also have a MEC 600 and would like to start reloading for 12 and 20ga, but I think that will have to wait until I can find room to expand a bit.

My real question is, I guess, what would your layout look like on such a small table top? I need room for the press, case trimmer, powder measure and scale, plus a bunch of storage for all of the components.

Can it be done?

I had a space like that in a rental house once. I built a stout bench, wall to wall, but only bolted the press firmly to the bench top. Other tools that needed to be attached firmly, such as the case trimmer and powder measure, were attached to pieces of plywood about one foot square. These were attached to the bench with C-clamps when needed.

My present bench is 16 feet long, but I still do the same thing with shotshell loaders for different gauges.

What all do you have to have on the bench while you operate the press?

You're better off with your powder scale on a separate shelf at about eye level. The powder measure should probably be there too.

What all would be just as handy on a shelf just under the "bench" as on the "bench" shelf itself?

You've got plenty of room in that closet!

yup. 28 wide x 23 backwall to front of press handles. Scale shelf above, goodies under the bed....

10 inch area on right,build in a sliding shelf you can pull out and push back that fits a lighter piece of equipment. that way you can pull it out when you need it and push it back for more room when you don't.

I also use a simular arraigment on the C clamps, only I added a removable sections in the middle of the table, and then built replacement strips with the clamps built in, so the clamps can be set on the back of the arraignment.and they are easily set in place the same every time.

Yeah, check my set-up out. It works very well and since I've got the scale elevated like it should be it saves space for the trimmer and the press:



It's not that hard to get comfortable with a set-up like this.

My mec grabber for my shotshell reloading is set up in a small area too:

WOW! Great ideas, thanks!

Czech1022

I more often than not use a Black and Decker Workmate as my bench, even though I have a couple full size ones. I attach my presses to a RCBS Aluminum accessory plate and then C-Clamp whichever one I'm wanting to use at the moment to the Workmate. Put one of the C-Clamps over the mount on the workmate and it stiffens it up quite nicely.

That way you could fold it up easily into even less space than you have and use muliple presses if you want to.................DJ

The RCBS accessory plate is good idea, but IMO, too small and only D&Ted for RCBS accessories... What I did was go to a salvage yard and got a scrap of 1/2" thick Aluminium, (8" wide and 14" long) and D&Ted the holes for my accessories to my own convenience. I then use allen head bolts to bolt my acc down with... 1/4 turn with an allen wrench is all that's needed and the rest with my fingers...

Keep metallic press and powder measure stand bolt down as well as Case trimmer... When you want to load shotgun shells, You can remove them in about a minute, and set up your shotgun press in about a minute more...

D&T each corner, and bolt solidly to the bench from underneath, and then you have no bolt heads to contend with...

Another idea for the case trimmer is to make a block to bolt it permantly to and the clamp it in the vice in the garage. Gets those nasty brass shavings out of the house...

GH

I have kept my press bolted to a 2 inch piece of hardwood for over 30 years and I bolt it where I like with G-Clamps, whether at home on the permanent reloading bench, or at the tange in a makeshift set up. Doesn't take more that 2x3 feet are at best to do some reloading.

More bench is a magnet for junk. I could never post a pic of mine as it is not pretty, but I know where everything is. Mostly.

If I loaded for 3 cartridges, I would have a press, scales, powder tin, small cup and tea spoon to trickle the powder and a box of bullets. that will take up little more than a square foot. Hand weigh every change and you will like your ammo better.

John

I went to Rockler and bought a metal frame for a table like a router. I put it together with a plywood top ( premium Baltic Birch) and same for the bottom shelf. Then I put lockable wheels on it so I could use it where I wanted and then put it back in place for storage. The bottom shelf held all my reloading items and dies in a 6" high plastic storage bin. The powder and primers in a lockable cabinet in the room. I mounted the press on one corner and the base for the powder dispensed directly accross on the opposite side. So all most all the functions take place on the press side and all the powder loading on the other side just move your chair. I am very pleased with set up and just moved it from a cabin we sold to the office in my house. I have about $150.00 in the set up and it is just great. Where I want it when I reload and put away when I am not using it. I would do this over in a heart beat if I needed to replace it. I have turned out some very accurate loads with this set up. It is amazing how stable it is with all 4 wheels locked. This will be a lifetime set up for me no matter where I move to in the future. Buckfever1

As noted that's adequate space - like many others here I've gone back and forth between such as a 310 tool and a cigar box and a dedicated room and back again. A useful reminder to have only one powder and other such out at any time.

I like scrap pieces of countertop with a laminate for wipe clean oil and solvent resistance and carefully cut and finished edges so as to be less likely to splinter than scrap plywood for tool bases.

It may be easy or hard to tie the bench down and mount the powder measure(s) really truly secure against haphazard vibration. Not so much a problem for a single stage press but vibration can definitely be a problem with anything else even though say a Square Deal B on a good mount doesn't take up much room.

I'd emphasize good secure storage for work in progress if production is going to be batch processing - loading trays tied down and somewhat covered if work cannot always be carried to completion for a whole batch of cases - FREX loading blocks can slide into grooves on uprights to form their own shelves for security.

I'd like the absolute spent primer security of something like a CoAx although something like the Redding T7 with its clear tubing to a catch can is nice and a turret is nice in cramped space for handy storage and interrupted work. Pays not to make a mess in the shared closet.

The biggest advantage of the dedicated room was really ideal put together to suit me dedicated bright no shadow lighting so I'd suggest adding that priority to the mix.

I do most of my reloading on a B&D workmate type folding table. Just C-Clamp things down where you want them. Put them away when done if necessary.

Get the scale up to eye level if possible.

Lee sells a reloading stand http://leeprecision.com/xcart/Lee-Reloading-Stand.html and the wedge of wood holding the press in the picture is similar to their bench plate that lets presses and other equipment be changed out. http://leeprecision.com/xcart/home.php shows the stand with other equipment stored underneath.

http://leeprecision.com/xcart/search.php?mode=search&page=1 bench plate. Can be mounted on a workbench.

Winner!!!

Doesn't matter how big my reloading area is. It's completely covered in schit in a matter of weeks anyway.


Travis

My space is the little closet that is left under the stairs comming from above. I built a little bench there with a light over it, shelves on the sides to store bullets and powder.

I just open the door and pull a stool up in the doorway and go to work.

If I had a large area to work in it would be to tempting to use it to store other things, this way it is just dedicated to reloading.

Off the tailgate of the truck ... at the rifle range.

Works for me

Steve

All excellent ideas! I've done a lot of them myself over the years. The only thing I would add is to rig some kind of good light in the closet so you can see what you're doing. Ambient light from the room may seem to be enough, but it could lead to stuff like mis-reading the numbers on a scale beam. One common denominator in these pics is that they're all well lit.

Since I can't shoot from home, I really need to build a set up like that!

Furnace room, under the stairs. Other shelves off to the left. Only the press is bolted down.