I'm going to be building my reloading bench very soon. Was in the lumber section of local Lowes yesterday and came up with a question on regarding the bench top. How thick/heavy should the bench top be? Would 3/4" fiber board be sufficient? They had a 1" glued pine top that's made of pressure glued strips, about 1"-2" each. Would that hold up to the pressures I'd put on the bench?

The top of my loading bench is 2.50" thick. It is very sturdy. Good luck.

Calnewbie,
I used two pieces of 1"inch flooring (plywood) laminated for a total of 2". Now on my portable benches I use a 3/4 inch plywood top with a 1/4 inch aluminum plate that extends 6 inches beyond the press - it eliminates flex as well as the 2" plywood.

PaulS

Think safety, act safely, live long enough to enjoy it

I dont think the 1" pine by itself would be strong enough unless you supported it with a framework of some kind . the laminated joints would be the strongest point because pine is a softwood .
On my bench I used two layer of particle board laminated together with a 2x12 particle board laminated beam under it in the front and a solid sheet of obs at the back of the bench .Then I covered the whole thing with formica and a oak trim on the face of the double laminate top .Total cost was something like $40.00 . I designed it myself . All it required is two sheets of 3/4" particle board ,one sheet of 1/2" obs and a damaged sheet of formica I got for 5 bucks some glue and screws . I have built three more for friends since then .

My bench has 4X4 legs and the top is framed by 2X12s nailed and lag screwed to the legs. The top is made of 2X12s nailed to the frame with 16p nails. It is 6 ft long and 38" deep. It is SOLID. You can work the press and have nothing move but the press parts.

NRA Life Member since 2003

I also use 2x12's laid side by side- 6 ft long, 3 feet wide. I then screwed an sheet of 1/2" B/C grade plywood to the boards (B-side up) to make a very sturdy and smooth surface to work on. I currently use a 2x4 frame for legs- very stursy, but I'm going to upgrade to 4x4 posts if I ever have the time.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

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I have 2 - 3/4&quot; fiber board's glued togeather and I wish it was heaver! If you reload &quot;BIG BORES&quot; a solid bench is a must when you re-size...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Hunt Safe!

Jack

I used a piece of butcher block for my benchtop. A section of an old bowling alley lane is also very sturdy - thick, laminated maple!!

Keep yore powder dry!!

Edited by - eldeguello on 02/02/2003 10:27:23

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