Armory Sponsor
Posted: 9/17/2026 12:18:41 AM EDT
|
I am slowly building out my gun room in Nevada. I am seldom home, as i travel internationally for pleasure or work. I'm home in NV approx 10 days a month. I also maintain homes in NW Montana and Arizona. In a 3 car garage, i have two 16 ft long x 8 ft tall x 30 inch deep Pallet racks on 2 walls for shooting/backpacking/camping/other hobby's. 2 Safes, actually 1 safe and 1 RSC. I purchased an 8 ft tall x 42 inch deep x 8 ft long Global Industries bolt together Pallet racking with 5.5 inch tall beams, They have a 33,000 pound load limit with 6400 pound limit per level weight limit. I purchased ( used ), 1 set uprights, 8 beams for total of 4 levels. I used a metal chop saw to cult the uprights at 48 inches. I now have two metal racks for work benches that i can adjust up or down in 2 inch increments, 8 ft x 42 inch work tops. I have them set so i can work from both sides of each bench. One bench dedicated to reloading, the other to gun cleaning/gun building. Bench tops set at 40-42 inches to allow standing or barstool height as i have a high Vyper stool. Tops: Reclaimed Bowling alley tops, approx 3500.00 delivered to my home for both tops. Maple Butcher block tops, approx 2500 delivered to my home for both tops. 3 3/4 inch hardwood plywood sheets with construction adhesive, finished with equal parts oil based polyurethane, boiled linseed oil, and mineral spirits x 4 coats. totaling 600.00 for both tops. I'm open to suggestions, i'm leaning towards 3 sheets of hardwood plywood with my finishing as it will allow the additional money to go towards reloading supplies. Any input is appreciated. |
|
I did 1/4" steel over 3/4" plywood. Obviously used for more than just reloading, however 1/4" is thick enough to run countersunk bolts to secure it, and also thick enough to tap. Leave a bit of lip with the steel, and you can use c-clamps as needed on the edge. I got a piece of aluminum, maybe 6x18", somewhere between 1/2 and 1" thick (not home to measure) that I bolted to the steel. Studs in the aluminum with the bolt patterns for my presses. If I need the space (thus far I just work around the presses, of course) it all comes off with four bolts and the work surface is flat. I don't like surfaces flexing when I'm putting pressure on them. Reloading, there is no movement. |
|
Originally Posted By dyeager535: I did 1/4" steel over 3/4" plywood. Obviously used for more than just reloading, however 1/4" is thick enough to run countersunk bolts to secure it, and also thick enough to tap. Leave a bit of lip with the steel, and you can use c-clamps as needed on the edge. I got a piece of aluminum, maybe 6x18", somewhere between 1/2 and 1" thick (not home to measure) that I bolted to the steel. Studs in the aluminum with the bolt patterns for my presses. If I need the space (thus far I just work around the presses, of course) it all comes off with four bolts and the work surface is flat. I don't like surfaces flexing when I'm putting pressure on them. Reloading, there is no movement. I too want zero flex when reloading, hench the steel frame. The 1 bench 8 ft x 42 inches will 4 presses along each side for total of 8 presses. The other bench will have 1 Wilton vise. |
|
There is no question in your post. There is no such thing as zero flex. You want a very stiff platform but how stiff is something you have not yet stated. A typical method for minimizing bench top flex is to put a vertical leg directly underneath the load (the press). Four presses = four legs (or more). Who's building it? What are your plans for a base? I am unclear about your discussion of the pallet "stuff", above. How thick is the butcher block, they vary widely. How thick is the bowling lane? How would you ever lift/lower the height of the bench top once all the gear is attached to it. |
Joined:
Oct 2025
Posts:
1159
EE: 0% (0)
KY, USA
|
I made my top out of maple plywood, doubled up. I have put several dents into it by performing things like hammering pins. Kind of sucks when cleaning spilled powder. I started using a maple cutting board for this type of work, and haven't dented it yet. For rough work, the maple butcher-block will be best. If you use the plywood, use a more durable, removable worktop to protect your benchtop |
|
Originally Posted By Trollslayer: There is no question in your post. There is no such thing as zero flex. You want a very stiff platform but how stiff is something you have not yet stated. A typical method for minimizing bench top flex is to put a vertical leg directly underneath the load (the press). Four presses = four legs (or more). Who's building it? What are your plans for a base? I am unclear about your discussion of the pallet "stuff", above. How thick is the butcher block, they vary widely. How thick is the bowling lane? How would you ever lift/lower the height of the bench top once all the gear is attached to it. The base is metal, I used metal pallet racking from an industrial warehouse. heavy-duty 13-gauge steel uprights and high-strength 16-gauge steel beams. These uprights allow for height adjustments at 2" increments, while the beams have a 1-5/8"H step beam design to accommodate cross bars and decking. With the use of 3-button studs on the connector plate ends and a self-engaging spring-loaded safety clip, these beams securely connect to the upright frames. All uprights are equipped with 8.8 grade Tensile Strength Bolts, with limited threads, to prevent over-tightening. The standard, pre-punched footplates allow for easy anchoring As for the bench top, I’m wavering between the re-claimed bowling alley that is 2 inches thick. A hardwood butcher block top that is 2.5 inches thick, or 3 pieces of hardwood plywood glued together using industrial adhesive. I am looking for the top that will give the best top for reloading /cleaning/building guns. I do realize I can custom order a 5 inch thick butcher block top, not willing to spend that much money. The metal frame is bolted to the concrete floor at all 4 uprights, frame is also bolted together. I’m setting the height prior to securing the presses. I’m not intending for the height to be adjustable without removing presses and bench top. |
Global Warming Hoax Skeptic before it was cool
Joined:
Jun 2007
Posts:
73087
EE: 100% (1)
WA, USA
|
I have built 6 reloading benches, (moved a lot in the Navy) they all have one thing in common. 1 1/2 in thick top. So if you go plywood, use two 3/4 sheets glued together for the top. You want fancy, go with bowling alley top. Will be fine. Mount a single stage withing 6 inches of the edge, so the end post will support it. Progressive, strong mount can mount near anywhere. |
Selling agent for Algores carbon credit scam.
Shooting and Reloading, one hobby feeds the other.
Shooting and Reloading, one hobby feeds the other.
|
Originally Posted By Yaguar: I too want zero flex when reloading, hench the steel frame. The 1 bench 8 ft x 42 inches will 4 presses along each side for total of 8 presses. The other bench will have 1 Wilton vise. I've found that a significant amount of flex is fixed by bolting legs to the ground and the back of the bench to the wall. |
Global Warming Hoax Skeptic before it was cool
Joined:
Jun 2007
Posts:
73089
EE: 100% (1)
WA, USA
 Pic of the underside of where my Rockchucker is bolted to my bench. After lag bolting angle iron from bench to wall studs, this piece of steel was the final stiffening my bench needed for no flex. |
Selling agent for Algores carbon credit scam.
Shooting and Reloading, one hobby feeds the other.
Shooting and Reloading, one hobby feeds the other.
|
As far as the bowling lane top goes, be warned.. They can be in various states. And although they might have started out nice, how they were stored… they could have been damaged. The one bowling lane slab I bought had gaps between each strip even though they were nailed and glued together with spiral shank nails. |
|
I have no pictures of my bench but it was built for wood working not for reloading. Still, it works well. The bench top is 2X4 and 4X4 (edges and centerline only). Boards are face-glued and thru-bolted with 3/4" threaded rod making a top that's 3.5" thick. It is stiff and heavy. It is 28" deep and 7+ feet long. Presses are held down using lag bolts not lag screws). They go through holes drilled in the top, down into T-nuts permanently mounted on the underside of the bench. The base it sits on has six 4X4 legs and uses 2X4 as stringers and a skirt. Overall, it is a BEAST! It can be used free-standing. It is laterally stiff. It has no support. It needs no support. There are just so many different ways to do this. |
|
Originally Posted By WeimaranerDad: As far as the bowling lane top goes, be warned.. They can be in various states. And although they might have started out nice, how they were stored… they could have been damaged. The one bowling lane slab I bought had gaps between each strip even though they were nailed and glued together with spiral shank nails. I am concerned about the same thing, it’s the most expensive option yet may not be suitable. |
|
Originally Posted By dryflash3: https://i.imgur.com/ZFIeeonh.jpg Pic of the underside of where my Rockchucker is bolted to my bench. After lag bolting angle iron from bench to wall studs, this piece of steel was the final stiffening my bench needed for no flex. I will be mounting all presses and vise with In-line Fab mounts. |
|
Originally Posted By Yaguar: I am concerned about the same thing, it’s the most expensive option yet may not be suitable. Here is my old thread from 2016: https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/Anybody_here_ever_use_a_bowling_alley_section_for_a_reloading_bench_top_/42-459357/ The other thing too about the section of bowling lane I had was there were at least two “angle iron T’s “ screwed on the underside. I am assuming that is what they used to try to keep it flat. So if you need to rip it down to make it narrower, those “T angles” will have to get removed first. And then you still stand a good chance of hitting whatever nails and/or screws with your table saw or circular saw blade. I think in my thread from 2016 I specifically mentioned a blade made by Oldham. It seemed like it was marketed to guys breaking down wooden pallets. The spiral shanked nails were a total bitch to remove too. Years ago (pre-covid) , I bought an 8 foot long butcher block slab from Lowe’s or Home Depot. My intent was to gang some roll around tool boxes together, and then place the whole 8 footer across the top of them. But I did this instead: Attached File Attached File For the Spolar, I went back later and removed that section of butcher block so I could plow a gutter around it like this: Attached File Sssssoooo….if you want to do the same thing with a bowling alley section, are you gonna wreck your router bit when it hits a nail? |
|
Originally Posted By Yaguar: 3 3/4 inch hardwood plywood sheets with construction adhesive, finished with equal parts oil based polyurethane, boiled linseed oil, and mineral spirits x 4 coats. totaling 600.00 for both tops. I'm open to suggestions, i'm leaning towards 3 sheets of hardwood plywood with my finishing as it will allow the additional money to go towards reloading supplies. Go with the plywood, but put laminate over the top. Laminate is cheap, easy to clean, and will not be harmed by any chemical we commonly use. Linseed and mineral oil look good, but are not durable. Once you get the laminate on, do a hardwood edge on the benches to keep them from getting beat up.  This is a pic of my bench after I built it. I wish it was still that organized! Its made from 2 1/8" high pressure hardwood chip plywood with laminate over the top. The top is 30"x96" and weighs about 250 lbs. Its the same material they make hospital countertops from. Front edge is cantilever construction and has almost zero flex. T track set in it to mount presses where ever I want. |
|
Kaldor makes a great point. A or B grade plywood tends to be rugged, but since the surface is wood (and not "hard" wood most of the time) it will collect dings. My bench top is layered plywood that I sanded and painted with a nice neutral gray paint. It is pretty easy to clean with a whisk broom, but it has more than a couple of small dents and dings that require a little more work to clean. When/if I update this bench, I'll put inexpensive laminate over the top to avoid this problem. Another point is whether you want a clean edge, or want an edge that keeps things from rolling off. It doesn't take much of a "lip" to stop dropped cases from winding up on the floor, but the trade off is that your lip could catch on tools, etc. I split the difference and put a strip of sheet metal across part of my bench; this stuff is the right thickness to hang Akro bins on, so I have handy storage and stuff doesn't easily fall off the bench. |
|
Sure, laminate is great, up to a point. No sarcasm there, it is under-appreciated, under-valued even in the shop. The thing is, it is brittle and can be fractured by an impact, intentional or otherwise. My wooden bench top has a few dings and cut marks but it is a working bench top, not furniture or cabinetry. The other thing about laminate is static electricity build up. Most laminates develop a very high surface charge. This can be problematic for powder, especially when indoor humidity levels plunge. Wood does not have this issue unless you coat it in polyurethane. Static-free and easy repairability is why I use wood and an oil finish. You can buy static-free laminates but you have to look for them and then wire them to your house ground. |
|
Originally Posted By dairyfarmer: I used two layers of 3/4" MDF covered with 1/4" tempered hardboard. I sealed the top with Minwax polyurethane diluted 50/50 with mineral spirits. MDF is very uniform, dense, and heavy. Decent plywood is obscenely expensive these days. I found a small section of the top of my bench that was visible, ha. Attached File |
|
I did one top from wood flooring. It was beach (that shit is HARD). Nailed it to 1/2" ply doubled. Didn't squeak or move a bit. Another was a top from a big-box store. The corners were pretty smashed up so I offered them half and they took it. It was too long anyway so I just cut the ends. Screwed the backside to a 2x6's ladder and bolted that to the wall. Stout. Getting ready to start the next bench very soon (mini split going in next week). Not sure what I'm doing with the top yet. |
|
Originally Posted By GHPorter: Kaldor makes a great point. A or B grade plywood tends to be rugged, but since the surface is wood (and not "hard" wood most of the time) it will collect dings. My bench top is layered plywood that I sanded and painted with a nice neutral gray paint. It is pretty easy to clean with a whisk broom, but it has more than a couple of small dents and dings that require a little more work to clean. When/if I update this bench, I'll put inexpensive laminate over the top to avoid this problem. Another point is whether you want a clean edge, or want an edge that keeps things from rolling off. It doesn't take much of a "lip" to stop dropped cases from winding up on the floor, but the trade off is that your lip could catch on tools, etc. I split the difference and put a strip of sheet metal across part of my bench; this stuff is the right thickness to hang Akro bins on, so I have handy storage and stuff doesn't easily fall off the bench. I left my edging just a blonde one high on my bench to help prevent roll offs. Otherwise that one thing you need rolls off, and you'll never find it again. I also gave my bench just a little pitch so that things roll back onto the bench, instead of off. I do love laminate. Even my bench in the shop has laminate on it. I do actual work on that one, working on transmissions, engine parts, chainsaws, and in spite of me beating the crap out of it for almost 20 years, it only has a few dings in it. Any minor dings are ignored. Any major dings I just fill them with super glue. Last bench I built for my buddy was a 8' piece of countertop from the big box with 2 layers of 3/4 ACX laminated underneath. This has proven to be a good solution and is pretty cost effective as you're looking at about $100 for the top, and a single sheet of plywood plus a handful of 2x4s for a frame. |
|
Originally Posted By Trollslayer: Sure, laminate is great, up to a point. No sarcasm there, it is under-appreciated, under-valued even in the shop. The thing is, it is brittle and can be fractured by an impact, intentional or otherwise. My wooden bench top has a few dings and cut marks but it is a working bench top, not furniture or cabinetry. The other thing about laminate is static electricity build up. Most laminates develop a very high surface charge. This can be problematic for powder, especially when indoor humidity levels plunge. Wood does not have this issue unless you coat it in polyurethane. Static-free and easy repairability is why I use wood and an oil finish. You can buy static-free laminates but you have to look for them and then wire them to your house ground. True, laminate is only as tough as it's substrate. I actually recommend using MDF under laminate as it's a denser and flatter material than plywood, and then layer standard 7 ply ACX 3/4" under it for strength. And on the off chance it does get a deep scratch, just put a little super glue in and move on with using it I've never had any issues with static on my laminate topped benches with any of my electronic scales. I used to load in the garage, which had wild humidity and temp changes, but now have my reloading equipment in the basement which is ideal. I've used a Hornady, RCBS and an Autotrickler with zero problems. |
|
Originally Posted By Kaldor: I've never had any issues with static on my laminate topped benches with any of my electronic scales. I believe you when you say you have never had the issue. Then again, you are in Wisconsin and the OP is is in the desert south west. I've experienced issues during reloading caused by static charging during periods of super-low humidity. I thought it was worth mentioning. |
|
Originally Posted By Trollslayer: Sure, laminate is great, up to a point. No sarcasm there, it is under-appreciated, under-valued even in the shop. The thing is, it is brittle and can be fractured by an impact, intentional or otherwise. My wooden bench top has a few dings and cut marks but it is a working bench top, not furniture or cabinetry. The other thing about laminate is static electricity build up. Most laminates develop a very high surface charge. This can be problematic for powder, especially when indoor humidity levels plunge. Wood does not have this issue unless you coat it in polyurethane. Static-free and easy repairability is why I use wood and an oil finish. You can buy static-free laminates but you have to look for them and then wire them to your house ground. I had included in my thoughts that an inexpensive laminate can be pretty brittle - my kitchen counters have a chip or two that resulted from fairly mild impacts. However, I hadn’t even considered what should have been pretty obvious; typical laminates are essentially layers of heavy paper soaked in a resin…which almost guarantees it will be a static generating machine. Which would be a pretty problematic issue. Edit to add As I’m in an area on the edge of a desert, static can be a serious problem, particularly with certain powders (Unique, I’m looking at you). end edit Latex-based paint is essentially electrostatically neutral, and can be cleaned with soap and water. It withstands impacts without chipping, and resists abrasion. If a plain plywood surface is not to your liking, added or soap and water clean up are important, end edit paint the bench top, as I did. |
|
Originally Posted By Yaguar: Tops: Reclaimed Bowling alley tops, approx 3500.00 delivered to my home for both tops. Maple Butcher block tops, approx 2500 delivered to my home for both tops. As some one who has both types of tops on different benches... The BA top will be heavier and more solid but its not worth the extra work and expense IMO. Either way, no matter what top you go with, the top is only as good as the base its on. The heavier and more solid the base, the better any top you choose will perform. |
On going to war over religion: "You're basically killing each other to see who's got the better imaginary friend." - Richard Jeni
| I used 3/4" Plywood, then a cheap counter tops from Menards. I made the table out of 2x4s doubled up for the legs, and tripled up for the rear legs. I made some shelves underneath out of the same plywood and used about 6 2x4s cross the top under the plywood. I thought I may have to bolt it down but, it's so heavy it doesn't move. I had to get a jack to lift it just to get the cases out the rolled underneath. |
|
There are so many ways to do this. One thing to remember - one need some shear stiffness. Attaching your bench to the studs in the wall is a popular way to get it. Alternatively, put a shear panel in you design. This can be diagonals across the back, a 2X12 glued and screwed to the back (beneath the top), a piece of plywood glued and screwed across the back. |
Armory Sponsor