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Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 06 Mar 2013, 23:07
by PainKillaX
500SWfan wrote:
You've got a Lee handpress! How do you like it? I just ordered one last week along with a half dozen bushings to have something to take with me out in the field when I'm working up new loads.
I've never used a traditional mounted press, but I LOVE it. Portable, easy to use. Mine cost ~$40 and came with a priming tool too. It's definitely nice to just sit on the couch/floor and process brass while you watch tv. I resized 400 pieces of .45 while I watched Locked Up Abroad last night. :laugh: I ended up buying a set of the quick change bushings, not because they're hard to change, but so that I don't have to reset my dies each time. Cheap, light, portable, versatile, and you can write it off as a workout.
I actually went the cheap and easy route on a lot of things. I have a Hornady digital scale and powder trickler, Lyman combo case prep tool (chamfer, deburr, and clean primer pockets for $20!), and the Lee measure set. I have the Lee hand held case trimmer. Rough on the hands if you don't toss it in the drill but it was $11. I could really use an actual cleaner but the solution I use now works well enough.
Definitely not the fastest setup but I can fit in all in a box and it won't take me as many rounds to make back my investment cost.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 07 Mar 2013, 00:02
by 500SWfan
PainKillaX wrote:500SWfan wrote:
You've got a Lee handpress! How do you like it? I just ordered one last week along with a half dozen bushings to have something to take with me out in the field when I'm working up new loads.
I've never used a traditional mounted press, but I LOVE it. Portable, easy to use. Mine cost ~$40 and came with a priming tool too. It's definitely nice to just sit on the couch/floor and process brass while you watch tv. I resized 400 pieces of .45 while I watched Locked Up Abroad last night. :laugh: I ended up buying a set of the quick change bushings, not because they're hard to change, but so that I don't have to reset my dies each time. Cheap, light, portable, versatile, and you can write it off as a workout.
I actually went the cheap and easy route on a lot of things. I have a Hornady digital scale and powder trickler, Lyman combo case prep tool (chamfer, deburr, and clean primer pockets for $20!), and the Lee measure set. I have the Lee hand held case trimmer. Rough on the hands if you don't toss it in the drill but it was $11. I could really use an actual cleaner but the solution I use now works well enough.
Definitely not the fastest setup but I can fit in all in a box and it won't take me as many rounds to make back my investment cost.
Glad to hear it. I love the simplicity of Lee products. The main reason I went with the Redding Turret press early on was so I could set up for a load and not have to constantly set up the dies again the next time around. I've got three turrets (and need another four or five to take the dies for all the calibers I load), and I'm thinking of changing over to a Lee single stage breech lock press and a whole lot of bushings. I usually buy two or three or four die sets when I start a new caliber (like I'm now doing with the 5.7) so I can keep different dies set up for different bullets, so the interchangeability of the breech lock bushing system would seem to work great for me. For case trimming I have always used the Lee caliber specific trimmer gauges with a battery powered drill, and I can't count the number of hours I've spent trimming cases while sitting there watching TV. Reloading is a process to be enjoyed, not an event to be circumvented
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 07 Mar 2013, 03:28
by Grantness
Yep, I like to use the quick-change bushings. A lot cheaper than Hornady's LnL...cant speak as to the quality of the LnL's b/c i've never used one, though.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 16 Mar 2013, 22:40
by 500SWfan
I just got my Lee handpress today, and I love it. I spent part of the afternoon resizing about a hundred 50 AE brass while watching TV, and I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon (other than shooting).
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 17 Mar 2013, 05:32
by Cwc
Finally got the new bench finished. I'll post pics soon.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 26 Mar 2013, 13:36
by zonzin
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 27 Mar 2013, 17:36
by Cwc
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 29 Mar 2013, 16:26
by Cwc
Working on a die box holder to match the bench now.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 03 Apr 2013, 19:44
by Cwc
Finished the die holder tonight. The bench is officially complete.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 03 Apr 2013, 19:45
by Cwc
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 03 Apr 2013, 20:03
by 500SWfan
NICE!!! It looks like you've got a little too much powder on the upper shelf, though. That could be dangerous. PM me and I'll give you an address to send it to and I'll "store" it for you. :p
Good bench! I may have to imitate that when I finally get around to building my new one.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 03 Apr 2013, 20:17
by Cwc
Thanks. Turned out to be a 6 month project for me. I'll let you know if I run into a storage problem. Lol
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 04 Apr 2013, 07:35
by JoJo
A clean bench is the sign of a sick mind!
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 04 Apr 2013, 10:51
by panzermk2
Ryan's new (A different Ryan for those not in the know) work bench for gun smithing. This is where he will break down and do minor prep work for me before I take over and complete the accurizing. Could not handle him sitting in my office at my bench. Plus only one of us could work on them at a time.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 04 Apr 2013, 16:38
by Cwc
JoJo wrote:A clean bench is the sign of a sick mind!
I have OCD when it comes to a clean organized bench.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 04 Apr 2013, 16:44
by huddleston101
MAN cwc I wished my bench looked that good, I wouldn't put pictures of my bench on here. mine is like a moped to a mustang by looking at yours but she does gets the job done sloooooowly
:facepalm:
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 04 Apr 2013, 21:42
by Cwc
huddleston101 wrote:MAN cwc I wished my bench looked that good, I wouldn't put pictures of my bench on here. mine is like a moped to a mustang by looking at yours but she does gets the job done sloooooowly
:facepalm:
Thank you for the compliment. I've always heard do what you can with what you've got. Any functional bench is a good bench in my opinion.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 09 Apr 2013, 16:41
by Cwc
Cwc wrote:JoJo wrote:A clean bench is the sign of a sick mind!
I have OCD when it comes to a clean organized bench.
My friends call me Monk when they come over to compare notes and work on loads.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 23 May 2013, 16:38
by Spec-K
Hi guys.
Love this thread!
Here is my setup.
I built it to be portable, so I can bugout with it if needed, but it also works great for taking it inside the house in case its too freezing cold in my garage, I want to be with my family, or if I want to load while using the best stereo.
It's great for going to a buddy's house for a reloading party or a trip out in the woods to work up some loads... A bit excessive... Maybe...!
It has a big enough footprint that it doesn't move around, especially when the side trays are loaded with bullets and built rounds.
The handle also stops right against the wood on a full throw.
-K
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 23 May 2013, 22:28
by panzermk2
Spec-K wrote:Hi guys.
Love this thread!
Here is my setup.
I built it to be portable, so I can bugout with it if needed, but it also works great for taking it inside the house in case its too freezing cold in my garage, I want to be with my family, or if I want to load while using the best stereo.
It's great for going to a buddy's house for a reloading party or a trip out in the woods to work up some loads... A bit excessive... Maybe...!
It has a big enough footprint that it doesn't move around, especially when the side trays are loaded with bullets and built rounds.
The handle also stops right against the wood on a full throw.
-K
Cool great idea and execution.
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 27 May 2013, 10:01
by flyingirish04
Spec-K wrote:Hi guys.
Love this thread!
Here is my setup.
I built it to be portable, so I can bugout with it if needed, but it also works great for taking it inside the house in case its too freezing cold in my garage, I want to be with my family, or if I want to load while using the best stereo.
It's great for going to a buddy's house for a reloading party or a trip out in the woods to work up some loads... A bit excessive... Maybe...!
It has a big enough footprint that it doesn't move around, especially when the side trays are loaded with bullets and built rounds.
The handle also stops right against the wood on a full throw.
-K
Very cool
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 25 Oct 2013, 16:51
by dfosland
Yes, I know this a few months gone since the last post here, but figured that since I finally got going reloading the 5.7 round, now would be a good time to document what my bench does look like. Not the cleanest, but a lot less mess on it than normal. Also, for those that care, the reloading block the ammo is sitting in are the primer trays from my BMG reloading, they come in handy when reloading .308 as well, insert the brass neck down to show a primer inserted, makes it easier for QC when working that stuff.
I added a cleaning bench...
Posted: 29 Nov 2013, 12:03
by Rodentman
Started with one bench but with the purchase of a couple3 of AR15's (and 5.7 upper) I needed a separate cleaning bench so I built this:
This is the original bench and tools area:
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 13 Nov 2017, 13:02
by Fotis
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 15 Nov 2017, 06:18
by panzermk2
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 15 Nov 2017, 06:18
by panzermk2
Re: Let's see your bench!
Posted: 15 Nov 2017, 06:27
by panzermk2
Allow me to whip it out.................