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Posted: 5/10/2009 9:55:13 AM EDT
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Our son is moving out and we finally have enough room, so instead of the lash-ups I've used in the past, I finally have room for a bench. I built a new bench based on the EAA Chapter 1000 Standardized work table. My plan was to be able to mount both my Hornady LnL AP and my old Rock Chucker press on the bench.
Now some people have already caught the problem here: the bench top from the EAA Chapter 1000 table gets a lot of its rigidity and sturdiness from having a perimeter frame made of 2X4s. There is almost exactly 1 1/2" between the Rock Chucker's ram support and the mounting holes. In other words, I cannot just mount the press to the edge of the bench anywhere around the bench top. Here's my idea. I could mount the Rock Chucker on a slab of 2X6 using T-nuts, and then fasten the press/slab onto the bench with bolts at any convenient distance from the front edge. I'd mount the press on an end of the 2X6 and use perhaps 10-12 linear inches of 2X6 in total, giving me a very stiff base for the Rock Chucker. I'm already using additional 2X4 stiffeners under the Lock-n-Load, so I'd probably also add some under where I'd mount the RC for additional stiffness. From a mechanical standpoint, is there any reason this wouldn't work? Note that I don't load anything bigger than .30-'06, so it's not like I'd be sizing .50BMGs with the Rock Chucker. I also don't see using the Rock Chucker all the time or for very long at a time, so being able to simply and conveniently un-mount it via removing the bolts through the bench would be very nice too. |
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That is sort of how I have my press set up. Press was mounted to a 2x6 and hung off of the right hand side of the bench, set back several inches as this makes it easier to get past the press and gives a somewhat easier reach to your components.
After a while the 2x5 broke from the strain. Now it's mounted in the same place, but I'm using 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood laminated together. It's both stronger and stiffer than the 2x6. |
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the only issue is that you make a big lever arm with the 2x6 that you bolt the press to.
my bench is similar in nature to yours, and about a month ago i ripped the single stage off when resizing 223. Literally ripped the press off the bench.... I got a plate of steel maybe 12x18" and drilled & threaded for the press's bolt pattern. the press bolts on/threads into the plate. 4 large holes through that plate and bench to use nuts/bolts to secure it to the plate. VASTLY improved and incredibly rigid. oh, all of the flexing eliminated from the setup is work saved. |
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Quoted:
The way I envision this, the press would be up against the edge of the bench, so the additional leverage introduced by the 2X6 would be limited to a small vector related to the thickness of the wood.
the only issue is that you make a big lever arm with the 2x6 that you bolt the press to. my bench is similar in nature to yours, and about a month ago i ripped the single stage off when resizing 223. Literally ripped the press off the bench.... I got a plate of steel maybe 12x18" and drilled & threaded for the press's bolt pattern. the press bolts on/threads into the plate. 4 large holes through that plate and bench to use nuts/bolts to secure it to the plate. VASTLY improved and incredibly rigid. oh, all of the flexing eliminated from the setup is work saved. Aero, my stiffeners are attached across the depth of the bench and fastened to the front and back 2X4s as securely as the other 2X4s supporting the bench top. I don't have working space at either end of the bench, just clearance, so I can't put the press on the end. Otherwise, a full depth (24" in this case) piece of 2X6, fastened to those stiffeners at a couple of points, sounds like it would work really well. |
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Here is what I did. Keep in mind the mateials can all be purchased from your local steel/metal dealer. The will also cut it to size for you for a fee.
The RC got its own steel plate 6" wide 7" long. I milled the top leading edge to fit the radius on the RC. It can be don on a grinder if there is no mill available. I drilled tapped and counter sunk the holes for the press. I drilled 4 through holes to fit 3/8" bolts to mount to the press. When I mounted the plate to the bench I stacked 4 3/8" X 2" fender washers on the underside to spread the force evenly. EDIT: If you are wondering, I got the RC through ebay. It was in rough shape. I tore it down and since I could not get the right color from RCBS I Duracoated it OD green. 
On the next one I made (first one was made 14 years ago) I did it a little different. This plate was 6" wide by 8" long I placed a variety of different equipment on the plate and marked all of the holes so I could drill and tap the holes for the appropriate size bolt that is for that peice of equipment. I can now interchange the presses and such as needed. I can use the plate for 5 different presses and 2 different powder measure types. 
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