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Posted: 2/1/2014 5:08:15 PM EDT
| I just finished my bench and I am ready to mount my Hornaday LNL press. I have a 3/4 inch plywood top and attatched a 2 x 8 underneath the bench top where I am going to mount my press. Should I use lag bolts or thru bolts with washers and lock nuts/wing nuts?? I also have cut a piece of 3/4 inch plywood I can put on the top of the bench if it needs even more reinforcement. |
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Lag bolts should never "work their way loose", but I do agree that, in this situation, through bolts are the way to go.
If could see yourself needing adjustability, I would recommend T-Tracks. For around $30, you get (2) 4ft tracks and tons of hardware. 
If not, no big deal. Just throwing an idea your way. Good luck. |
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Quoted: Lag bolts should never "work their way loose", but I do agree that, in this situation, through bolts are the way to go. If could see yourself needing adjustability, I would recommend T-Tracks. For around $30, you get (2) 4ft tracks and tons of hardware. http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/premiumtommy/IMG_20140201_212751_013_zps313c8c5d.jpg If not, no big deal. Just throwing an idea your way. Good luck. No woodworker here- do you just rout a channel for the tracks? |
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No woodworker here- do you just rout a channel for the tracks? Quoted:
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Lag bolts should never "work their way loose", but I do agree that, in this situation, through bolts are the way to go. If could see yourself needing adjustability, I would recommend T-Tracks. For around $30, you get (2) 4ft tracks and tons of hardware. http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/premiumtommy/IMG_20140201_212751_013_zps313c8c5d.jpg If not, no big deal. Just throwing an idea your way. Good luck. No woodworker here- do you just rout a channel for the tracks? Yes. I used a board as a guide when I did mine. |
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Quoted:
No woodworker here- do you just rout a channel for the tracks? Quoted:
Quoted:
Lag bolts should never "work their way loose", but I do agree that, in this situation, through bolts are the way to go. If could see yourself needing adjustability, I would recommend T-Tracks. For around $30, you get (2) 4ft tracks and tons of hardware. http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/premiumtommy/IMG_20140201_212751_013_zps313c8c5d.jpg If not, no big deal. Just throwing an idea your way. Good luck. No woodworker here- do you just rout a channel for the tracks? Or cut dados for the track with a tablesaw Or have your top cut into strips and place the strips around the track. T-track will only be as strong as the tiny screws holding IT down to table surface... Asking for trouble in the long run in MY opinion for mounting a press to. May be useful for smaller tools that dont put as much pressure on the mounts (like a trimmer or such). 
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The T-Tracks will NOT come loose. There is a 1-1/4 wood screw every 4" per track. My presses are mounted to 12"x12" double stacks of 3/4 ply bases. That's 8 screws per sq ft. The presses are mounted to the bases with (6) 1/4"x1-1/2" lags. If anyone here thinks any of that is going to loosen up, you don't know your fasteners.
If this is not the route you took, that's fine, your shop your design. Please don't give ppl missinformation. I agree the through bolts would be best in his situation, but none of what your saying about the track or lag screws is accurate. My first press was a Lee single stage. I had it lag screwed to a solid wood door core for 8 yrs. It processed and loaded many thousands of rounds from 9mm to 300WM. When I removed it to build my new shop setup, those screws were as solid as the day I first put them there. While lag screw are generally used for shear loads, they will hold in this application (given that they are installed in the proper material, ie. not particle board, etc) |
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So you have 3/4" top, and a 2x8 attached beneath the bench top (sideways) where the press will be mounted? How is the 2x8 attached?
So using thru bolts, which is the right way to go, you will be passing them thru the 3/4" top and the 1.5" (2x8) board underneath? If so I would hope that would be plenty of support, depending upon how the 2x8 is attached. I did something similar with my first bench. I had a 3/4" top and attached a 1x6 reinforcer below where presses are mounted The 1x6 is screwed firmly in place and for added strength extends (beneath the plywood top) all the way to each side, between the 3/4" top and the legs of the bench. I did this front can back on the bench, even though back side is not used for mounting anything. Used appropriate thru bolts. Very solid, Rockchucker never flinches. |
3/4" steel plate. ;)
Untitled by zweitakt250, on Flickr Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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3/4" steel plate. ;) [email=http://www.flickr.com/photos/41385771@N03/11199423834/]http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2831/11199423834_939f3d64e4_c.jpg[/email] Untitled by zweitakt250, on Flickr Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I did something similar, but not as nice. 6"x6"x1/4" steel plate on top of the bench, then lag bolts with fender washers. |
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I did something similar, but not as nice. 6"x6"x1/4" steel plate on top of the bench, then lag bolts with fender washers. Quoted:
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3/4" steel plate. ;) [email=http://www.flickr.com/photos/41385771@N03/11199423834/]http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2831/11199423834_939f3d64e4_c.jpg[/email] Untitled by zweitakt250, on Flickr Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I did something similar, but not as nice. 6"x6"x1/4" steel plate on top of the bench, then lag bolts with fender washers. Be careful you 2. Your gonna get sh*t on for overkilling your bench and using the wrong fasteners 
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Be careful you 2. Your gonna get sh*t on for overkilling your bench and using the wrong fasteners Quoted:
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3/4" steel plate. ;) [email=http://www.flickr.com/photos/41385771@N03/11199423834/]http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2831/11199423834_939f3d64e4_c.jpg[/email] Untitled by zweitakt250, on Flickr Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I did something similar, but not as nice. 6"x6"x1/4" steel plate on top of the bench, then lag bolts with fender washers. Be careful you 2. Your gonna get sh*t on for overkilling your bench and using the wrong fasteners I used the wrong terminology, I think.
I meant to say, bolts that go all the way through the tabletop, and then secured with nuts. |
| Yep,3/4 inch plywood is my benchtop, then I cut a 2 x 8 about 12 inches long and wood glued it under the top, ran some screws in it also. Also put a couple extra 2 x 4 braces near the press area.So I have about 2 1/4 inches to go thru. I was also thinking of a plate on the bench top possibly made out of an extra piece of 3/4 inch plywood or even 1 x 8 board. I don't mind overkill, just want it to work the first time. I will try to dig up some bolts and give it a go.. Thanks for all the info.... |
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[What mounts are those. I want to raise my press up and have been thinking about doing something like this.
Quoted:
Lag bolts should never "work their way loose", but I do agree that, in this situation, through bolts are the way to go. If could see yourself needing adjustability, I would recommend T-Tracks. For around $30, you get (2) 4ft tracks and tons of hardware. [url=http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/premiumtommy/IMG_20140201_212751_013_zps313c8c5d.jpg http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/premiumtommy/IMG_20140201_212751_013_zps313c8c5d.jpg[/url] If not, no big deal. Just throwing an idea your way. Good luck. |
| My loading bench has 2x8s in the vertical position along the edge for strength and my press is the RCBS Rock Chucker. The actual thickness of a 2x8 is 1.5" which means if you drill straight down for 7/16" mounting bolts then your holes will be very close to the 2x8. I had to remove part of the 2x8 to make room for the washers and nuts. As I didn't like the position I picked for the press I moved it to a new location (on the right of the bench). I then thought I'd drilled the holes at an angle so I didn't have to remove wood from the 2x8. Because of the angle the 7/16" bolts didn't fit into the mounting slots of the RCBS anymore so I had to change to 3/8" bolts. Because of the angle I couldn't mount the nuts for easy starting so I came up with a nail driven into all-thread that works well despite the angle. |
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Thru bolts are always a better option if you have access to the bottom. If you don't use lag bolts, if the wood isn't total crap (a lot of lumber is these days) they'll hold fine.
If they someday pull out it's not the end of the world, you can fill the hole with epoxy wax the bolts and stick them back in, or drill the holes oversize and get yourself some threaded inserts. I know of a 550B that's been held by lag bolts for over 2 decades, and a Rock Chucker that lasted probably three decades, before the wood dried out enough to get brittle and split, the bolts didn't pull out though they took a big chunk of wood with them. I used lag bolts on mine because I wasn't interested in buying a bit long enough to drill thru an on edge 2x4, it's been remounted once when I moved the bench, which I thought would do in the grip of the bolts, but so far shows no sign of loosening |
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Quoted:
[What mounts are those. I want to raise my press up and have been thinking about doing something like this. Quoted:
[What mounts are those. I want to raise my press up and have been thinking about doing something like this. Quoted:
Lag bolts should never "work their way loose", but I do agree that, in this situation, through bolts are the way to go. If could see yourself needing adjustability, I would recommend T-Tracks. For around $30, you get (2) 4ft tracks and tons of hardware. [url=http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/premiumtommy/IMG_20140201_212751_013_zps313c8c5d.jpg http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/premiumtommy/IMG_20140201_212751_013_zps313c8c5d.jpg[/url] If not, no big deal. Just throwing an idea your way. Good luck. I made the stands that the presses are mounted to. There are a couple companies, online, that make the same thing. |
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