I jacked a craftsmen tool chest from my uncle to organize some of my ar stuff and thought maybe I could somehow mount a press to it as well and save some space in my house. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I might do this? Should I just screw a piece of wood onto the top and mount it on that?

Thanks

I haven't seen any tool boxes that were strong enough to mount a press on. I think you're going to be extremely disappointed the first time you try to use it.

I wouldn't do it. The whole box isn't really strong enough, especially the top. Plus you would have to have quite a bit of weight in it to keep it stable. Build yourself a bench and use the tool box for other things.

The last thing you want is a re-loading table with any
kind of wheels.  Nothing more frustrating then a wiggly
loading bench. Build a bench out of 2 x something. Store
all your leads and bullets on a shelf underneath, and
you will have a solid bench. My bench (2 1/2' x 8') doesn't twitch and
it is still free from the wall.

I mounted a press to a rolling cart once, I was stupid. YMMV

AB

maybe epoxy down a piece of 3/4 inch plywood on the top and see if it will be stable enough.  If the tool box is loaded with a lot of heavy stuff it might work.

do you ave a pic of the box?

There's better options, but there's also guys that load on Black and Decker Workmate benches and much worse options.

This guy over at calguns seems to have a decent setup on his roll away tool box using some aluminum brackets and extrusions to stiffen the top and has even mounted two presses to it.

roll away tool box reloading bench

Pics from that thread:

The way I did mine did not work. The top flexes too much and I lose all leverage. I will have to add a 3/4" or more wood top that has more of an over hang to mount the press. Oh well it was worth a try.

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww11/RemMan700/press.jpg

I built a tall "stand up" height rolling bench for a pair of 550s out of 2x4s and plywood.  It only has a 30"x18" footprint and would appear to be top heavy and unstable but it isn't at all.  I used large casters with the lockout lever.
With some components on the lower shelves it works great.  

YRMV

I wouldn't recomend it.

But if your intent on it.

You will need 2 steel or alum plates, you want plates that just fit tight full size on top and inside.
You would be trying to create a sandwich effect a 1/2" plate on top of the cabinet and a 1/4" plate
on the inside roof of the cabinet. both plates will need to be pre drilled  (lots of holes) and the top plate countersunk
(you did want a flat smooth top) also predrill for press and other equiptment. You may all so need to
add an angle inside under the press, and mount the press on the end/side not in the front. Also make
sure that it has locking brakes on the casters and you may need to put some sort of balast in the lower
end farest from the press.

actually that Bosch/80-20 aluminum extrusion is EXTREMELY stable and is also VERY expensive.
so the "forces" would be Nil using this stuff.

automation cell assembly is done quite often using that material because of it's strength and versatility.
this would be the BEST material to use, if you could get it.typically from work as scrap is how it is obtained.
it is on average $20 a foot, depending on size, manufacturer and qty bought.


so aluminum extrusion is a very good platform for mounting, how it is attached to a sheet metal box is key.

I had to mount a vise on a 41" craftsman pro series box. I used a piece of 5/16 aluminum plate to spread out the
mounting of it so it wouldn't ruin the box.

if you use common sense in mounting and replace the cheesy wheels this is an excellent way to mount a press and store your tooling.

I use a stainless kobalt box for my tooling. but I don't mount a press to it.I like to keep mine mobile, but I bolt it in several different areas,
like:
kitchen, living room , dining room, or the garage. all depends on where I want it and if I need seclusion or what not.

yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm not arguing but if you've used the extrusion in a manufacturing environment you would understand it's ability.

my point is the extrusion not the box, the reason I don't have one of mine set up like that.

don't close your mind to what you've not experienced. I am talking of my experience over the last 20yrs.


I  have mounted air over oil cylinders, air cylinders, atlas copco torque guns, small cranes (1000lb cap) a lot of other things like this.
if you know what any of those things are and are used for then you have an idea what the extrusion is used for, it works.

of course all this stuff is mounted to either a steel table or lag bolted into the floor.

it works

structural design is your specialty, automation is mine.

Bottom line.

Can it be done?...............................yes.

If you think you can just bolt it to the top with a small spacer plate, using home handyman tools,............... you won't be happy with the result.

If you have access to a machine shop or fab shop, cost,  time and the ability to design and renforce are not an object, you could have a fairly nice rollaway/movable reloading station.

YMMV

I'm a machinist, not an engineer, though I do work in the same field as AeroE currently. I do, however, understand what AeroE is saying even though I can't put it in the same terms.

Unless there is some reinforcement of the underside of that toolbox, as well as weight in the bottom, it simply can't work as well as it needs to. The rigidity and stability just aren't there.

The rigidity of the mounting makes a great deal of difference in the performance of the end product. If whatever it's mounted on isn't stable and rigid, the end product won't be either.

I know this,

I had been saying the extrusion is a great product.
I also said I didn't rig one of mine, but if I did or were to, reinforcement is a must.

It would make for a nice workstation.


what is it with aviation? I worked for united airlines in one of the maintenance hubs.

I'm NOT saying you, but there seems to be a holier than thou because somone "works" in that trade, why?
I seem to get the know it all routine from people in that trade and get the "I fix aircraft for a living so believe me" yada yada.
then those same people get laid off and can't function outside that industry without a manual to show them.

and again neither of you are my target so don't get pissed off at me, it's a real question.

IBTL on me.

Looking at where the wheels on that cart are, and where the lever on the front press is, I can see those wheels being a wonderful way to pull that rolling tool chest right over onto yourself.

I used a rollaway as the basis for my reloading setup years ago and it worked fine for the Lee Challenger single stage press I had way back then.  I mounted a thick piece of wood to the top and I don't recall any issues with loading 45 ACP with it.  It was stored in the kitchen and I would wheel it to wherever I chose to use it.  When I moved into a house I wanted a more stable setup and I bought a solid core door and sawed it in half and glued the halves together and then screwed that to the top I already had on the rollaway.  I then screwed a piece of 2X4 along the back edge and screwed that to the wall to stabalize the whole thing.   That has been mounted in the same place now for 20 years or so.  I used to have my two Dillon 650's mounted on it, but now ir has a 1050 on the right side and a 550 on the left.