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Old December 11, 2007, 01:59 AM   #8
animal
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 28, 2000
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 705
ugh! Metric system… ok now I have a calculator ….

Looks pretty darn good. You asked for suggestions so here goes:
Leg Room: Judging by the rifle rest to the right, I assume the press will be mounted on the front. If so, you won’t need that much leg/foot room under the bench so you can put a shelf or two down there for stuff you don’t use much. Chances are, to be comfortable working the arm of the press, you’ll end up backed away and sitting at about a 30 degree angle with your left knee under the bench. Anything more than room for the chair to slide into will probably be a waste of space.
Rifle rest: Looks really cool but I don’t know about using it when reloading. Then again, I’m really anal when it comes to imagining something vibrating against the finish of some rifles.
The drawers: Have you considered going full length ? I would probably make old fashioned wood runners lubricated with wax and talc (because I’m cheap). There are also side mount steel runner kits available that will go full length.
The top: I strongly suggest a raised edge around the perimeter to catch rolling things …especially if you are getting old (like me). I prefer a thicker top but if you use some nice big fender washers(better yet, a piece of plate steel a little larger than the base of your press and drilled to match it’s mounting holes) underneath when you mount the press, you should be ok. You might think of designing it so that you could add an additional layer of plywood to the top in case it flexes under strain.
If you haven’t guessed, I’m into overkill. My bench is a little larger than yours and built mostly out of 2"x8"lumber on a 4"x4" frame with an additional layer of ¼" plywood on the top(to have a smooth replaceable surface) and a beading around the perimeter to catch rolling things. It has 2 shelves above the top and one shelf below with no drawers. Progressive press is mounted on right side and a removable single stage press in the middle, and a MEC press on the left .
Where I screwed up: I built mine before the press arrived and wouldn't you know it ... one hole of the press lined up perfectly with a frame member underneath GRRRRR ! A lag screw kept backing out so I was forced to take a chisel to it to get a bolt in there.

Taking suggestions from others is a good precaution ... as long as you keep in mind it's your bench and build it the way you want it.
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