Height of a Reloading Bench

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  • Last Post 22 October 2011
CB posted this 10 November 2007

I am getting ready to set up my new reloading bench, I had a 25 ft long bench in the old house, when I moved out here in the country I had to give it up. I now have a 8 foor reloding area.

 

I have two Dillion 550s, a Dillion Square deal and a Rock Chucker to setup.

How high should I make this about the ground, my old one required that you sat on a bar stool, should I make this more for a using a kitchen chair or stick with the bar stool height?

 

Thanks,

 

Jerry

 

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CB posted this 10 November 2007

Jerry,

I prefer a bar stool height loading bench. You can stand and load or sit on the high stool and load.

My buddy has an office height reloading bench and uses old, nice padded office chairs to sit and load. It is hard to stand and load at that bench height. I'd think it'd be easier to set up the progressive presses on a high bench.......................Dan

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Ken O posted this 10 November 2007

The biggest mistake is makeing them too low. I have made quite a few and they keep getting higher, then I read somewhere that the perfect higth is different for everyone, because it is elbow high. That is where you get max levearge for your presses, and you can see what your doing. My bench right now is a few inches less than elbow high and is working out just fine for about 15 years right now, but if I ever make another it will be a elbow high. I just about always load standing up, but do have a bar stool for occasional use.

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CB posted this 26 November 2007

My new bench is at a comfortable height, it lets me sit in a bar stool and do my things.

Jerry

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Surculus Solitudo posted this 30 September 2009

My new bench is almost perfect for standing or sitting on my stool. I say almost because when I stand and pull my press handle, I wish it was mounted maybe an inch taller. I have to dip my shoulder a tiny bit to complete the handle travel. Make sure you can comfortably stand or sit in one place and operate your press through its entire stroke.

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cityboy posted this 30 September 2009

My bench is 36.5 inches high and works fine for me standing or sitting on a stool. I do my loading using either a Rock Chucker or a Star.

Jim

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LWesthoff posted this 30 September 2009

I'm 6'4” tall. I built my loading bench 41” high. My casting bench, out in my shop, is 42” high. They both work just about right for me. I think elbow high (about 47"+ for me) would be a little too high, but comfortable workbench height is totally dependent an the height of the person using it. Needless to say, I prefer to work standing - although I do have an adjustable height drafting stool for those rare occasions when everything I'll be handling is going to be within easy reach (and I'm maybe feeling a litle lazy).

Wes

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rigger posted this 03 October 2009

I'm 5'7” and built mine 39". I always stand when loading. It is about 1.5” lower than elbow height for me. I built mine from plans from NRMA. The plans called for a height of 42 3/4” for a person 6'2".

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CB posted this 03 October 2009

I have 4 loading areas. My loading bench that I have my Rockchucker and CH press has a 39x18x30 work area. My work table that I share with my shotgun and turret press is 42x25x37. My bullet making cube that I have my 3 Rockchuckers and my Lyman 450 and 45 lube sizers mounted on is a box measuring 30x30x39. My casting table is 48x22x38.

I sit at my loading bench and my cube. The casting bench I stand as well at the shotgun and Turret bench. Hope this helps.

Stephen Perry

Angeles BR:fire

 

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Savage99 posted this 19 July 2011

Experiment with the height, as it will tire you out very quickly if not at good comfortable level for you. I used an adjustable set-up at first to get the right set-up and then built some very stout benches and mounted the presses to them. What also helps is to the bullets in the back of your bench to help with stability

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Savage99 posted this 19 July 2011

I have four set-ups on two benches as well. 1 for pistol and others for rifle

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oscarflytyer posted this 20 July 2011

Mine is 38-39".  I have a mechanic's  chair back adjustable height stool that I sit in when reloading.

I tend to adjust the seat higher when doing case prep, and lower when I am actually seating bullets. 

With the higher bench, and adjustable seat, this works perfect for me.

Worst case - make it higher.  Can always trim the legs.  MUCH harder to make it higher later!

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JSH posted this 21 July 2011

Ditto to the above mentioned onstanding height benches. I would suggest mounting your press on somthing you can use and adjust the height on, until you find the “perfect” height for you. Also if you make it to tall you can always cut it off inch by inch. It is a bit harder to try and add inch by inch. jeff

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 21 July 2011

I'm 6'4". I have 5 3'x5' desks in a row for reloading. They are standard desk height (about 30-32"). It works well with standard desk chairs.

A little higher is OK.

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Savage99 posted this 03 August 2011

I made mine so that it was comfortable standing. In my view there is no hard and fast rule as to the height of your bench, except make it comfortable for you. I like standing, while reloading, so that I have the necessary leverage to operate the various presses I use and just use my stool to take a break on. I use reloaded ammo (and lead for cast bullets)in the area at the back under the bench to keep it stabilized, this is important as you don't want the reload bench to be wobbling around as you pull the lever, since there is a lot of force going on here. I used a Chevy K5 Blazer to verify that mine was as sturdy as it could be as I built it, I used the truck as a clamp and I drove the truck up on it after it was built, to verify what I wanted. Mine is 2x4's doubled up and 2 sheets of particle board and 1/4” hardboard for the top and I use a old drafting table hard rubber cover as a surface and these benches are take apart able with nuts and bolts, since I have moved since I originally built them.

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Chargar posted this 14 August 2011

I built my reloading bench elbow height, which for me is 42 inches. I am 6'4". I can stand or sit on a stool.

I build the work bench to the same height.

I build the bench for my Logan lathe with the middle of the spindle at elbow height.

This seems to work for me, for work bench, loading bench and lathe bench.

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Lee S. Forsberg posted this 20 October 2011

miestro_jerry wrote: I am getting ready to set up my new reloading bench, I had a 25 ft long bench in the old house, when I moved out here in the country I had to give it up. I now have a 8 foor reloding area.

 

I have two Dillion 550s, a Dillion Square deal and a Rock Chucker to setup.

How high should I make this about the ground, my old one required that you sat on a bar stool, should I make this more for a using a kitchen chair or stick with the bar stool height?

 

Thanks,

 

Jerry

Jerry, Standing with my forearms level with the floor measure from my elbows to the floor for the correct bench height. Should work out just right to stand or use a bar stool. Lee

 

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hunterspistol posted this 21 October 2011

:coffee   Just some food for thought,  I run a tape measure all day long as a factory welder.  I found some standard heights that are common stuff.  A normal chair height is 16 to 18 “.  Mine are 16” to the seat and fit under a tabletop that is 28” to the bottom of the table. 

     That pretty much tells you normal leg clearance.  If you stool is 24” high, just add to the table top height.  So, to accomodate a 24” seat, I'd need about 36 inches to the bottom of table. 

    That's just approximations on what it takes.

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raytear posted this 21 October 2011

I set the height of my bench so that I can push the handle of my RCBS Rock Chucker Jr. all the way down to the bottom of its stroke without having to bend sideways at all.  Saves wear and tear on back and arms.

Good shooting! RT

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Chargar posted this 22 October 2011

I prefer to build my benches to elbow height. That is 41 inches in my case. Like others I can work standing or using a shop stool.

I built the bench for my Logan lathe shorter, so I could work standing and have the center of the spindle at a good height to see and still have the operating controls at a easy workable height. In this case the bench is 37 inches high.

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