Best Press Stand for Progressive press

[Mike in CT]

Currently I am using an older folding leg table and it is just not cutting it. I want something small as I can still use the table for all my supplies. I may also want to load in different areas at times.

I looked at the Midway stand (Franklin Arsenal) and it had mixed reviews, I would rather not buy something I need to keep my feet on or rig up something to stabilize it, got that already. I also would like something I do not need to bolt to the wall or floor as I am renting now.

Has anyone tried something like this

http://www.harborfreight.com/29-inch-heavy-duty-tool-stand-95128.html

or something like this with a 3/4" plywood top added?

http://www.harborfreight.com/universal-tool-stand-46075.html

or is anyone a welder in the New York City/Stamford CT area that would want to weld something up for a fair price? I have seen plans for a simple stand with something like a 16" square base, a 4" tubing riser and a 1/4" plate on the top to mount the press,

Mike

Edited November 26, 2010 by Mike in CT

[Treym7]

Believe it or not, I have a friend that has this: Workbench for his reloading bench. He has a Rock Chucker mounted to it and loads .338 Lapua Mag on it. He says it is quite stable and then he just rolls it away when he is done. Also locks everything up in it. I got the large workbench made by the same company and it is rock solid.

Maybe this would work for you as well.

Trey

[Bello]

Believe it or not, I have a friend that has this: Workbench for his reloading bench. He has a Rock Chucker mounted to it and loads .338 Lapua Mag on it. He says it is quite stable and then he just rolls it away when he is done. Also locks everything up in it. I got the large workbench made by the same company and it is rock solid.

Maybe this would work for you as well.

Trey

that is a nice bench there! a guy on this forum named boxerglocker has one with a dillon xl 650 mounted to it check it out maybe ill have him post a pic or two

[nxfedlt1]

Mike, the stand you are referencing to have fabricated is exactly what I did. Its heavy, roughly 40ish lbs but the torque from the handle at that fulcrum length will cause some wobble. Before I bolted it down, I used bags of lead shot to weight the base and the problem was solved. I think I paid about 50 dollars for materials and labor. I had them sand blast it too, before I primed and painted it.

[Mike in CT]

So I decided to build my bench, just figured to get what I wanted that was the way to go.

I looked at several plans and many posts on this forum and others and went with the basic 2x4 frame with a 3/4" plywood shelf and then a double thick 3/4" top.

I doubled up the legs at the base, and notched out the legs to hold the 2x4's that made the base for the top to ad stability. I put a cross piece under the middle of the top shelf and put 2 under the top, one right between the 2 bolts that mount the press and another one in about the same place on the other side of the top planning for another press (or dreaming of one).

I only had to place one shim under a leg to level for my basement floor and it is rock solid. I was a bit concerned with only 2 feet of depth to the bench it might tilt a bit with just the vise on but no movement at all, oh yeah, I used double fender washers on each mounting bolt, top and bottom.

After I load up some bullets and brass this thing is going to be great!

Here are a couple of pictures from my phone, and yeah the top of the bench will never again be as clean as it is now!

Mike

[silvercorvette]

I bought this from sears, the stand is wedged against the garage ceiling because it needs to be held down on the up stroke so you can seat the primers properly. This picture was taken when I lived in NY. I moved from NY to SC an am going to secure it to a 4X4 piece of plywood I can stand on. I can't bolt it to the floor because it will be in a spare bedroom. By bolting it to a piece of plywood you stand on lifting the press will be like trying to lift yourself up by your boot straps

PS if I remember correctly it is rated to hold 300 pounds or more

Edited December 19, 2010 by silvercorvette

[silvercorvette]

I looked at the Midway stand (Franklin Arsenal) and it had mixed reviews, I would rather not buy something I need to keep my feet on or rig up something to stabilize it, got that already. I also would like something I do not need to bolt to the wall or floor as I am renting now.

Mike

I should have mentioned that prior to buying the Sears tool stand I bought the Midway stand, it was a total waste of money. I never loaded a single round with it because the darn thing was so flimsy it would probably fall apart if you put any weight on to it.

I still buy from Midway, as a matter of fact I bought a Hornady press from them Monday, but I was ticked off that I had to pay shipping to have it sent to me and then return it when Midway never should have sold a product that is unable to preform the task it was intended to do

The Sears stand is rated at 300 or maybe 350 pounds and it is rock solid.