Okay all those that care to help.

[Festeraxp]

Last night while resizing 308 rounds specifically 7.62x51 Lake City Brass, I broke my reloading table. Could you believe a 1" think piece of wooden table top broke? Jeeze, i couldn't believe it. Anyway I am looking for recommendations on what to build the next table out of. I would love to construct something strong, and that will be able to handle all the pressure that is displaced when using the rock chucker to resize cases. Any suggestions, thoughts would be greatly appreciated? It will be located in my garage which has a concrete floor. I would like to construct it out of wood. However i am open to whatever has worked great for everyone else. Thank you.

 

[BrienM]

You could "plate it" with a chunk of aluminum or steel plate... My reloading bench is .5" plywood with a 2x6 slid underneath with the ole RCBS lag bolted through both.

 

[basman]

Bolt it to the floor. Use more lube? How about 2x3/4” plywood glued together ?

 

[Festeraxp]

Good suggestions so far. I just cant believe that it broke a 1' thick board. As far as lube I use either one shot, or imperial lube for my cases.

 

[acudaowner]

could use metal to brace either side of the break to reinforce it

 

[spife7980]

1" thick MDF? Or real wood?

If MDF I beleive it, its a shit material.

Real wood you have to have had a funky grain or something that caused a natural weak spot because my table is 1" of solid oak and Im pretty sure I could drive my car up on it.

 

[Festeraxp]

real wood.

 

[johnnyvw]

1" pine isn't all that strong. glue two sheets of 3/4"plywood together. Or find an old solid door, or butcher block countertop

 

[spife7980]

real wood.

Damn... I guess I would suggest to double it up with the grain patterns running in perpendicular directions so that any weak spots that might crack with any flexing have a support system running the other way to help hold up to any flex.

Other than that the metal backer or just a 2x6 under the lip for extra support under the press.
Or if its "permanent" instead of wing nuts holding it on use some lag bolts and send them down directly into the thick table leg.

 

[Festeraxp]

i do have an old door that i could use, never thought of doing that. However the door i have is solid wood but not all the same size, if you know what i mean.

 

[roostercogburn98]

My new bench is 4x6 studs topped with 1/2 inch plywood. The presses are held down with stainless bolts. So far it has been pretty reliable

 

[Festeraxp]

i had lag bolts on the first time and it snapped off, then i switched to the other wooden table, then broke it again. im at a loss.

 

[TriggerJerk!]

Whatever you use next, put a flat piece of steel or aluminum plate under the table to disperse the pressure and torque from the press. You could even use flat 2”x 3/16” x 8” pieces (2’ lengths can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot). Just make sure the bolts for the press pass through the supporting plate.

Good luck.

 

[Festeraxp]

@roostercogburn98 can you shoot me some pics so i have an idea. anyone for that matter, if you can send me pics of your set ups, i would be much appreciated.

 

[roostercogburn98]

@roostercogburn98 can you shoot me some pics so i have an idea. anyone for that matter, if you can send me pics of your set ups, i would be much appreciated.

Will get some when I get back out to the shop. It’s not pretty but it is solid

 

[spife7980]

@roostercogburn98 can you shoot me some pics so i have an idea. anyone for that matter, if you can send me pics of your set ups, i would be much appreciated.

See how the press has a larger piece of 2x under it? extra thickness to reist bending and it spreads the load out over the entire area of the 2x4 to the table top itself instead of only contacting the actual top on only the bolt hole locations.

 

[BrienM]

@spife7980 , I can make my bench look like that (Clean and neat). 10 minutes into reloading, I can no longer see the bench! haha.. Nice and simple setup!

 

[Festeraxp]

I appreciate all the advise so far. I am glad to be a member of this community so many good helpful people.

 

[MtnCreek]

My bench top is two pieces of 1/2" plywood. I used construction adhesive made for subflooring between the two pieces and chalked a grid on top for woodscrews. Additional small piece of 1/2" ply under a rockchucker. Dillon in strong mount didn't need additional reinforcement. Frame is 2x lumber. Glued and screwed.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

I have made several work tables built of 2x4’s with glue and wooden pegs. Well braced. For the table tops I used a sheet of 3/4” plywood screwed onto the frame (allowing easy replacement). For reloading tables used by my son, I used two sheets, both screwed together. No issues.

I built one that was a take down table, with the frame bolted together. It works, but not as stable and a glued and pegged table. Using a quality brand of wood glue, parts properly fitted and properly clamped during construction, has made a table that has endured every kind of stress that work can put on it.

Further, moving to a strong mount style system also puts the stress on the center of the table and not the edge. Another option to move the stress away is RCBS’s Accessory Base Plate. Great accessory, However, while I use mine for all kinds of RCBS tools, I have never used it to mount a press. I have learned that using the Accessory plate, forget the tiny screws they include for mounting. Bolt it though the table top.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

i had lag bolts on the first time and it snapped off, then i switched to the other wooden table, then broke it again. im at a loss.

Any chance we could see a picture of your set up? I'm interested in the mode of failure, and it may steer our recommendations. Did it break on the down pull or up pull of the lever?

There are a couple ways to counter the forces involved, like some mentioned 'doubling up' cross grain wood layers, doing a torsion beam or wall bolted design, or even just using a inline fab mount or similar to spread to load over more wood. But the fact that it was a 1" real wood board makes me think there is something else at play, and seeing it may help.

 

[lash]

Here’s a pic I just snagged from the loading room contest thread (It’s someone else’s). It shows a pretty solid and simple bench made using two layers of plywood. Guarantee that this would not break.

Solid wood tops always have the potential to break under a lot of stress, due to natural grain weaknesses.

 

[MK20]

Plate it with a piece of scrap steel plate. I would go with 1/2 inch if you can swing it. It will be heavy but you will NEVER break it. My friend mfg's gun safes and that is what they use for shop tables.

 

[BullGear]

My son made his desk out of butcherblock and it turned out really nice. He used black gas pipe and fixtures for support and the legs. If I were to have to build another reloading table, that's what I would use.

He bought a piece that was 6 ft long and I believe 32 or 36 inches wide.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

You can get hardwood plywood from any home improvement store. Put a backer underneath with the largest bolts your press can take.

The butcher block countertops look nice and 1.5" thick. I think my next bench will use one of those.

 

[CanisLupus]

I've gathered a lot of ideas, and drooled over many reloading setups from this thread: https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/building-the-perfect-reloading-room.6254155/

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Steel head]

Last night while resizing 308 rounds specifically 7.62x51 Lake City Brass, I broke my reloading table. Could you believe a 1" think piece of wooden table top broke? Jeeze, i couldn't believe it. Anyway I am looking for recommendations on what to build the next table out of. I would love to construct something strong, and that will be able to handle all the pressure that is displaced when using the rock chucker to resize cases. Any suggestions, thoughts would be greatly appreciated? It will be located in my garage which has a concrete floor. I would like to construct it out of wood. However i am open to whatever has worked great for everyone else. Thank you.

^^^^

 

[KeithStone]

Made mine with 2x8s topped with 3/4 plywood and I think the garage will blow away before the bench moves