Re: Reloading bench surface
A quality built and well laid out bench is a great reloading aid. This is more than you asked but you dint ask enough!
The bench top doesn't need or even much benefit from a 2-3" thick top, there just isn't that much stress on it. A 3/4" top is plenty IF there's some 2x4 framing under it at the high stress points, i.e., for the press itself.
A hard, seamless top is much better than anything soft or with cracks. Sheet metal cladding great but much too costly unless it can be obtained free or nearly so. Low cost plywood is okay, it's soft so it easily dents and scratches but it's great for the basic top if it's covered. Sheet vinyl flooring over plywood is easy to apply, easily to replace and ends of rolls can often be bought from a flooring company for not much if you're not picky about color or pattern. Hardboard/Masonite is good but it wears fairly quickly. Formica is excellant; damaged sheets can often be bought inexpensively from Lowe's/H'Depot. MDF sealed with four coats of a marine grade oil based polyurethane makes a very good top surface.
My present bench is my forth effort. I made it in the back yard in '71, have moved it four times, still wouldn't change a thing. The top is 2' x 7' and 42" high; even at that hight I blocked up my presses, 3" for the RC and 6" for the old Lyman Spar-T so I wouldn't have to bend over to fully depress the levers; my back likes that. A sturdy 4" swiveling 'machinest' vise is mounted on the left front corner; it's quite handy both for gun work and as a temporary mount for seldom used loading tools like the case trimmer and concentricity gage.
At 2'x7'x42" it's big enough to serve as a gun work bench as well as reloading and it's as large as can be easily manauvered down hallways and through doors. Anything wider would simply collect 'stuff' on the back and anything lower would be difficult to work at for very long when standing. I have a cheep 'yard sale' swiveling bar stool with padding and a back for comfortable work seated.
A couple of 18" wide shelves are below my top to store brass, tumbler, media, sand bags, targets, etc. Four cheap/simple 3/8" thick x 20" wide plywood doors cover the lower shelves to reduce dust on that stuff. A single sheet of cheep 1/8" ply paneling covers the ends and back to make it a truly rigid box without adding a lot of weigth or cost.
Bench legs need not be massive, single 2x4s are plenty strong enough. I put legs at each corner and a set in the middle to support my center mounted main press.
I suggest assembly with glue and screws on all high stress points, nails tend to loosen over time. Bulk box steel 'dry wall' type screws sold at the big box home supply stores do great but having a variable speed drill/driver is almost a necessity for using many of them!
Storage for reloading stuff is always needed. I finally made a sturdy 'book shelf' of 1x8 boards for a storage unit to sit on the rear of the bench top; it runs full bench width and up to the ceiling. It's screw anchored at three points to the wall behind it for total stability. My loading manuals, scale, trickler, powders, primers, bullets, dies, case lube and a lot of small tools are stored there, all in plain sight so I can find anything I want immediately. Seldom used stuff goes up high, commonly used stuff goes low.
Old metal office supply cabinets can often be picked up at 'thrift shops' for less than you could make an equal size locker. They provide great storage for ammo, chronograph, range box, spotting scope, gun cleaning supplies, etc.
Don't skimp on bench lighting. I have two inexpensive dual tube 48" flouresent "shop lite" fixtures ceiling mounted over the front edge of my bench top and that's NOT too much!
