Then, by Monday night it was done, except for the shelves and mounting of the press. I finally did those things yesterday, and here it is in all its glory:
The benchtop came from our kitchen island - we expanded it, and needed a bigger top. The 2x4s were appropriated from my in-law's attic, they were orphaned after a remodel job. The 2x10s came from their garage, also victims of a remodel. The shelves were a bookshelf that I was redoing for the kids' playroom, but it was no longer needed there, so I got to use it on the bench. All I've got to do is put a backing board on it again, in case this bench ever moves away from the wall. So:
The tree-huggin' types would be pleased to know that this is all "re-purposed lumber".
My mother-in-law the artist would call it "found art".
I, the cheapgerman, call it "saving money for a new gun."
It took me all day because I used a handsaw only, and I revised the design 3 times on the fly after sketching it out in my head. Never did put anything on paper. But it was a good excuse to stay in the garage all day and catch up on old podcasts.
I've got my Lee Deluxe Turret Kit set up in 'single stage mode' for the time being - until I get the hang of things. I've already decapped and resized about 500 .45 cases. A couple hundred more to go, then it's off to the priming!
Man, this is fun!
ETA: Since this is the Deluxe Turret, the spent primers fall through the turret base instead of through the ram (as in the Classic). I drilled a funnel-shaped hole through the benchtop and mounted a small 'cup' underneath to catch the spent primers that way, instead of putting the press on a riser with a 'drawer' underneath.
May I suggest a small square of thin plywood for a back between top and shelf. Absent that,how about a diagonal brace running from top to bottom shelf. Without some sort of lateral bracing, your bench will get the "wobblies" sooner or later.
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