Mounting a press?

[XJ]

Yes, I'm new to reloading...

I built a bench from 2x4 and plywood, intending to use it for general purposes too which means removing the press occasionally. Just discovered that the RCBS base is made so that you can't put an ordinary washer on the underside when using 3/8 hardware. Should I take a piece of flat steel and drill two appropriate holes close to the edge, it doesn't seem right to not use a washer when the fastener bears on a soft surface. Obvious a lot of the force will be directed into the lower part of the base, but shouldn't it still be firmly attached at the base? I could be over-engineering and under-beveraging this project

[SA Friday]

We need a pic of the press mounted on the bench from the top side too. I cannot tell if you have only two mounting holes in the press or 4 or 6. My RCBS has 4.

It appears the issue isn't the press or the mounting screws, but the holes are too close to the 2x4 on the underside. The first thing I would do is take a dremel to a couple of washers and cut them flat on one side to clear the 2x4.

[gnihcraes]

my opinion: put another 2x4 on there where those bolts are, and get longer bolts to go through the new 2x4. I like my stuff to be "strong" and not come loose at all...

[sabot_round]

We need a pic of the press mounted on the bench from the top side too. I cannot tell if you have only two mounting holes in the press or 4 or 6. My RCBS has 4.

It appears the issue isn't the press or the mounting screws, but the holes are too close to the 2x4 on the underside. The first thing I would do is take a dremel to a couple of washers and cut them flat on one side to clear the 2x4.

^^^^^THIS^^^^^
I think SA has your answer!

[newracer]

I would notch out the 2x4 to allow the washer to be used.

[XJ]

Only two mounting holes, didn't occur to me to measure ahead of time.

I'm not sure how to notch the 2x4 safely, will try and cut some washers down. Maybe some glue to keep them from falling down when the press is removed for other projects. And yes, the bottle opener will not be in use while reloading. That is for Jeep projects where there is no chance of serious injury

[SA Friday]

I see no reason to add a 2x4 with the amount of plywood under the press. I also wouldn't cut on the existing 2x4 if at all possible. You will want as much stability under the press as possible. Washers are cheap and if you screw them up, you can toss them and start over. Best rule in modifying anything; always try to cut/grind on the cheaper part.

[cowboykjohnson]

my opinion: put another 2x4 on there where those bolts are, and get longer bolts to go through the new 2x4. I like my stuff to be "strong" and not come loose at all...

I had the same problem, this was my solution, worked awesome, very sturdy.

[gnihcraes]

Yep. early pictures didn't make clear the amount of table top he has there, so I'd just make room for the washers or cut them down a little and stick them on there.

if you double up the 2x4's and get the longer bolts, you could use wing nuts to make it easier to get the press off and on... depending on how quickly you wanted to get it out of the way of another project...