Grinder Stand for reloading press?

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I picked up an old Craftsman pedestal grinder stand locally, just like this one but in better shape, not rusty. This one seems heavier and better than the similar Harbor Freight ones I was looking at for this (and it was cheaper).

Strong and heavy, it does have some play at the junction of the two telescoping shafts. I may be able to fix that.

The plan is to bolt it down to a big piece of concrete slab I have, probably 3'x5' x 5" thick, so real heavy. The plan is to have a quick change station for various tools.

Think this will be rigid enough and strong enough for a reloading press full length sizing rifle brass?
 

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fiver

Well-Known Member
most likely.
i re-size shot shells with a press c-clamped to a stool.
i just put my left hand on the top of the press and run the handle with my right.
bolted to the floor should work and if seems to flex too much just weld the 2 pieces together.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Should be pretty stout if it's like what I'm thinking of. It might not be up to swaging or forming 50 BMG cases, but if it's secured well it will likely work great. You can always try epoxy between the halves once you find your preferred height.
 

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I've gotta get outside and mess with it to see how tight I can get it tightened up enough. Kind of wondering is one of the inline fabrication plates bolted down to the top would make for easy switching?
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
I used a piece of 1/2” steel for mounting presses, all I would do is drill and tap the plate for each press mounting pattern, then permanently fix the plate to the bench or in your case to the stand. Mount your stand to a steel plate and store your ingots on it. Won’t move.
 

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Pedestal mounts are designed to allow access in an arc around the front of the stand, so the user doesn't have to be positioned directly in front of the equipment. And they take up less floor space than a bench. That's why pedestals are popular for grinders. Thay allow the user to stand offset from the front of the grinder if needed.
Using one for a press will certainly work.
Bolting it to a 3 foot by 5 foot, 5" thick concrete slab will require that you step up onto that slab every time you use it. I can foresee some tripping hazard there.
As for being strong enough - The base is not where the problem will be. You can bolt that flat base down and it will be more than secure enough. The flex will be in the vertical column. Will that flex be enough to matter? Hard to say but the higher you extend it, the more deflection you will get. It may not be enough to matter with a reloading press.
If it is a problem, consider making braces that run from the outer ends of the base to a collar around the vertical shaft.
OR, if it's near a wall and you don't need to walk all the way around it; brace it to the wall.
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Yes a stand-off from a wall would do the trick. But P&P mentioning about accessing the stand in a arc, well if you put a flat plate on top you could mount 2 presses if it was next to a wall or 3 presses if it was free standing in the open.

Probably get carried away here
 

FrankCVA42

Active Member
My grinder stand is a steel truck rim that has a section of pipe welded to it and on top is a rectangular piece of 1/4" steel plate. Painted it with Rustoleum machinery grey. I did have to pay the scrap yard for the truck rim. Luckily had the pipe and steel for the rest. About all I could afford at the time. Had one of the welders at work do the welding. If you could find a piece of 3/8 steel plate large enough to allow the feet of your grinder stand to be either welded or bolted, doubt it wouldn't go anywhere. Weight is the key here. Frank