Lock-N-Load Steel Stand / Pedestal Plans Available!

One of the most effective way to enhance the operation of your reloading press is to make sure it is mounted rock solid. By rock solid I mean- if you could, weld it to the deck of an aircraft carrier (peraps that’s not practical… 🙂 ).

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had quite a few requests for dimensions and plans for the steel pedestal/stand that I constructed for my Hornady Lock-N-Load AP Progressive reloading press (now the stand I use for all progressives via custom adapter plates…).

Well, due to the generosity of one of my readers (Jon Kelly) who took the time to make up plans for this stand- you can now download these plans- just click on the image below!

**Update: If you want to paint your stand (or other accessories) to match your Lock-N-Load AP, you may want to pick up some Rustoleum “Regal Red” (code 7765).

Lock-N-Load AP Stand Plans

30 thoughts on “Lock-N-Load Steel Stand / Pedestal Plans Available!”

  1. Greetings,

    As a new person to reloading, I want to thank you for all the work you have put into your website. I am certain all NEW reloaders and many old timers will find many helpful hints and methods to accomplish their goals to become a skillful and competent reloader.

    Best regards, George

  2. I’ve been waiting to see these plans, now i have a material list! I’m headed to the metal shop on monday! Only dimension not on the drawing is the column placement on the lower plate. I’m assuming it’s centered. Anyways, i love the site and appreciate all the hard work put into it!

    Thanks, Pete

  3. After seeing the stand on this website last year …. I made a couple of visits to the local scrap yard. I made some modifications and used 4″ diameter pipe (heavy stuff) instead of the square tubing. While at the scrap yard I found some 1/4″ triangle shaped scrap steel to add to the pipe as a buttress where it mounts to both the base and to the loader mount. Also lucked out and found a 14″x14″ x 3/8″ base plate, which I bolted to the garage floor and an 8″x5″ x 1/2″ top plate. At 10 cents a pound …. I made the stand for about $18 bucks. Took a grinder and cleaned it all up and had a friend do a weld on it. Painted it black and it is ROCK SOLID. Thanks for the idea.
    Dave

  4. The pics of the new bench area is great. Do you have detailed info on the bench use and layout.

    Thank you for the great work and info.

  5. I’m just getting started in reloading, and I found a link to this site yesterday. I’m really loving the information and ideas that I’m getting here! While I’ll start with an old Lyman Spartan press that my neighbor gave me, I expect that I’ll want to upgrade to a progressive press eventually. Your videos have already helped me better understand my options and how various accessories can be combined in a complex progressive setup. Thanks!

    Anyway, this pedestal design makes me wonder whether I might adapt a bench grinder pedestal for use as a reloading press stand… at least temporarily, until I get around to building a proper reloading bench.

    1. Since I do not have access to a welder, I used a bench grinder stand. It is quite stable and can be bolted to the floor. I created a tabletop that allows extra work and storage area.

  6. Hello I found your site from Grant Cunningham’s recommendation. First I have to say THANK YOU for doing this. I have found the info you provide very valuable. Keep up the great work and I’ll keep following in the adventure 🙂

  7. In my previous post I inquired about where to find plans for the stand and weather or not you sell a finished product. A little more searching and found the plan for the stand..Thank you for the plan.

    Is a finished product of the stand and handle available for sale?

    BTW, great website, please keep up the good work.

    Thanks again.

    1. Leonard- These stands have to be welded together (top and bottom plates) in order to be rigid enough, and therefore would be a big challenge to ship! I’d love to offer them, but can’t figure out how to make it feasible.

      Thanks for your feedback! Welcome to the site!

  8. Gavin, I found the plans after searching the site! I used to reaload on a rock chucker and a Dillon Square deal. Now that I am shooting on a regular basis again, I am about to go progressive, and have been looking at the XL 650. This being said, if you had to choose, which press would you go with?? I like some features of the Hornady, I like the RCBS as well, but I love Dillon’s customer service! In either case I will add a bullet feeder. Thanks again!

    1. Don’t mean to butt in here, but have to offer my experience with a Dillon XL650. I’ve had mine for about 5 years or so and load 38 spec, 9mm and 45acp. Dillon’s customer service simply can’t be beat in my opinion. Any problems I had at the beginning were my own fault and were quickly settled by one of Dillons Techs. Yews, Dillons are kind of high priced compared to others, but over all, I don’t think you can beat their quality and service.

      Having said all of that, I have to say that not too long ago I bought a Lee Pro 1000 primarily for loading 9mm and to have a new toy to play with. It took my 74 year old brain a while to get dialed in with Lee’s poor instructions and I was about ready to ditch the whole thing. I was having a real problem with primers flipping and not being inserted at all. I can’t tell you how many times I disassembled the press and over looked what the problem was before I finally woke up and discovered that the case retention device was not properly in place. As soon as this was remedied, I was off and running without a hitch. I suspect something like this may be the primer problem some of you are having. I also went to a coil spring for powder disk return and dumped the brass chain. Videos how to do this are on u-tube and it’s quite easy and very cheap. I used a bicycle chain link, 2 s hooks and a small coil spring. Fixed the broken chain problem instantly and the Lee disk powder measure works perfectly with not one hiccup. Thanks for letting me in here and I hope I was able to help someone out. This is a very informative forum. Jim

  9. Gavin,
    Great site. Extremely informative & educational. I learned a few things even though I have been reloading @ 20 years. My question is did you paint your stand or have it powder coated/
    thanks,
    frank

  10. Thanks Frank!

    I’ve painted it twice now – red originally to match the Lock-N-Load, then gray to go with all of the presses that I’ve mounted on it via adapters.

    It’s nothing fancy, just a good rattle-can job.

  11. Gavin, the drawing appears to be incorrect. If the 5×8 plate is located flush on the front of the tubing and the 1×1.5 cutouts are centered in the tubing, a 1.75 setback on the centerline of the 5/16 holes will not place your hole in the center of the cutout. The setback should be 2″ from the front as well as 2″ from the sides. Unfortunately I found this out after drilling mine per the drawing.

  12. Hey Gavin I made my reloading bench out of bowling alley lanes that I got second hand. 2 inches thick, laminated with steel pins and bars going across them. Built 2 in. angle iron frames with selves under neath and these babies don’t go anywhere. Just built a 12 x 14 foot reloading room with hardwood flooring. Got pic’s if you would like to see them. == Robert ==

  13. Gavin,
    If I build the stand to your plan drawing and add a bullet feeder and case feeder in the future will the top plate need to be bigger ? If so i would like to build this into the top plate now so I dont have to re do it when i up grade. Thanks for a great sight !

  14. Hey Gavin, where can I send you some pictures. When setting up,I find it easier to take off the case feeder. So , I ran the wire though the tube, drilled a hole, and put a plug up by the top. No tie tie’s to mess with. just unplug and lift off. works great and clean looking (no wires). Second , Took a thin piece of cardboard that come’s with some die set’s and cut one piece 1″ by 3/4in. then 3 piece’s 3/4in. by 1/4in. Using wood glue, I glued the three small piece’s together like shims.( I glued them on top of each other). Then glue them on to the big piece bottom left hand corner. Now the base plate where the case slide pushes the case into the case plate, there’s a cut out! Put some glue on the cut out and on the small shims that are glued to the bigger piece. and glue it to that cut out. BINGO, shell’s don’t fall out on to the floor. The wood glue( Gorilla glue) held it to the press. I was mocking this up to drill and tap a hole into the side of the base plate, and use steel shims,small machine screw and small steel plate. But the cardboard and glue worked (clean before glueing). So luv to send some pic’s. Thanks Gavin, loving load’in

  15. Thank you for the plans. I think the pedestal would be great. But I’m having trouble finding the components. Where did you get your steel? Thanks again

  16. Great plans! I know what you mean about the aircraft carrier. I have an over 300lb steel bench in the garage that shakes like crazy when the press is going. Since the garage isn’t heated though, during the winter I was hoping to locate the press indoors but the room has wood floors and can’t have the stand bolted down.

    In the existing plans the base is 18″x24″x1/4″ which is a 30.6lb footing. Do you think upping that to a 1/2″ (61.19lbs) or 3/4″ (91.79lbs) plate, filling the column with concrete, and mounting the column more towards the rear of the plate (creating an L shape) would be ok or would it still move too much?Then I could weld wheels to the back of the plate (off the ground) so it could be moved around like a hand truck and rested on a piece of carpet while indoors.

    Thanks for all the time and effort you put into this site and your videos!
    -Mike

    1. Stability! That’s why it’s so big. It makes a huge difference to have a large contact area, especially if you’re bolting it to a wood floor…

  17. Since stability is key factor to help combat the amount of shake encountered during the reloading process , any thoughts on filing the stands column with cement to give it a more stabilty ?

  18. Since stability is key factor to help combat the amount of shake encountered during the reloading process , any thoughts on filing the stands column with cement to help give it more stabilty ?

  19. Hello
    Saw you plans for the pedestal stand and put one together. Only change I made was to add gussetts to the floorplate. My oldest son has been in the welding industry for over twenty years and says theplans without the gussetts is very strong. Once I bolted mine to the floor I found it would not moveeven when hit with a twenty pound sledge hammer. Didn’t dent either.

    Can you tell me about the device you have on the front of your press that you hangs boxes of bullets off of. I would like to make one of those up.

    Nice web site also

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