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| Homemade Shooting Bench | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 2 2005, 01:28 PM (56,391 Views) | |
| Almtnman | Sep 2 2005, 01:28 PM Post #1 |
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Fw: From Missouri Hillbilly The idea for the shooting bench was born about 2 years ago, as I decided to quit fighting the drawbacks of the homemade table we had been using for a bench rest. That table was about the size of a Black and Decker Workmate, and was built to fill a similar need when we lived in Nebraska. That table worked fine as a Workmate substitute, but as a shooting bench it was too little, too short, and too wobbly. It has graduated to serving as a stand for the old TV I recently moved to the new shop building. You'll have to bear with me here, because I didn't, and don't, have any blueprints or plans drawn for this project. I did find a limited amount of information and some plans on the internet, but most of those didn't look very solid to me. I tend to get an idea in my mind of what I want, go get the stuff I think I'll need, and start buildin'. Yes, this sometimes gets me in trouble, and I have to start over, but not as often as you might think! My Home Depot list included: • One - 4x8 sheet of 3/4 inch ACX plywood • Two - 8 foot pressure treated 4x4's • Three - 10 foot pressure treated 2x6's • Two - 3/8 x 4 inch wood screw eye bolts I keep a good inventory of screws and fasteners, along with miscellaneous supplies like glue, paint, and varnish here at the ranch, so those were already on hand. The first step was building the top. It consists of two layers of the 3/4 inch plywood, glued and screwed together with inch and a quarter drywall screws, countersunk and filled. This picture will give you an idea of the shape. (these are links to my website, so you will need to click on them to see the pictures.) Bench top http://www.oldmissourihillbilly.com/images/Benchtop.jpg The top measures 4 feet wide at the left end, and 2 feet wide at the right. The overall length is 5 feet. The side cutouts are 1 foot deep, by 2 feet on the short side and 3 feet on the long. The initial cut on the plywood makes a 4x5 foot piece. You then make the side cutouts and use those pieces along with the leftover 3x4 foot piece, so the top has the double layer throughout. Front view. http://www.oldmissourihillbilly.com/images/Benchfront.jpg As you can see from this view, I chose a three legged design for the tripod effect of insuring no wobble when placed on uneven ground. The 4x4 legs are 4 feet tall. There's no magic to this height, it just turned out to be right for using some old bar stools I had around here for shooting seats. Likewise, there is no magic to the configuration of the framework. I just cut the angles and put on the 2x6's in a way I thought would be stout enough for the purpose. There are no nails in this construction. (About the only time I use nails anymore is to hang a picture.) Except for the drywall screws holding the layers together for the top, I used deck screws, ranging from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches in length. As an aside, do you ever get frustrated by slipping or stripping out the heads of Phillips Head deck screws? Me too! I solved that problem by only buying the screws with Torx heads. The ones I used for this project required a #25 Torx bit. You can drive these with a power screwdriver or electric drill, and do it quickly and easily, without a slip or a strip! Storage Shelf. http://www.oldmissourihillbilly.com/images/Benchshelf.jpg The storage shelf was kind of an afterthought, and was made from scrap lumber I had laying around the shop. The shelf and railings make additional bracing for the structure, as well as providing handy storage for rests, rugs, sandbags, tripods, spotting scope, etc. The electrical cords are for my chronograph and printer. I picked up a couple of transformers of the proper voltage from Radio Shack, and use household current instead of batteries. Most of our shooting is done within reach of one of the outlets in the shop. Final touches included a couple of coats of redwood stain over everything, and about 4 coats of satin finish exterior urethane on the top. Oh, by the way. Did you notice the eyebolts sticking out of the bench top in one of the earlier pictures? Well, that's my portability feature. Here's how it's done: The Bench and its portability feature. http://www.oldmissourihillbilly.com/images/Benchmover.jpg Depending upon the kind of firearm we are using, and the distance we want to shoot, we can move this thing wherever we need it with this arrangement! I've never weighed the finished product, but it takes a couple of purty stout dudes to lift it by hand. I do know it's heavy enough and tight enough to provide a very solid foundation for bench rest shooting. I now have to admit to "operator error" whenever those stray shots jump far outside the group! Here's a typical setup on a warmer day with no snow. Son, Rick shooting his Marlin .41 Magnum. http://www.oldmissourihillbilly.com/images/Rickbench.jpg So there you have the bench rest story. If you want to embark on a similar project, and would like further (and perhaps clearer) information, just send me an e mail or ask your question by posting here on the Forum. Always glad to help out if I can. Hillbilly And here's the pictures added..... Bench Top ![]() Front view ![]() Storage shelf ![]() The Bench and its portability feature. ![]() Son, Rick shooting his Marlin .41 Magnum.
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