John,
There are really only a few principles to follow when setting up your bench. Everything else should be personal preference. I'm sure there are others, but these are some general standards to go by:
- the bench should be sturdy. The sturdier the better. It shouldn't flex or move when you work your press. It should also be at a comfortable height (so should your tools) for how you plan to reload. I prefer to stand, so my bench top is about 37-38" off the floor. However, with the long stroke required by my press it is more comfortable a little higher so I raised it about 3". If you prefer to sit, you'll want your bench to be a little lower, or get a tall stool so you can work sitting or standing.
- Everything you use to build a load (press, scale, powder thrower, trickler, brass, etc) should be in easy reach of your press, and setup so that you won't bump into anything when you move your powder from the scale to the brass.
- Your scale should be setup so that any breeze moving in your shop won't affect it. If you house it on your bench and the bench isn't solid, it can throw off your zero sometimes. No big deal to re-zero, but if you can give it a home off the bench itself, it will probably be easier to use. It's also nice to be able to give it a permanent home where you use it for reloading. Less setup time to get going.
- Consider storing your 'occasional use' tools (tumbler, hand primers, reamers, etc) off the bench. Its easier to get these tools out of a cabinet when you need them than it is to move them while you're reloading. Also, your brass trimmer is probably best placed away from your press, powder thrower, brass, or any other piece of equipment that you want to keep clean. That way you keep the trimmings from getting into the moving parts of your equipment and into your reloads.
- Overhead storage isn't necessary, but it's very convenient to be able to reach up and grab the powder/bullets/primers/tools or whatever else you need while your at the bench.
Regardless of how much thought you put into your first bench, it won't be perfect. Once you use it some you'll figure out how to do it better the next time. After you've used it a while and have a good list of improvements, then you can set in and rebuild it. Even then you'll probably have some things you'll want to change, but the 'perfect' reloading bench is something you'll just have to work out for yourself over time.
I'll give you the grand tour of my bench tomorrow. After we load a few rounds you'll probably have a much better idea of what would work best for you and the space you have to work with. You might also see if you can get a couple other guys to show you their benches. My setup and methods may or may not suit you, and you can always get some cool ideas by checking out how others have their shops setup. Mind you, this is only my 2nd bench, but I love the way it's setup...and I already have some improvements I wanna make for my next one!