On my last vacation, I took my smallest press and some loading kit along to help pass the time.

Usually, I would bolt the press to a piece of 38mm pine, and C-clamp the pine to a table or rigid surface with custom shaped mouse pads between so as not to mark the surfaces. On this occasion, there was no adequate rigid table surface available, and I had to make do with a flexing countertop.

The loading went ok, but the whole excercise was sufficiently irritating for me to go and make a free-standing, stable reloading press stand and base that were reasonably portable.

The criteria I used for portability were :

• MUST be totally free-standing

• able to be lifted and carried up stairs by one person

• handles to facilitate a two-man carry

• easily fit inside the trunk of a small car

• quick set-up

• quick take-down

and of course

• a stable, rigid base for a reloading press

I used the same method as for the Reloading Press Mark I, the difference being that the concrete base section and metal stand separate, and that the design allows me to use any of my presses on the same stand.