The EEVblog Bunker

[EEVblog]

A tad excited, as mentioned on the Amp Hour I'm a getting a new storage space 
About the same size as my current lab, but taller and hence feels a lot bigger. Within walking distance to the lab.
It's also got an existing bench right along one wall, power (just one I think, but can be easily expanded barring existing wiring capacity limitations) and lighting.
So should be perfectly usable as a workshop as well as storage, and certainly could shoot footage in there if needed. Decent footage would require more lighting though.
Underground so hence should be quite temp stable. No aircon of course.
Although if I'm working for any extended period in there I figure I might need a carbon monoxide meter...
Don't know about mobile/internet access yet, but lack of internet/distraction might be a good thing.

So it means I can get absolutely everything not needed out of the lab, and have plenty of room to set up a decent mechanical workshop. Only issue is no ventilation, so no chemical stuff or tools that need that.

No photos yet.

[apelly]

Nice, but;

Although if I'm working for any extended period in there I figure I might need a carbon monoxide meter...

Beans?

[EEVblog]

Beans?

It's a drive-up bunker.

[janengelbrecht]

Underground ? Maybe some way to measure Radon would be needed too ?

[Monkeh]

Make sure any equipment you store there is kept in bags, or a ventilation-free mechanical workshop will quickly get things full of very unfriendly dust.

[EEVblog]

Make sure any equipment you store there is kept in bags, or a ventilation-free mechanical workshop will quickly get things full of very unfriendly dust.

Yes. Using a drop-saw in there is probably not a good idea. But I could have a decent drill press and other metalworking tools.

[Monkeh]

Make sure any equipment you store there is kept in bags, or a ventilation-free mechanical workshop will quickly get things full of very unfriendly dust.

Yes. Using a drop-saw in there is probably not a good idea. But I could have a decent drill press and other metalworking tools.

Eh, get yourself a good vacuum if you want to do something really messy. Dust extraction isn't just for the professionals!

Just beware of the Dremel/angle grinder.. That dust is no good for anyone or anything, and not so easily controlled.

[SeanB]

Start looking on trademe for some speed shelving, of various lengths. That will use wooden decking, which you can make from shutterply and timber if you have to ,or just use what it comes with or order new to size. Get some that will go almost all the way to the roof, and preferably with 3 rows per unit. Bottom feet have the lowest one placed just above them, then another at waist height and the top near the roof. Get a good ladder as well, and then you can have a work area and storage both under and above, and with the lower above the floor you have room for air to circulate to keep them from getting musty. As well provides some flood protection. Plus you can sweep the floor under it, or use the vacuum to clean there. The shelves will withstand 1 ton per bay for each level, or you can walk on it if needed.

I have one at work storing PVC sheet, and it has 4 tons of film roll on it, in a 2m length. For that one I ordered new and ordered the high strength beams, 5 sets, at about double the price. The uprights though are standard. the fun was putting the 30kg rolls on each shelf when stacking, that was hard work, took 2 weeks to do the trips to the slitter to collect them in the van and load and unload at each end.

[ConKbot]

Underground ? Maybe some way to measure Radon would be needed too ?

Depends on the geology.  Around here, one county may have no problems with radon, and the next county over may it may be a common thing to have radon abatement in a house.

[Len]

Nice, but;

Although if I'm working for any extended period in there I figure I might need a carbon monoxide meter...

Beans?

My first thought was magic smoke from fried chips.

[PA0PBZ]

So it means I can get absolutely everything not needed out of the lab, and have plenty of room to set up a decent mechanical workshop.

Anyone taking bets on  how long it will take to fill up the now available space again?   

[rollatorwieltje]

So it means I can get absolutely everything not needed out of the lab, and have plenty of room to set up a decent mechanical workshop.

Anyone taking bets on  how long it will take to fill up the now available space again?   

So true.

Getting more storage space is not a solution, it just temporarily slows down the process. Maybe the space is worth it if it's an investment, but if it's a rental property it'll not only move your stuff out of the way but also your money.

[EEVblog]

Getting more storage space is not a solution, it just temporarily slows down the process. Maybe the space is worth it if it's an investment, but if it's a rental property it'll not only move your stuff out of the way but also your money.

It's an investment. I'm currently renting a storage space.
It would be a wiser investment if I rented it out and kept renting my smaller cheaper current tiny storage space, or installed a screen and rented out half of it, but I'm sick of skimping on space.
Ideally I'd simply like a bigger lab space with workshop as I have proposed before, but it ain't that easy for many reasons.

[Kohanbash]

One thing to be careful with being underground is moisture. I have  worked in some underground labs where things rusting from moisture in the air was an issue.

[nfmax]

Once, I worked for a start-up located in the basement of a former factory (1960's vintage) on an industrial estate.  I spent an interesting couple of hours working out why I was getting electric 'tingles' when I touched something on my bench that was supposedly earthed, but only when I stood on one of the cracks between the floor tiles (at least there weren't any bears!). It turned out my bench was plugged into a socket which was a) fed from a distribution board in the next building and b) 'earthed' only through the rusting metal wiring conduit.
Later on that winter, it got a bit damp, to the extent of occasionally having a cm or two of water on the floor at the other end of the lab.

[n45048]

Can we see photos Dave?

As for moisture, air conditioning would soon take care of that.

[Dave]

Yeah...

[SeanB]

If it is a hole and you cannot put in an AC just put in a dehumidifier and leave it running all the time, with the drain line going to a drain. It will keep the humidity at a low level, even if the room is heated up a little.

[Towger]

Re:

It looks good.
 
Does the air duct above the bench do anything?

That the plans for lighting/painting?  Just leave the bare walls (maybe paint the ceiling white) for the 'gungy industrial look' and add loads of lights or paint it all white and just add a few additional ones.

Re the sound, as others have commented on.  I am sure it will improve when you fill the bunker up with shelves and junk    Carpet works wonders for sound, but I know you don't want to worry about keeping it clean... Maybe dumpster dive an old one 

[Stonent]

Painting the concrete floor may help with the echo. If you could get some foam padding on the ceiling or maybe just suspended, it could absorb some of the noise reflected up from the floor. Padded walls may help as well.

This company has a variety of paint and paint-like products for noise reduction.

http://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/coat-of-silence/coat-of-silence.html

[SL4P]

Or just keep stuff from touching the raw concrete - and use it as a STORAGE bunker.
Good cataloging system + door open/close = in & out.

Maybe a timer & fan to circulate the air to avoid corrosion.

[Towger]

Or just keep stuff from touching the raw concrete - and use it as a STORAGE bunker.

Notice how there is already a shelf under the bench to keep stuff up off floor.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Probably worth sealing the floor to reduce dust before you fill it with crap.

[rs20]

Painting the concrete floor may help with the echo. If you could get some foam padding on the ceiling or maybe just suspended, it could absorb some of the noise reflected up from the floor. Padded walls may help as well.

This company has a variety of paint and paint-like products for noise reduction.

http://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/coat-of-silence/coat-of-silence.html

Didn't look too closely, but that link describes a paint that attenuates sound getting to neighbouring rooms; it claims nothing about echo. The pictures even show the sound bouncing right back.

[SeanB]

Cheapest floor sealer is to buy 10l of liquid polymer floor polish ( or more if it is a big area, but buy the commercial stuff) and wash the floor then apply 2 coats using a string mop. Leave to dry overnight and use it, and when it starts looking scruffy again give it a wash with water and it will recover, and after a year you might want to give another coat. So far surviving well in a garage area at work to keep the concrete sealed nicely.

If I have to remove it Khanye will definitely not like me any more, it is hard work to strip polish off floors, even with an industrial machine, and I am going through the stripping mats at an alarming rate. On the plus side you do not need to have a gym membership running the polisher all day. When training in operating we both were building upper body strength.