Building a micro workbench. How do your workbenches look like?

[jpb]

Take another look... there currently isn't even enough free desk space to put down one of the books to 'read' let alone introduce any hardware to work on. Also, it is 2015 and modern information is stored and viewed electronically. I think the reply I gave would be typical of other professionals looking to use that space more efficiently in 2015. But at the end of the day beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it really is up to Coliban to choose what works best. I can only give my opinion

What you say may be true of things like data sheets, though even then I like to print out copies rather than scanning them on a computer, but for books on theory, mathematics, programming, physics and so on I much prefer them as paper copies rather than the electronic version.  I have a whole wall of bookshelves and periodically give books to charity shops as new ones come in. As you say, it is a matter of personal preference and partly it is my age - I still like writing in a notebook with a fountain pen - but I also have some much younger colleagues who prefer paper copies to the ebook alternative.

The idea of just dumping a whole library of books is akin to getting rid of say the family pet because you can replace him with a robot dog!

[nanofrog]

Coliban, those windows make that a beautiful space to work in, IMHO. 

I love the shelving, so would definitely keep that. Perhaps thin it out a bit, particularly regarding the non-book items (take stock of what you have, and see if you can't find a better storage solution). Don't expect that's easy, but you need space for unused instrumentation, current projects (trays), and components. And it seems to be the most logical place to put it (will currently assume you don't have space for additional shelves and such, free standing or otherwise).

And because of the view with your current desk's orientation, I'd try to avoid placing shelves on it as would usually be done to preserve that wonderful view.  The drawer unit on the underside is great, and definitely keep it (great for hand tools, probes, soldering supplies, ...). Maybe add a second when you read below.

Based on your sketch, I wouldn't bother with the tilt area to keep as much flat space as possible. In fact, I'd suggest you might want to double up on the depth (think of two tables back to back). Add a monitor arm and sliding adjustable keyboard mount for your computing needs, as it frees up valuable table space. This way, you've essentially one side dedicated to computing use, and the other for electronics work. But it also allows for additional space when needed for larger projects (think overflow for a larger electronics project when needed). The tray idea mentioned previously will really help here.

Easiest way would likely be to put the new top on the existing table's metal leg frame, build a separate table, and just butt them against one another. Should be cost effective as well.

Hope this helps. 

[MacAttak]

You may not be willing to get rid of the books but they really are preventing you from using the space effectively. There is no way in hell that you can possibly be using ALL of those books on a regular basis. Perhaps a handful - but I would bet the majority of them don't get touched for years at a time. I see books on several programming languages (Java, multiple C++, Python, PHP). Nobody have to bounce between those platforms enough to require reference books on hand. And all of those books are badly outdated, their content far surpassed by online (searchable and organized) documentation. There's even a book on Excel on that shelf! Pack them into boxes and store them in the attic or under a bed or something. You won't miss them. In a year or two you'll realize you really didn't need to keep them and you will be happy to dump them off at a recycling center.

To use a small space effectively you need to be able to stay tidy. In the photos I see lots of clutter. I know you can't be using a large hexacopter, video camera / tripod, 50+ books, the two hardcases on the floor behind the chair, the pile of random parts under the monitor, as well as the scope and two other pieces of bench gear sitting on the desk - all at the same time.

You are at least using cordless keyboard/mouse - that's smart (even though the Magic Mouse is awful). You can just move them out of the way quickly and easily when needed.

One quick win I can give you is with that laptop. You are wasting a full 9"x13" corner of your desk there. You can get half of that back by using a vertical laptop stand like this one:



Or even better would be to attach a holder like this to the side of the desk:

[Howardlong]

Agreed regarding the books, and be ruthless. My book collection spanned six 5' wide 7' tall book cases, I now only have one.

I moved about six months ago and it very quickly became apparent that something had to give because the bookcases which used to line a hallway in my old place would render the new hallway too thin to reasonably walk through.

So with some trepidation I threw out 85% of my book collection. My general rule was if I'd not opened the book for three years, it was history. I only kept hald a dozen books I'd not opened for that length of time.

What's helped is that pretty much everything I buy to read now is in electronic format. Even one subscription magazine that I get that's not available electronically I scan in and discard.

Touch wood, so far six months later  I have not missed one book.

[mtdoc]

You may not be willing to get rid of the books but they really are preventing you from using the space effectively. There is no way in hell that you can possibly be using ALL of those books on a regular basis. Perhaps a handful - but I would bet the majority of them don't get touched for years at a time.

Some people appreciate and take comfort in a bookshelf full of books, whether they use them regularly or not.

Kind of like shelves full of test equipment.

[Howardlong]

I think that is a great idea, the bane of my life is having to stuff my half finished projects into a drawer where they will most likely get broken, just to do some school stuff for 20 mins. I'll have to try and find some space...

G0HZU: I think that having to stop halfway through a project just to get your scope out is worse than having a slightly limited space. I don't use my scope that often, about twice a day, but I would hate it if I had to walk downstairs to my conservatory, twice a day, just to test out a project. I do agree about the storage and the space to work though, I find it difficult to work on projects, but I would rather have a limited space than no test equipment around me.
Ben

I am afraid on this one I am with Watts Up. The disruption to my workflow of having to get a scope or some such out of a cupboard would get me very irritated! However I don't generally have a problem with desk space. There are three bits of kit that I am considering moving out, that I use rarely and are there for backup, but that's only so I can fit some more in!

By the way, you mentioned about that analogue scope earlier: one of the joys of analogue scopes is that usually you can operate them on the floor, so they need not take up any desk space at all. It's actually often quite a natural way to work. You may need to find a right angle IEC connector though to make it work depending on the scope.

[G0HZU]

The disruption to my workflow of having to get a scope or some such out of a cupboard would get me very irritated! However I don't generally have a problem with desk space.

Hi Howard
Looking at your youtube video below I'm beginning to see why you wouldn't want to carry (all) your scopes back and forth... 

How many scopes (and spectrum analysers) do you really need at your desk? I see about 6 scopes and three spectrum analysers

http://youtu.be/Nbig45nkETk

[GreyWoolfe]

A couple of years ago, SWMBO convinced me to get rid of most of my books.  I kept some technical book but gave about 1000 books to the local thrift shops.  It was painful but SWMBO made up for it by buying me a NOOK e-reader.  I like the e-reader, but there is something about holding a book and the smell of the paper that is just comforting-like hanging out with an old friend.  Coliban, in your case, if you can get your books digitally, I would ditch the books to give you space for a proper workbench.  You have sufficient room to make a nice work area without blocking the TV, though I think TV is highly overrated myself.  Good at bed time to unwind with some mindless nonsense but not much more.

[jpb]

I agree that hanging onto out of date books (unless they are of historic value - e.g. I have a book on relativity dating from 1923) is a waste of space - I periodically have a purge and give books to charity shops - but I really don't like using electronic books as an alternative.  For one thing the single page viewed in a small space (though I guess you can have three monitors on a desktop) is very confining - I like to perhaps have several books open at once or have multiple pages marked. Staring at a screen is, for me, more tiring than looking at a printed page and though epaper is better (I've heard) it is correspondingly slow to save on battery life, ok for reading a page at a time but slow for flicking through getting an overview.

I'm perhaps a bit prejudiced towards books because I grew up in Hong Kong and english books were way beyond my budget as a child, and then when I started working money was still too tight and then as a student I just couldn't transport many (perhaps just two or three) so when I finally owned my own house and had a bit more cash it was great to finally be able to buy such things as a boxed set of Feynman's lectures on physics and Donald Knuth's the Art of Computer Programming.