Author Topic: Electronics Workbench Design  (Read 26772 times)

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Offline Cliff Matthews

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #25 on: February 25, 2017, 07:33:31 pm »
A solid bench like that deserves a good strong vise. I mounted mine with the anvil part directly over the leg, so any hammer taps transmit straight down to the floor. Less resonance, less impulse flex and less noise.
 

Offline JenniferGTopic starter

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #26 on: February 26, 2017, 12:27:37 am »
Yeah I planned on putting a vise in there but haven't gotten around to it yet.  Wonder if I'll ever get to it lol.  I also want to put dogholes in it.
Test Equip: GDM-8251a, UT61E, Probemaster, Tektronix 2225
Power Supplies: GPD-3303S (w/o overshoot problem)
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Online Brumby

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #27 on: February 26, 2017, 01:15:29 am »
A vice is nice sometimes - so long as it's not in your way when you're not using it, but I do wonder about having dog holes.

For a woodworking bench, they are an absolute no-brainer - but I can see a lot of stuff falling down them on an electronics workbench.  I would absolutely avoid them on my main bench - but they might be entertained on a secondary bench which is fitted out for the "physical" elements of construction.
 

Offline mtdoc

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #28 on: February 26, 2017, 01:23:18 am »
A vice is nice sometimes - so long as it's not in your way when you're not using it, but I do wonder about having dog holes.

For a woodworking bench, they are an absolute no-brainer - but I can see a lot of stuff falling down them on an electronics workbench.  I would absolutely avoid them on my main bench - but they might be entertained on a secondary bench which is fitted out for the "physical" elements of construction.

Yes, good point. I would not mount a permanent vise on your main electronics bench.  I have a panavise with a suction base that works well for a temporary placement on the bench.  I also have one with one of those large self supporting panavise bases which I got on a radioshack clearance but rarely use it.  As you say - my vises are on my non electronics benches.
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #29 on: February 26, 2017, 01:43:05 am »
If you still have yet to buy a vise, be advised there's a lot of far-east junk metal out there. Where I live, we have Canadian-Tire selling painted visually impressive model's where the chromed main screw threads directly into cast thread (not a threaded steel bushing or a welded nut).
I am not overly savvy on mechanicals but for what it's worth, don't buy anything with a totally exposed main-screw that allows dust and metal bits to grind-up inside the thread. After just an hour of use, I always expect to see a lot fine black powder from the vice casting on my shop floor.
 

Online MarkF

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #30 on: February 26, 2017, 05:23:42 am »
A vice is nice sometimes - so long as it's not in your way when you're not using it, but I do wonder about having dog holes.

For a woodworking bench, they are an absolute no-brainer - but I can see a lot of stuff falling down them on an electronics workbench.  I would absolutely avoid them on my main bench - but they might be entertained on a secondary bench which is fitted out for the "physical" elements of construction.
Yes, good point. I would not mount a permanent vise on your main electronics bench.  I have a panavise with a suction base that works well for a temporary placement on the bench.  I also have one with one of those large self supporting panavise bases which I got on a radioshack clearance but rarely use it.  As you say - my vises are on my non electronics benches.

+1 to not having a vise on the electronics bench. I also moved all my soldering to a small desk opposite my main bench because I was getting small solder flecks and wire clippings all over the area I was trying to do testing.
 
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Offline JenniferGTopic starter

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #31 on: February 26, 2017, 06:09:36 am »
Sorry I meant mount a vise and dog holes on  my wood working workbench out in the garage.  I wouldn't have either of those on my electronics bench.
Test Equip: GDM-8251a, UT61E, Probemaster, Tektronix 2225
Power Supplies: GPD-3303S (w/o overshoot problem)
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Offline Berni

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #32 on: February 26, 2017, 09:14:11 am »
In my opinion the bench in the original post is too solid for electronics.

I know nobody likes a wobbly workbench, but with smart cross bracing much skinnier designs can be made solid. Where you would want such a heavily built workbench is for a workshop where you might hammer stuff on it, put a vise on it etc. For that a thick heavy bench is great since it will stay in place under those large forces.

But electronics benches are different. You don't hammer or saw things on those. What you want there instead is lots of space. Not only for any project that grows big but also room around the project to put down components and tools as you are working on it. On top of all this you also want your test equipment on your bench so that its at hand when you need to use it. While some of the new modern oscilloscopes take up a lot less space with there slimmer design, but bigger test equipment soon starts to pile up on it (Especially true if you buy old 20 year old test gear off ebay to get high performance stuff on the cheap). If you have a typical 60cm deep workbench and you put some 40cm power supply on it you are left with only 20cm of actual bench area to use as a bench!

To solve this you want your bench to be as deep as possible, about 1m (3ft) is useful, or you can put shelves behind your bench like Dave has in his lab. That way you can place test equipment on the shelf to get back your bench space. The shelves also are a great place to hold the stuff you often need, right in the reach of your hand. Good place to keep general tools, soldering consumables, a set of common resistor/cap values, test cables, probes etc.

Its also a good idea to have some general storage space near by in the form of a closet or shelving to store all your components and projects you are not working on.
 
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Offline basinstreetdesign

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #33 on: February 26, 2017, 10:12:49 pm »
This is the electronics bench I built for myself a few years ago.  My post is about 2/3 the way down the page.  Its in the 2nd picture.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/whats-your-work-benchlab-look-like-post-some-pictures-of-your-lab/2400/

A few (*cough*) years ago I found a good way of building a "bridge" as the second story on such a bench to hold gear such as scope, sig generators, etc that may become quite heavy.  The bridge is held up by vertical panels on either end and by a vertical panel which runs the length of the bench under the bridge but not at the back of it.  This long support is positioned about 10-12" towards the front of the rear edge of the bench.  That is, if the bench is 48 in deep then the vertical long support for the shelf is about 36 in from the front edge of the bench.  That puts the support near midway under the shelf.  I fasten it with several particle board screws from the bottom and also along the sides and top.  That also adds support to the surface to stop it sagging.  All of the flat pieces are made with MDF and the frame is 2x6's.  Adding an outlet strip across the front means I have no fear putting any heavy piece(s) of gear up there.

This scheme creates an empty space in the back of the bench that is 12 deep but it can be used for hiding other stuff such as a ntwk hub, main outlet box, isolation transformer or anything else you wont need to get at often.

Its also good to stick a 4 ft fluorescent lamp under there.

After using this kind of bench for a couple of decades now, I wouldn't have it any other way.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2017, 10:35:19 pm by basinstreetdesign »
STAND BACK!  I'm going to try SCIENCE!
 

Offline John Heath

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #34 on: February 26, 2017, 10:34:52 pm »
I found a lazy suzy in the middle of the bench is useful to rotate the piece you are working on for easy access .
 

Offline JenniferGTopic starter

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #35 on: February 26, 2017, 11:12:22 pm »
I really like that idea of buying those two Harbor Freight tool cabinets then just sitting a sold surface on them.  LOTS of nice shallow draws for holding many tools and other things!:)   Very nice.
Test Equip: GDM-8251a, UT61E, Probemaster, Tektronix 2225
Power Supplies: GPD-3303S (w/o overshoot problem)
Soldering Station:  Hakko 926
 

Offline mleyden

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #36 on: February 27, 2017, 12:22:41 am »
Here's my bench, built out of Ikea products and a 20mm thick oak worktop. 900mm x 1500mm with a 400mm wide shelf supported by a 170mm vertical solid support and 2 x Ikea stainless supports. White units are from their ALEX range for tool and component storage. Happy with it so far... Need to finish electrics and install earth bonding point etc.

 
 

Offline bsudbrink

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #37 on: February 27, 2017, 05:53:01 pm »
I built these benches a number of years ago after I got tired of hitting my knees on the legs of the old kitchen tables I had been using.  They were cheap, sturdy and versatile.  The melamine coated particle board tops provide a nice surface and are durable if you don't try to make them too wide and if you reinforce them from beneath with angle iron.  The perforated angle iron has the added advantage that it gives you a place to hang wires from.  I used them for more than 10 years until I scored a couple of real nice Sovella workstations at a liquidation auction for well below what they were worth.  Finally, having your power supplies and other heavy test equipment across the back adds to the stability.
 

Offline Berni

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #38 on: February 27, 2017, 06:52:23 pm »
Nice design.

I hated having legs in the way too so i designed my new long workbench to not have any in the front apart from the ends that are next to the wall anyway.

The design and measurements ware tweaked a bit while it was made (A little shorter to make room for freestanding shelves and the shelf behind the table pulled out a bit to overhang).  All of it is made out of wood and uses no special joinery since im not a carpenter. Its all just straight wood that is held together with screws (With glue in the joins just to be sure). I know i am wasting some room by not having the desk extend under the shelf but i still use the underside of the shelf to run cables to all the equipment. The main reason for doing it is that it allows the legs to protrude up to be screwed in two different points along the leg, this tightly fixes the legs angle in both X and Y to reduce the wobble. There is also room for screwing it against a wall to truly kill any wobble but i found that its stable enough without that. I also tested it by standing on it in the middle and jumping a little bit, that did give it a little bend in the middle but nothing serious so it easily held my weight.

The photos are old, just as the lab was renovated, thats why it looks so tidy, now there is way more stuff everywhere.
 

Offline mtdoc

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #39 on: February 27, 2017, 07:26:37 pm »
I built these benches a number of years ago after I got tired of hitting my knees on the legs of the old kitchen tables I had been using.  They were cheap, sturdy and versatile.  The melamine coated particle board tops provide a nice surface and are durable if you don't try to make them too wide and if you reinforce them from beneath with angle iron.  The perforated angle iron has the added advantage that it gives you a place to hang wires from.  I used them for more than 10 years until I scored a couple of real nice Sovella workstations at a liquidation auction for well below what they were worth.  Finally, having your power supplies and other heavy test equipment across the back adds to the stability.

I'm not crazy about the malamine/particle board top but I like the support structures.  Very nice simple, sound, easy to build design.  :-+   I'd use a solid core door slab top instead of the melamine - then no need then to reinforce with the angle iron and it would look nicer - but that's just personal preference.
 

Offline eugenenine

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #40 on: February 27, 2017, 08:06:31 pm »
I buy the sheet of malamine from Lowes (they sell a nice white for $40) and then glue it to plywood.  Did it with my router table too (wood butchering, not networking) over a decade ago and its still holding up.
 

Offline _Wim_

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #41 on: February 27, 2017, 08:48:14 pm »
White units are from their ALEX range for tool and component storage. Happy with it so far...

I use the same in my lab, like em a lot! I have a Ikea led strip below the first shelf for illuminating the work area. Also recommended.
 

Offline bsudbrink

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #42 on: February 27, 2017, 09:31:02 pm »
Nice design.


I'm not crazy about the malamine/particle board top but I like the support structures.  Very nice simple, sound, easy to build design.  :-+   I'd use a solid core door slab top instead of the melamine - then no need then to reinforce with the angle iron and it would look nicer - but that's just personal preference.

Thanks to you both.

mtdoc,  the melamine was cheaper than a door and I could cut it to the size I required.

Bernie, Did you really CAD your bench before you built it?  I scratch built those legs with a chop box and a tape measure... I couldn't possibly have afforded a CAD program back then.

A friend of mine pointed out that the legs bear a little resemblance to a MECH's (Japanese animated giant robot) foot.  I don't think I was consciously influenced, but I was a Patlabor fan back then.
 

Offline JenniferGTopic starter

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #43 on: February 27, 2017, 10:27:39 pm »
I really enjoy seeing so many design options.  This is wonderful you all are sharing your thoughts and photos.  Giving me all sorts of ideas! :)
Test Equip: GDM-8251a, UT61E, Probemaster, Tektronix 2225
Power Supplies: GPD-3303S (w/o overshoot problem)
Soldering Station:  Hakko 926
 

Offline MatteoX

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #44 on: February 28, 2017, 03:55:59 am »
I am thinking of using melamine covered board for my bench.  I was wondering how to cover front (and sides) of the bench. Are there any thin melamine strips that can be glued to mask these areas of exposed bare wood? Something that can be done in an easy way, I don't have any heavy woodworking machines.
 

Offline JenniferGTopic starter

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #45 on: February 28, 2017, 04:12:53 am »
I am thinking of using melamine covered board for my bench.  I was wondering how to cover front (and sides) of the bench. Are there any thin melamine strips that can be glued to mask these areas of exposed bare wood? Something that can be done in an easy way, I don't have any heavy woodworking machines.

What about some sawdust & white glue putty, sandpaper, acrylic paint & a clear sealer?   You can polish to a high gloss even.
Test Equip: GDM-8251a, UT61E, Probemaster, Tektronix 2225
Power Supplies: GPD-3303S (w/o overshoot problem)
Soldering Station:  Hakko 926
 

Offline rbm

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #46 on: February 28, 2017, 04:31:12 am »
I assume your bench top is 3/4" ply, is that correct?  Use edging material such as finished 1x2 stock from the moulding section of the Big Box store.  Or even 1x2 spruce lathing strips from the same hardware store.  Cut longer than required and mitre the corners where the strips meet. Use carpenter's yellow glue and finishing nails to secure the wood to the edge of the tabletop and to secure the mitre joints.  It would be helpful to make the edging proud of the top by 1/2" or so.  This will create a stop that will prevent small parts from rolling off the bench onto the floor.
- Robert
 

Offline Dwaine

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #47 on: February 28, 2017, 04:47:07 am »
I just bought the Home Depot Husky bench and garage shelving.  So far I really like it.
 

Offline Dwaine

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #48 on: February 28, 2017, 05:09:52 am »
Also for power I went with metal boxes with the outlets that have usb power built into the receptacle.

The mains power is hospital grade plug with EMI filtering and audio alarm for surge protection.
 

Offline Berni

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Re: Electronics Workbench Design
« Reply #49 on: February 28, 2017, 06:35:55 am »

Thanks to you both.

mtdoc,  the melamine was cheaper than a door and I could cut it to the size I required.

Bernie, Did you really CAD your bench before you built it?  I scratch built those legs with a chop box and a tape measure... I couldn't possibly have afforded a CAD program back then.

A friend of mine pointed out that the legs bear a little resemblance to a MECH's (Japanese animated giant robot) foot.  I don't think I was consciously influenced, but I was a Patlabor fan back then.

Yes i did it in Catia before i built it, its the only 3D CAD software i learned to use because my dad is a mechanical engineer and they use it where he works to make sheet metal tooling for making car parts. I mostly used the CAD models to get an idea of how to put it together while keeping it sturdy since i didn't yet know exactly how i wanted to make it, there ware ideas for a corner fitting version but it ended up too complicated and space inefficient. The frame of it is also designed to come apart in to two halves to get it up the stairs easier. That way i could build it in the more spacious garage and bring it up once finished. Its not a nice polished CAD model where i would make a technical drawing out of, cut all lengths of wood to correct dimensions and then assemble and have it fit. I just printed out a screenshot to use as a reference of how it fits together, the cutting and measuring was done on the fly as it was built.

Those legs do kinda look like mech feet tho, just needs a appropriate paint job to make them match.

 


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