Electronics Workbench Design

[JenniferG]

I am just getting into the hobby and well I need an electronics workbench to hold all my test equipment along with a work area.

I made a rock solid workbench design a while back and shared it on Thingiverse -- it's had 209 downloads, 53 likes, 74 collects and 1 person shared some photos of a workbench they made with the design and vouched for it.  It's been really stable for me and only costed me like $50 to make it.   Details here:  http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1456181



I built one for my workbench out in the garage and it truly doesn't wobble, not even if you get up on top of it and jump up and down.  I also made a smaller one for my 3D printer as a stand for it.

Considering making one as an electronics workbench, but before I do I'd like to get some feedback of what you think about it.  It's made entirely of 2x4's and I was thinking an MDF top.

Also I'd like to know what you think the ideal dimensions should be as far as depth and width -- as a starting workbench.  Would 4 feet wide be good enough to start with?  I am thinking 2 foot depth is a bit shallow no?  e.g. tektronix 2225 scope has some depth.

[IonizedGears]

One can never have too much desk space. Also a depth of 3 feet is good, 4 feet if you plan to have long power supplies or oscilloscopes on there

[rstofer]

I would think you would want to have the equipment on shelves at the rear of the bench.  It keeps the bench clear and puts the displays at eye level.

I might think about making it wider and having drawers on both sides.  You can never have too many drawers.  In fact, I might just buy the drawer cabinets pre-manufactured and add a top plus the shelving unit.  OTOH, that drives up the cost.

[mtdoc]

Deeper is better and wider is better.  If you have the space I would go up to 3 feet or more deep and as wide as the lab space will allow. You'll be glad you did later.

Based on your posts you may soon begin suffering from GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) and will likely be a good candidate for TEA (Test Equipment Anonymous).

[nctnico]

IMHO that design is overkill! I also don't like the bars between the legs. You'll hurt your legs and you can't put anything underneath the bench.
The frame under my desk looks like this (made from 32x44mm pieces -probably called 1.5x2-) which is attached to the wall for stability:


Also don't forget about power distribution and outlets:


What has worked well for me for decades is a depth of 80cm (say 2.4 ft) and a slit at the back wide enough to feed a mains plug behind the desk.


I wouldn't use MDF as a desktop because it is too soft and will deteriorate quickly. I bought desktops from an office furniture supply store which have a nice PVC liner at the sides but thick plywood with rounded edges and a good layer of lacquer would work just as well.

[mtdoc]

IMHO that design is overkill! I also don't like the bars between the legs.

Not if it will be free standing and will end up with stacks of test gear on it.  But you're right that if (like yours) it is attached to walls on 3 sides it would be overkill.

I wouldn't use MDF as a desktop because it is too soft and will deteriorate quickly.

 

Not if you use a few layers of a good polyurethane or other highly durable finish on it. I've made 2 workbenches with MDF tops and sealed with 2-3 coats of polyurethane.  MDF is very good as a bench top as long as it is sealed like this and has good support underneath.  It will stand up to hammering and beating better than low grade plywood. Marine grade plywood would work well but is more expensive. It would also need a good durable finish.

Another good option for a benchtop is a solid-core door blank. These are available at Home Depot, Lowes, etc in the US. But it has to be solid core!  It also needs a durable finish like polyurethane.

[JenniferG]

Thanks guys.
1) I'll go with 3 foot depth
2) I'll make shelves as an add-on separate piece
3) I'll find a better solution than MDF for top.  (I really like the appearance of the wood tops ntnico used in the photo above -- wow look at all that space!).  EDIT: Or I might just seal it as suggested with multilple coats of polyuerethane.  I am a little artistic and can make faux stone, faux wood or faux aged wood with paint.. I could definitley make it look itneresting at least.
4) I have a bunch of adjustable shelf bookshelves with extra shelves made, so plenty of space for component bins.

I don't find myself bumping the bottom bracer 2x4's -- they are back a ways and they act as a nice shelf for things to be placed on or below.  Yeah I agree it's probably way overkill.. I built that design initially as a solid workbench for the garage for wood working where you really get physical with the workbench at times hand planing things for example.

Yeah mine will be freestanding, not mounted to a wall, just as my workbench out in the garage is.

[IanB]

I would think you would want to have the equipment on shelves at the rear of the bench.  It keeps the bench clear and puts the displays at eye level.

I might think about making it wider and having drawers on both sides.  You can never have too many drawers.  In fact, I might just buy the drawer cabinets pre-manufactured and add a top plus the shelving unit.  OTOH, that drives up the cost.

Definitely shelves above the desk. Watch videos by Shahriar (The Signal Path) to see how useful they are.

Also, I agree with drawers. The best way to have a clean worktop is to have places to put things away when not immediately being used.

[JenniferG]

Here is an example of the usefulness of the lower shelf in my design, and this was unintentional.  I just built one recently for my 3D printer, as I designed it for the workbench out in the garage, but with a bit less width.

Turns out the bottom shelf holds spools of plastic filament quite nicely   The shelf sits back 1/2 the depth of the bench (although the photo might fool you) -- never ever bumped it with my feet yet, and I am a tall woman.  Also look at all that space below the shelf for more things like boxes and what not

(I apologize for not cleaning up the clutter before snapping the photo.  I am not the most tidy at times lol.)

[JenniferG]

Maybe it'd be better if I just bought a large old oak teachers desk with drawers.  They are pretty deep and wide.  Probalby can get one for $100.

[nctnico]

IMHO that design is overkill! I also don't like the bars between the legs.

Not if it will be free standing and will end up with stacks of test gear on it.  But you're right that if (like yours) it is attached to walls on 3 sides it would be overkill.

If it is free standing a cross at the rear and sides will improve stability a lot (triangles add rigidity). The desktop itself will add strength to the structure (think about honeycomb constructions which are light and very strong). I like to build things light weight and use (thin) panels to add strength and rigidity. In many commercial cupboards the strength comes from the thin piece of particle board nailed to the back. Without it you have a wobbly bunch of planks which is about to cave in on itself.

BTW with a thicker desktop (I have 28mm) you can screw it onto the frame from the underside so you don't have screw heads in you work area. Over the past couple of years I have switched to screws with a Torx head instead of Pozidrive/Philips. Torx is much easier to work with.

[mtdoc]

MDF is actually about twice as hard as standard plywood according to this guy

When a veneered panel is used its durability is determined by the density of the core material. The densest core material commonly used is medium density fiberboard (MDF) which has a rating of 50 pounds per square inch (PSI) meaning it takes 50 pounds of pressure to dent it, the equivalent of a strong person swinging a hammer hard from two feet away. In comparison, cabinet-grade particle board is around 37 PSI and standard plywoods are around 25 PSI. Thus, MDF core veneer panels will hold up better than plywoods.

Here's a few pictures of the workbenches I've built:

The first is a large bench in my garage used for woodworking, metal working, and general mechanical use. IOW it gets a lot of abuse. Top is polyurethane coated MDF supported by 2x10s lengthwise underneath.


The next is a small bench in my lab that I use for mechanical purposes (as opposed to electronics). It is also has a polyurethane finished MDF top. The frame is 2x4 Fir and the whole thing is hinged to the wall with a pivoting support so I can move it if I need to get to my large home back up battery bank.


The next is a bench I built originally for wood working but now sees electronics duty. The frame is built from fir 2x4s - similar construction to JenniferG's but with the 2x4's ripped to remove the rounded corners and provide for better joinery. Top is a solid-core door blank from Home Depot finished with polyurethane.



The last is my main electronics bench. This was built using oak cabinets salvaged from a kitchen remodel with an inexpensive laminate (over MDF) top that was purchased at Home Depot. I still need to rebuild some drawers for it.

[JenniferG]

That door top looks nice.  Love the wood veneer.  How much did it cost?  How deep is the workbench with that door?

[rrinker]

 I have a much simpler frame of 2x4s.

My top is a solid core door (one of those newer ones that 'sort of' solid core - it's solid, but the interior is more of a fiberboard, with a veneer outer layer. I sealed it all up with a couple of coats of poly. I can stand on it, jump on it, etc.

[mtdoc]

That door top looks nice.  Love the wood veneer.  How much did it cost?  How deep is the workbench with that door?

It's 32 x 80 inches. I wish now it was 36" wide.

I believe it was this one .

That one is $64 though I build mine abotu 12 years ago and I don't recall what I paid.

[Conrad Hoffman]

It depends on your equipment and what you like to work on. Great old HP meters and such can be had cheap, but they're long and heavy. You want enough depth for that stuff, plus the thing you're working on. My bench is 40 inches deep, leaving about 19 inches to work. If you work on a hifi receiver or amp, that's just barely enough.

[GreyWoolfe]

Jennifer, my workbench is a simple frame of 2X4s and I use a 3/4" MDF top to a depth of 33 inches.  The bench is 8' long and there is a 3" overhang at the front and sides.  I added 4 spaced 2X4s to the back and added 3 full length adjustable shelves and some cross bracing at the back of the 2X4s to mount a bunch of surge protectors for the equipment.  Everything plugs into a big UPS for protection.  The MDF works fine but I also have an ESD mat across the entire width, 24" deep.  There is also a shelf on a frame at the back underneath for additional storage.

Looking at your rendering, you could probably park a VW Bug on that   I find that 33" on the desktop and 12" on the shelves gives plenty of room for stuff and is easy to reach .  I have long arms but I think 36" might be a bit too deep for me.  Everything I have fits on the 12" shelves, the Tek 2235 scope hangs off the back a bit but isn't in danger of falling off.  There is a thread on workbenches many pages long but I haven't the patience to search for it tonight.

[JenniferG]

Looking at your rendering, you could probably park a VW Bug on that   I find that 33" on the desktop and 12" on the shelves gives plenty of room for stuff and is easy to reach .

Yeah it really is overkill for electronics.  It was designed for woodworking, and it's excellent for that purpose for sure.  I couldn't stand the bench I was using before each and every stroke of a hand plane--had a lot of play.  I was looking to build something that would be rock solid, affordable and easy to make.  Inexpensive since all 2x4's and easy to make being all chop cuts (with my miter saw) & screws.

[BrianHG]

Maybe it'd be better if I just bought a large old oak teachers desk with drawers.  They are pretty deep and wide.  Probalby can get one for $100.

I got one of those + for that door on the left which opens with the drawer sliding out, I removed the drawer, made a big hole in the back, added a PC Case fan and placed my PC in there, all the wires coming out the back with USB extenders.  With the door closed, the PC's fans are barely audible.  Makes for a quiet lab where you valuable PC is out of the way & there is still room to place some additional items in the cabinet.

(Note: the fan blew air out the back, sealed up, there is enough of a gap opening around the front cabinet door to let cool air in so the PC wont overheat)

You also get that cool 1 key lock for the front center drawer.  When it's closed, all the drawers are locked.  You need to slightly open the center drawer to unlock all the other drawers and cabinet.

[MarkF]

Here is the workbench I built. It is a 3' x 7' frame made of 1x3 boards with three cross pieces (front to back). The legs are 1.5" x 2.5" cut out of a 2x4 and 29 inches long. The top is edge glued 1x10's. The corners of the frame are mortise and tenon joints into the legs and then glued (no other fasteners). There are two shelves that just sit on the table for the power supplies, scope and printers. It's very stable and does support my full weight.

I do have a lot of woodworking experience and it's probably not a beginners project.

Correction: There are only two cross pieces. One divides the frame in half front-to-back and the other divides the frame in half left-to-right.

[SeanB]

A good top is a melamine kitchen counter top. You can either buy them new, or look for a kitchen supplier near you and ask if they have any they removed during renovation, and these are often free. They are thick, quite cut resistant and you do not really worry if you cut or burn the top surface in use.

Using plywood works well, and I just left it unfinished, so that when it gets too scruffy I can just use a sander and get it looking reasonable again. Using plywood for shelves is also good, it is a lot stiffer than MDF board, and when you buy a whole sheet from a supplier you can make up a cut list ( and no cuts that stop half way through a board, they only go end to end, but you can do a lot with straight cuts) and make the top, the shelves and the sides from a single sheet, plus remember the typical kerf of 5mm for the saw, and you get shelves that are same length as the bench, plus the ends and a few centre supports for one price.

A bit of wood glue, some chipboard ( I just use good drywall) screws and some join blocks and you have the shelving done. To stiffen the edge I use aluminium U channel that fits the edge, and this makes it a lot stiffer, plus finishes off the edge as well. Can also be used as a shelf support, and also you can put LED tape into the U and have nice indirect downlighting for the worktop as well.  If you want diffused there just get a strip of white thin ( 2mm) acrylic strip and glue it into the U channel just not touching the LED's. A drop of glue here and there to hold it in, and mount the whole strip of aluminium with double sided foam tape.

Made some shelves at work using that method, and they are strong enough that I have no issues walking on top of them when needed.

[Kalvin]

I didn't have a place nor proper tools for woodwork, so I headed to Ikea.

Here's what I am using - white legs and grey top:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30345717/
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10251352/

Lower budget legs, but no adjustment:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10118971/

Those are ok unless you need to have a very sturdy or stable table, like when doing some metalwork or put heavy weight on it.

[GreyWoolfe]

Maybe it'd be better if I just bought a large old oak teachers desk with drawers.  They are pretty deep and wide.  Probalby can get one for $100.

I have one for my ham radio equipment and computer.  I got it at Hospice Thrift for $50.  Weighs about as much as your workbench  

[Tom45]

I am a little artistic and can make faux stone, faux wood or faux aged wood with paint.. I could definitley make it look itneresting at least.

Artistic is nice, but I don't think it would be good for an electronics bench top. Too easy to lose sight of small components on the bench top.

Tom

[oldway]

Electronics workbench can be very simple and very cheap.

My workbench is a simple aglomerate board 20mm thick and 1m25 x 0.6m with 4 metal feet.

It even resists abuse, but I do not advise doing the same thing as me.

[Cliff Matthews]

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.

[JenniferG]

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.

[Brumby]

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.

[mtdoc]

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.

[Cliff Matthews]

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.

[MarkF]

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.

[JenniferG]

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.

[Berni]

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.

[basinstreetdesign]

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.

[John Heath]

I found a lazy suzy in the middle of the bench is useful to rotate the piece you are working on for easy access .

[JenniferG]

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.

[mleyden]

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.

 

[bsudbrink]

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.

[Berni]

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.

[mtdoc]

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.

[eugenenine]

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.

[_Wim_]

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.

[bsudbrink]

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.

[JenniferG]

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!

[MatteoX]

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.

[JenniferG]

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.

[rbm]

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.

[Dwaine]

I just bought the Home Depot Husky bench and garage shelving.  So far I really like it.

[Dwaine]

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.

[Berni]

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.

[eugenenine]

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.

You can buy premade strips ot just glue on a small strip cut from the big sheet and then use a laminate trimmer just like you would on the top.  The laminate trimmer is not a big heavy machine, its just a small handheld motor.

[nctnico]

You can also buy special knifes to trim the laminate.

[bsudbrink]

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.

You can buy premade strips ot just glue on a small strip cut from the big sheet and then use a laminate trimmer just like you would on the top.  The laminate trimmer is not a big heavy machine, its just a small handheld motor.

Yes, the place I bought my tabletops from sold "iron on" laminate strips to finish the edges, but, as you can see from the pictures, I never got around to doing that.

[eugenenine]

Yes, you can get the knives, but the last one I saw was more $ than the old 7.2v makita trimmer I got on criagslist and powered from my bench power supply.  FWIW 7.2 v makita tools will run fine at 9.6v but up around 12v will burn the brushes.

[MatteoX]

I found this iron on edge tape: http://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-x-25-ft-White-Iron-On-Edge-Tape-274431/100559770

It is 3/4" so it should fit perfectly - no trimming should be needed.  I even didn't know these things exist. I kind of hesitate to buy a special trimming tool that
most likely I won't use again.

Thanks everyone  for the suggestions.

[eugenenine]

I wonder if you could still glue the tape on, seems to me the iron on stuff would have a pretty low temp adhesive, you may end up loosening if you solder or use a heat gun near it for too long.

[mtdoc]

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.

A small strip ripped from the edge of a 2x4 can be glued/finish nailed to the edge as I've done in the picture.  I know yo said you don't have the tools but if you buy a 2x4 at any decent lumber yard, they are often willing to do one or two cuts for you. If not perhaps a friend has a table saw.

[MatteoX]

@mtdoc  I really like your border. It seems I have to spend less time on electronics and more on improving my woodworking skills 

If my bench were in the garage I  wouldn't care much about the edge but it is in my office so it has to look semi decent. I like the idea of rising the edge little bit to prevent components rolling of the desk but that might interfere with attachments that can be clamped to the bench.

If I don't manage to make nice wooden edge, I'll probably use that melamine tape but then I'll have to be more careful with heath gun.

[eugenenine]

Another option is to round over the front edge and then heat the melamine and bend it around the curve.

[eugenenine]

Since I took a picture of my daughter soldering a couple days ago you can see my bench/table in progress and see the laminate on some plywood here.

[GreyWoolfe]

Since I took a picture of my daughter soldering a couple days ago you can see my bench/table in progress and see the laminate on some plywood here.

picture didn't make it.

[Cliff Matthews]

@eugenenine The post shows a Google user URL. Perhaps check profile share link settings, create public folder, or use an image share site. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_image-sharing_websites

[eugenenine]

Lets see if photobucket works today


Always tricky to figure out which service actually works at any gives time.

[IanB]

Lets see if photobucket works today

Always tricky to figure out which service actually works at any gives time.

Well cool, that seems to have worked.

Now that looks a little bit like a posed photo rather than someone actually soldering 

If your daughter were to hold the soldering iron more like a pencil, and also pull a length of solder from the holder and hold the solder wire directly that would give more control and finesse over the soldering process.

Also, perhaps you might encourage your daughter to wear safety glasses? It's possible for small drops of solder to splash or fly about, or for small bits of wire to go flying when you snip them, and these are not good if they land in an eye. Ignoring eye protection is a risk adults usually take, but children are not mature enough to know the risk and be able to make an informed decision about it.

Here are some videos you might watch with your daughter for inspiration if you are not already aware of them:

http://sylviashow.com/episodes

I note that Sylvia doesn't always wear eye protection either, but she does when clipping component leads (adults should do so too).

[eugenenine]

She has soldered before but its been a while so she tends to forget things in between and her iron has a much longer tip so she held where she did in the past and the safety glasses seemed to have walked away and her project was due in two days and she had homework to do so we had to hurry and get it done.
I'm thinking of ordering this soon too http://www.tequipment.net/HakkoFA400-04.html?b=y&v=7765

NEway, I just bought a sheet of plywood (don't need it all for this but will use the rest elsewhere) and the sheet of laminate and a can of glue and some disposable brushes because you can't wash the laminate glue out of the brushes.  The laminate holds up well, old pic but its been on top of my router table for 10 years.  I have a better pic somewhere.

You can skip the side trim if you want, it hasn't come up on the router table in all that time.

Mine then the solder shelf I can just lift off the bench when I'm not soldering to gain some space.

There it is

[mclemens1969]

Here is how I did mine. It has served me very well. 2x4's and nice plywood.

[bsudbrink]

Great to be able to tie to the wall for stability... I assume those supports are screwed into the wall studs?  On the other hand, a little limiting in the flexibility department.  You never really want to move your lab around, but if you have to...

[mclemens1969]

Y they go into each stud. Over-strong for sure. You are correct this is pretty much a fixed configuration.
 

[GreyWoolfe]

My 'L' shaped desk is done like that but the workbench is free standing.  Next step is adding some heavy duty casters so I can move it away from the wall to clean/get to stuff that falls behind it easier.

[Phil_Tech]

Revamping my workshop today, bought 2 new adjustable height workbenches and shelving to go behind them for my test gear. Need to get some of that nice blue ESD mat for the bench-tops.

The shelving is ex shop display 'gondola' shelving which has self-supporting uprights and perforated metal back panels. As a bonus the hole pitch in the perforated panels matches that available from local hardware chain (Bunnings), so all of their little tool clip/hooks will work on my panels. The shelving modules are 1800 mm high by 1200 mm wide and 450 mm deep shelves. I'm going to cut back some of the shelves to 300 mm deep for the test gear directly over the workbenches.

I will post some more pics when I get some more done (for anyone who's interested), however the progress is slow as I still have to earn a living in between.

Phil - Melbourne, Australia.

[Berni]

Nice lab you are putting together there. Looks like it has more space than my living room too.

[mtdoc]

Nice lab Phil. 

I've never seen a wall mounted scope before!  With the trend towards bigger screens, maybe they'll start coming with VESA mounting points.

[Phil_Tech]

Now if only I could get a wall mount PSU