Workbench layout?

[audiotubes]

Hi Dave and the group,

I wonder if you made a workbench layout video. I've been learning from and enjoying tons of your videos but I didn't find one on this topic. There are a lot of videos around the web on gear selection but what I think would be great is to hear about how you came to organize your bench the way you did. And that goes for the other guys here who have developed a great setup where all the gear is somewhat handy and the right things are close to you.

I have a significant annoyance in that I need to put my work laptop, dock, and a monitor on the bench. I don't want a PC on the bench (I realize that could be a minority opinion) but I don't have much choice.

So I'd like to see what you have all come up with.

Is there one or more "show your workbench" threads? I haven't found them.

Thank you.

[G0HZU]

There's a huge thread about workbenches shown here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/whats-your-work-benchlab-look-like-post-some-pictures-of-your-lab/

I've not shown mine in that thread though...

I think the way a workbench is arranged is a very personal thing, and over time it will change and become more suited to the person who uses it.

I've learned a lot about what matters in a work area both at work and at home. I have a few rules I learned in my first job and few newer rules I have set myself. This is because (in my case) there is limited space available both at work and here at home. So my bench layout is quite different to the majority of the ones in that thread.

I think that it's important that the workspace available should mainly be for the benefit of the user, not the test gear. So I keep the amount of test gear (and tools and components) to a minimum on my bench. No tools or component drawers are allowed to live full time anywhere on the main bench or its shelving. No cable racks, no PC keyboard, no monitor allowed as they take up too much space. I use a tiny EeePC netbook to control test gear or get data from it. On the rare occasions I need a better PC, I have a large Win 10 laptop I can put on the bench.

My need for space (to work efficiently) should be the most important thing in the workspace and not the need to cram as much test gear or tools or components as possible onto the work bench. So they all get crammed away in storage and only get to visit the workspace when actually needed. This strategy gives me the most space to do stuff. If you look at the benches in that thread above, a lot of people end up working in a tiny part of the remaining bench area because they crammed all their tools and test gear and components within arms reach. Some of them hardly have room to put a book on the vacant bench space.

[audiotubes]

Thanks, your reply was super helpful. Thanks also for the link, I'll go over that.

I realized that I often have small things I want to do and I put them off, because I don't have a good place to store hand tools, soldering station etc. One of my main goals for the bench I want is that I'll be able to sit down and work on things small or large, and not have to spend an hour taking out tools and putting them away. I have very little free time so I want to maximize the use of that.

Luckily, I don't have much test gear so I don't think I'll have the problem you mentioned.

[EPAIII]

On workbench clutter, one thing I always found and had at the places where I worked was a roll around cart for the shop scope (Tektronix, of course). That kept it off the workbench(es) and also handy to wheel it to any equipment that needed attention and that was either rack mounted or just plain too big and heavy to ever move except at initial installation and removal at it's end of life. Often when an old scope was retired and a new one replaced it, the cart was retained for the new one. The carts outlived the scopes two or three to one.

Now that I am retired and have two electronic benches in my home (garage and office) I dearly miss having the luxury of the isle space needed for a scope cart. Or any other instruments on roll-around carts. Even with the smaller sizes of modern scopes, I could really use the space on my present benches.

I may mount one of them on an under the table shelf, but the other bench has drawers and cabinets there so no sale. And that's the smaller bench. I wonder if I could find or build a smaller scope cart.

[Shock]

It's probably best to describe, photo or draw a diagram of your own space. As well describe your current problem, is it desk space, shelves, clutter or just the fact the computer etc takes up the space and there is no room to work to the side of it? The answer to that one is live with it, move it away or get another table or surface to the side.

In my case I have around 5-7m of space and thing I'll recommend is avoid keeping parts and cables and (too many) tools within hands reach and just get them out for the specific job. Otherwise your work area will eventually become far too cluttered. For this though I have cabinet drawers and if you have a cupboard you can conceal hanging cables behind the door if you modify the shelf to make space.

If you must have a pc monitor and keyboard in front of you, set up that space and work around it. Mine is off to one side and my soldering gear is off to the other on a separate table but both within working reach.

[Bud]

To me it is obligatory that the PC monitor must be mounted on a VESA arm, wall or desk attached. It then can be swung to the side or up out of the way.

[nctnico]

To me it is obligatory that the PC monitor must be mounted on a VESA arm, wall or desk attached. It then can be swung to the side or up out of the way.

That is an upgrade that is still on my todo list. My sons have wall mounted monitor arms and these are very practical.

[SiliconWizard]

To me it is obligatory that the PC monitor must be mounted on a VESA arm, wall or desk attached. It then can be swung to the side or up out of the way.

That's very handy.
Having a microscope camera on an articulated arm is also a nice addition.

[Shock]

This a mockup of my final display setup on my main workbench, the 27" bare panels sit inside industrialized metal/glass enclosures suspended under the first shelf. The idea is they will be eventually be switchable.

It's been a bit of a work in process but the final version of my workbench will be on rear tracked castors and on top have about a 100mm high rear edge (curved top) that tapers down to about 10mm at the middle of the left and right edges. This avoids tools trying to find the floor and a soft edge for cables. Bench power outlets are from the left and right sides with isolation transformer and variac options. The adjustable shelving is powered from a managed power distribution system. The shelving is longspan so heavy duty steel framed.

The workbench is currently adjustable between approx 200mm to 800mm of exposed bench in front of the shelves. Side accessible 600mm steel cabinet drawers (same depth as my shelves) flanks the setup for large tools and parts. I also use tool boxes but smaller ones will eventually live below the left and right power outlets. Still working on the perfecting the speed controller for the fume extractor currently able to be remote controlled.

[audiotubes]

On workbench clutter, one thing I always found and had at the places where I worked was a roll around cart for the shop scope (Tektronix, of course). That kept it off the workbench(es) and also handy to wheel it to any equipment that needed attention and that was either rack mounted or just plain too big and heavy to ever move except at initial installation and removal at it's end of life. Often when an old scope was retired and a new one replaced it, the cart was retained for the new one. The carts outlived the scopes two or three to one.

Now that I am retired and have two electronic benches in my home (garage and office) I dearly miss having the luxury of the isle space needed for a scope cart. Or any other instruments on roll-around carts. Even with the smaller sizes of modern scopes, I could really use the space on my present benches.

I may mount one of them on an under the table shelf, but the other bench has drawers and cabinets there so no sale. And that's the smaller bench. I wonder if I could find or build a smaller scope cart.

Yeah, I used to have a shop for another hobby in a 2 car garage. The cars and other vehicles sat outside    Having room is great, I don't have much of it now...

[audiotubes]

To me it is obligatory that the PC monitor must be mounted on a VESA arm, wall or desk attached. It then can be swung to the side or up out of the way.

This is a good point. I wanted to do that but couldn't swing it. I'm gonna have gear on both sides and I couldn't find a stand that articulated in the way I imagined and attach the way it would have to in order to be at the correct height for use. It looks like I'll have at least a way to get the monitor off the worktop.

[audiotubes]

It's probably best to describe, photo or draw a diagram of your own space. As well describe your current problem, is it desk space, shelves, clutter or just the fact the computer etc takes up the space and there is no room to work to the side of it? The answer to that one is live with it, move it away or get another table or surface to the side.

In my case I have around 5-7m of space and thing I'll recommend is avoid keeping parts and cables and (too many) tools within hands reach and just get them out for the specific job. Otherwise your work area will eventually become far too cluttered. For this though I have cabinet drawers and if you have a cupboard you can conceal hanging cables behind the door if you modify the shelf to make space.

If you must have a pc monitor and keyboard in front of you, set up that space and work around it. Mine is off to one side and my soldering gear is off to the other on a separate table but both within working reach.

If you have that much space I'm surprised you could ever get cluttered. But then again I know how it goes. Gear and parts fill all space available.

I'm gonna shoehorn a 2M worktop into my living room (rented apartment) and unfortunately it's gonna also have to serve double duty as a place for radios, power supplies, my work laptop and dock and monitor (I have some idea how to deal with these now) plus room to work and for my test equipment. I don't have many pieces so I hope it's doable.

I am gonna order a workbench with a steel pegboard so there will be place to hang some cables, leads, and tools. I'll have two cabinets hanging one on each side so the rest of the stuff will hopefully fit in those.

[SiliconWizard]

This a mockup of my final display setup on my main workbench, the 27" bare panels sit inside industrialized metal/glass enclosures suspended under the first shelf. The idea is they will be eventually be switchable.

Uh really? Looks more like a NASA headquarter than a typical workbench.

[Shock]

Uh really? Looks more like a NASA headquarter than a typical workbench.

They were surplus from a retail install and came nos in box. Using just one or two with a lifetime of spare parts seems just as egregious.

In my opinion better looking than most control rooms, but these days anyone can get wide panels to look nice inexpensively. I'm more interested in the concept of switching displays to solve viewing problems than aesthetics. The glass protection, input and power options are the cool factors.