General > General Technical Chat
suggestion for Lab Workbench accessories
ashkan:
Hi All, Hope everyone is safe.
I start making a new workbench and was wondering if you can share your ideas on needed accessories. here is the photo:
I am gonna use Anti-Static Bench Matting ( https://www.mektronics.com.au/premium-anti-static-bench-matting-textured-900mm-x-10m-blue.html ).
Any suggestion on other accessories, like organiser box, lighting, etc. is really appreciated.
Thanks
Berni:
Shelves... more shelves... no no even more than that... yep even more.
You slowly find how valuable shelf space near the bench is as you accumulator more components, tools, test gear etc... The shelves help keep all of that within reach and keep the valuable bench surface from getting used as storage area.
My own preference for test gear is that its raised on a shelf about 30cm off the bench. This helps the cables coming out of the test gear from getting in the way of things (Things like scope probes can stick out pretty far) and makes sure that you can easily reach buttons on the gear without the thing you are working on in front of it getting in the way. Sure the low shelf makes the workbench area under it less useful, but area that far away from you tends to be mostly useful as temporary storage anyway. Its also a good spot to stick some power outlets and a LED strip under it for some added close up lighting that gets most of the light onto the workbench rather than lost to the rest of the room, helps mitigate shadows from that back direction too.
In terms of lighting the best kind are adjustable LED lights that emit with a very focused narrow angle. These can hang from a shelf and project a very bright focused light right onto what you are working on from far away, not being in the way or needing to put a ton of power into lighting to make the whole room ridiculously bright. A similar narrow angle gooseneck style light in the back can also be useful when working down deep inside some project, so you can adjust the gooseneck to shine right deep down a tight spot you are working in and really get a ton of light there without some ridiculously bright 100W LED in your face.
Also if you enjoy test gear you might want to plan an area 19 inches wide and 60cm deep off to the side of the workbench somewhere. Lots of cheap, old, but still very capable test gear selling on the used markets is that big.
ChristofferB:
I'd go one step further with the 19" test gear and build (or mount) an actual full depth 19" rack at the end of one table if you think you'll ever get gear like that. Being able to rack gear like that has made my life lenghts easier.
Another thing, your shelving looks nice but put in the last screw in the mounting brackets! Its free shelf stability :)
tggzzz:
Adjustable spacing test lead rack, e.g. https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/test-lead-racks/6684597/
Ian.M:
Above bench shelves *MUST* be able to support a high load without sagging or tipping. I'd be concerned that those brackets don't have corner braces. If they start bending they'll dump all your expensive test gear onto you, the bench or floor!
See https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/lab-storage-shelf-collapse-postmortem/
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