Whats your Work-Bench/lab look like? Post some pictures of your Lab.

[Shock]

Check out these as well which can also stack vertically (dependant on model). There's cheaper versions around starting at a few dollars when on sale.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=PXfg4Qib-5I

[TheEPROM9]

Pic 1: My Red Dwarf fully functional Skutter I built with my partner. (Nice Having A Fellow Nerd For A Partner) [Research Was Watching Red Dwarf]
Pic 2: My vintage computer collection, most of it anyway & the hall way to the rest of the house. (It's A Small House)
Pic 3: My computer desk & sub work bench. (You Can Also See Part Of My Partners Desk)
Pic 4: My main Workbench with all my lovely tools.
Pic 5: A closer look at my vintage computer shelf, need to clear off the other crap that had made it's way onto there.

[Ground_Loop]

I built myself a bench extension for soldering entirely from scrap.  A couple years ago I ended up with about 1500 lbs of 80-20 tubing and connectors from a client project and have been slowly working through it. A side shelf or two are in the future.

[abeyer]

A couple years ago I ended up with about 1500 lbs of 80-20 tubing and connectors from a client project

sounds like a nice problem to have if you have the space to store it

[abeyer]

Perhaps it's a bit off-topic, but I'm curious what people prefer as far as soldering setups? Do you keep separate benches for soldering vs "clean" work? Or two zones on a single work surface? A single bigger area that you can repurpose as needed? Everything all jumbled together? Something else?

I'm working on rearranging my office/lab/workshop space to accommodate some new furniture and tools and am taking the chance to reconsider the layout from fundamentals.

[MAS3]

@TheEPROM9:
Thanks for your post.
Feels like home, and it helps a bit with my self confidence which is very low at the moment due to other circumstances not to be discussed here.

[Smokey]

Perhaps it's a bit off-topic, but I'm curious what people prefer as far as soldering setups? Do you keep separate benches for soldering vs "clean" work? Or two zones on a single work surface? A single bigger area that you can repurpose as needed? Everything all jumbled together? Something else?
...

Soldering and microscope inspection and rework is all part of prototype test and development on the same bench, in my opinion.  I love my setup where it's all within reach.  I've hate other people's setups where you have to disconnect everything and move whatever you are working on to a separate area for soldering (then move it all back to see if it works).  I guess it's better from the standpoint of getting your steps/exercise but not for productivity.

[woody]

Pic 5: A closer look at my vintage computer shelf, need to clear off the other crap that had made it's way onto there.

Wow! Apart from the shop that feels like home I really like the TI99 and the ZX81!

[ebastler]

Perhaps it's a bit off-topic, but I'm curious what people prefer as far as soldering setups? Do you keep separate benches for soldering vs "clean" work? Or two zones on a single work surface? A single bigger area that you can repurpose as needed? Everything all jumbled together? Something else?

Soldering counts as "clean" in my book. I am not doing enough of it to cause significant fume deposits or such. Just sweep up the wire clippings, solder balls and splashes, desoldering braid clippings etc. regularly to avoid short circuits... The reflow oven lives in the basement however, in the "mechanical workshop".

Ideally I would like three work areas: One for clean work (computer, soldering, test&measurement), one for smelly-but-not-dusty stuff (reflow oven, 3D printer, maybe a small box or cabin for spray painting), and one for dusty/dirty work (mainly wood-working, bit of metal etc.). I only have two areas at this time, so the reflow oven and 3D printer live in the "dirty" space, covered when not in use.

[Messtechniker]

Two separate areas here.
One for clean electronics work including soldering.
One for dirty work like working on plastic and metal housings,
de-soldering to salvage pcb. components and particular magnets from old HDDs.

[woody]

Two area's. One for soldering and everything else that needs tools. The other for designing, testing and the like.

[krish2487]

Decided to take a picture and post after cleaning up the place and the workbench today..
I d give it a week, tops, before its overflowing with stuff and WIP projects. 

[Kjelt]

I d give it a week, tops, before its overflowing with stuff and WIP projects. 

Oh man I recognize that, horrible, at this moment I can't do anything.

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty ?

[krish2487]

I d give it a week, tops, before its overflowing with stuff and WIP projects. 

Oh man I recognize that, horrible, at this moment I can't do anything.

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty ?

Would you really want advice from someone whose bench is empty??? 
I d rather take a messy workbench advice anyday over one thats pristine and clean..

[themadhippy]

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty ?

add more work bench,when it becomes cluttered extend again, it does require infinite space and thats often hard to find.

[ebastler]

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty ?

Instruction YT videos will definitely do the trick, as long as you focus fully on watching those videos and don't start any new projects.

[neverendingstudent]

I d give it a week, tops, before its overflowing with stuff and WIP projects. 

Oh man I recognize that, horrible, at this moment I can't do anything.

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty ?

An empty bench is like an empty mind.  It exists only in the in-between times when it is not only not being used, but actively meditated upon for the meaning of cleanliness.  It is a showpiece, captured briefly in memory to record the blissful state of being one with the nirvana of large swaths of clean, available, flat surfaces.  At all other times, there is the clutter of use and activity.  One must be one with the clutter and mess, for in that existence one reaches the state of actually getting shit done.

[Edison]

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty ?

Try looking in the sci-fi section on YT, but I don't give it much of a chance because a functional empty workplace can only be found there 

[David Hess]

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty?

Paleontology class taught me to use the theory of stratification; older stuff is on the bottom.

[G0HZU]

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty ?

Many years' experience both at work and at home has taught me to prioritise bench space over virtually anything else. This sadly requires continuous effort to maintain and so it isn't a perfect solution by any means.

I have a much smaller work area than many on here but still have two large benches and one desk in one room and another bench in a small box room. I try and keep the benches as clear as possible although clutter does inevitably build up over the course of a week or so. I just have to find time to housekeep it all to keep it clear enough to be functional and not become a cluttered mess. It does still get (very) messy but I do tidy up at least once a week.

I try and only allow the necessary test gear on my bench and keep the rest in storage when not needed. I retrieve and use it when needed (and then put it back in storage).
I don't allow any tool or component storage on my main workbench and try and always keep some shelf space clear and as much of the bench as clear as possible. This does take a lot of effort but it is worth it.

The popular alternative (as seen many times on here and other forums) is to cram all test gear and tools and storage on the bench leaving virtually no space to do anything. It does mean it is difficult to make a mess because there is no space left left to make any mess! It also looks really impressive to any onlooker but I couldn't work like that as I need lots of bench space for the stuff I do.

At work virtually every (RF or hardware) engineer operates in the same way as me. Only populate the bench with the relevant test gear and return any surplus to the storage area. Don't cram tools and component storage containers on the work bench.

[lowimpedance]

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty ?

add more work bench,when it becomes cluttered extend again, it does require infinite space and thats often hard to find.

An empty bench generates the same gravitational pull as a black hole for any equipment, tools and components as well as any other general matter. Only to never fill the singularity...

I gave up resisting long ago 

[G0HZU]

Is there anyone out there who has a solution, course, instruction YT video whatever that helped them keep their bench empty ?

add more work bench,when it becomes cluttered extend again, it does require infinite space and thats often hard to find.

An empty bench generates the same gravitational pull as a black hole for any equipment, tools and components as well as any other general matter. Only to never fill the singularity...

I gave up resisting long ago 

  That sounds about right and it's the main issue with my system. It means I have to tidy up a lot. Due to recent events, I am going to try and throw a lot of stuff (that I rarely use) away and also give some away and sell some. This should make it easier to create and maintain space.

The way I see it, I'm the most important thing in the room and not the tools and the test gear and all the other stuff and I need space to do things. So I want to own the space rather than it being dominated by test gear and tools and storage containers etc. That's why I do things the way I do