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

[jogri]

A 50cm deep workbench? My soldering mat alone is deeper than that. Might be okay if you only work on breadboard sized projects and have your instruments on a shelf above the bench, but i wouldn't want to use an oscilloscope on that bench.

I currently have a 90x120cm bench, i would consider that size to be the bare minimum if you want to work on "normal" sized testgear (scopes etc). If you already have a 240x50cm board i recommend cutting it in half to make a 120x100cm bench, that will give you way more usable space.

(You can find a picture of my 90x120cm bench on page 167, the shelf has a depth of 35cm and is deep enough to support smaller gear like function gens/bench DMMs)

[ferdieCX]

My bench is 113 x 67 cm just because it is the maximal size I can have. See page 123 of this thread.
I would like to have a 75 to 80 cm deep bench, this would allow to have a 45 cm deep shelf, where my scope would feel more comfortable. The actual shelf is just 30 cm deep.
I also would like, that the bench were 140 cm wide.

[Pawelr98]

My bench.
Did the wooden "frame" myself.
Purchased some planks from hardware store and connected everything together using nails and wood screws.

Two power supplies.
First 0-6A 0-30V
Second PL504+PCF82 150-400V at roughly 100mA

G4-107 12.5-410MHz RF generator from 1977 made in USSR
Has AM, FM and pulse modulation.

Two oscilloscopes
Schlumberger 5228 3x250MHz
S1-107 (in russian marked as C1-107) 1x5MHz (has X axis input and multimeter functionality though)

Simple tube tester
0-100V, noval socket, 6.3V or 300mA heating
0-1/5/50mA current measurement

Two soldering irons
Some cheapo chinese one
Weller PU81
And a cheap hotair gun for SMD soldering.

The last piece is a radio.
Unitra-Diora Tamburyn from 1973-75 (no date code but it was produced during those years).
Used for listening to FM (converted from 65-74 to 87-108MHz myself) and shortwave broadcasts.

In the making is an isolated 230V source from an UPS connected with 24V 500W supply.
Will have to make a "shelf" (an extra plank in the middle) for it once I finish my univeristy exams.

Some people say that my bench looks fairly old fashioned and looks like something that a commie-era electronic technician would use.

Well I just either make my own DIY equipment or purchase some old, inexpensive equipment (the big scope was not that cheap though).
But I'm not old by any means. I'm 22.

Generally speaking I work on power electronics (power supplies, converters, motor controllers), tube electronics (with a "modern" touch), RF circuits and sometimes other analog circuits.
I do sometimes work on digital circuitry but my experience is very limited.
The tube high voltage power supply is actually used more often for working on switching power supplies than on tube circuits.

[nctnico]

A 50cm deep workbench? My soldering mat alone is deeper than that. Might be okay if you only work on breadboard sized projects and have your instruments on a shelf above the bench, but i wouldn't want to use an oscilloscope on that bench.

You can put an oscilloscope on the side (left or right). That way you have more room for projects. Having a shelve over a desk keeps the light away and gives a height restriction.

[rdl]

I prefer having all equipment on shelves above the bench.  Since there is nothing permanently stored on the bench it's easy to pull it out on rare occasions when extra height or depth is needed. Monitor is wall mounted. Soldering iron stand is easily moved from shelf to bench and back as needed. The large scope to the right is on a turntable and can be rotated if necessary.

(click for bigger)


(picture is a little dark I know)

[djos]

I’ve tried to get most of my gear above or below my workbench too. I do need to make another shelf for my hot air station and bench supply tho. My old desoldering / soldering station is below the bench on the right which seems to work quite well.

[Pawelr98]

Added a "shelf" for an independent 230V mains supply.
24V 20A PSU installed inside 1000VA pure sine wave UPS.

230V 50Hz source that is not only isolated from mains but also stabilised as the UPS has output voltage feedback loop (which is also adjustable in 150-240V range, with some resistor change perhaps even lower or higher).
A nice simple DIY project using free parts (UPS was fine, power supply had to be fixed and modded to work without APFC at ~270V instead of 375V DC).

Mains usually 230V during the day and 220V during the night so it's even more useful for working during the night (device can be tested at nominal voltage).

[srb1954]

Nice set-up.

Hold on to those databooks. In my opinion you can learn a much more from browsing through databooks than you can by trying to find information on the web.

[Howardlong]

...
Did the wooden "frame" myself.

I did a similar thing although on a smaller scale a few weeks ago for my soldering bench, a mixture of mini shelving and organiser to maximise space efficiency and facilitate workflow. It's still a work in progress, this was the second iteration: there's a reason why you measure twice, cut once!

[Yansi]

I will be moving to a flat (from a house) in the next months, so let's see what I will come up with.  Although the flat is on the larger side, there is never enough room for all the stuff.   

[Teti]

This isn't mine, but is probably the best idea I've seen in terms of organising electronics components.



I have a feeling I'll be copying this idea very soon.

That's really handy for odd components and kits. I'll start working on mine.

[Red Squirrel]

Mine is small, and kind of a mess right now.  I need to put this circuit in kicad and dismantle and clean up.



Was messing around with the idea of making an ozone generator when the pandemic started, but I was not getting enough voltage to get a self starting corona discharge, then I got side tracked and it just turned into something to fool around with.

When I build out my shop I plan to build a bigger computer desk for this room, and it will double as an electronics workbench as well.  I also want to build an organizer system for components, right now they are in bins in individual bags and it's hard to find anything - or put away. So I end up with loose components all over when I'm done playing around.

I think what I want to do too is a tray system where I can work on a project on a tray, and I can then slide it under the desk.  I could have multiple projects going at once and easily switch between without disturbing another.  That way instead of having just 1 project that never gets finished I can have 10!

[Ed.Kloonk]

This isn't mine, but is probably the best idea I've seen in terms of organising electronics components.



I have a feeling I'll be copying this idea very soon.

That's really handy for odd components and kits. I'll start working on mine.

Since the coof started, organising your stuff is the new orange. The prices for parts bins and containers are ridiculous as a result. It's good to see some home-made solutions.

Should we be concerned that so many people seem to own a bandsaw?

[TerraHertz]

Since we're talking about bench sizes and building them, here's my soon-to-be new bench in my  'rough-stuff' shed.
A 920 x 2340mm solid core door (was free), and some salvaged hardwood beams for the legs, support beams and bracing. A man-sized bench, for free.
Also the shed corner where it will live.  This view is very pleasing to me - it's a space that has been piled up with mostly 'other people's and unrelated stuff' stuff for over 2 years, blocking progress. It's all gone now.

Later there will be another identical sized bench of the same construction set in-line with the first. For a while though I'm going to need that space for something else. (An old Hendy lathe restoration.) I already have the solid-core door.

Btw, solid core doors come in various sizes, and make _great_ benches. Some common sizes (in Australia):
820 x 2020
820 x 2340
920 x 2340

[cliffyk]

In an unusually non-cluttered condition (it is an 8 x 16 metal building, grounded w/ 6' copper rods at all 4 corners):

[TerraHertz]

it is an 8 x 16 metal building, grounded w/ 6' copper rods at all 4 corners

Why is the ceiling that odd shape? Is it an old railway carriage?

[cliffyk]

it is an 8 x 16 metal building, grounded w/ 6' copper rods at all 4 corners

Why is the ceiling that odd shape? Is it an old railway carriage?

The building's roof structure is just metal rafters with collar ties about a foot down from the peak, I used 1/8" Melamine Masonite panels to make the ceiling, just screwing them to the rafters and cross ties--came out kind of neat, does have sort of a club car look to it...

[Edison]

Hello, so after a short pause I was back, a few minor changes and additions to my desk. The compressor is put into operation again, soldering fume extraction is installed, components have also expanded - PWM regulation 24V20A for lathe and milling machine grinders (one control for everything - only machines are shifted), power can be regulated for short-circuit protection. there is a new load 150V60A300W and a lot manufactured measuring jigs, a new scoring machine and others are being worked on.
another isolating transformer has also been added - a modified panel - a switch with a yellow LED - inserts the transformer directly into the measuring circuit

[K0ELB]

Here's mine, been reading through all these posts and decided to join. After kids, I got kicked out of the spare bedroom. So, I moved to the living room! Need to find a good rack cabinet for the HP gear though.

[Edison]

Wow 

[med6753]

Here's mine, been reading through all these posts and decided to join. After kids, I got kicked out of the spare bedroom. So, I moved to the living room! Need to find a good rack cabinet for the HP gear though.

Nice set up. I also have my equipment set up in the living room. But I don't have kids or a SWMBO to contend with. How did you get the lady of the house to agree to this? 

[K0ELB]

I had to make it look attractive. It started out with just one 75A-4, then another, then a 75A-1, then another (that's currently in the garage because I don't have room for it) then a 100V, then a 32V-2, and today I pick up my restored 200V and move the 100V, probably to the garage. The test equipment I want to put in a rack to keep the kids away from them and hopefully quiet the fans down some on the HP 8568B.

[eugenenine]

You could make something like this https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/innnx5/home_office_server_rack/
to match the other stand

[K0ELB]

You could make something like this https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/innnx5/home_office_server_rack/
to match the other stand

I like that! I know a good woodworker that can make one for me pretty reasonable. I think I'll do just that.
Thanks!!!

[med6753]

I had to make it look attractive. It started out with just one 75A-4, then another, then a 75A-1, then another (that's currently in the garage because I don't have room for it) then a 100V, then a 32V-2, and today I pick up my restored 200V and move the 100V, probably to the garage. The test equipment I want to put in a rack to keep the kids away from them and hopefully quiet the fans down some on the HP 8568B.

Yes, neatness does count even if there isn't an SWMBO to harass you.