Building a micro workbench. How do your workbenches look like?

[Coliban]

Hello,

i´ve just started again with some electronics and mpu programming (atmel) and bought some test equipment, which resides on my desktop next to my monitor. My desktop is my workbench, since i have not much space. I would like to buy a slightly bigger table top for my desk to use it also as a workbench. It will be a micro-workbench. I saw dave´s youtube video when he build a workbench, but mine would be very small, i have only about 0,93 square meter.

Therefore, to get some ideas what to do when only small amount of space is available, to get ideas, i would like to ask you, how you solved the problem with an restricted amount of space.
Where and how are you storing you parts? Where is the measurement gear? Where do you place your probes, your cables, your material? What gear is suitable with no or very small space? Could you provide a photo, if available?

Thank you in advance!

[ajb]

You may find this thread helpful, although many of the setups shown are not exactly small!

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

For small workspaces, a small shelf above the bench for test gear, soldering station, and optionally your computer monitor are a big help in preserving bench space.  For component storage, it's usually best to find an out of the way spot a bit away from your bench so that you're not clogging up you bench unnecessarily with storage.

[DavidDLC]

Look for ,my bench on that thread, I transformed a computer bench, it may give you  a better idea, well I will make another wider, but I still like the concept.

[Alex Eisenhut]

I found an IKEA Jerker desk on Craigslist. This desk is ideal, and IKEA replaced it with an inferior version, so you need to find the Jerker.
The shelves are great too.

[nanofrog]

Few examples that might help you with some ideas.

• Compact Workbench
• Electronic-Lab in a Box
• Portable Electronics Lab
• Portable Electronics Learning Lab/Experiment Kit

[Coliban]

Thank you for your hints and recommendations!

I´ve got some valuable information from that. On one side, the "normal" workbenches (the link from ajb) have some nice ideas but somehow are too big for my purposes, on the other side, maybe the links provided by nanofrog points in the right directions. The ikea Jerker from Eisenhut is coming very near to my requirements, but i think, i have to tinker something very special for my particular needs, because my workbench should also be my desktop and my desktop my workbench but should not look very much like a workbench (because of my wife, she is using the other half of this room). Therefore i need also devices with a vey small footprint or the ability to stack them on each other. I would like to buy the Rigol 832 power supply, but that would be the biggest machine on my desktop so i have to think about some solutions. 

So, i will draw a draft and hopefully get a board at the local (building)material dealer today to cut it to the dimensions of my corner. I should be small in terms of the area it consumes, but variable enough to hold the gear i need. Lets see.

Thank you for that advices,

regards

[Coliban]

Hello wildred,

yes, this is a very good workbench, but i think the post charges too much to send it here to hamburg.

This afternoon i bought the wood for the workbench/desktop.

[Coliban]

Hallo blueskull,

That sounds interesting, do you have a photo?

[nanofrog]

On one side, the "normal" workbenches (the link from ajb) have some nice ideas but somehow are too big for my purposes, on the other side, maybe the links provided by nanofrog points in the right directions.

Although the larger units may not work for you, it's still possible to take ideas and just shrink them according to your available space. Portable links were meant to help with some ideas as to how to get it all to fit.

The pegboard can be nice for tools for example, with shelves above that for your T&M gear. All hidden by doors when not in use (keep SWMBO happy), assuming you've sufficient height. Similar to a stand-alone wardrobe unit sitting on a table, when the top half is closed up.

[jpb]

I'm very confined for space. What I did was buy a very solid but simple desk with three drawers and then build a structure using pine on top with lots of sockets run through a rcd device and mains filter. I also used lots of aluminium shielding to try and cut electrical interference.

I don't put this forward as an ideal solution at all but the advantages are
1.) it has just one extension lead to power the bench which makes it easily portable.
2.) the top just lifts off but is heavy enough (and there is a rim all round) to be secure.
3.) it has lots of sockets for a small space and they are all well shielded.
4.) I can expand it with extra shelves etc as it is just pine board.

It is unfortunately very messy at present but here is a photo.

PS: Having only a small space costs more though - you can't buy good quality old kit at low prices because it is simply too big and heavy. Fortunately modern kit is much smaller though more expensive because it is newer.

[G0HZU]

Therefore, to get some ideas what to do when only small amount of space is available, to get ideas, i would like to ask you, how you solved the problem with an restricted amount of space.
Where and how are you storing you parts? Where is the measurement gear? Where do you place your probes, your cables, your material? What gear is suitable with no or very small space?

A lot depends if you want enough leftover space to do productive work or if you want something that looks as cluttered as many of the work areas in this thread here:

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

i.e. I can't understand the way most hobbyists arrange their work area. I look at many of the workstations listed in the many pages of that thread and wonder how anyone actually 'does' anything productive because there is often little or no spare room left for the operator to operate. My workroom is quite small compared to many on here and so I can't work out why so many people on here manage their (larger) space so poorly.

Experience has taught me that the most important thing in the room is 'me' and not the test gear or the components or the tools. But the typical strategy on here (and on other ham/EE hobby forums) is to cram as much of the test gear on the benches as possible. Also, people put their parts storage on the main workbench. Often with several of those chests of mini pullout drawers. Any remaining space is then filled up with tools and a PC monitor, keyboard and a complex soldering station.It looks really impressive, almost like a shop display or a shrine but there is no room left for the operator to do much in the way of productive or efficient work. i.e. the test gear and tools and parts take centre stage at the expense of the 'human factors'.

My advice would be to try and keep as much of your test gear and parts and tools in a separate area. Even if it means cramming them into cupboards or shelves out of sight. Then only bring what you need to your bench for a given task. I'd avoid buying big bench DMMs or anything like a bulky 3 in one solder/hot air/desolder gun station. Can you fit a side trolley next to your desk? Maybe have something that parks away under your desk at night. Shelves are obviously good things to have but again I would advise you to try and keep them as clear as possible because they are great places for quickly putting down any 'work in progress' items. These could be tools or meters or PCBs or even a laptop/netbook. So try and keep the shelf space as versatile as possible rather than a place to cram in more test gear or parts on a permanent basis.

[WattsUp]

My workbench is 120cm x 50cm, 35 linear cm and the whole depth of which is taken up by an analogue scope. My laptop sits at the back of my desk when not in frequent use. I have a small power supply, on which rests my multimeter. In one drawer I have a load of crap, the other a storage box; my component drawers are sitting under my chest of drawers elsewhere in my bedroom. I do the soldering downstairs in the freezing cold/boiling hot conservatory, although I could fit my station up here if I wanted (I worry about sleeping next to the fumes). This leaves me with a space about 30cm x 30cm to my left where my notebook (of the paper variety) normally resides, as well as a 25cm x 40cm space for prototyping in front of my laptop.

  I attach alligator clips to a piece of solid core wire, and wrap it around a desk leg to keep them within reach. Scope probes are fed down behind the desk, with just the tops sitting beside the scope itself. I'm not quite sure what to do about multimeter/power supply leads yet. Any other equipment I am lucky enough to get will easily fit on top of the scope for the time being. I have fit everything I need on here, even without the shelves (and including a big oscilloscope). You just have to be creative with your space, and move stuff around 'til it works.

Oh yeah, this desk is also for my school work, and doubles as a bedside table,
Ben

[rx8pilot]

i.e. I can't understand the way most hobbyists arrange their work area. I look at many of the workstations listed in the many pages of that thread and wonder how anyone actually 'does' anything productive because there is often little or no spare room left for the operator to operate. My workroom is quite small compared to many on here and so I can't work out why so many people on here manage their (larger) space so poorly.

I work out of home based lab, but the difference is that is not a hobby. I make my entire livelihood from my workbench designing and building both mechanics and electronics. Like most, I have limited space and need to make the best possible use of it for my particular needs.

One of my 'secrets' is a tray system that projects live on. It is essentially rack of trays like those used in a bakery. They allow me to have the workbench configured with all the test equipment that needs to be close by. As you have seen from others, there is not a lot of flat space leftover and the trays allow my to cycle in a project to work on. If I need to switch projects, I only need to bring in another tray. It is a great way to pause a project and start something without having to put all the pieces back.

[WattsUp]

 I think that is a great idea, the bane of my life is having to stuff my half finished projects into a drawer where they will most likely get broken, just to do some school stuff for 20 mins. I'll have to try and find some space...

G0HZU: I think that having to stop halfway through a project just to get your scope out is worse than having a slightly limited space. I don't use my scope that often, about twice a day, but I would hate it if I had to walk downstairs to my conservatory, twice a day, just to test out a project. I do agree about the storage and the space to work though, I find it difficult to work on projects, but I would rather have a limited space than no test equipment around me.
Ben

[G0HZU]

G0HZU: I think that having to stop halfway through a project just to get your scope out is worse than having a slightly limited space. I don't use my scope that often, about twice a day, but I would hate it if I had to walk downstairs to my conservatory, twice a day, just to test out a project.

Just think how fit/healthy you would become

Seriously though, my comments are really aimed towards the (larger) workstations that are so crammed full of test gear and tools/parts storage that they have just a tiny area of workbench left over for the operator.

[WattsUp]

LOL, but still...
  I guess you are correct, I've looked through that thread and the amount of people that say they have a tiny bench, while they have 4+ times the size of mine. I do think that some people had all of their test equipment out to show off, but I don't see why you would fill a massive bench full of it, when most of it isn't needed on a regular basis. In regard to the OPs question, how do you store all of the probes and cables? That is the one thing I have struggled with.
Cheers,
Ben

[rx8pilot]

I can understand have a bench full of test gear. In my case, I keep it connected, ready, and arranged where I will need it. I have two Agilent 6653A power supplies that are huge and heavy so they never move, but cannot be all that far away.

Storage is never on my bench. I have a rolling toolbox behind me and a bin shelf to the left of me where I can have high-density storage that is quick to access.

[G0HZU]

In regard to the OPs question, how do you store all of the probes and cables? That is the one thing I have struggled with.

That's a good question.

The classic solution is to hang them vertically on a cable tidy 'strip' on a wall. This does work very well but I don't like it as it instantly makes the work area look snaggy and messy. However, this is often how it is done at my place of work and I usually find myself having to pick up fallen cables from the floor when I remove the wanted cable.

I'm afraid my solution to this isn't particularly great but I keep my RF cables in A4 or A5 sized plastic (seethrough) resealable plastic bags  that I file inside a large drawer stack under my main workbench. This stops them getting into a huge tangle and also keeps them reasonably accessible and allows a lot of cables to be stored in the drawer like files in a filing cabinet.

It's also a good way to store spare scope probes or custom test cables that only get used once in a while as you can keep the accessories in the A4 bag as well. In the case of the most commonly used RF cables I devote a whole drawer to just a few SMA and BNC cables that live in there loosely. Not very efficient in terms of space but it's the best solution for me so far...

[WattsUp]

  I think that sounds like a great idea, I agree that cables can look messy if not managed well. I currently keep USB cables in a plastic box beneath my desk, laid out in a somewhat neat fashion. However, it is not very easy to quickly reach for a cable if I need it. Leads for my power supply and multimeter are another challenge, where speedy access is pretty vital. I haven't actually got any leads for my power supply unfortunately, but I have resorted to just hiding my multimeter probes under my scope!

rx8pilot: For a professional job I can understand that, but in my hobby case I rarely have the need for anything other than my multimeter and scope (well, I don't really have anything except a multimeter and scope!).
Ben

[Coliban]

Yes, i keep my probes in their original plastic envelopes and the active ones, which i last used, are stuck to the oscilloscope, but that is only a temporary solution.

The idea from rx8pilot with the "project drawers" is compelling, the premise of that is to have enough space. But if there is enough room, i think, this is the best solution. I rather do the same, but the projects get teared apart when they all lying in one drawer, therefor i try to leave them in a small housing or something. I must think about the desktop solution. Another problem are the breadboard cables, i never get the right combination if i need it, female-female, female-male, male-male, and others, i need to organize them better.

I have a question regarding the power supply: i intent to buy the rigor DP832 and i watched Dave Jones teardown video. But i haven't recognize if the front is removable in the sense of loosening it and install it in  90 degrees. That would be nice because then i could install the "rest" of the DP832 under the desktop, i would have only cut a rectangle hole. Does someone who took the DP832 apart knows if that would be possible? (I know, it has to be shielded against something like elektric waves/smog/frequencies, but that should be possible).

regards

[Coliban]

It would be easier to visualize the space i have with a photo and i was asked for it, so here it is. I have not more than the space which is taken by my actual desktop and i have to consider that this should be also a part of a living/working room, because the "big" tv is standing there, therefore the workbench is not allowed to disturb the line of side from one of the armchairs.

regards

[G0HZU]

It's a lovely room to work in with lots of light etc but I'd have to make huge changes to feel comfy there. Mt first reaction is that the corner with the shelves looks like a throwback to the 1990s with loads of (obsolete?) books on shelves.

Maybe they are all still of value but those books currently 'own' your work area and they look like a real eyesore. At the very least I'd be looking to store them elsewhere, eg a loftspace but more likely I'd want to throw them away along with the shelving.

Because it is obviously a very nice room that serves as a TV room as well, I'd put a modern and stylish work desk with corner unit in the place of the old book shelving and have maybe two layers of decent wooden shelving above this. I'd consider wallmounting the big TV and maybe use it as an occasional big CAD/demo monitor.

[DIPLover]

It's a lovely room to work in with lots of light etc but I'd have to make huge changes to feel comfy there. Mt first reaction is that the corner with the shelves looks like a throwback to the 1990s with loads of (obsolete?) books on shelves.

Maybe they are all still of value but those books currently 'own' your work area and they look like a real eyesore. At the very least I'd be looking to store them elsewhere, eg a loftspace but more likely I'd want to throw them away along with the shelving.

Because it is obviously a very nice room that serves as a TV room as well, I'd put a modern and stylish work desk with corner unit in the place of the old book shelving and have maybe two layers of decent wooden shelving above this. I'd consider wallmounting the big TV and maybe use it as an occasional big CAD/demo monitor.

Of course he will be able to do much more productive work with a "modern and stylish" desk and his books sent to the landfill... 

[G0HZU]

It's a lovely room to work in with lots of light etc but I'd have to make huge changes to feel comfy there. Mt first reaction is that the corner with the shelves looks like a throwback to the 1990s with loads of (obsolete?) books on shelves.

Maybe they are all still of value but those books currently 'own' your work area and they look like a real eyesore. At the very least I'd be looking to store them elsewhere, eg a loftspace but more likely I'd want to throw them away along with the shelving.

Because it is obviously a very nice room that serves as a TV room as well, I'd put a modern and stylish work desk with corner unit in the place of the old book shelving and have maybe two layers of decent wooden shelving above this. I'd consider wallmounting the big TV and maybe use it as an occasional big CAD/demo monitor.

Of course he will be able to do much more productive work with a "modern and stylish" desk and his books sent to the landfill... 

Take another look... there currently isn't even enough free desk space to put down one of the books to 'read' let alone introduce any hardware to work on. Also, it is 2015 and modern information is stored and viewed electronically. I think the reply I gave would be typical of other professionals looking to use that space more efficiently in 2015. But at the end of the day beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it really is up to Coliban to choose what works best. I can only give my opinion

[Coliban]

Ok, G0HZU,

maybe you're right and i should throw away "old ballast", but that would be very difficult, i tried to, but i just can't do this for fundamental publications. Therefore i am somehow trapped. On the one side i know that your approach is somehow the right way to continue, but on the other side i have the impression that throwing away my library, would leave me as only one half of my person and personality. I tried it already with tablets and ipads, while this is sometimes a good solution for traveling, it is not the same reading a book and reading a tablet. Technical information can easily used on a tablet, but believe me, it is psychical and physical something very different for consciousness in which way you pick up information, besides the fact that literature, poetry and so on could be read, in my opinion, better on real paper. Maybe this will be different someday, but for now, i can´t fully depend on pdfs.

The other thing is a matter of taste, some people are not comfortable with this sort of furniture, but the shelfs are bomb-proof, very stable, and, in my eyes, better than wood because they take much less space between the boards.  Thank ox for our thoughts, i appreciate that! (and DIPLover has a point when he is in doubt if someone can work on behalf of some other floor or taste :-))

But i rather would concentrate on the particular problem, i made some sketches about the desktop-workbench, but i still don't know, if it is possible to take the front from the Rigol DP832. I attach the sketches, on behalf of them i will cut the tabletop.

Regards and thank you for your advices!