workbench

[Allan Adler]

For woodworking, I've found the Workmate Workbench to be quite useful
and, since it folds up, also very convenient when space is at a premium.
I'm wondering whether there is an analogous kind of workbench for doing
electronics.

Ignorantly,
Allan Adler
ara@zurich.ai.mit.edu

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* *
* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT Artificial *
* Intelligence Lab. My actions and comments do not reflect *
* in any way on MIT. Moreover, I am nowhere near the Boston *
* metropolitan area. *
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[Thomas P. Gootee]

Allan Adler <ara@nestle.ai.mit.edu> wrote in message news:<y934r0a4g3z.fsf@nestle.ai.mit.edu>...

For woodworking, I've found the Workmate Workbench to be quite useful
and, since it folds up, also very convenient when space is at a premium.
I'm wondering whether there is an analogous kind of workbench for doing
electronics.

Ignorantly,
Allan Adler
ara@zurich.ai.mit.edu

****************************************************************************
* *
* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT Artificial *
* Intelligence Lab. My actions and comments do not reflect *
* in any way on MIT. Moreover, I am nowhere near the Boston *
* metropolitan area. *
* *
****************************************************************************

This doesn't directly address your question. But you reminded me to
mention something that has been *extremely* useful to me, in that
context.

I sometimes refurbish electronic test equipment. One of the *handiest*
things I've found is a "Lazy Susan"; a round, low, platform that sits
on my workbench and rotates on bearings in its base. The one I use is
about 24" diameter. I made it by buying a 19" TV
turntable/rotating-base, at WalMart (less than $10, IIRC) and then
attaching a round piece of wood on top of it (which I got from a
cheapo small round lamp table). (I actually used it for a while
*without* the round top added. But the corners snagged too much nearby
stuff. And it was a little too small, too.)

It's really great to be able to turn a piece of equipment around
without having to pick it up, or slide it around. It requires less
muscle and also does less damage to the equipement (AND to the bench).

The next thing I might want, along those lines, is a three-dimensional
one! It might be kind of like those carnival-ride things that have
three concentric rings, so the object in the middle can be positioned
to any orientation/attitude. hehe.

Regarding your original question. I'm sure others will know of
something available, or have some better ideas than I could ever come
up with. But I'll go ahead and describe my first attempt at setting up
an electronics workbench. I still use it, almost every day. My bench
was "handmade", using a very large desktop, with one edge that curves
outward (the side that I sit on), as the main surface, supported by
two small kitchen cabinet sections under the ends, with some
countertop-type pieces used to make two shelves over the rear half of
the bench. The bottom shelf is split in two, in the middle (front to
back), so that each half can face more toward the center (me), at a
moderate angle. And the halves are also angled downward toward the
front so that my test equipment points right at me, more, and is
easier to reach (there's a nice lip on the front edge, so nothing can
slide off). And, of course, I have three or four multi-outlet strips
mounted on the shelf supports, and some lever-arm lamps with 45"
reaches, and some handy hooks and wires, to hang probes, jumpers,
cables, etc on, so that they are out of the way (i.e. not lying on the
bench) but still within easy reach. I also use an old rotating CD
holder, with a large-ish plastic test tube rack on top, to hold small
tools. That holder actually sits on another desktop that is positioned
at a 90 degree angle to the main bench, on my right, which is also
supported by old kitchen cabinet sections (giving me drawers at hand,
too). And, I found an old wooden barstool, which swivels, and has a
back on it, and is exactly the right height, for me to sit on.

In the OLD days, my hobby electronics workbench was in a CLOSET. It
was similar to a closet one would hang clothes in, five or six feet
wide, with folding louvre doors. But it had two shelves, made from
desktops that were sawed in half the long way. The bottom one happened
to be at the perfect height for me to work on, while sitting in a
chair. When I wasn't using it, I'd just close the doors and no one
would mind if I left a project scattered out, there.

Sorry to blather on for so long, here!

Regards,

Tom Gootee

http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg