Show us your workbench (or tinker table)

PelliX

PelliX

Well-Known Member
England
Apart from a passion for music, I'm also an electronics enthusiast. I don't have any true formal education in the field (or any other for that matter) but many years of hands-on experience in and outside professional settings. I work on all kinds of stuff and have done since I was a kid. Started earning a few bob on the side as a teenager fixing up televisions, VCR's, modding game consoles, fixing power supplies, computers, hifi gear, lighting - practically anything that came my way and had a plug. Primarily, I work on audio circuits and obviously power supplies as they're often points of failure. Recently, I've been getting my toes wet in HF gear and have been acquiring some of the necessary tools for it (VNA, frequency counter that goes up to UHF, building a non-inductive dummy load, etc).

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who knows how to operate a soldering iron... how about the rest here? Care to share? I guess this is a 'bench porn' thread...
 
I'm not surprised - it looks immaculate and spotless, hehe!

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Yeah, I should have vacuumed... will do this week.

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As it's in the loft, I figured it would be nice to have my transceiver up there and reachable. It's fun having a chat with people while you work sometimes or just leaving it scanning and listening to hear what comes by.

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Test leads. Need another one of those handy little rack thingies sometime.

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Assorted bits and bobs. Some obscured by the pile of todo in the middle... Any tools that have a case, I tend to keep in it.

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It's actually pretty well organized... it just doesn't look at way.
 
I also have the shed for real wood- and metal work, etc. Bigger bench, vice grips, compressor, etc. It's raining, I'm not going outside to snap pics. Needless to say, both storage spaces up in the loft are filled with boxes of wire, valves, assorted kit, spare parts, gear currently not in use... lightbulbs, haha!

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I don’t have a bench. I’ve done guitar work on the same card table I have my laptop on. The sofa in the bedroom, guitar in my lap. Kitchen counter top. Restring guitars sitting cross legged on the floor…. That one I can’t do anymore. Last time I did, my bride had to call 911 to get me back up. :pound-hand:
 
iblive said:
I’ve done guitar work on the same card table I have my laptop on. The sofa in the bedroom, guitar in my lap. Kitchen counter top. Restring guitars sitting cross legged on the floor….
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Yep, sounds familiar. Often enough it's handier to fix something "where it is" rather than haul it to the workshop. I've don't think I've ever re-strung a guitar 'correctly', but rather just put it between my legs, on my lap etc. Maybe my old acoustic because you have to tie knots at the bridge.

iblive said:
That one I can’t do anymore. Last time I did, my bride had to call 911 to get me back up.
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Ouch, damn. I had a sort of 'inverse' of that; while hooking up the stereo in the living room when I moved in I sat down too fast and caught my tailbone on the corner of the table, likely causing a hairline fracture. I didn't go to the doctor as there's nothing they could do anyway (same for ribs, toes, various other things). That kept me on my feet a fair deal after I was done hopping around the room swearing like a drunken sailor on speed.
 
That workbench is from Harrisburg PA PRR dispatch station from the 1920's. The track plans were drafted on it. I have the top which is beautiful butcher block in my house. It has a hand crank to move the top to any level. Also have the track plans from then, which are on massive 4' long pages. Cool stuff83 GT tear d o.jpg390 prt ready.jpgworkbnch.jpg390 shop (2) o.jpg
 
PelliX said:
Yep, sounds familiar. Often enough it's handier to fix something "where it is" rather than haul it to the workshop. I've don't think I've ever re-strung a guitar 'correctly', but rather just put it between my legs, on my lap etc. Maybe my old acoustic because you have to tie knots at the bridge.



Ouch, damn. I had a sort of 'inverse' of that; while hooking up the stereo in the living room when I moved in I sat down too fast and caught my tailbone on the corner of the table, likely causing a hairline fracture. I didn't go to the doctor as there's nothing they could do anyway (same for ribs, toes, various other things). That kept me on my feet a fair deal after I was done hopping around the room swearing like a drunken sailor on speed.
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For years I played sitting in the floor cross legged….. till I I couldn’t anymore. Sucks when you got to stand up and you have to roll over on your hands and knee to crawl over to a bed or chair to help get back up. These days pretty much always play sitting in a chair.
 
BFT Gibson said:
That workbench is from Harrisburg PA PRR dispatch station from the 1920's. The track plans were drafted on it. I have the top which is beautiful butcher block in my house. It has a hand crank to move the top to any level. Also have the track plans from then, which are on massive 4' long pages. Cool stuff
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Wow, that's really cool! That's more akin to my shed, though I don't work on anything larger than my 50cc 2-stroke scooter there, really. I'd murder for the option to raise and drop the bench sometimes, but I accomodate as best I can.
 
PelliX said:
Wow, that's really cool! That's more akin to my shed, though I don't work on anything larger than my 50cc 2-stroke scooter there, really. I'd murder for the option to raise and drop the bench sometimes, but I accomodate as best I can.
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Cool stuff. I have 12x24 manufactured Shed garage and on the work bench side , I built 8x16 lean to workbench space then into 10x18 for another car. Then on right side its 10'6 x 36 lean 2 for Jeep & river rat flat bottom boat. I am exactly 1/2" on the inside of the property line on each side where i am allowed to be. :D
 
Eric'45 said:
View attachment 111496

I am currently restoring this old Planing Bench. That pic shows how it looked when I got it, and currently it is disassembled. Top surface looks quite rough here, but the mechanical Parts are in very good condition. I'm currently building a Rig so that I can use my Router to take about 1mm off the top surface.
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These are popular for interior design.

I've got two at the country house. Well developed design, over long time.
 
BlueX said:
These are popular for interior design.

I've got two at the country house. Well developed design, over long time.
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I see you got a similar, slightly smaller one. Yes, they are a great design. I have added some blocks of Plywood to the legs, because in its original Form, it is a bit low. That's good when you want to use it like a very traditional Carpenter, with Hand planes and a Bow saw, where you need more leverage. I intend to use it more like a multi- purpose Workbench. I need to tidy up the Workshop and snap some pics for you guys.
 
Eric'45 said:
I see you got a similar, slightly smaller one. Yes, they are a great design. I have added some blocks of Plywood to the legs, because in its original Form, it is a bit low. That's good when you want to use it like a very traditional Carpenter, with Hand planes and a Bow saw, where you need more leverage. I intend to use it more like a multi- purpose Workbench. I need to tidy up the Workshop and snap some pics for you guys.
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We are taller today, than when those benches were made, so I have the same issue.

Tidying up before shooting pics is doping.
 
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