I've had lots of workspaces over the years.
The first I can remember was originally my mother's dressing table. It had a Formica top, sturdy legs, and there might have been some drawers.
Later, I had a student desk my grandfather built for my aunt. I think it was a kit he got from Sears made of interlocking plywood panels.
I've also had periods where I made a drafting table serve double duty - with a large cutting mat on top of it, of course.
My current space is posted on MR's Facebook page. It's a hollow core door the previous owners of my home left behind suported on 2x cleats screwed to the wall.
They also left behind a much sturdier workbench in the HVAC room in the basement. It appears to be made from recycled power line crossarms. That's where I do heavier work, including auto repairs.
Eric
hardcoalcaseIf I had to buy one now, I'd check out Goodwill, the local 2nd-hand store, etc. and buy something that was stable and cheap enough that I wouldn't fret about scratching it.
The auction houses are a great place to get something as well.
Mine was sitting next to a dumpster at RCMP headquarters in Vancouver. They had sent all the old furniture to the government auction and they had one too many desk that could not fit in the 53' trailer that had come to pick them up. It was cheaper to chuck it out than to send the movers back to get it. So a couple of Mounties threw it in the back of my Government issue P/U truck and I transfered it into my own P/U truck back at the airport and took it home. It is the perfect work table. Apparently it came out of the forensic medical lab so I am sure it is haunted.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I like stools instead of chairs, and sometimes I stand as I work, so I built a work bench about the same way that I would build layout bench work, at stool height.
Mike.
My You Tube
Random_Idea_Poster_6263 ... but what could I use for a workbench? A basic plastic folding table with storage options for tools etc.What do you use for a workbench, and recommend?
... but what could I use for a workbench? A basic plastic folding table with storage options for tools etc.What do you use for a workbench, and recommend?
Only an official NMRA sanctioned workbench is permitted!
Ok, seriously; having worked on numerous stand-in work tables, I've found that:
If I had to buy one now, I'd check out Goodwill, the local 2nd-hand store, etc. and buy something that was stable and cheap enough that I wouldn't fret about scratching it.
Jim
For a place to work while seated, it needs to be comfortable - when I'm involved in a project, there are occasions when I'll work for 12 hours or more, without pause.
Beyond that, the work surface should be durable, preferably with storage space either on- or under the work surface. I use an old student desk that I've had since I was a student...
...and in an adjacent room, have two built-in workbenches for other work, such as soldering, filing, grinding, etc. This is one of them...
...and here is the other...
It's the same size as the other, but the paint booth has been moved to a purpose-built room in my garage, which is about 100' behind the house. This allows painting at any time, day or night (preferably the latter) without disturbing anyone.
The evolution of my work space went from a student desk in the bedroom to the same desk in a basement room, then with the addition of two more benches in an adjacent room, and now another in the garage.
I also have a non-modelling workbench in a basement closet for household repairs and another in a separate room in the garage for bigger jobs.
Wayne
Your workspace will evolve to suit your needs. Get lots of little drawers (postal drawers I think they are called) and containers to store things. I also have a power bar with a variable timer on it so I never will have a soldering iron left on for long once I have left the room for the day if I were to forget to turn it off.
I have some big trunk sized tupperware/rubbermade type storage for landscaping supplies.
I find a comfortable chair and a good stereo make for a really enjoyable session in the land of magic. Oh, and I can't hear the phone from in there which makes it even better.
Until you have a defined space, I would use a folding table set up near a corner, near a window, or at least near outlets for a good lamp and to plug in a soldering iron, a hair dryer, or something else, maybe a power shaping tool.
You can purchase work stations and assemble them from kits, or just build one out of suitable milled lumber. I have two benches, one inside my partitioned garage train room, and a larger wooden one built by the garage builder years ago. Each has sockets nearby for powering grinders, hand saws, jig saws, spotlights, etc.
You'll also eventually want shelving and drawers, maybe stackable drawers, for paints, implements, other materials, track elements, and so on.
Currently I am beginning my journey into the hobby by starting to assemble the many car kits such as Bowser and Walthers I have accumulated and begin the process of assembling them. I have my computer desk which I can clear to do he basic cutting and using plastic cement, but what could I use for a workbench? A basic plastic folding table with storage options for tools etc.What do you use for a workbench, and recommend?