11.1.1 Workbench

The WWSL

In the WWSL blog post Work Spaces I discussed the given and druthers for my modeling space. Here I am going to discuss the work bench specifics.

Given and Druthers

The work bench size must be appropriate for the work space I have allocated. The height should match the lower level of the layout for estetic reasons. The depth should be narrower so I can reach the back of the bench when seated. It should have plenty of leg room. It should have a solid top, with a support structure design such that I can clamp stuff to the front of the top as necessary. It should have the ability to clamp reference photos so they are not propped up on the bench surface taking up valuable modelling area.  

Workbench

The main workbench is located in the utility room / crew lounge, along the east wall. It is bordered on one side by an aisle and the other side by the dual set tubs. 

The workbench is a 2' by 8' plywood panel 3/4" thick, edged with 1" by 3" dimensional lumber in a open grid construction technique. I have bolted 4 2" by 4" legs 33" long to the 4 corners of the table. I have a 1" by 3" dimensional lumber span in the back and two on the sides of the legs for stability. Construction is similar to building flat top  track support. See 3.3.5 Flat top for details. 

Because of the two sewer pipes located there, I cut slots in the table the depth of the pipe to wall dimension to allow the workbench to fit. It is a nusance on rare occasions but there wasn't another place better suited for the workbench.

Above the workbench is a storage area. See 11.1.5 Project Storage for additional details. 

Auxillary Workbench

I have added an auxillary workbench to the workspace. The auxillary workbench will be used to hold project tools, jigs, etc as needed for the project. It gives me a little more elbow room for the project build. 

The auxillary workbench is 15" by 41" plywood panel 3/4" thick, edged with 1" by 2" dimensional lumber in a open grid construction technique. I have screwed in four  1" by 3" legs 33" long to the 4 corners of the table. I have a 1" by 2" dimensional lumber span in the back and two on the sides of the legs for stability. 

The auxillary workbench has a lower shelf the same size 12" off the floor. The shelf has a large plastic tool box, probably an old fishing box, that stores a variety of expendable supplies. See 11.1.4 Project Supplies for additional details.

Workbench Lighting

Lighting at the workbench is just as important, if not more so, as lighting on the layout. The utility room/ crew lounge is equipped with three can lights with 9 watt 5000K daylight LED bulbs. That gives me an overall good background lighting. 

For task lighting I have three 360 degree clamp-type desk lamps equipped with the same 9 watt 5000 K daylight LED bulbs. One of the task lights has a magnifier lens for close in work. I have drilled holes in the various workbenches at convenient locations so I can move these lamps as necessary for the project.

The workbench is electrically supported by a 6 slot surge protector plugged into a dedicated wall outlet. This allows me to have the three task lights and three other electrical tools (soldering iron, resistance soldering rig, etc) in service.

Project Notes

The main workbench has a shelving unit that provides project tool and parts storage. I jury rigged a cork bulletin board so I could reference project construction notes and photos without taking up valuable modelling area. The bulletin board slides down to access parts storage on the shelf behind it.