Dedicated tinkering space (soldering and other)

[Mu0n]

I've been thinking about doing a reorganizing of a corner of my basement for a while. If I don't do it, this is the kind of thing that happens and drives my girlfriend and kids nuts (well, not so much the kids, for now...). Every piece of equipment is brought from various places from the basement to my dining room table. Needless to say, this is only for SOME occasions that don't last more than a couple of days. As you can see, it's an utter disaster. This particular occurrence could only happen because I was home alone for a few rare days.

This is the state of the basement's corner that could be repurposed for this;

As you can see, there's an old CRT tv we keep for retro consoles (all the way down to the intellivision II, which incidently needs a repair...), my electronics gear, the printer, a compact mac that can be used for itself or for video capturing with RGBtoHDMI nearby my daily driver PC, various bins with wired and electronics components, optionally some x-wing the miniatures cards and cardboard used in that game.

I've been looking at the BROR series from IKEA and I'm trying to fish for further suggestions/ideas that don't immediately jump to me. What are your thoughts?

 

[Drake]

I've been thinking about doing a reorganizing of a corner of my basement for a while. If I don't do it, this is the kind of thing that happens and drives my girlfriend and kids nuts (well, not so much the kids, for now...). Every piece of equipment is brought from various places from the basement to my dining room table. Needless to say, this is only for SOME occasions that don't last more than a couple of days. As you can see, it's an utter disaster. This particular occurrence could only happen because I was home alone for a few rare days.

View attachment 8060



This is the state of the basement's corner that could be repurposed for this;
View attachment 8061

As you can see, there's an old CRT tv we keep for retro consoles (all the way down to the intellivision II, which incidently needs a repair...), my electronics gear, the printer, a compact mac that can be used for itself or for video capturing with RGBtoHDMI nearby my daily driver PC, various bins with wired and electronics components, optionally some x-wing the miniatures cards and cardboard used in that game.

I've been looking at the BROR series from IKEA and I'm trying to fish for further suggestions/ideas that don't immediately jump to me. What are your thoughts?

View attachment 8062

I have a bunch of the BROR system in my office space and it works great for the hobby/display. The Bror cart I added two drawers to house parts bins, PCBs and BlueSCSI bits. The Skadis peg board is nice, no longer have most used tools in a bin while working. I actually built the shelves to match, same wood, matte steel supports and edge covers.
10/10 would BROR again.

 

[Mu0n]

This looks TOP NOTCH @Drake . Are your shelves 40 cm (which is necessary if you want to integrate a cabinet inside the frame) deep or 55 cm ( which is necessary for a compact mac + keyboard + clearance in the back for scsi cables)?

Which shelves + support did you use?

I might add a drawer at the bottom of the bench. It kinda sucks that not all parts of my build are available at the same store, one is a 3h drive away...

edit - scratch that, the drawer doesn't work on a 110 cm wide bench. I need that width for its dual purpose.

 

[Drake]

This looks TOP NOTCH @Drake . Are your shelves 40 cm (which is necessary if you want to integrate a cabinet inside the frame) deep or 55 cm ( which is necessary for a compact mac + keyboard + clearance in the back for scsi cables)?

Which shelves + support did you use?

I might add a drawer at the bottom of the bench. It kinda sucks that not all parts of my build are available at the same store, one is a 3h drive away...

edit - scratch that, the drawer doesn't work on a 110 cm wide bench. I need that width for its dual purpose.

Heres the snippet from website. I will note that the drawers aparantly aren't intended for the cart. I had to get a little creative to mount those.
The shelves are about 90" long and about 15 deep. I don't have part numbers or links for those as I built them from random Homedepot parts.

 

[skate323k137]

I've been thinking of putting a soldering workstation in my basement permanently. I have a spot I could use; I would want to put in a fume extractor which could be done in the spot I'm thinking about. I would also have to redo lighting and likely have some electrical run or re-run.

My main motivation is that my wife says I can buy a new oscilloscope if I do the work to the house/basement first :'D

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Looks like the BROR would mesh pretty seamlessly into your existing desk set up and look pretty great. I dont think I would look much farther than that unless BROR is not budget friendly. Anyhow, my workstation is in my garage, away from little hands with plenty of storage and pegboard for tools n such but as you're looking to keep it in the house, I really like the way the BROR system looks especially seeing Drakes application.

Path of least resistance lol.

 

[Trash80toG4]

I've had a thing for drop down desktop tinkering since I found this piece at goodwill many years back. Building the complete unit would be possible. Building only the dropdown desk section out of plywood parts cut at your local Big Box would be easily done for anyone comfortable using a drill.

I picked up what will be my dedicated hot air rework, soldering workstation for a song as it was damaged. It's flip down lid/hood button everything up as does flipping the desktop up on the HackHutch. The worktop on the Craftsaman HA/S bench is hung on the backside of the base. As it sits on the storage drawers at any given level, I'll limit contents to long term, lead free projects.

Details of the Craftsman base build are in my TinkerTips thread. Integration details of daily driver setup and HackHutch with the TelCo rack in between are in the post your setup thread.

Thinking here would be that buttoning up anything solder a/o electronics related while not in fairly short term use with kids around might be a good thing for you? Equivalent of the hack hutch dropdesk section on the worktop in your illustration could double (or more?) your worktop surface. Fume extraction hood would be underneath the bottom shelf on one side or the other. On your worktop area, shelve would be one piece without divider or asymmetrical.

 

[Trash80toG4]

First tweak: can you and the kids live with gameplay on flatscreen?

Something on the order of my 22"x38"/42" panel could be mounted to the bottom side of the the flip down worktop. I'd build a frame for it hinged to a lip at the top. Pinned in place you'd have kneeroom lackinig in your illustration and it can be swung down for gaming or use as a TV while the worktop is down, cluttered and not in current use.

Sounds like fabulous AI playtime for me if anyone's interested in doing something along these lines. I've done workshop planning for others in a previous lifetime and love doing crap like this.


edit: you're doing a basement setup, so the hutch section would work best for you. Storage atop the unit is a must. The toolbox setup would be for folks doing a garage setup. Buttoned up unit would roll underneath overhead storage while not in use. That's my plan for after I retire and move back up north.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Saw these black steel shelves at Costco. They remind me of the shelves mac84 Steve installed in his basement. These things look indestructible.

Not cheap & could be too industrial for Missus Muon but heck these would last forever I think.

 

[Trash80toG4]

BROR Shelves

x 2

+ 2 shelf boxen + Droptop Worktop Unit

= THIS + two leftover shelves + two leftover corner standards

 

[Drake]

BROR Shelves

View attachment 8172

x 2

View attachment 8173

+ 2 shelf boxen + Droptop Worktop Unit

View attachment 8174

= THIS + two leftover shelves + two leftover corner standards

Ikea HACKS! This looks pretty good

 

[Trash80toG4]

Ikea HACKS! This looks pretty good

Thank you, insane storage arrangements, workshop design and space planning (cubic rubric) has been a thing for me since at least as far back as middle school . . . oh so many, many years ago.

I did a BROR riff only because their design tool was where where @Mu0n started his quest for space. Paucity of shelving is unexcusable for our needs, especially at those prices.

IKEA used to strive for affordable, stylish flat packed offerings, no? Cheap chic has turned against itself.

TLDR:

I have an intense dislike for any kind of wire shelving based storage. Looks great in the acquisition stage for its industrial design and appears to be good for storage or workshop. Very not so in the home. Those wire grids are intended to allow fire sprinklers to wash over everything in the place. But wire storage systems for kitchen pantry and rolling shelf units are counterproductive in so many ways:

Nothing ever quite seems to sit right on lines and grids with ruts and gopher holes to catch a minimum of one foot.
Computer related storage has lots of little bits to fall thru the cracks and getting anything smallish to sit level . . .
The tiny things we hoard take all too well to seeking out the above to jump into and use everything below as a trampoline maze.
Anybody ever tried to clean pantry or industrial storage shelves?
Flat, solid surfaces are easily wiped clean with your spritz of choice and dusted easily in between.

The latter is a must. I've been married, fecal avoidance mode is not a philosophical ideal, it's a way of life.

Pre-hole-pegged uprights and shelves in standard sizes to match in white malamine are ugly to my eyes.As a furniture and shop equipment guy, they're pricey, but nowhere near IKEA levels. They're a godsend for the DIY crowd with 4x8 panel and cutting service and iron on edge tape availability. Limitations of the material's rigidity for heavy load support on long shelves can be minimized when substituting faceboard reinforcement for vinyl tape.

If anyone wants, I can trick out the workstation unit with storage maximazation, parts and assembly detailing?

 

[Mu0n]

Got my first shipment so I can start thinking about the bench space. The rest arrives in early September.

This is just 0 seconds after shoving the bench in its space. I'll have to think about what will go on the pegboard (on hand, not installed yet) , what could go in upper shelves, etc. The Mac takes a little more space than anticipated.

 

[skate323k137]

Got my first shipment so I can start thinking about the bench space. The rest arrives in early September.

This is just 0 seconds after shoving the bench in its space. I'll have to think about what will go on the pegboard (on hand, not installed yet) , what could go in upper shelves, etc. The Mac takes a little more space than anticipated.

Awesome stuff seeing the music setup on the compact Mac.

 

[Borgmac]

Got this from Lowe’s, $159

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Source-Heavy-Duty-5-Tier-Storage-Shelving-Boltless-48Wx24Dx72H-Powder-Coated-Grey/1002864606

A little bit difficult to assemble, but for heavy duty, 800 lB per shelf

 

[Mu0n]

I'm ok with computer *storage* at the moment, I have my collection set up in another room. This is aiming for soldering tasks and using a Mac at a time. I'll post a better pic shortly in my last reply

 

[Trash80toG4]

Looks great! I like that clean looking workbench, much nicer than the Craftsman designs in terms of matching storage shelf systems. Their garage workshop oriented integrated systems wouldn't fit into your light duty, indoor setup needs.

Suggestions:
__ attach a sacrificial worktop. Have it extend far enough out to give you adequate knee room as you have none in stock configuration.
__ implement in a drop down config if you can't have it protruding into the living area on a permanent basis.
__ If fixed in position, do a full width KBD drawer for both KBDs and an oversize mouse pad.
__ KBD drawer would slide completely out for access to long term storage on shelf behind it.

edit: one more! the Compact takes up too much space and the design was a flawed, display height nightmare in terms of ergonomics. ZFP cased HDD, Bernoulli and such was a solution height back when and could be for you now. Simple, three part platform yields cubic for your peripherals under Mac.

If done wide enough to set phone/ringlight lamp on top, KBD mouse slide underneath. You'd still have overhead available for your present day design peripherals on a thin platform above KBD even at standard ZFP height.

I can stop if you're tired of, or offended by my suggestions? If not, I'll play around in AI some more.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

That is a nice idea to install on top, a larger sacrificial desktop - protects the actual unit and gives you more space.

I am a fan of L shape benches/desks (I have two). Corner storage by itself can be tough. Since you've bought the bench and are feeling cramped with the compact mac on there, another idea is to emulate an L desk design with your incoming shelving. Put the shelf in the corner of the room perpendicular to the bench. Push the bench up against the shelving unit and reposition/install a center shelf at the same height as the bench top to extend the desktop surface enough to accommodate the compact mac. Locate your compact mac on/in that shelf. That would free up the full bench for soldering/component work & would cost zero extra dollars.

or you could just take it on and off as needed.

As far as the pegboard, I really like it and find it to be very useful. I use mine to hold all sorts of crap that I use alot of, so screw drivers, socket wrenches, sockets, dremmel/bits, wire brushes, tapes, spools of wire, solder, flux, adhesives and adhesive bits etc. I also attached a power strip and organizer to it with removable bins for bobs n bits and is handy to keep your workspace clean.

 

[Trash80toG4]

That is a nice idea to install on top, a larger sacrificial desktop - protects the actual unit and gives you more space.

Thanks, for me the knee room and KBD drawer would be as important as the additional worktop area. It doubles the surface area of the extension and slides out of the way for intense work on benchtop with handy access when needed.

I am a fan of L shape benches/desks (I have two). Corner storage by itself can be tough. Since you've bought the bench and are feeling cramped with the compact mac on there, another idea is to emulate an L desk design with your incoming shelving. Put the shelf in the corner of the room perpendicular to the bench. Push the bench up against the shelving unit and reposition/install a center shelf at the same height as the bench top to extend the desktop surface enough to accommodate the compact mac. Locate your compact mac on/in that shelf. That would free up the full bench for soldering/component work & would cost zero extra dollars.

Interesting, I've used corners for daily driver workstations since the days of 21" CRTs taking up the entire depth of a desktop. Never considered a corner workbench as wood, metal and Plexi work requires clearance on one or both ends of a bench. I'll have to noodle out the possibilities for the acute angled corner form factor of the daily driver/display setup. A couple sheets of plywood between a pair of shelving units would work out very nicely.

Too acute an angle for sitting between shelves, but this ought to get the notion across. Shelf units would be against window and to right of worktop, supporting it on two sides with a single leg at back, iron pipe based column for supporting a freestanding multilevel shelf, system or cleats on both walls if fixed in place.

Distorted diamond shape constrains worktop depth to 4' width of plywood where a 45 degree angle would require multiple pieces to achieve a workable width at front and depth at corner would be more extreme/less useful.

As far as the pegboard, I really like it and find it to be very useful. I use mine to hold all sorts of crap that I use alot of, so screw drivers, socket wrenches, sockets, dremmel/bits, wire brushes, tapes, spools of wire, solder, flux, adhesives and adhesive bits etc. I also attached a power strip and organizer to it with removable bins for bobs n bits and is handy to keep your workspace clean.

I have an extensive pre-www collection of books, magazines and articles on workshop, workbench and tools One of my favorite pegboard use case examples is now easily searched. Never had the opportunity to play with it, maybe some day?

On a smaller scale for electronics work it'd be killer I think? Maybe in a three panel unit with one sliding door, pegboard on one side and storage bins and drawer units for small parts on the other or both?

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Oh boy, that is righteous. I gotta build me some of that. Something like that would exist in Red Foreman's garage. Love it.