Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[dave parker]

Hi all

Well, over the xmas holidays I intend on designing, and maybe starting to build a workbench/modeling bench but am struggling to make a decision between using kitchen base units with worktop over the top or fabricating a frame to my own sizes and going from there

Can any of you post pics of your benches, bought or fabricated and give any suggestions as to recommended things to have, avoid or include??

Cheers

Dave

[Stavros]

It is up to you what you do,what works for one does not work for another...depends how deep your pockets are let alone your proposed area personal preferance obviously takes over.


Dave

[roycv]

Hi Dave my workbench is a recovered kitchen work surface and I had 2 drawer units made at a local bespoke kitchen company. 
I went to see them and asked what was the minimum level (colour etc.) drawer sets they made and leaving me to finish them.  I asked if I could have 2 shallow drawers in place of one standard one.  I put on the trims etc. Got about 50% off as I collected them as well.
This way the drawer sets are movable under a very solid work top.  Have moved house with it and now about 16 years old, it is solid but it all comes apart easily
regards Roy

[Bob K]

I built my workshop from an old Speedframe bench they were chucking out at work, plus some cheap kitchen cupboards 50% off, reduced to clear at B&Q.  Note the steel wall bars with brackets for ship storage.  The bracket tops are just the right opening for 10mm balsa, cut to suit hull profiles.  Walls are now covered In ships.

[Colin Bishop]

As the others have said, it's horses for courses really depending on how much space you have, the type of modelling you want to do and your budget.

My workshop is quite small, being a divided off area at the end of the garage originally intended as a garden tool store. It is about 9ft x 6ft. As well as worktops, maximum storage space was also important. I revamped it last year but kept the same layout. I wanted somewhere to sit which requires under bench knee room plus a higher area to stand at. So I bought a sturdy office desk (cut price from Staples but there are other suppliers) which features three drawers on one side, a central drawer and a cupboard on the other side. Next to it is a kitchen base unit with three large drawers and a large cupboard. The base unit has an old length of kitchen worktop as a working surface while the desk has a chipboard cover with a sheet of white faced hardboard on top which acts as a sacrificial surface to be replaced every now and again. The photo shows the overall layout.

Colin

[kinmel]

My worktop is 19mm MDF, it's cheap enough to replace when damaged.

A scrap piece of the same MDF is screwed to a corner of the worktop as a sacrificial work area, I can screw brackets to it to clamp items to and drill though materials without damaging the worktop.

[John W E]

Hi ya Dave

My workbench is in the spare bedroom which is no larger than 6' x 7' - the workbench is an old worktop and the drawers I scavenged from an office desk I have 4 drawers which are subdivided into small compartments.   The main thing to remember is to make the workbench solid and stable so it doesn't move around when you are working on it.  Cant get a good pic of mine - but 2 pics show how over a period of time you add stuff and it gets full of junk - and Colin Bishop you have been on with that model on the windowsill of yours for too long, its about time you finished it.
john

[Colin Bishop]

John,

That pic was taken last year. You are right I need to finish the thing and I am determined to do so. All the fittings have been made but extending the lighting has been a bit tricky and taken a while, most recently I have been sorting out the companionways from the bridge deck to the main deck which need to detach with the bridge deck. They have to be strong enough not to get knocked off but I think I have cracked that now. Who knows, it might even appear at Wicksteed!

Colin

[Brian60]

Kitchen units will be too tall to sit at. Try it, pull up a chair or stool to your kitchen and see how it feels. My bench is an old steel computer desk, I removed the toughened glass top although in hindsight I should have kept. I replaced it with a length of kitchen unit counter top then placed an A0 cutting mat over the whole thing. I then use smaller cutting mats on that to work on.

[dave parker]

Thanks everyone for your replies

I have managed to persuade my wife that the room that used to be an integral garage (carpeted, plasterboarded etc by previous owners) that we use as a dumping ground, would make an ideal modellign hobby room so basically I have a room 2.5m x 5m.

However, some stipulations

There are somebook cases in there that have to stay, the stair protrude in to the room at one end, and I have to keep a little area freee as I plan on fitting a door in to the other garage.

But, this still leaves me with a good sized room to play with

Current plan is to have a 1000mm kitchen unit, then a 70mm gap, then another 1000mm unit with worktop over the top.  this is to be working area.

As Brian60 mentioned, heights are different so would either need a higher chair or work standing up....

These are the kind of things I am trying to work out before I start.

lighting and power points are also on the list.....

I have a little cash to spend as I want to do this right, with a loooong term view, all the kitchen stuff would come to about £160 in b+q at moment so thats not too bad

[Colin Bishop]

Think very carefully about the standing/sitting issue. If you are doing delicate work or painting components etc. then sitting on a normal height chair will be a lot more comfortable than perching on some sort of stool. I have a padded office chair on castors which enables me to move around without getting up (also handy when finding and picking up all the things that fall on the floor....). That is why I went for a dual height setup as shown in my photo.

Colin

[grendel]

draughtsmans chair would be the right height (if you can still get them).
I work on the kitchen table, - it is protected by pieces of 3/4" ply, with a couple of build board size pieces of the same on top of that, this overhangs the table beneath so I can clamp vices etc to the edge. I am lucky in that I dont have to clear the table at mealtimes.

[david48]

A normal  dining table is 27" high, that is a good height to work but if you are making something that has a deep hull you have to stand up to see inside and to work comfortable , I have a bench that is 18"high so when the model is on that I can still sit down and can work inside the hull with ease. And if you can have as many electrical sockets as you can  ,I have 3 double outlets and could use another double really by the time I have anglepoise light, fixed bench light ,soldering gear .compressor ,dermal , heat gun , illuminated magnifier , I still have to chop and change plugs around . This is just my set up not every one will agree .
David 

[dave parker]

Hmmm so it appears the awesome plan I thought I had about using kitchen stuff isn't going to work....

[aeronut]

Hmmm so it appears the awesome plan I thought I had about using kitchen stuff isn't going to work....

It's worth remembering that most kitchen units have feet attached which are around 5" long - remove those and the top of the cabinet is probably the right height to sit at.

[ChrisF]

draughtsmans chair would be the right height (if you can still get them).
I work on the kitchen table, - it is protected by pieces of 3/4" ply, with a couple of build board size pieces of the same on top of that, this overhangs the table beneath so I can clamp vices etc to the edge. I am lucky in that I dont have to clear the table at mealtimes.

As per another thread I intend using my old drawing board (which is stand mounted) and I have my draughtmans chair so I can stand up or sit down as I used to when drawing.

As others have said, kitchen units at their normal height are too high and you need knee space under the worktop.

If you have room you could have a small unit at either side and then have the worktop spanning between them at a lower level.

A worktop solution or desk/table are both equally good, just depends on what is the most economical to get and what fits in. Even a desk/table with integral drawers can be cut down to fit.

[Bob K]

As others have said, kitchen units at their normal height are too high and you need knee space under the worktop.

My worktop height is 750mm (29.5") as against 910mm for a kitchen worktop height.  This is by utilising kitchen wall cupboards rather than kitchen base units.  Allows me to get knees under and is ideal height for a second hand adjustable office swivel chair.  ( ref Reply #4 )

[dave parker]

Yes I had thought about the removal of the adjustable legs on kitchen base units

but

Using wall units instead...now that's genius Bob K 

however, wall units wont be deep enough for 600mm worktop 

[Netleyned]

It will give you a bit of legroom
under the worktop if you use
wall units


Ned

[John W E]

have you thought about going into second hand shops for desks/office furniture -  cheaper sometimes for next to nothing.

what happened to your garage conversion are you not using that now?
http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,53528.msg552241.html#msg552241

 

[dave parker]

Might have to.
that is now used for storage and car things which is kind of why I am where I am at now...plus my new one is warmer

[Colin Bishop]

Actually I got it wrong when I mentioned Staples. The desk I used is actually the Dallas workstation from Viking see here: http://www.viking-direct.co.uk/catalog/catalogSku.do?id=5256693

It is really solid and you get a lot for the money in terms of storage. My wife was so impressed that I bought the smaller Maryland version for her needlework. There is also a cheaper version for around £50 with less storage.: http://www.viking-direct.co.uk/a/bb/Computer-Desks/N=2+1316000/

Colin

[Chris57]

Whatever configuration you eventually settle on for your workshop, don't forget the two most important features; light and power.
Get the best light, closest to daylight you can to avoid eye strain.
On the power front, however many sockets you think you need, double that number - they will all be taken, and you will still want more.


Chris B

[RAAArtyGunner]

At the end of the day you will need a work area, AKA bench, of two heights one to sit at and the other to stand.

Experience will show some tasks are performed easier sitting down whereas others are done standing up.

Simple solution get a sturdy table with drawers and extend the legs to "your" height with hollow tube fitting over the legs.

Also a "L" shape as in computer desk layouts is a boon, and has been mentioned a draughtsman's stool which allows seating at adjustable  heights.

Make it to suit you and your needs, which will develop over time as you progress.

One of our very active members, sadly now deceased, used an old ironing board as a supplementary work surface, fully height adjustable and easily stored, brilliant idea.

However, we are spoiled here in OZ as space is not an issue.

God luck.

[Howard]

 hi, As my new garage  in my new home is a lot smaller Am thinking doing the same thing  using wall cupboards on the bottom about  375 mm wide  so thought I'd buy 900 mm breakfast bar worktop and split it down the middle and get two 450 mm tops still a good overhang.


                                    Regards Howard.