looking for general advice about setting up a test bench area 2

[drewbr549]

Hi all,
I got such great advice in the "concrete as insulation?" post that I thought I'd see what I could mine out of a general question. My situation is that I'm taking my part-time amp repair business from the kitchen table to a "real" test bench, and am coming up with setup/construction questions that I never thought I'd have.
Here's where I'm at right now: I have a bench, approx. 3 ft high (I've always worked sitting down, but thought that standing might be nice for a change - I may change my mind ), and a shelf above the bench that puts my test equipment at about eye level. The room I'm in is concrete on all sides (see thread248-162816). The suggestions I've had so far for flooring are "thick PVC or similar mat" and linkable floor-panel risers. For an insulated bench (assuming that's the route to go), formica has been suggested. It has also been suggested that I install a 10mA, instantanious trip GFCI (I also have an isolation transformer for any transformer-less stuff I work on, though I don't get much).
If there's a consideration that should be in this list that isn't, or if anyone has ANY other suggestions for setting up a test area, I would greatly appreciate them!
Thanx,
drew
p.s. Oh yea - I mostly work on audio gear ( low voltage stuff, but line voltage is there too, naturally, and the occasional tube amp I get in has some pretty high voltages. I do have a pair of KV gloves, but I'm a clutz with them on. Some people say to at least keep one hand behind yer back for HV work, but I hate doing that, too (and it makes me clumsy, and twice as likely to screw something up. One glove, maybe? comments?

 

[drewbr549]

itsmoked, this is the kind of matting you're talking about, right?

http://www.mouser.com/search/refine.aspx?Ntt=517-8214.

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get yours?
Also, any particular wattage for the 1Meg Ohm resistor?

 

[itsmoked]

Comcokid;
Yes sturdy shelves!! I have a big chunk of my capital sitting on them. Just my 2kW variable power supply must weight 60lbs. My shelves use the 1 foot strip left over from making the benches 3ft wide. Make sure you don't mount the shelf up tight against the wall!! You won't be able to plug things in. Space the shelf out at least the distance of the thickest plug. I should have gone farther yet as has been mentioned some instruments are deep (like my 19" rack-mount supply(above)). Also after 'thinking' common plug size, the first thing I go to stick on the shelf has one of those big round plastic plugs on it.


drewbr549;
Thanks for the kind words! I never thought about any kind of publishing..

Yeah doing a few pictures takes a heck of a lot of time. Find them
Crop/resize
Post to clunky tinypic
coral all the resulting urls
put in comments..
Sheesh, took way more than an hour (never think it will).

There are places that just sell mat;

http://www.antistaticmat.net/default.php

Google for "antistatic mat" there are a truckload and often they will be less expensive than Mouser or Digikey for this type of stuff. Also you really want to make sure you cover the entire surface as otherwise the edges catch everything and are hard to clean around. Hence you want to buy enough mat to do the job. Another point, stay away from mat that has a foam backing! It oxidizes and then turns to powder.

Were I do all my soldering I got some solid mat so hot soldering irons don't wreck the big mat.(note brown mat)

Google for:
(lighted magnifier "bench mount")

geekEE;
Haha! Sometimes I never do leave! A nice amp, speakers and Pink Floyd and you're set to enter the zone.



Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Skogsgurra]

Keith,

You forgot the bed for late nights! ;-)



Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

 

[itsmoked]

Hi Skogs!

I have a stored mattress upstairs, but I can walk home in 10 minutes. I like that bed better!

I am short, a microwave, and a mini refrigerator.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com