Any of you in the BC/WA area?

[David Root]

We recently moved from beautiful Southern AZ to beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I got transferred here by my employer.

Later this week we are moving into our new home and I have a nice big walkout basement to set up my amp shop in. However, the basement is finished so I can't poke big holes in the walls etc to mount stuff, otherwise my wife will poke big holes in me.

I would appreciate any of you sharing with me your amp shop layouts that work for you, and any hints about dealing with the walls. The floor is artificial "wood" planking, I can cover that with some cheap carpet so I don't grind metal shavings, bits of wire and blown caps etc. into the floor. I do have some of that articulated rubber floor matting too.

Major equipment I have are 16" drill press, oscilloscope, pickup coil winder, Sears table saw, router table, Variac, various meters, two soldering stations etc. I have a 4 ft square bench and was also using a wall mounted amp bench too. Also two freestanding shelving sets. I particularly need advice on small component storage including wiring. Too many little boxes of stuff all over.

[Structo]

Will your wife not allow you to put shelves on the walls or are you going to have to use free standing shelves.

You could build a bench, then build a sort of hutch on the rear of that with a couple two or three shelves for scopes, generators, etc.

One thing I have found is my neck and back get really sore from hunching over a table to work.

So I say ergonomics should be a high priority.
Either work from a bar type stool or have the table low enough that you don't have to have your back or neck bent at an angle that will become painful.

[David Root]

We're in the house now, I may get a chance to do something this weekend. I'm using freestanding shelves so far.

[David Root]

Sorry, somehow I double posted.

[M Fowler]

That will be quite a change from Arizona to BC.

Regarding the walls are you also talking about electrical feed? You can run conduit attacked to the walls and put a power strip attached to the front of your work bench. Need to get plenty of overhead lighting. I use free standing work bench with a little carpet strip from local Menards building center on top of the work bench. Shake it out once in a while to get rid of the shavings and clippings.

I use free standing shelving to hold my large parts and four multi drawer parts bins for the electronic stuff.

Ask your wife nicely if you can have the man cave for yourself, if yes then build it your way.

Mark

[gahult]

Dave,

You could check the local floor covering place for a remnant piece of linoleum for right under the work bench. It's easier to clean the clippings etc. than trying to get the out of the carpet. Solder drips and splatters are less of a problem too.

A good dust collector for the saw and router is a thought as it is a time saver. You don't need to help dust the rest of the house and you won't end up with sawdust in your spaghetti or meatloaf. (Do your own clean up if she helps check her pockets for sawdust when she leaves the area.)

Here are what my benches evolved to: http://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

As far as the rest goes, do whatever you need too. You live there too. They hang pictures, sconces, wall hangings, fold against the wall make-up mirrors, pot holders, .........the list goes on and on...where ever they see fit. It's your work area.
Some of us have been known to use the dinning room table and oven at times. MMM baked enamel finishes are purtty.
Funny how the 1000 piece puzzle can tie up a table for days but, try to sort some parts one night. Damn.

Of course if it becomes a real issue......she gets the house and half of your stuff......then you will be somewhere you can do it anyway you want.

After 30+ years of marriage and 3 kids spilling cool-aid on the carpets and redecorating the house (paint, markers, crayons, food.) when your not looking, it all becomes trivial. There are soooo many other things to fight about.

If she into crafts/sewing/painting build her a craft room then do your thing. It helps when they are busy somewhere else so you don't get the "what do you need that for" question repeatedly.

That was fun.
Hey it's all good. What ever works to keep peace in the house and enjoy life.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Gary

[M Fowler]

David,

Make sure your bench does not end up looking like that mess Gary showed you Sorry Gary.

I am fortunate to have my basement mancave for jamming and an area for my amp building. All my woodworking and metal working is done in my garage which is heated.

Good luck David.

Mark

[David Root]

Thanx guys. I have about 40 ft x 18 ft that I can use as shop/playing, oops I mean amp testing area, dear. I have 8 interlocking rubber floormats that will be under the amp building bench and my drill press. My biggest deal is going to be small component storage, organizing caps, resistors etc.

Talking of amp testing, I have a red 4x12 half stack (red half stacks sound sooo much better!) which used to have two Private Jacks and two Celestion Blues in it. I'm going to change it out to four Eminence Delta Pro 12A for testing purposes. I hear nothing but good things about this speaker and it isn't real expensive like an EV 12L. Plus a 4x12 of those is unblowable at 1600 W rated, hell I can crank up my SVT....when Mamacita is out of the house.

[gahult]

David,
40x18 hmmm maybe enough room for a stage and studio.

Rubber mats make it easy on the feet. I spent many years on hard tiled and cement floors at the shop till we all bitched and the put down rubber mats by the machines. What a difference.

I do like my linoleum at home as I like to shake the solder off when de-soldering/scavenging parts. It cools enough by the time it hits the floor that it doesn't stick and comes right up when sweeping.

If you're in the basement you can go over head and use some drop cords to avoid drilling holes in the walls.

There are some nice work areas posted on the page that I put my messed up benches on that look good and may give yo some ideas.

I put those pictures up as I was getting some flack about my bench pictured with my builds were too clean. Hey one extreme or the other. It all depends what phase of the build you're at. Oh' and I do have to learn to clean up as I go. But, it is more fun to get on to what ever is next on a project.

Gary

[D-Day]

If you ever visit Seattle have a look at Mike Soldano's shop. By my standards it's incredibly well thought out and organized.

[thousandshirts]

Depends where you are in BC -- but there's a number of great spots to check out in terms of tube amplifier related stuff, and DIY stuff in general. Send me a PM sometime and I can give you my short list of hideaways and money-drainers.

I sent a PM but there have been a few reports of board problems with messages lately so I don't know if it has gotten through.

[David Root]

Your PM came thru OK, thousandshirts, thank you. I replied.

Today I start on the boxes. Need to get the basics set up. I have one amp to finish up, two others with all materials on hand ready to go, and I just finished on paper a 5F6A using 8417 power tubes (will post separately on that).