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What's On Your Tech Bench?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the oh-to-have-an-unlimited-budget dept.

Twev1701 writes "As a small computer repair company that has seen enormous growth in the past few months, we are now looking to expand our facilities. With construction starting on our office space, we now turn to the task of designing a new tech bench. Our existing bench is 6'x3', has a dedicated 15" CRT, 4 port KVM, and overhead storage bins for parts. With a new bench of 12'x4', we have lots of room for expansion. What essentials would the /. community put on their new tech bench?"

4 of 530 comments (clear)

  1. Test bench by xx01dk · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Not quite related, but my bench is hand made, stands 43" high in a "L" shape, conforming to the layout of my single-car garage. I've got a kegerator in the corner, with the tap mounted 2' from my main PC's keyboard. Also have a 29" tv mounted bar-style in the corner, angled down with an Xbox and PS2 and a 5-disk DVD player attached.

    My "console" consists o my main PC, an WinXP machine on an Intel 540 with Raptors in Raid-0 and 2Gb Ramm in the center, with a 2Ghz Dell laptop on the left and a 2.4 Ghz Fed Core server on the right, all controlled via Synergy.

    The "L" is 6' by 34" on one leg and 8' by 34" on the other, along the wall. The wall portion is designed to fold down via gate hinges and gas shocks (not installed yet...it's heavy)in case I need to actually get a car in here.

    My Fed Core tower has external, front-mounted IDE and Molex connectors, and it and the WinXP pc use LCD's to save on desk space. I've got a 2'6" rack box with nothin in it at the momment but plan to add sound gear and maybe a blade server of some sort when the fundage comes. :)

    The workbench surface itself is white laminated 5/8's inch particle board stock which works great for optical mice. I wired in a 12-outlet power strip along the short wall and another 2-outlet box in the middle of the long wall.

    It's quite cozy in here and I love having all this surface to work on whether standing or sitting on my barstools. And currently, I have Pyramid Heffe on tap which doesn't hurt either. Here's a link for a pic:

    http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/testbenchdude /DSCN2545.jpg

    Hope you all like. I know it's kinda off-topic, but I do have a full range of miniature/microminiature solder repair equipment availible to repair PCB's and such. :) Lemme know what ya all think, and if you're even in the SD area, look me up and I'll pour ya a pint.

    --
    There is simply too much glass..
  2. From my list of requirements for the ideal PCbench by Qbertino · · Score: 5, Interesting
    • standardised personal tool harness for everybody. Power Screwdriver, small wrenches, bits, e-meter and maybe a headlamp/MiniMag with headstrap.
    • Bench Bays with rounded corners. Bench surface should be as high as your lower rib when standing (ca. 130cm)
    • 1 or 2 barchairs for those occasions when you want to sit down
    • adjustible LED-driven spotlight armlamps down from the ceiling
    • named part components at the wall end of each Benchbay
    • named screw components!
    • lists of SOPs between the bays
    • fixed bolted-on open and caseless PC setup for quicktesting hardware between bays
    • ready harddrives with all standard installs of you shop
    • small parts grabber handy
    • remotely switchable vacuum in other room with a thin hose to every workplace
    • optional: remote compressor with dentist air nozzle at every workplace
    • anti-static grounding at every workplace + anti-static armring installed
    • telefone/intercom at every workplace, maybe with headset
    • wooden working surface, thick and well waxed, oiled and polished
    • enough room for supplies/finished product trolleys
    • customer waiting zone inside the shop with coffee and magazine rack - especially if your shop is impressive and well kept


    That's all that comes to mind just now.
    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
  3. Re:well.. by tintub · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You're right, spelling wise, but chose a bad way to make your point - espresso is Italian for "very quickly" :-)

    A common misconception, but actually espresso is the past participle of esprimere, meaning to express or to press out, and relates to the process of making an espresso coffee.

    --
    sig under construction...
  4. AN ERASER! by drunkennewfiemidget · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No, seriously! Go to your local Staples, and buy a bag of those big, pink, school erasers.

    They work WONDERS for cleaning contacts -- RAM contacts, AGP, PCI, etc.

    I learned this from an electronics engineer. I've taken *MANY* RAM chips that failed memtest, cleaned them off with the eraser, put them back, and voila! Never seen again.

    I don't know how it works or what it is that does it, but erasers remove corrosion from copper.