New workbench.

[PeterG]

G'day all, i am building a new workbench and i have the option of any depth up to 1200mm. What depth bench is most common ?
The bench will be 2.4m wide with 300mm deep shelves above it. I am thinking 900mm deep but i would like to hear what others think.

Regards

[Psi]

My bench is 91cm deep, shelving is 30cm deep and there is 10cm gap between the shelving and the bench end for powerboards/cables to sit.

So my work area is 51cm

[PeterG]

Thanks for the info Psi, the 'Cable Gap' idea is something i had not considered.

Regards

[AndyC_772]

How deep are your oscilloscope, PC, bench power supply or other equipment you'll want to be there permanently?

My bench is 800mm deep, and sits about 100mm away from the wall. My lab equipment is all of the old-but-classic variety, which means about half that depth is taken up by my scope, power supplies and bench multimeter. A bit more room wouldn't go amiss, though if your equipment is newer (smaller!) than mine, you might get away with the same or less.

[Kibi]

Mine is 900mm deep and 120mm from the wall. When taking your measurements, bear in mind the depth of the equipment including it's IEC lead. The IEC connector protrudes quite a remarkable way unless you have the right angled leads.

[SLJ]

Mine is 810mm deep. I also have a 380mm deep shelf that sits 460mm above the bench. I keep smaller test equipment along the back.  Deeper scopes, power supplies etc. are on the shelf above.  It's about 30mm away from the wall for space for cords. 

I have also wired it with a master KILL switch so when I leave it I know everything is off when the main switch is off.  The bench has evolved over the years. Just make sure you have room for your legs/knees under the front and put parts and tool drawers somewhere besides the back of the work surface.  They can be a pain to get at if you are working on projects in front of them.

[G7PSK]

As a rule the bigger the better, whatever size your bench is you will grow to meets it size. But you do need to be able to reach the back without straining.

[PeterG]

Many thanks for your thoughts everyone. I have decided on 900mm deep with a 100mm "Cable Gap" along the wall.

The bench itself will be 18mm mdf sheet with timber frame. Not sure if i want to Paint/Seal the benchtop?

Regards

[Mediarocker]

Many thanks for your thoughts everyone. I have decided on 900mm deep with a 100mm "Cable Gap" along the wall.

The bench itself will be 18mm mdf sheet with timber frame. Not sure if i want to Paint/Seal the benchtop?

Regards

I would poly the top. I'm working on a "soldering board" that goes over the top of my workbench and will be resistant to soldering burns and etc.

[AndyC_772]

That's one of the advantages of a good quality ESD bench mat.

[Mediarocker]

That's one of the advantages of a good quality ESD bench mat.

Biggest thing is I have no idea where to start. I want to get one that is solder iron proofed and won't tear easily because I use my bench for RCs as well.

[poodyp]

This guy has been recommended here before. He's in canada though so shipping might be much.

[JuKu]

I assume you'd put the equipment on the shelves. For this, 30cm is not deep enough. You want at least 40cm for the equipment. The trend is for small and shallow, but much stuff is still big. You want as deep work area as you can get but still be able to comfortably reach the front panels.

In my setup, I have a 55cm table (too narrow) and a free-standing 40cm shelf behind it. The shelf would be too narrow, if it would be against a wall. But it is free standing and I can walk behind it. This is the greatest feature in my lab! I can arrange and re-arrange the cables as I need. getting stuff in and out from shelves is not an issue, I have enough mains connections and I don't have a cable soup on my work area or under the table. If I ever set up another work area, I won't put my table along a wall, I'd put it sideways, so I have access to the back side as well. Just something to think about...

[grumpydoc]

You want at least 40cm for the equipment.

I'll second that, I put a 30cm shelf in and found it too shallow for stuff. Some older/larger  items like the Marconi 2024 or my Philips 'scope really need 50cm.

Right angle IEC's help a lot with the space needed for mains wiring.

[EEVblog]

Standard bench rubber ESD mats come on 600mm, 900mm, or even 1200mm rolls:
http://www.oritech.com.au/categories.aspx?categoryID=332
http://www.esdproduct.com/esd_rubber_mats.php
If you plan on using that then it pays to think ahead.
Mine are 900mm. Any deeper is a bit too much I think, unless you have big deep gear.

Dave.

[SLJ]

+1 on the deeper shelf.  Mine is 38 cm and could be a little deeper.  My problem has been that it's a commercial workbench and there is a 2" lip on the back of the metal shelf to prevent things from sliding off the back.  I got around this by fashioning wood blocks to sit under the front of my Tek scope and other equipment that is too deep for the shelf.  Unfortunately everyone does not have the option of a wood shop to easily make blocks that are notched to exactly fit the underside of equipment.



I also bolted a section of metal L shaped sign post across the underside of the shelf to add strength.  I can pile on as much as I want now and the shelf won't warp or bend. I would recommend also adding one to any wood shelf that's going to hold any weight.  The metal sign post won't bend or warp over time like wood might.  There is also enough height so I could mount lights under the shelf behind the outlets on the front.  Big plus for me as I like lots of light directly on the work area.

[Mediarocker]

Standard bench rubber ESD mats come on 600mm, 900mm, or even 1200mm rolls:
http://www.oritech.com.au/categories.aspx?categoryID=332
http://www.esdproduct.com/esd_rubber_mats.php
If you plan on using that then it pays to think ahead.
Mine are 900mm. Any deeper is a bit too much I think, unless you have big deep gear.

Dave.

Thanks for the links dave and poody.

I'll be looking at getting one.