electronics desk - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: lolimpol
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 07:29:02 am
content: I am getting close to getting a new room, and I will actually have room for stuff.the problem is that I need a desk. we came up with the fun idea to cut it ourselves, that will probably even be the cheapest. now my dad told me that i should use kitchen counter tops. they get thrown out almost everyday and they're: acid, heat and knife resistant. there are some coatings for kitchen counter tops, but almost non of them are transparent. and then the whole point of having a wood desk would be ruined.the question:do you know of any good transparent protective coating for an electronics desk?

author: lolimpol
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 09:22:24 am
content: look, I want a desk that I can spill PCB etchant on, slip with my knife while cutting heat shrink or most inportantly: lay my soldering iron on without it getting burnt. because chopping down another tree to replace the desk really isn't an option.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 09:48:00 am
content: Quote from: lolimpol on April 16, 2017, 09:22:24 amSo you basically don't need desk for electronics...You don't etch PCBs with corrosive liquids near your precise tools and instruments, without being close to water and sink...You don't put soldering iron on desk but on a iron holder.If you need to cut something, keep a piece of board to use as a cutting board.On the top of desk you need antistatic ESD surface.....All mechanical, chemical, abrasive or such work should be done somewhere else...Look here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/whats-your-work-benchlab-look-like-post-some-pictures-of-your-lab/msg1744/#msg1744

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 10:01:41 am
content: Right now my lab/workshop/ham shack is kitted out with two lengths of kitchen counter top joined together in an 'L' shape.However......................................The electronics assembly and test area is covered in a removable anti-static mat, if the mat gets damaged then this is easy to replace and it also doesn't get damaged by soldering irons.There is a movable cart containing my tools and this is covered with another piece of the worktop. If I want to hit anything, grind anything or use chemicals then this is the place where I work. It's already stained and scratched after only two years of use.The ham radio area is as far as I can make it from all of the other areas, that way the gear stays safe.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 10:31:05 am
content: 2 part polyurethane floor coating, preferably a self levelling one( which is basically a thick slow setting resin) will do the job. Hard wearing, relatively cheap and also available in transparent though the clear ones are not as resistant as the grey, white or green coatings. You just need to put a dam all round ( use some thin wood strip, it will become an integral part of the top unless you use some wax as a release agent) to keep it till it cures, and of course you do need to have it absolutely level and dust free till it cures.If not then use some 2 part polyurethane clear casting resin, and use it with enough catalyst to have a slow 12 hour cure, and mix really well, so the full resin depth cures, and the bubbles have a chance to rise out before curing.As to my worktop, it is plain unpainted as it came from the shop shutterply, 2 stacked sheets so I do not have to replace it soon, as I have 4 surfaces. All were offcuts from a larger sheet, and i have no issues with stains, spills or burning it, it is after all a worktop, and is meant to be damaged. You can also use masking tape to hold down things in progress, and leaving residue behind is no problem, if it gets too sticky I just have to sand it with some 120 grit paper and it is clean again after the vacuum cleaning.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 01:17:32 pm
content: Laminate surfaces fail the non-slip requirement when new, and aren't inherently ESD safe. On the other hand, as the OP says they are widely available free (in some circumstances you can even get people to pay you to take them to avoid tipping fees). The non-slip issue can be dealt with with a light sanding.My current primary work surface is a large executive desk with a laminated top. I am quite satisfied with it. I have used a variety of other surfaces over the years, including bare wood, metal, tile and others. The only one that really stands out in my mind as superior is a rubbery substance widely used to make tops for desks and workbenches in the late 1940s through the 1950s here in the US. I haven't seen anything newer made with it, and the veterans surviving from that era are getting thin on the ground. I don't know the name or composition of the material, but it was very durable, and the slight give it had helped prevent damage to equipment, gave good "tooth" to keep things from slipping and just had a nice overall feel.If you wait around long enough someone will be pitching a laminate counter top that meets your aesthetic requirements, including some very nice simulated wood finishes. One issue is that many have a raised lip around the edge to prevent water drips. While this does help keep small parts, tools and other things from rolling off the edge it hurts other uses. Personal preference rules here.

author: lolimpol
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 01:25:50 pm
content: yes! thank you, that's what I need!

author: lolimpol
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 01:28:07 pm
content: accidents happen. (alot with me)but it would be nice to have high resistance/no electrical conduction though.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 05:29:50 pm
content: Quote from: lolimpol on April 16, 2017, 01:28:07 pmESD surface has 100 KOhm to several MOhm resistance.. It is not really conductive to voltages you work with.. It is there to dissipate static charges, so they don't build up with time...They are designed to safe .

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 06:40:19 pm
content: Quote from: 2N3055 on April 16, 2017, 05:29:50 pmLol, I burned a huge hole in an ESD mat where I used to work, when I tested a high voltage power supply PCB sitting on it. Until then I hadn't had any problems with testing live circuits on it, even with mains voltages!

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 07:06:14 pm
content: Get whatever top you want and cover it with an ESD mat. My benchtop is 3/4" MDF that has some stains on it. Then I got an ESD mat and I could care less what the top looks like. Do your etching in another area and you are done. I have a 2nd piece of ESD mat for the company side of the workbench for when I rebuild FRUs, I don't care about the greasy gears on it instead of the main mat, though I do have ESD mat cleaner.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 07:06:25 pm
content: Quote from: Hero999 on April 16, 2017, 06:40:19 pmWell, glad you survived...That is what I meant.. 300-400V won't make a problem... 2000V will..But, as a general precaution, I rarely ever put powered PCBs flat on the surface of the desk.. For high energy circuits for safety, for sensitive circuits to be sure circuit won't have outside influence..And not so much because of ESD mat, but because of all the tiny pieces of wires and such that tend to hide on the desktop beneath the boards..At least I put clean piece of white paper so I can see there is nothing on it, before I put board on it....

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 07:09:12 pm
content: While the wood looks nice I prefer a solid color like a while laminate to make it easy to see the parts that try to run away.

author: lolimpol
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 08:00:03 pm
content: yes, that "COULD" work, but I want to have the beautiful wood, because my pc will be on it as well (U shaped) and I want it to be the same but beautiful. otherwise it would go completely against the chopping a tree and cutting it.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2017, 10:42:28 pm
content: Any outdoor laquer should do. The knife resistance depends on how hard the wood is.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2017, 01:53:53 am
content: I currently use a tiny computer desk for electronics, it was originally just a computer work bench for when I'm working on someone's computer but I try to get out of that now as it's more hassle than it's worth, I rather be blowing up expensive components and accidentally setting things on fire.I really need a bigger work bench. I think the counter tops could work nice, or just self built with sheet of plywood. Also make it have edges so stuff can't fall off. With the tiny desk I have now I find stuff often falls off the edges as it gets pushed by other stuff. Just a tiny border would do. Easily accessible outlets with a switch could be nice too, maybe have them at the front or on the surface, but surface outlets risk having a drink spill into them and cords might get in the way, so I'd probably put them at the front, but not where you're going to be or they'll get in the way. Maybe some in the back for test gear. Maybe even a shelf on top for test gear to leave more surface area for projects.I had devised a plan for a large L shaped desk, one section would be my computer monitors and be my general computing workstation then the rest would be electronics. Then probably some cabinets on top mounted to the walls for parts, tools, gear etc. Some open shelves for scope and what not too. I kind of have it visualized in my head, I need to get off my butt and actually build it. So many other projects to do first though, such as actually building a shed and insulating/finishing my garage, so I can build it in. Right now my garage is a mess as it's basically a shed.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2017, 07:21:08 am
content: QuoteCoat it with whatever and it will look very nice, and then after while all the cut marks and abraded areas will obscure the wood underneath and it'll look worse than if the wood had been 'aged' by work.The only way you're going to get around that (besides replacing the protection fairly often, which will be a problem with lacquer) is a huge sheet of glass, but even that would be prone to some kinds of damage.

author: lolimpol
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2017, 10:16:47 am
content: My plan is for a U shaped desk. pc in the middle, electronics on one side, pc build station on the other.I've come out to a garage floor coating, which is transparent, acid resistant, heat resistant Etc.

author: Dielectric
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2017, 12:40:07 pm
content: Wait, you can see your desktop? I rarely notice mine, except when I push a bunch of stuff out of the way for a documentation-related picture.My home lab is actually a split-apart bifold closet door for the tops and 2x4 legs for the most part. I put on a few layers of shellac, since it's a weird cheap mahogany it looks pretty nice. But, it's not really heat resistant so I have some aluminum plate for protection over by the soldering iron. Also not ESD safe so there's a blue mat for that.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2017, 02:39:37 pm
content: If you are using a desk or table with a good polished wooden top for an electronics workbench, the only way to avoid damage is to cover it. You'll need a large enough sheet of felt to protect the polished surface and a sheet of hardboard, smooth side up for the work surface. On top of that, put an anti-static mat if you need static control, or a heat-resistant tile to solder on etc. If the felt and hardboard don't cover the whole top, you risk solder spatter, wire clippings and SMD parts falling off the edges, and scratching up the polished surface. A covered polished surface is grossly inferior to a bench top suitable for rough work, as you cant really clamp anything to its edges, which remain vulnerable to damage.One compromise that *MAY* be acceptable for a tough top that still looks like polished wood from a distance, is to epoxy laminate on a single layer of fine weave glasscloth. If its fully wetted out without bubbles, the cloth will nearly vanish in the epoxy, and when fully cured and overcoated with a suitable hard-wearing varnish or floor coating (as Epoxy isn't UV resistant), it will be a lot tougher than varnish on its own. However if it is ever damaged, an invisible repair will be nearly impossible, and it takes a considerable amount of skill and experience to apply the cloth and get all the bubbles out, without wrinkling it or distorting the weave or running into problems at the edges.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2017, 02:47:38 pm
content: Quote from: Ian.M on April 17, 2017, 02:39:37 pmTrue which is how an ESD mat serves a dual purpose.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2017, 03:04:37 pm
content: Quote from: lolimpol on April 16, 2017, 08:00:03 pmIf you want a natural wood finish, I would go with an open-pore finish which you can rework in the future if needed. Oil is my personal favorite, and is often used on natural-wood kitchen countertops too. Not as glossy and liquid-proof as a coat of lacquer; but when you get the unavoidable scratches and nicks over time, you can simply sand it lightly and refresh it with a freh coat of oil.For the actual electronics work area, use an antistatic mat, which will also protect that area from minor spills, soldering mishaps, cuts etc.. No wood appearance in that area, but you will get to see the wood all around.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2017, 12:01:36 am
content: Definitely do the PCB etching outside, at least well away from any equipment, component stocks, metal objects, etc. The vapor from many etchants will corrode the hell out of any metal in the vicinity and spills will damage many materials. If you use FeCl that stuff will stain almost anything and turn it yellow. Very little is going to be resistant to both chemicals and heat, and ESD safe too.