Shelf depth for test gear? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 07:07:19 am
content: I'm adding some wall shelves above my workbench soon to help get organized....and more importantly, to hold future test gear (equipment I don't own yet)What dept of shelves do I want that will hold most test gear? I'll want almost exactly like below:

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 07:14:41 am
content: As deep as you have the space for. If you need to stop small items like DVM's from migrating backwards you can easily put a stop at that position but it is much harder to widen a shelf and my experience of storage is that what you have to store grows exponentially in proportion to available storage space.

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 07:50:33 am
content: Thanks! - but I'd like to not have too much over hang over the bench. So I was looking for a good ball park, that will fit most test gear .

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 08:02:01 am
content: my scope and spectrum analyser live happily on ~450mm deep if that helps, though my scope is longer than most modern scopes, and my spectrum analyser was made for rack mounting :/

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 08:14:02 am
content: I don't think I'll be buying anything old and long like you mentioned. I'm debating 12" or 18".

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 08:17:56 am
content: probably work out whats the longest piece of kit you have / plan to buy, and add an inch for connections and ventalation,

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 08:24:28 am
content: That's sensible! I'll do a bit of homework - unless someone has a good rule of thumb.

author: Short Circuit
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 08:48:59 am
content: Take the 18", 12" is just too short for most bench-style equipment;rigol dm3058 290mmkeithley 2100 375mmagilent 344xx 303mmtti plxxx 288mmSome some seem to fit, but you need to account for some 2-3" for the IEC plug on the back

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 08:53:04 am
content: ah, yeah if your using straight IEC plugs, you will need to add about 2.2" minimum i myself had enough 90 degree ones to just get away with 1"

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 09:07:47 am
content: Over time gear on shelves moves or changes, so plan ahead for cabling (data and power)

author: Freighternut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 09:10:58 am
content: I would also like to hear what people have settled on for bench and shelf depths as I am about to embark on a new lab fitout.Based on the equipment that I have, the shelf depth would need to be about 350 mm. That protrudes a long way out intothe bench so I am considering a bench depth of between 750 mm and 800 mm.Please let us know what you have found to good depths and proportions.

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 09:24:08 am
content: I saw one setup, where door panels were used as the work benches and the shelves were the same door panels, but cut in half longitudinally

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 10:14:16 am
content: 18" and most importantly stack vertically

author: Short Circuit
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 10:41:49 am
content: Best shelf is the floor, at least for me. I just take the equipment I need at a given time and location (office, soldering bench, assembly bench, workshop or mobile), and put it back after use - or when I need the space where I last used it'Permanent' equipment is just a simple small PSU and usually a handheld DMM somewhere.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 11:16:08 am
content: I have shelving that sits on the desk, as opposed to being mounted on the wall.I really like having the desk with an open back area rather than hard up against a wall.It provides easy access to the back for changing plugs and stuff.The bottom and middle areas are around 30cm deep.But as you can see, i'm able to overhang equipment if needed. Like that CRT scope, which would need 41cm if it was to be mounted hard against a wall.

author: willb
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2012, 06:58:58 pm
content: I was quite surprised to see my photo there when I was browsing the forum this morning!I would definitely go at least 18 inches, which is what my shelves are. I was able to cheat with my workshop/lab. My workshop/lab is in my basement and I have these half walls because of my foundation. So I butted my work bench directly against the wall but used the top portion of the half wall as part of the shelf. It's perfect for me because I get extra depth without too much overhang above my work area. That being said, some of my gear is tight with 18 inches of depth. My HP 6253A barely fits, same with my Tek 2445 with the IEC cord in. If I had to do it again I would give myself a few extra inches for headroom.

author: Dawn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 04, 2012, 10:31:30 am
content: There used to be a rule of thumb that I remember during the construction of a shop at one of the first companies that I worked for. Everything was based on a piece of standard rack equipment inside a desktop case as the standard which would have been around 18"-19" excluding connectors. That set the maximum depth of a riser panel and desktop working space with a similar sized piece of test equipment on the desktop and enough of a convenient workspace in front. An unusual sized instrument such as a scope or long crt based instrument which would usually be set on a cart.The golden dimensions referenced to these 70's sized instruments appears to still be the industry standards.These were the following:Desktop surface 30". Any more would create too much reach.Desktop hight was also 30" for a seated workspace and 36"-38" standing or using a drafting type chair with a footrest bar under the bench for seated work. This height was ideal for carrying in a heavy item to place on the bench without stooping and hurting your back.Riser shelf was fixed at 18"-19" that would accomodate most anything that could be racked in a standard EIA cabinet.Riser hight was more a ergonomic figure based on a 30" hight desk and seated in a task chair. To reach up comfortably and operate an instrument without over reaching could be anywhere from 16" to 20".All of these figures also had an economical ,real world analog. Quite often, bench surfaces were made from inexpensive, unfinished doors. Riser hight and support worked out perfectly to two CBS blocks stacked on each other being about 8" high each and about 17" long. Topping that with a 3/4" to 5/8" thick sheet of plywood cut to the door size made for a quick and dirty bench that could hold quite a bit of weight. The two blocks could be slightly offset to accomodate support ends for a sub shelf for lighter equipment like frequency counters,voltmeters,and other light duty equipment while sacraficing desktop depth. No longer a problem if you're not servicing large pieces of equipment and smaller, solid state items.If you check an industrial catalog and take a look at the prefab benches, these numbers are still the golden figures with surface lengths set at 48" to 60" today.Even today, you still run into equipment that is 18" to 19" deep and an analog scope with acceptable acceleration potential often fits within this depth nicely. In my lab, the only pieces of equipment that violate this depth is my HP agilent service monitor and network analyzer that are 25" deep and on carts. Otherwise the dimensions above still prove to be effective.