Lab overhaul - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2011, 04:28:39 pm
content: A 3 revision is in construction and i think its final. There is more construction details now than electronics buy maybe somebody teach something from itThis is my old lab, about a month ago ( i surely miss it)The goal was to:Enlarge working space (add second bench for working on 2 projects at same time and/or having one bench for assembly and second for testing/tunning)Enlarge storage spaceAdd resting space for drinking non-alcoholic beverages and watching TV when wife watches Spanish, Mexican, Brazilian and what not soap operasMake lab burglar proof (acquired a not nice family neighbor consisting of 14 people, mostly criminals stealing whatever people don't lock)And whatever cool idea will come in the wayThe only place for expansion was that glass door that lead outside that provided only security risk anyway.Lets tear the wooden floor downAnd use muscle power to rip the door from the opening and then add some cathrane moisture protectionAnd use bricks and mortar to close the hole and leave it to dry a day or two. And after drying apply mortar to approximately level with second wall and leave it to completely dry. Moisture remover really helps...[/URLMove all things out and patch all holes up.While the wall is drying i sanded the floor and applied lacquerSince we don't want visible cracks to appear with time where the door was originally we need to apply reinforcing net on the wall, heavy strength glue, smoothing mortar and sand all off to get a surface smooth as glass.Since on the ceiling there was only some ugly chandelier with 1 bulb (wife picked it at time of building, can be seen on first photo) i installed a little bit more serious lights. I hope i solved headache problem from low light for nowThen i hired a contractor to install a security entry door to the room. When i was back home they installed a cheap Chinese door which could not be opened or closed (originally i paid for Friedrich Blanke). Only more work to rip up that trash from wall, take refund and order door at more serious contractor and wait another 15 days... By the way Chinese security door is so strong that you can break them in with a spoonJust at that time a local electronics part market has gone out of buisness. They asked me to come and buy all of their inventory. The inventory was about 3000 $ wholesale value, they asked 1000 $. I denied because i really did not have time to sort that components (they thrown all to big cardboard boxes) and offered 150 $ for fun. My luck they acceptedSo i bring it all home and sort 1 week on dining table. There was more than 300 pieces of power mosfets, good buy indeed. Sorting it kilogram by kilogram :There was even loads of stepper motors insideAnd loads of expensive audio amplifier IC-sTo be continued after birthday celebration

author: Mat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2011, 05:43:46 pm
content: Wow, serious stuff there, well done... and happy birthday!!

author: Kibi
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2011, 11:20:59 pm
content: Wow! Your old lab was awesome. Your new one will be even better!Well done on the deal with the components!Keep us posted with the progress of your new lab.

author: Joshua
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2011, 04:11:45 am
content: your. lab. is. awesome.

author: MrPlacid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2011, 04:31:15 am
content: How dare you destroy such a beautiful lab

author: ciccio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2011, 06:40:39 am
content: An obvious question: who cleaned, polished, waxed and made order in the old lab? It looks like an hospital, or a 4 stars hotel room, or a classy professional office (like the ones we see an TV and movies) but it does not look as an electronic lab...Congratulations and best regards.

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2011, 07:13:14 am
content: Quote from: ciccio on September 25, 2011, 06:40:39 amI will quote myself from some other topic, its a mental disease that i cant control, diagnosed Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to be precise. I cant help myself and i dont even fight against it. After 5 hour assembly i spend whole night polishing all. I spent this night cleaning all debris from inside cnc i got for pcb prototyping with tweezers. This is why it is forbiden to enter my lab or touch anything inside because grain of dust or simple fingerprint on my scope lcd will drive me to sanitize whole room.Quote from: hacklordsniper on July 20, 2011, 09:26:30 am

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2011, 02:55:08 am
content: Sheesh. I don't even have a local electronics store in the first place...never mind getting a crapton of stuff for $150. You lucky soab!!Nice lab. That's quite a lot of equipment there...

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 29, 2011, 04:23:08 am
content: Quote from: Kibi on September 24, 2011, 11:20:59 pmI was going to say that, people would KILL for your OLD lab!I might find out today if I have scored the new EEVblog lab.If so it will eventually be 36sqm of Nerd Caveiness!Dave.

author: DrGeoff
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2011, 05:05:52 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on September 29, 2011, 04:23:08 amYou hired an excavator and went under! Cool.

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2011, 05:11:19 am
content: Wow 36 sqm is a great place for the lab, what a coincidence i have exactly half of that.

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2011, 05:44:58 pm
content: Walls painted and lacquered. Friend just finished new furniture (corner bench, storage closets and some other little things). Outside contractor installed stainless steel bars on the window and I'm ready to move in this weekend

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2011, 06:13:10 pm
content: You got rid of a door. Did you close off a potential means of escape in the event of a fire?

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2011, 07:22:52 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on September 29, 2011, 06:13:10 pmWell i will escape trough the door if there is a fire but there is fire extinguishers in hot-spots trough the house

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2011, 03:54:50 am
content: Thanks for sharing the lab overhaul.Just curious whats the plan for lighting, especially at the bench. Since those ceiling light where you placed in the middle is only for the whole room right ? I think it may not the best to light up the bench table, not sure, cause possibly the shadow of your body might block the light to the bench table especially where you're working at it since they're behind your back.Do you have any plan to put another local lighting at the bench, maybe like a retractable luxo ?

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2011, 04:06:29 pm
content: Quote from: BravoV on September 30, 2011, 03:54:50 amBefore i used LED lamps i made of 500 X 5 mm leds, this time i will think about itHere is some news:Friend brought part of the furniture:Uploaded withImageShack.usAnd if those guys from CERN think they found something faster than light, well i have something faster than that too! Its my wife! When she understood i can start to move in my lab she kicked me from dining room table and thrown all my stuff here before i could understand whats happening. Can you manage to spot the DSO-X 3000 in that junk pileUploaded withImageShack.usI started to move in yesterday in 4 pm and i finished now second day in 18 pm, at least until the rest of furniture arrives. Already after 13-14 hours i started to be very sleepy and a whole storage compartment fell on the floor:Uploaded withImageShack.usIn case you don't see here is a better picture of thousands of smd caps all around the place[IMG=http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/726/dsc01180u.th.jpg]http://Uploaded withImageShack.usFirst thing installed was the PC and its power supplies.Uploaded withImageShack.usThe old bench and extra added storage cabinetsUploaded withImageShack.usThe new bench and APC-s doing their jobUploaded withImageShack.usResting space missing the couch and some other things arriving next week:Uploaded withImageShack.usIn the process of moving somebody stepped on my TV crushing it. I was amazed that i found the schematics inside. I salvaged what i can and will make a true "teardown" TV (stay tuned)Uploaded withImageShack.usThe new lab, as the old one and as the any lab is devoted to the best friend i ever had and followed me whole life...Uploaded withImageShack.us

author: Magicmushroom666
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2011, 06:05:13 pm
content: Wow schematics inside! what manufacturer was that TV from?Lovely floor you have in that workshop!

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2011, 06:29:09 pm
content: Quote from: Magicmushroom666 on October 01, 2011, 06:05:13 pmi'm gonna need rubber mat on my floor, preferably flat and bright color, white or grey, but maybe just a pure flat black. when something small dropped on my cemented floor, it will bounce to nowhere, i cannot find. a beautiful hard wooden floor like that is a big no no for me.

author: bilko
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2011, 07:37:44 pm
content: I had a big black antistatic mat in mine

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2011, 07:42:56 pm
content: Quote from: Magicmushroom666 on October 01, 2011, 06:05:13 pmIts a Grundig, the schematics were nicely installed on back cover from inside. However the salvation has failed. There is a short (possibly in the multi-layer board) which forced the processor to release its smoke, and since there is no smoke inside there now it wont workFloor is nice because i sanded and lacquered it just now, it wont be like so for long.

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2011, 05:12:56 pm
content: Just a quick update, the additional storage cabinets have been installed.After sitting in here for 15 minutes i was not happy. Because the lab is result of 3 overhauls every time added a new good idea, all these ideas are now mismatched. Patching the bench with small tables for extension now looks like crap and works like that also. I don't like the shelfs i used when i had small bench to get instrument above my working space. Now when i use them they slide back on the shelf and i need to remove my eyes from something im probing and look up (i knew this before but...)So im tearing it down. The whole lab will get a single piece 9 meter work bench and storage cabinets all way above them like there is now in the corner in the picture. This will be a long night

author: thilo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2011, 11:13:37 pm
content: Are you an optimistic person, or why did you put the first aid box just below the ceiling?

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2011, 09:30:01 am
content: Quote from: thilo on October 23, 2011, 11:13:37 pmUsually i need that more than food, but it was just quick throw to remove it from floor. Now its again all on floor

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2011, 05:55:32 pm
content: Ok, ok the final overhaul is done, the bench and cabinets above it have been installed as additional small components storage.But im having a problem im not sure how to solve, its the power sockets and cables cluttering the bench.Should i drill 50 mm holes in the bench and install all the cables below it? Or? How do you guys solve this problems?

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2011, 06:06:41 pm
content: You should install power the outlets as fixtures in/on the wall behind the bench.

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2011, 06:11:01 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on December 02, 2011, 06:06:41 pmI had that system before but was looking for an idea to get rid of all.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2011, 06:15:43 pm
content: Awesome! I am jealous.I stuck mine to the underside of a shelf in my mini Lab (built inside a shelving unit with a fold down bench top). the right hand unit is 120V the left box is 240V for the 240V items I have. Sorry for the poor picture quality, I had to brighten the images so you could see what was going on back there in the dark. They are stuck up there with the 3M Command strip adhesive strips.If they are not available you can use the heavy duty foam mounting tapes.

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2011, 06:43:57 pm
content: stubby IEC cords

author: Time
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2011, 07:09:48 pm
content: so much wood...

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2011, 08:01:25 pm
content: Quote from: Time on December 02, 2011, 07:09:48 pmi got worst.

author: hacklordsniper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2011, 11:46:06 pm
content: In the end i mounted them to wall, it was the quickest solution.And what is bad in wood?