In our previous home I had tailor made my electronics bench for our study. It was bolted to the walls and shelves were made all around it. There was no way that desk could easily be moved into the new house. So I started thinking what I would like to have instead. There was no shortage of ideas, ranging from buying a professional lab table to see what I can make from the scrap wood in the shed.
Professional desks are really nice, but also come with a professional price tag. And during our move I was confronted with the abundance of boards and beams in the shed, so I decided to go DIY. Let's see how far we get using stuff I already have.
The bench was the first thing to go in my new lab. So how much space would I like to dedicate to it? I picked 1800 x 800 mm (70 x 30 in), which is bigger than my last desk but still leaves space for a computer desk next to it. It is made to be standing height, which for me is 910 mm (36 in). There is a shelf over the desk to hold some equipment. The shelf itself is 300 mm (12 in) deep, 350 mm (14 in) high and has approximately 290 mm (12 in) of usable height under the shelf. The frame is made from 44 mm x 69 mm (1.7 x 2.7 in) studs, left over from the attic construction. The top is made from bits of 18 mm (0.7 in) plywood, once given to me by a neighbour cleaning out their shed. Everything is screwed together thoroughly since some of the wood is a bit warped.
With the base desk done, it's time to dress it up. I added two more supports for the shelf, which left exactly the right space for three 19 inch racks (not really a coincidence) at the back of the desk. For proper equipment mounting I installed three sets of 6 U racking strips. In the 19 inch racks went some 19 inch power strips. All equipment on the desk and shelf is connected to those power strips which are are in turn connected to a big power switch on the top left corner of the frame. The switch acts as a main power switch and panic button.
For the work surface I had an ESD mat made to measure. Besides being static dissipative, the mat provides a tough rubber work surface that withstands the abuse of sharp bits and soldering equipment. On the ceiling, over the desk, I mounted some led panels. They light up the desk nicely and also act as an indicator for whether the desk is powered on or not. Last I added some tool drawers. Now I finally have the space to organize all screwdrivers and pliers with room to spare.
Next to the desk are some Ikea Ivar shelves to hold parts and projects. Once again, more space than I can fill, at least for now.
You can find data sheets in the downloads directory of this article.