[Tez_Gelmir] built an awesome portable workbench. Not satisfied with just mundane designs, he patterned his box after Soundwave from the classic Transformers: Generation 1 series. This portable bench keeps his tools organized and ready to roll out.
[Tez] has all the basic tool groups covered – screwdrivers small and large, pliers, crimpers, soldering iron, fume extractor, vice, and wire spool. He’s also got room for parts boxes to hold his components.
The basic box is built from a single sheet of 7mm plywood. The front work area is a smaller piece of 12mm plywood. Working with 7mm plywood did prove to be a challenge – [Tez] had to use some very small screws for his hinges. The basic box construction was easy though – [Tez] used a pneumatic nailer and PVA (wood) glue.
[Tez] used a number of 3D printed parts in his design. He kept the Transformer theme going with a Decepticon logo built into his screwdriver holder. The fume extractor and lamp were also especially clever – [Tez] mounted them to drawer sliders, so they are there when he needs them, and out of the way when he doesn’t.
[Tez] spent quite a bit of time setting up his power system, and it shows. The inside of the box is framed with four power points. The main cord has its own “mouse door”, and everything tucks neatly away when not in use.
The Soundwave paint job is what sets this box apart – [Tez] spent quite a bit of time getting everything just right. It looks like Ravage is ready to spring out at any moment.
We really love this setup – Our only suggestion would be to add some sheet metal to protect the corners of the box while in transit.
Via Instructables
This is way too cool! But it is missing actual sound…
To top it up I would just add a simple radio to it, or a pair of speakers and a smartphone dock!
nnnnniiice
So, how does that rubber mat hold up to solder splatter? Not very well I’d imagine. I have a cutting mat here but I’d rather not wreck it just to find out.
I use a cutting mat to protect the desk at my rental house. I’ve dropped molten solder on it and it just spreads out into a cartoon-style splat which can be easily picked off. Discolours the material sometimes, depending on how it is feeling, but most of the time no mark.
The actual hot soldering iron however, not so good. But that’s what stands are for.
Thanks. Good to know. I have a thick plate of stainless steel protecting my dedicated soldering station. It is probably a bit of overkill, but I had it, and it does work. I’m thinking even a cooking tray would work. To me a good soldering iron stand is a critical aspect of good workflow soldering. Until one develops good habits they usually don’t know exactly how critical a stand is either. I know long ago I really didn’t.
I actually use a baking sheet. It does indeed work well (or at least the ones with the lip do).
I thought that was a cutting mat. Looks like the green plastic ones I have seen around here. I would have like to have seen the inside painted or covered. Also, at my age I need a spot for a magnifier…
While I like the Transformers theme. My style is more the old school fake leather texture and green felt inside. Adam Savage does some great box builds on his Tested” YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tUHJnl8qPM (One Day Builds: Adam Savage Makes Something Wonderful from Scratch)
Sorry Pcf11, I misread your comment. I took it to mean he was using a rubber mat instead of a cutting mat. On my bench, I have a piece of plain red-rubber. used to make gaskets. It does pretty well with solder. The only issue is if you stick the iron down on the solder to melt it back into a blob it will smell like burnt rubber and leave a mark. Makes a great cutting material too. The only thing is I wish it was an anti-static mat
Your ‘plain red rubber’ gasket material is likely high temperature silicone. So it isn’t exactly plain. But it is only rated to withstand 500F so that is why it cannot handle you putting a hot iron on it.
Nah, it is just plain red rubber. I used to work for a gasket company and it was scrap from punching gaskets for flanges. It’s kinda stiff. folding it in two will create a crease that can easily be torn. And that is on an 1/8″ thick piece.
“A tidy kitchen is a sign of an inferior mind.”
:-)
Works for cooks, anyway…
But Adam, you don’t want sheet metal corners to make it attack everything around it when it travels: rubber buggy bumpers. Say it five times, quickly, while rubbing your tummy and your head in opposite directions.
-dlj.
Im not convinced, too clean, too fancy, too flashy.
This is mine:
http://i.imgur.com/EbGQWd3.jpg
taken just after fixing laptop psu (delta sadp-65kb) while _in my bed at three in the morning, using shittiest soldering iron and multimeter I got_.
About that photo you posted: shave your legs man, what the hell!
Why do you want him to look like a kid? Is there something we should know?
legs? those are my hairy balls dude, you need this size to fix electronics in your bed ;)
That brings back memories. I guess a lot of folks start out using their bed as their workbench. The major downside there is you have to break everything down to get any sleep. Today I have the room to leave a little spot setup, so that is what I do now. Although before I set something up I toyed around with the idea of making a portable workstation like is featured in this article. If I didn’t have the room to set something permanent up I’d definitely make a portable workstation for myself.
The whole working on the bed thing as I look back on it now was pretty crazy, and stupid. Although at the time it seemed, to me at least, to be my best option. Nut up and just make the workstation. Even if you have to cut the wood with a handsaw. Soon enough your efforts will be rewarded. I know if I traveled back in time to my earlier self and knew what I know now I’d do it. Even with the extremely limited resources I had.
Earn those leg hairs! heh
Anyhow woodworking is fun and profitable. It is surprising how many who are passionate about technology are wood geeks too. There are just a lot of parallel processes I guess.
@jogap and Ragnar you’re vying for the best thread on HaD ever! Busting on the guy for his leg hairs. Classic!
P.S. rasz_pl Don’t let the others get you down with your hairy legs. If they hadn’t said anything it’d have never even occurred to me. Might not be a bad idea to crop some images now and again though. I’m just saying some extraneous objects in frames can detract from the main subject matter.
I had a queen size bed as a kid and for quite a while half of it served as a workbench where I’d make all kinds of stuff. I still have somewhere the rubber band and weight powered miniature mangonels made mainly of popsicle sticks. I built one and tested it until it broke, repaired and reinforced and tested to breakage again. Kept doing that until it was as good as could be then used what I learned to build a better one and repeated the process. Both would toss a BB quite a ways, in the “You’ll put your eye out, kid!” class.
No beer or booze in sight, what vice? Weed? A pretty woman just out of sight?
Honestly, I have never bought a spool of hook-up wire in my life, just salvaged it all.
Someone gave me a 6′ section of telephone cable a few years ago and I’m just now running low on some colors of wire. There was thousands of feet of wire in there in 10 colors!
Heh what you want is the main trunk cables they run in offices. They have all of the Bell Telephone colors in them. I forget how many that is now, it is a lot more than just 10 though. It is probably the 25 pair set, so 50 wires in total.
Vice is British English for the tool. They do not have the word vise. I know, savages. Still, knowing that is some small comfort for me whenever I see the primitives get it wrong.
Reminds me of the Beverly Hillbillies episode where they made Granny a Vice President of the bank – then Jethro looked up vice in a dictionary. Granny decided she’d be the Nice President because wasn’t going to be the president of vice.
Autobots are always ready to roll. Could someone design another one after G1 Blaster?
schematics it would be nice to have :D
Very nice build and a bit cleaner than my workspace. In other news, I am old. I like that it is Gen 1 now. I always hoped they would make Autobot Scrounge from the comic book with his microphone and video camera fingers (and ability to pop a video tape of the events from the back of his head-no discs here lol). He would transform into a wheel, basically and roll around to where he was going.
I imagine this is what sexy work areas look like.
Actually giving me ideas for my own work area, though that is far into the future.
Got to utilize my cluster until further notice.
really nice! I specially like how the light and the cutting matt is mounted