Test Equipment
I also had similar problems with my 8 ft tables for my test equipment. I
found at Home Depot replacement fold down legs. I bought some, and installed
them right in the middle of the tables. No more sagging problems. I had to
shorten the legs somewhat as they were a few inches too long. But, have
supported hundreds of ponds for many years now with no sigh of
warping/sagging. 73 - Mike
Mike B. Feher, N4FS
89 Arnold Blvd.
Howell, NJ, 07731
732-886-5960
-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On
Behalf Of John Miles
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 7:38 PM
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Test Equipment
Another important aspect of the electronic test bench is the furniture.
I started with the cheapie particle board "fold up legged" tables and
very soon
learned they could not hold much weight without significant sagging.
If you have the space, you could do what I do, and bolt multiple folding
tables together with 'L'- and 'T'-shaped flat metal brackets. The idea,
besides adding surface area, is to dampen the tables' tendency to wobble.
This adds a surprising amount of stability and load-bearing capacity. It
completely eliminates the need to add a center leg, which is otherwise
pretty much mandatory when using folding tables.
With cheap folding tables, you don't have to feel bad about drilling into
your workbench or otherwise marring and gouging it. Every few years, or
when you move, just throw the old folding table away and spend $39.95 on
another one. Voila, a brand new workbench.
Many industrial equipment catalogs will give you an idea of the
accessories possible.
Shelves, drawers, electrical outlet strips.etc.
An effective infrastructure will allow the test bench to gradually grow,
as the budget allows.
Also, HP/Agilent equipment racks are sometimes available on eBay. These are
nothing like the relay racks or server racks that you commonly see in data
centers. They are stout. They're very expensive when new, but almost
free for the shipping when bought used. I used generic shelving units to
hold test equipment for a long time, but once you use real racks, you won't
go back.
An Agilent E3662A/B rack can hold up to 81 EIA units of gear weighing up to
1800 pounds. I have three in my living room and wish I had more...
-- john, KE5FX
If you have the space, you could do what I do, and bolt multiple folding
tables together with 'L'- and 'T'-shaped flat metal brackets. The idea,
besides adding surface area, is to dampen the tables' tendency to wobble.
This adds a surprising amount of stability and load-bearing capacity. It
completely eliminates the need to add a center leg, which is otherwise
pretty much mandatory when using folding tables.
I did this too; used 2x4 for legs and frames, 2 glued layers of particle
board for top, 4'x8'. Use lots of construction adhesive. For top shelving, I
got the put-together 18 in. deep storage shelving.
Somehow I always wind up working on the last 2-5 inches of the table anyway
:-)
I bought rolling plastic drawer assemblies at Staples that just fit under
the top battens for storage.
Remember Latham's law of horizontal surfaces (ahem)--any horizontal surface
immediately becomes covered up with crud!
Store parts in oversized tackle-type partitioned boxes, they stack, and you
can bring the needed one to the top. Tons of little drawers suck, IMHO.
$0.02
Don
paul swed wrote:
It also helps to simply clean the stuff. A bit of soap
and water and scrubbing gets years of grunge off.
I have found that Bug and Tar Remover, sold to clean cars, works well on
front panels. It seems to be strong enough to soften label gunk, but not
strong enough to mar front-panel paint.
I use a 180x90 lab-table. It has a steel frame reaching out to the edges
and a sufficiently thick top covered with NordStat antistatic mat. I
experience no noticeable sagging, but then I arranged my instruments
such that I have two towers at the two back corners and a bookshelf
inbetween them onto which I have instruments in the middle. The
bookshelf seems to handle it fairly well. I am annoyed that I could not
get the shelf belonging to the table, as that would bring load off from
the instruments.
The main problem with this arrangement is that I have no wiring isle
behind the bench and in general too little bench area. Too much in one
place basically. I have a full-sized Schroff rack alongside the bench.
Still, I can get some usefull stuff done.
Cheers,
Magnus
Even worse are the tables with plastic tops...instasag! I've scavenged a few local leg sets from dumped tables on the curb for future projects. My lab has particle board tops covered with anti-stat matts, but they are sitting on 2 drawer filing cabinets and there is no sag. I have 4 racks currently in the house and garage; in one case, the rack out weights the contents by quite a bit. It will still be working after the roaches take over the world...
Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Miles" jmiles@pop.net
To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" time-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 5:37:55 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Test Equipment
Another important aspect of the electronic test bench is the furniture.
I started with the cheapie particle board "fold up legged" tables and
very soon
learned they could not hold much weight without significant sagging.
If you have the space, you could do what I do, and bolt multiple folding
tables together with 'L'- and 'T'-shaped flat metal brackets. The idea,
besides adding surface area, is to dampen the tables' tendency to wobble.
This adds a surprising amount of stability and load-bearing capacity. It
completely eliminates the need to add a center leg, which is otherwise
pretty much mandatory when using folding tables.
With cheap folding tables, you don't have to feel bad about drilling into
your workbench or otherwise marring and gouging it. Every few years, or
when you move, just throw the old folding table away and spend $39.95 on
another one. Voila, a brand new workbench.
Many industrial equipment catalogs will give you an idea of the
accessories possible.
Shelves, drawers, electrical outlet strips.etc.
An effective infrastructure will allow the test bench to gradually grow,
as the budget allows.
Also, HP/Agilent equipment racks are sometimes available on eBay. These are
nothing like the relay racks or server racks that you commonly see in data
centers. They are stout. They're very expensive when new, but almost
free for the shipping when bought used. I used generic shelving units to
hold test equipment for a long time, but once you use real racks, you won't
go back.
An Agilent E3662A/B rack can hold up to 81 EIA units of gear weighing up to
1800 pounds. I have three in my living room and wish I had more...
-- john, KE5FX
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
HA! The B&T remover is one of my faves when nothing else works, and I don't want to use the realy nasty stuff like paint remover. I was given a can about 15 years ago and I'm just now running out.
Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rex" rexa@sonic.net
To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" time-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 12:04:46 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Test Equipment
paul swed wrote:
It also helps to simply clean the stuff. A bit of soap
and water and scrubbing gets years of grunge off.
I have found that Bug and Tar Remover, sold to clean cars, works well on
front panels. It seems to be strong enough to soften label gunk, but not
strong enough to mar front-panel paint.
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
Hi
If you are looking for massive tables on the cheap, you can indeed build them. Have the local Home Depot rip some plywood to an appropriate width and glue four sheets one on top of the other. 2x4's or 4x4's make fine legs and support structure under the table top. I have 16 feet of it sitting in the basement. No test gear on it at all. Other hobbies seem to have taken over the entire space...
The only real drawback is that it's a build in place item. You aren't going to take it with you when you move. There are various versions of that table scattered all over the US.
Bob
On Jan 23, 2010, at 7:48 PM, Mike Feher wrote:
I also had similar problems with my 8 ft tables for my test equipment. I
found at Home Depot replacement fold down legs. I bought some, and installed
them right in the middle of the tables. No more sagging problems. I had to
shorten the legs somewhat as they were a few inches too long. But, have
supported hundreds of ponds for many years now with no sigh of
warping/sagging. 73 - Mike
Mike B. Feher, N4FS
89 Arnold Blvd.
Howell, NJ, 07731
732-886-5960
-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On
Behalf Of John Miles
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 7:38 PM
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Test Equipment
Another important aspect of the electronic test bench is the furniture.
I started with the cheapie particle board "fold up legged" tables and
very soon
learned they could not hold much weight without significant sagging.
If you have the space, you could do what I do, and bolt multiple folding
tables together with 'L'- and 'T'-shaped flat metal brackets. The idea,
besides adding surface area, is to dampen the tables' tendency to wobble.
This adds a surprising amount of stability and load-bearing capacity. It
completely eliminates the need to add a center leg, which is otherwise
pretty much mandatory when using folding tables.
With cheap folding tables, you don't have to feel bad about drilling into
your workbench or otherwise marring and gouging it. Every few years, or
when you move, just throw the old folding table away and spend $39.95 on
another one. Voila, a brand new workbench.
Many industrial equipment catalogs will give you an idea of the
accessories possible.
Shelves, drawers, electrical outlet strips.etc.
An effective infrastructure will allow the test bench to gradually grow,
as the budget allows.
Also, HP/Agilent equipment racks are sometimes available on eBay. These are
nothing like the relay racks or server racks that you commonly see in data
centers. They are stout. They're very expensive when new, but almost
free for the shipping when bought used. I used generic shelving units to
hold test equipment for a long time, but once you use real racks, you won't
go back.
An Agilent E3662A/B rack can hold up to 81 EIA units of gear weighing up to
1800 pounds. I have three in my living room and wish I had more...
-- john, KE5FX
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
If you are looking for massive tables on the cheap, you can indeed build them.
The only real drawback is that it's a build in place item. You aren't going to take it with you when you move. There are various versions of that table scattered all over the >US.
My work bench is two 2" thick, eight foot long planks, bolted to two
two-drawer filing cabinets, then covered with anti-static-mat.
The anti-static-mat is screwed into the wood. So when it comes time
to move this you unscrew and unbolt and you are on your way.
As added bonuses you have four filing cabinet drawers to keep manuals
and schematics in.
You can see it here: http://www.designer-iii.com/Solder/
Two drawer cabinets that you can buy today are a bit shorter so they
need some cement blocks hidden under them,
or double up on the planks.
I've not seen anyone address the anti-static issues in setting up a workbench...
The Preface to Murphy's Law:
We, the willing,
Lead by the unknowing.
Are doing the impossible for the ungrateful...
We have done so much for so long...
With so little...
We are now qualified to do anything...
With nothing...
Forever!
--
http://www.wearablesmartsensors.com/
http://www.softwaresafety.net/
http://www.designer-iii.com/
http://www.unusualresearch.com/
Even cheaper and less work than plywood - solid wood doors from Home
Depot, laid across a rectangle using 2x4 as horizontals with 4x4 as
legs.
It you use lag bolts (and you should, as nails work loose over time),
you can take the things apart when you move.
My buddy has a few that all his milling machine parts sit on, and
they haven't sagged.
Ask if they have any scratch and dent doors for really cheap.
Tom Frank, KA2CDK
On Jan 24, 2010, at 10:03 AM, Bob Camp wrote:
Hi
If you are looking for massive tables on the cheap, you can indeed
build them. Have the local Home Depot rip some plywood to an
appropriate width and glue four sheets one on top of the other.
2x4's or 4x4's make fine legs and support structure under the table
top. I have 16 feet of it sitting in the basement. No test gear on
it at all. Other hobbies seem to have taken over the entire space...
The only real drawback is that it's a build in place item. You
aren't going to take it with you when you move. There are various
versions of that table scattered all over the US.
Bob
On Jan 23, 2010, at 7:48 PM, Mike Feher wrote:
I also had similar problems with my 8 ft tables for my test
equipment. I
found at Home Depot replacement fold down legs. I bought some, and
installed
them right in the middle of the tables. No more sagging problems.
I had to
shorten the legs somewhat as they were a few inches too long. But,
have
supported hundreds of ponds for many years now with no sigh of
warping/sagging. 73 - Mike
Mike B. Feher, N4FS
89 Arnold Blvd.
Howell, NJ, 07731
732-886-5960
-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-
bounces@febo.com] On
Behalf Of John Miles
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 7:38 PM
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Test Equipment
Another important aspect of the electronic test bench is the
furniture.
I started with the cheapie particle board "fold up legged" tables
and
very soon
learned they could not hold much weight without significant sagging.
If you have the space, you could do what I do, and bolt multiple
folding
tables together with 'L'- and 'T'-shaped flat metal brackets. The
idea,
besides adding surface area, is to dampen the tables' tendency to
wobble.
This adds a surprising amount of stability and load-bearing
capacity. It
completely eliminates the need to add a center leg, which is
otherwise
pretty much mandatory when using folding tables.
With cheap folding tables, you don't have to feel bad about
drilling into
your workbench or otherwise marring and gouging it. Every few
years, or
when you move, just throw the old folding table away and spend
$39.95 on
another one. Voila, a brand new workbench.
Many industrial equipment catalogs will give you an idea of the
accessories possible.
Shelves, drawers, electrical outlet strips.etc.
An effective infrastructure will allow the test bench to
gradually grow,
as the budget allows.
Also, HP/Agilent equipment racks are sometimes available on eBay.
These are
nothing like the relay racks or server racks that you commonly see
in data
centers. They are stout. They're very expensive when new, but
almost
free for the shipping when bought used. I used generic shelving
units to
hold test equipment for a long time, but once you use real racks,
you won't
go back.
An Agilent E3662A/B rack can hold up to 81 EIA units of gear
weighing up to
1800 pounds. I have three in my living room and wish I had more...
-- john, KE5FX
Hi
One thing to be very careful of using doors - the core may not be what you expect it to be. Solid wood may be just that, solid wood pieces laminated together. Think of it as a pice of butcher block countertop. It can also be shredded wood glued together. Think of it as a thick piece of particle board. The first sort of construction is quite strong. The second not so much so ....
Bob
On Jan 24, 2010, at 1:09 PM, Thomas A. Frank wrote:
Even cheaper and less work than plywood - solid wood doors from Home Depot, laid across a rectangle using 2x4 as horizontals with 4x4 as legs.
It you use lag bolts (and you should, as nails work loose over time), you can take the things apart when you move.
My buddy has a few that all his milling machine parts sit on, and they haven't sagged.
Ask if they have any scratch and dent doors for really cheap.
Tom Frank, KA2CDK
On Jan 24, 2010, at 10:03 AM, Bob Camp wrote:
Hi
If you are looking for massive tables on the cheap, you can indeed build them. Have the local Home Depot rip some plywood to an appropriate width and glue four sheets one on top of the other. 2x4's or 4x4's make fine legs and support structure under the table top. I have 16 feet of it sitting in the basement. No test gear on it at all. Other hobbies seem to have taken over the entire space...
The only real drawback is that it's a build in place item. You aren't going to take it with you when you move. There are various versions of that table scattered all over the US.
Bob
On Jan 23, 2010, at 7:48 PM, Mike Feher wrote:
I also had similar problems with my 8 ft tables for my test equipment. I
found at Home Depot replacement fold down legs. I bought some, and installed
them right in the middle of the tables. No more sagging problems. I had to
shorten the legs somewhat as they were a few inches too long. But, have
supported hundreds of ponds for many years now with no sigh of
warping/sagging. 73 - Mike
Mike B. Feher, N4FS
89 Arnold Blvd.
Howell, NJ, 07731
732-886-5960
-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On
Behalf Of John Miles
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 7:38 PM
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Test Equipment
Another important aspect of the electronic test bench is the furniture.
I started with the cheapie particle board "fold up legged" tables and
very soon
learned they could not hold much weight without significant sagging.
If you have the space, you could do what I do, and bolt multiple folding
tables together with 'L'- and 'T'-shaped flat metal brackets. The idea,
besides adding surface area, is to dampen the tables' tendency to wobble.
This adds a surprising amount of stability and load-bearing capacity. It
completely eliminates the need to add a center leg, which is otherwise
pretty much mandatory when using folding tables.
With cheap folding tables, you don't have to feel bad about drilling into
your workbench or otherwise marring and gouging it. Every few years, or
when you move, just throw the old folding table away and spend $39.95 on
another one. Voila, a brand new workbench.
Many industrial equipment catalogs will give you an idea of the
accessories possible.
Shelves, drawers, electrical outlet strips.etc.
An effective infrastructure will allow the test bench to gradually grow,
as the budget allows.
Also, HP/Agilent equipment racks are sometimes available on eBay. These are
nothing like the relay racks or server racks that you commonly see in data
centers. They are stout. They're very expensive when new, but almost
free for the shipping when bought used. I used generic shelving units to
hold test equipment for a long time, but once you use real racks, you won't
go back.
An Agilent E3662A/B rack can hold up to 81 EIA units of gear weighing up to
1800 pounds. I have three in my living room and wish I had more...
-- john, KE5FX
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.