Project: Hobby Desk

[AimlessWanderer]

As I mentioned recently in a couple of threads, I'm currently setting up my old desk for hobby purposes. This might be tool modding, leatherwork, repairs, or any other project that I have on the go. I have a fair amount of the stuff I'll need for these mods and other projects, and I have more stuff on the way too. I do need to say a huge thanks to all those who've bought something from my sales thread recently. as that's what's helped me get this project underway. 

Tony (Sparky415) has been a huge help in this too, as a lot of the materials and some of the tools kindly came from him at the UK meets. Thanks again Tony, I really appreciate it   

I'll be collating all my leather work stuff, small tools, art stuff, and anything else vaguely project related into this area. Some of the projects I do, might not really be MTO related, but as I will be doing some tooling mods and leatherwork too, I figured the Mod Squad would be the best place for this thread. I'll up date it as projects go along, but don't expect updates every week I'll also do a review of the "mini-mod-maker" in here too  While the list of projects I want to attempt has now gone beyond 20, the first project is setting the desk up in the first place. I'll take a pic later today of the chaos it's currently in, so you can see it coming together.

[hiraethus]

 

[Wspeed]

+1

[Top-Gear-24]

Can't wait to see some pics of the new "workplace"  .

[RF52]

Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk

[AimlessWanderer]

I told you it was chaos... 

[Dutch_Tooler]

[Wspeed]

It’s always a chaos when you start a job 

[SteveC]

 

[Don Pablo]

The best kind of Chaos.

[Smashie]

You should have heard his language while he was doing it, I would never have guessed the little fella swore that much 

[AimlessWanderer]

25 years of engineering was a good tutor 

[Sparky415]

You ain't pinning any of this on me! 

[MadPlumbarian]

It’s always a chaos when you start a job 

TOTALLY!!
I’m sure you’ve seen how my workstation has grown and been modified over the last like 5yrs, it all started as a $15 pressboard desk! It takes time, heck im sure you’ll pass my status in a few days.. best of luck and keep us updated!
JR

[AimlessWanderer]

You ain't pinning any of this on me! 

 

It’s always a chaos when you start a job 

TOTALLY!!
I’m sure you’ve seen how my workstation has grown and been modified over the last like 5yrs, it all started as a $15 pressboard desk! It takes time, heck im sure you’ll pass my status in a few days.. best of luck and keep us updated!
JR

Thanks JR  I do have loads of stuff already, it's just strewn all over the house  My sewing box was in the bedroom, the leatherwork tin downstairs, my easel was in the kitchen for some reason, along with the pop rivetter  and the art materials are currently winning at hide and seek 

I've been clearing out the cupboard to the left of the desk today, to try and give all this stuff a new place to live. Just having a breather after several trips up and downstairs trying to get it all together. It'll be great when it's done, but there's still much to do. I need to try and clear the desk off tomorrow, as I have a mod to do for someone, and need to get two parcels in the post on Monday.

It's getting there though... slowly. 

[gerleatherberman]

50ft,
If that is chaos, then I cannot post pics of my workbenches. My idea of cleanup is to push everything to the side, and then when I can't do that anymore, I put stuff back where it goes.

Can't wait to see how your new project desk works out for you. It is hard to beat a workspace that is taylored to your needs.

[Sparky415]

Oh yes... 

[AimlessWanderer]

As I want the desk to be versatile, I didn't want my stidy or vice mounted permanently, so I cobbled together a bench hook to mount them on from a few spare materials I had lying around (leftovers from projects from when I had the boat).

To minimise the annoyance for the adjoining neighbours, the stidy (anvil) is mounted on a 3 to 4mm leather pad, and there's also leather between the horizontal board and the feet, plus cork pads on the underside of the feet. This takes a bit of the noise out, while still giving be a stable base for peening. It still needs finishing, as I want to get corner protectors on all the front corners. Not pretty, but functional, and should serve the purpose well.


The stidy itself is the perfect size for peening, and now I have it mounted, I'll be able to use the horns too. There's also a hole through the flat topped horn, which will be perfect for knocking pins out.



The vice is also perfect for this size hobby work, and will make life much easier for any liner cutting, filework, or any other small scale stable vice work needed.



Just being a bench hook, I can just lift this straight off when it's not needed, and recover the desktop space. If I do need more rigidity, all I need to do is throw on a G cramp to lock it down.

[SteveC]

Looking good Al !   

[Wspeed]

Like it 

[AimlessWanderer]

50ft,
If that is chaos, then I cannot post pics of my workbenches. My idea of cleanup is to push everything to the side, and then when I can't do that anymore, I put stuff back where it goes.

Can't wait to see how your new project desk works out for you. It is hard to beat a workspace that is taylored to your needs.

"Where it goes" is certainly a challenge! Storage was one of the things I knew I'd have to get my head around first, and is very much work in progress.

I managed to clear off a couple of shelves of cupboard space for the larger items, such as drill sets. In there already is my pop riveter, sewing box, leatherwork tin, some drills and dremel accessories, and a couple of rolls of emery, vernier/micrometer set ... but there's a lot more to go in there.

I also managed to squeeze some lightweight storage in between the cupboard and desk, and that's started to fill up too...

[AimlessWanderer]

Top shelf: Saws

I still need to rustle up the spare blades which are lurking in various tool bags and boxes, and I also have a tile saw for hard materials somewhere

[AimlessWanderer]

2nd Shelf: Persuaders

I still have another smaller ball pein hammer to track down, and I don't expect to need to need any universal adjusters much bigger than this. If I do, they're not a long walk from where I'll be sat.

[AimlessWanderer]

3rd Shelf: Abrasives.

I have enough in here to get me started, along with the two rolls in the cupboard. I also have some micro mesh on the way, which will help fill on some of the gaps from the 60 grit - 240 grit cloth, down to the 1 micron lapping film I used to finish my straight razor. The granite tile I use for the lapping type work, will live on the slide our keyboard shelf beneath the desktop.

[AimlessWanderer]

4th Shelf: Assorted veneers

I also have some other materials on route for inlaying, specifically white mother of pearl, and more colourful abalone.

[AimlessWanderer]

Bottom shelf: Brass

I'll be keeping the pin stock in some small drawers on the desk top, but the bulkier pieces will live in here. I'll also be adding some nickel silver, and possibly stainless too, as time progresses.

[AimlessWanderer]

Of the five drawers below, only two have anything in yet. Both of them are scale materials. Top drawer has the woods, which is currently walnut, wych elm burr, olive, teak, and lignum vitae. The next drawer has glow in the dark kirinite, buffalo horn, stag, carbon fibre laminated resin, a big of yellow G10 PCB material, and a bit of Tony's homemade micarta.

[AimlessWanderer]

There's not a huge amount of storage available above the desktop, unfortunately. The two shelves will probably end up having reference tables, "the bible" (Machinery's Handbook), and a few writing materials. I might have space left to keep the oils and greases and cleaning stuff up there too. The alcove at the bottom, will hopefully be big enough for stowing the mini-mod-maker in (mini lathe/miller tool).

The backboard around the desk is just hardboard, so that's pretty much useless for storing much other than what 's already dangling there.

I have had a plan to create a little more storage though... which I'll show you if it works, and deny any knowledge of if it doesn't 

[AimlessWanderer]

With me having my back to the main light in the room, I wanted to avoid shadows. Thankfully, the lamp on the side shelf does a decent job of illuminating the area with it being so high, but the halogen lamp will devour electric. I've got a little LED lamp on the way for it though, which will pay for itself in a very short space of time. I also have other small lamps available should I need them. The pic is with just that one lamp on.

[MadPlumbarian]

Looking good,
JR