Don't Damage the Walls

[wm3798]

 :)I went to the ReStore, and bought an old student desk for about $25, and a 36" hollow core door for $5.  I built this frame out some scrap 1/2" plywood I had laying around, and the HCD sits solidly on it with a table height of roughly 44" off the floor.


The space created by the plywood stand makes a nice workbench, aided by the drawers in the desk. 



I added a little slide out tray in place of the middle drawer, so I have a bit of extra work surface when I need it, and a protected "splash zone" for those times when a small part wants to escape into the netherword below the desk.  It works pretty well, mostly (which is why I still keep a flashlight handy!)



The whole rig is completely portable, and not attached to the wall at all.  Including the storage drawers, the whole mess occupies about 42" x 84"



Lee

[basementcalling]

What's a Restore? Like a Habitat for Humanity store or Goodwill?

[Philip H]

What's a Restore? Like a Habitat for Humanity store or Goodwill?

Yep.  Restores focus on furniture and building supplies.

https://www.habitat.org/restores

[nkalanaga]

Now that's a neat idea, in several senses of "neat".

[wm3798]

Now that's a neat idea, in several senses of "neat".

Heh.  Just don't look at it too closely!  Neat rarely enters into it when it comes to my work spaces!!
Lee

[nkalanaga]

It keeps everything in one place, which is neater than having stuff all over the room, or the house.

[wm3798]

True dat.  Although, it doesn't prevent the inevitable "creep"... The DKS layout is presently on the kitchen table waiting to be assimilated into a more appropriate venue, and there's tubs of stuff in the garage, a storage trailer, and under my desk...  I really need to deal with some of this crap!
Lee

[mmagliaro]

Lee, I love that solution you have there.  People should see that photo when they say, "I don't have room for a layout",
or, "Sure, I could squeeze a layout in the corner, but where am I going to store supplies or work on my models?"

Old desks are WONDERFUL bases for things. 
- sturdy
- convenient size (mine is 60" long, 36" deep
- drawer storage in them.
- some have slide-out extra work spaces over the top drawers on the left and right

I use an old solid oak teacher desk as the base for my lathe, and it was big enough to put the milling machine on it too. 
I was not lucky enough to find it on the cheap at a Good Will (or a place
like a ReStore which we do not have here in Oregon).  I had to pay $200 for it.  But compared to the price of a real lathe stand,
or the price of all the lumber I would have to buy to build something sturdy enough to hold a lathe, with large solid storage drawers
under it,  it was an absolute bargain.   Remember, this thing is solid oak with a 1" thick oak top.  It is incredibly tough and rigid.

There are 500 lbs of machinery bolted onto it and it doesn't even flinch.
-

[BuddyBorders]

Max,

Those old oak desks are build like tanks! I had a government surplus one that I got from my old job. Had a walnut top! I gave it away when I rebuilt my home office and now want to design a new work station for the train room based off of that design. I plan on a 30x72" unit. I'm thinking a solid core door for the top. Sure works well for the home office
-Buddy

[wm3798]

@mmagliaro , there are three ReStores in the Portland area.  That's where I went back in 2010 to get my first manager training.
Seek them out!
Lee

[mmagliaro]

@mmagliaro , there are three ReStores in the Portland area.  That's where I went back in 2010 to get my first manager training.
Seek them out!
Lee

WOW....      There is one in Canby, which is about 20 minutes from my house, and it's in the opposite direction
from Portland, so I wouldn't even have to drive into downtown.  THANK YOU.  I had no idea.