RE: [EE]: tips for new lab by "Wouter van Ooijen" .

> Then run cable trunking along the walls The electrical stuff will be almost all on the 4m workbench, so I'll put trunking below and/or above the table. Monitors etc. from the ceiling: my wife would probably veto that, and it is not very flexible, so I'll stick with monitors on the workbench and table. > The first thing you need to decide before serious > construction starts is the height of your workbench. I have a good (but small) workbench now, so I do know my optimal height for normal work. But recently I did a lot of SMD PCB stuffing, and I got a lot of pain in my neck from that (from looking straight down). Do any of you use a higher table than normal, or some kind of 'work field riser' for such work? > Your central vacuum should have a port > there, to extract drill waste. Anyone got experience with DIY cental vacuum. Will an old vacuum cleaner with adjustable power do, for 1. solder fumes 2. drill/saw dust? I would guess OK for 1 but early death of the motor for 2. > Did you know that MDF is porous, and small pieces can be used as a sacrificial support > and will "transmit" the vaccum > to hold the PCB while you drill? Paint or varnish the parts > (edges at least) where you don't want the vacuum to act. nice! Wouter van Ooijen -- ------------------------------------------- Van Ooijen Technische Informatica: http://www.voti.nl consultancy, development, PICmicro products docent Hogeschool van Utrecht: http://www.voti.nl/hvu