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New Workbench - Roll Top Desk Conversion

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Sticks
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Project Introduction

I currently have two outbuildings that I use as workshops for projects of many different types. From car and truck mechanical repairs to word working and metal work projects, my sheds have many tools and lots of space to keep me busy.

What I don't have is an electronics workbench inside my house. When I want to dabble with one of my many ideas, I have to set up my "development lab" on the dining room table and clear it away afterwards. It has become a pain and the real issue is that it actually provides a disincentive to get back to my projects in progress.

My wife has donated an old Roll Top Desk for me to repurpose as she no longer uses it. Thanks to everything being online these days, who sits at a home desk anymore unless they're working from home?

It's a beautiful piece of furniture so I want to honour it by not desecrating it too much. So I need to show respect to it by not modifying any more than absolutely necessary and doing so in a way where any modifications are hidden from view.

Project Aim

To repurpose an unused Roll Top Desk as an electronics projects workbench.

Design Basics

  • Install a desktop PC for software design and uploading to microcontroller boards.
  • Provide storage for reusable basic electronic components and development boards.
  • Access the Internet through a Wireless connection to the home router.
  • Provide a flat clean surface for Solderless Breadboard project design.
  • Install multiple Power Supply points for use in Solderless Breadboard designs.
  • Bring USB Ports from Desktop out to an easily accessible place.
  • OPTIONAL: Incorporate a basic oscilloscope into the design (if space and budget constraints allow).

Hardware

  • Donated Roll Top Desktop.
  • A Windows Based Desktop PC (To be Purchased).
  • Multiple 240V to DC Power Supply units (To be Purchased or DIY Build).
  • Storage Units (To be Purchased).
  • DIY Build a flat control panel with switches, USB port access and gauges.

Software

  • Windows 8 (or newer).
  • Install Arduino IDE on Desktop.
101   Closed
102   Open

 


   
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Sticks
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The work space available is fairly limited as it is not a large desk by any means. Also, as you can see in the second image above, inside the roll top is a set of shelves that I thought I was going to have to butcher.

Luckily for me, the shelves were actually built as a separate unit and inserted into the desk. They were fitted so well that to look at them you would think that they were part of the desk. They were designed and built perfectly... millimetre perfect in fact.

So I have to take my hat off to the craftsman that built this desk. It was actually built decades ago by my wife's ex husband who was an excellent carpenter. He really was a truly gifted artist when it came to working with wood.

So I have easily been able to remove the shelves and place them on top of the desk. They not only fit perfectly but will continue life as perfectly functional storage. They also still look good as well.

201   1 Shelves

So in the end I now have a small workspace to work with that measures approximately (and forgive me for using metric, but that's what we use down under) 850mm (W) x 520mm (D) x 280mm (H).

202   1 Workspace

I think I can work with that.


   
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ron bentley
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@sticks

looks like a neat and very practical project and, again, I think it is great that you set down your project objectives at the outset - we do not see enough of this approach!

Good luck and keep us updated on progress.

Regards

Ron B

Ron Bentley
Creativity is an input to innovation and change is the output from innovation. Braden Kelley
A computer is a machine for constructing mappings from input to output. Michael Kirby
Through great input you get great output. RZA
Gauss is great but Euler rocks!!


   
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Will
 Will
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@sticks 

Wow, that's a beautiful roll-top desk.

I hope you're planning on getting a large silicone mat to protect the finish, it'd be a shame to destroy that desktop with hot solder 🙂

Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're talking about.


   
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Sticks
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Thanks @ronbentley1 and @will

I won't be doing any soldering at this workspace, Will... for the exact reason you highlighted. I'll only be doing development and design work here with solderless breadboards and microprocessor boards. Once I have my design, I'll move to the soldering process out to one of my sheds... which are far more appropriate areas for hot work. 

That said, I'm still putting down a thin white masonite board on the desktop... and looking into an antistatic mat on top of that.

Protecting the integrity of the woodwork is my highest priority on this project. 


   
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Well it's was Mailbag day yesterday.

I purchased a rebuilt Dell Optiplex 9010 Core i7 16GB small form factor desktop PC on eBay. The price was AUD$198 but with a coupon I paid a little less for it... $183 with free delivery.

It came with a 500GB sata hard drive which is more than enough space for my project development files. As the PC will be installed into the desk, it's only purpose is development of microprocessor code... so I feel confident that will be more than enough.

It also came with Windows 10 Pro pre-installed. As I was always going to buy an older second hand PC, this is probably more than I was expecting to be running as the OS.

The downside is the ex-office rebuilt PC came with no network card. So I had to shell out another $65 for a MSI Herald AX210NGW card. I have installed it and for the Wifi connection up and running (I'm posting this from the PC now actually) but the Bluetooth functionality has failed. I've logged a call with online support about that.

It is a bit of a bugger as to help with the limited workspace available in the desk, I have purchased a cheap $20 mini keyboard with touchpad. It of course needs Bluetooth to connect... but if I don't have any luck with the support desk, I'll buy a Bluetooth dongle.

So for about AUD$270, the system details are:

  • Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770 CPU @ 3.40GHz 3.40 GHz
  • 4 Cores 8 Threads
  • 16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)
  • Windows 10 Pro (64-bit operating system, x64-based processor)

That should be my development PC sorted.


   
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The Bluetooth dongles arrived yesterday... worth noting that they arrived from China before I heard anything back from my support call.

I actually purchased five dongles. They were like a buck each... so why would you just buy one? lol

I have just plugged it into the Dell development desktop and it worked straight away. I also entered the BIOS setting on the PC and changed the power management settings so that the PC will startup automatically when 240V power is returned.

The idea being that I can now hide the mounted box somewhere within the desk out of sight. I can wire the AC mains cable to a switch on the control board to turn on the PC when required. I will also use USB extension cables to bring the PCs USB ports up to the control board as well.

The PC does have a DVD drive. I have considered access to it but decided not to worry. With network access now working, the DVD drive seems redundant.

So know I have my development desktop with mini VGA screen and mini keyboard/touchpad ready for installation into the desk. I am thinking that the mini tower can be mounted inside the footwell of the desk up on the underside of the desk surface. If I mount it towards the rear of the desk, then it will clear my legs and should have sufficient air flow for cooling. 

Next step... Scaryville. Time to drill holes in that beautiful timber. I will have to crack a tinnie or two while doing it... to pay homage in a truly respectful way.

20221112 184504

 


   
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Having researched oscilloscopes best suited to the beginner and have purchased an Owon VDS1022I. 

I decided it was the best option for the following reasons...

  1. YouTube reviews seem to indicate that the unit is more than accurate enough for my needs. 
  2. Functionality also seems more than adequate for the work I'll be doing at this bench.
  3. At AUD$140 (delivered) the price is extremely reasonable. 
  4. As a PC based oscilloscope, I only need find room for the connectors on my control panel... the unit can be hidden behind the scenes. 
  5. The I in VDS1022I stands for isolated... so I can operate with some confidence that a mistake may kill the scope, but hopefully not my development PC.
 708349831967015999

   
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Ron
 Ron
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@sticks I don't have any scope yet, I am wondering why I would need one, anybody?

First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, and 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's and MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
Sure you can learn to be a programmer, it will take the same amount of time for me to learn to be a Doctor.


   
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Ron
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Posted by: @sticks

Thanks @ronbentley1 and @will

I won't be doing any soldering at this workspace, Will... for the exact reason you highlighted. I'll only be doing development and design work here with solderless breadboards and microprocessor boards. Once I have my design, I'll move to the soldering process out to one of my sheds... which are far more appropriate areas for hot work. 

That said, I'm still putting down a thin white masonite board on the desktop... and looking into an antistatic mat on top of that.

Protecting the integrity of the woodwork is my highest priority on this project. 

That white masonite board may also cause damage to the desktop if it has a rough back. There is a board about 1/2" thick that is sometimes called 'hobby board' it is fairly soft, you can do hot work on it, stick things in it and it might be more gentle on the desktop. I am trying to recall what was used traditionally but TBH drawing a blank, maybe leather?

 

First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, and 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's and MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
Sure you can learn to be a programmer, it will take the same amount of time for me to learn to be a Doctor.


   
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Sticks
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@zander, the deskmat shown in the pictures may be the material you are thinking of. It does appear to be some sort of leather like material. 

I understand your point about the coarse nature of Masonite. I am still mulling it over for the same reason. It's abrasive nature is the main con... but on the pro side of the ledger, it is only a few millimetres thick and the other side provides a clean white surface to assist in finding dropped components on.

I should note that having investigated the small silicone mats available, I am now reconsidering having some limited soldering capabilities at the desk as well. Nothing too outrageous... as the main use for the desk will be working with solderless breadboards and microcontrollers. Perhaps though just a small soldering station to replace the odd part or work up a circuit on a perf board. It can't hurt to have the option available. 

Which naturally means that it would be wise to find a replacement for the Masonite. Something super thin and, while not impervious, perhaps resistant to heat. I will continue to research but (as always) am open to suggestions.


   
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Posted by: @zander

@sticks I don't have any scope yet, I am wondering why I would need one, anybody?

I understand your point totally, Ron. I felt the same... although I had from the start considered getting one for the workbench... but it would need to be good value and still reasonably accurate.

The way I see it, while they are much more than a multimeter, they can still provide readings on basic things like Voltage peak to peak and current. So if you are resource (read cash) challenged (as I am) then a scope can at least perform those basic functions freeing up your multi to record other readings from your circuits at the same time... and of course vice versa. 

At the price most scopes go for, they are not really a viable option for a hobbyist like myself. Though given the unique nature of this particular workbench project, this particular option struck a cord with me.

I usually spend up to AUD$80 to $100 for a multimeter. So this was only $40 or $60 more to add additional testing capabilities to my desk. Also given space is at a premium, the fact that there is no bulky bench unit to find room for is a big plus. I can hide the slim line unit away and use my computer screen to read the data.

Also, personally I am very interested in PWM. Particularly how it can not just be used to supply power point to point, but also signals. I'm also very interested in RF and I can see that starting off with this basic scope now will help me progress to the more advanced scopes and signal generators I may need later.

I have to admit... one of the key benefits I get from this hobby is education. I'm not out to build a better widget... or make money from selling a widget kit... but I am very interested in understand what makes the widget work.

Plus I think it will be great to screen shot readings from a scope to add to my posts here on the forum.

 


   
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Ron
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@sticks I understand and am getting one also based on your recommendation. I am shocked at the price you pay for a VOM however, the one I use is an auto-ranging auto-select volts/resistance/continuity type with a few features I haven't used. I just checked Amazon.ca and the same meter I have can be purchased for about $40 CDN  In fact, there are some vendors selling close to the $80 price and some at the $40 (there are a total of 45 vendors selling this unit). Even on Amazon you need to check and compare prices. Unfortunatly however the scope you got sells here on Amazon.ca for about $126 CDN ($137 AUD) with a few vendors selling for up to $170 CDN.

First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, and 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's and MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
Sure you can learn to be a programmer, it will take the same amount of time for me to learn to be a Doctor.


   
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Hi @sticks,

   Good to see that you now able to get back to the 'bench' after what I too can appreciate will have been a very difficult time.

----

I don't really know what Masonite is, although it maybe what I would call MDF Medium Density Fibre Board. Regardless, assuming it is solid material that presents a useful top surface for what you want to do, could you consider glueing a thick fabric or felt-like material to the underside (and possibly curl up the edges) of the board? That way your desk top surface should be protected.

I have bought one of the cheap (about £/US$ 7 ? from Amazon) silicon mats. I have used it when using (also cheap 😀 ) hot air station and will probably continue to do so, but I would find it too small and clutterred for use with a soldering iron -- I could keep the work on the mat, but the soldering iron would be not be 'parked' on it, so still free to cause damage by dropping hot solder, particularly when being picked up and returned to its holder. So I think you are wise to consider getting a 'bigger space', even if you also have a small silicon mat for any jobs that might benefit.

----

I agree with your comments about use of a scope ... I will be interested to hear how you get on with your 'screen less' choice of scope when you have used it 'in anger' for a while. I can appreciate the physical size advantages and need to control budget. I went for a 'more traditional' scope style from Hantek, which was about 40% more expensive, and has been invaluable for certain things, including a quick PWM / software mock up. Although, it feels much more 'flimsy' than the Tektronix scopes I used at work in the past, and has a bug or two in the software, it is still amazing value!

Having said that, my multimeter that I bought about 10 years for around £20 (say $25), that gets all sorts of abuse, like being thrown into a bag of tools etc. when I go somewhere, is still my first grab to find out what is going on.

---

Best wishes, Dave


   
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Sticks
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Posted by: @zander

@sticks I understand and am getting one also based on your recommendation.

...

Unfortunatly however the scope you got sells here on Amazon.ca for about $126 CDN ($137 AUD) with a few vendors selling for up to $170 CDN.

I would highlight that the Owon PC Scope comes in a cheaper version... the VDS1022. This is a non isolated model which does put your PC at risk from damage from power surges back from the scope through the USB connection.

The VDS1022I model has that important "I" at the end representing the isolated model which does protect the host PC from damage. I found this a big tick in selecting the Owon model. The isolation is a feature that appears to be missing from most other PC based scopes at or under that price.

I listen to the Simple Electronics podcast which is also Canadian based. Dan (the host) often speaks of the high freight costs involved in crossing the American border. That said, I paid a couple of Aussie bucks more by the time our 10% GST was put on top... so about $139 all up. 

 

 

 


   
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