building the workbench

Hi, I'm wondering if anybody wants to help sort through the details and turn the portable electronics workbench into a more user friendly design.

I have a CNC router and some half inch Baltic birch, but there are some details I could use a little help with.

There also are some details that could be improved, like continuous piano hings in place of those little ones Ben used, and CNC router cut finger joints for the panels would be stronger than the wood screws.

Let me know if you want to work on this together.

-Jim Hart

Former Member over 14 years ago

This part has me a bit puzzled. Here's how it looks when I import it into Solidworks:
I can't find it on either half_inch_sheet_1.dxf or half_inch_sheet_2.dxf.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
Former Member over 14 years ago in reply to Former Member

im using the AI file in corel draw X5, and if you actually drag the objects off of eachother you will see that the section with the two 'legs' at the bottom is the piece behind it, and the rest is hard to explain, but ill draw a driagram later . just letting you know that someone is trying to help .

edit:
heres what i found out: (and now im slightly more confused )
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
Former Member over 14 years ago in reply to Former Member

Thanks! If we could just get 2 or 3 high res photos of that left side of the cabinet it would help a lot. The photo on the Ben Heck blog id pretty fuzzy, but it looks like there might be tools tucked into bungee cord type elastic cords.

Has anybody actually emailed with Ben?

-Jim Hart
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
Former Member over 14 years ago in reply to Former Member

ok,
I have been watching the video over and over, and I have come up with this ^ ^ ^ . Yes, from the video, he places tools in elastics which are attached hidden behind that 'middle gap' and a loop is created on the outside for the tools to be held in.

The most confusing part was where everything went (for me), and I have now figured that all out atleast. Now to figure out HOW it goes together :/ . .

If you or anyone else would more detailed 'explosions' of any part of the file, or the file itself, let me know.

Thanks, -jcolefran
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
Former Member over 14 years ago in reply to Former Member

It looks like those toolholder doors with the elastics would have to be some kind of plastic. It appears they started out as quarter inch thick material, and they are cut down over most of their surface to about an eigth inch thickness. Also the 2 small black pieces on the far right look like they are intended to hold cables and made out of quater inch plastic. Although they might be ready made parts.

Any chance Ben might help us out on this?
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
Former Member over 14 years ago in reply to Former Member

All of the brown 'stuff' is half inch plywood ! and there are a few plastic spacers, metal hinges etc.

It would be great if we could get help ! anyone ?
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel