HauteHippie Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 So, woodworking being one of my other hobbies, I've been giving some thought to making a watchmakers bench. Below is a picture of a premade bench available from OFrei. So a few questions: what features are useful, and which are not? What are those things sticking out of the front? Armrests? Finally, what's the standard height of the work surface on these benches? Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flavor flav Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 cheif, i think it would be good if it's very tall. almost neck level so your eyes are close by the work. also the edges should be raised so nothing can roll off the table. i also think the surface should be covered in leather or vinyl for a soft scratch free work area. also i'd attach some kind of clamp or bolt on bright work lights and maybe a small vice. sounds like a good project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfreeman420 Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 I agree with the soft surface, but vinyl tears easy. One slip of the screwdriver and its recover time. I got this cloth with a tool kit that I use on the table when working on watches. It's like a really thick lint free felt or synthetic chamois. Very effective and the parts stay put. No slippage. Most of the benches I have seen have been tall and the watchmaker sits on a stool with height adjustment and swivel. Lights and one of thos big face sized magnifying glasses all on bendable goose necks is a must. Rails all around as well. I would add little compartments for parts accross the top and a series of them on the right. The ultimate would be to add a hutch to the back and build like 100 tiny drawers for parts and some others for tools all with plexiglass fronts. An adjustable swing arm platform for a laptop would come in handy for how to's and with a TV tuner you would never miss a game. A side compartment for a mini fridge and a deep cup holder on the outer edge for the beer. Remember watchwork takes hours at a time so don't forget the ammeneties. Wow you inspire me. We could sell these for $2K a piece. Maybe throw a couple winders into the hutch............. The possibilites are endless. And as your sig says Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJGladeRaider Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 I agree with the soft surface, but vinyl tears easy. One slip of the screwdriver and its recover time. I got this cloth with a tool kit that I use on the table when working on watches. It's like a really thick lint free felt or synthetic chamois. Very effective and the parts stay put. No slippage. Most of the benches I have seen have been tall and the watchmaker sits on a stool with height adjustment and swivel. Lights and one of thos big face sized magnifying glasses all on bendable goose necks is a must. Rails all around as well. I would add little compartments for parts accross the top and a series of them on the right. The ultimate would be to add a hutch to the back and build like 100 tiny drawers for parts and some others for tools all with plexiglass fronts. An adjustable swing arm platform for a laptop would come in handy for how to's and with a TV tuner you would never miss a game. A side compartment for a mini fridge and a deep cup holder on the outer edge for the beer. Remember watchwork takes hours at a time so don't forget the ammeneties. Wow you inspire me. We could sell these for $2K a piece. Maybe throw a couple winders into the hutch............. The possibilites are endless. And as your sig says Lord, I like this guy. That's my dream of a watch bench. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 FYI http://nawcc-mb.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tp...2171#1876012171 A lot of discussion re benches here. I have Mick Watters book if anyone wants dimensions. Mine is an old computer desk, with a slide out keyboard shelf ( which I find most useful- Keep my battery testers, and dremel on charge in there) I put a hutch above it for tools and work in progress, and its only real limitation is lack of room... not for working on... just to store "stuff".. I am inherently "messy" I need more storage areas within reach.. and I already have a 6' CD tower storage unit to 1 side. Photo attached. Offshore Edit to add. I have subsequently purchased one of those green electronics, can't cut 'em, antistatic mats to work on, and I like it a lot. I have a seperate board about the size of my work area, which has vice and movement clamps fitted, which I put on my work area when needed.You can see on my bookcase to the left, more storage drawers for batteries and parts. and I really need more!! Never enough storage. the one thing I have read about, that may be worth trying, is an " apron" which pulls out fom the bench, and secures around your waist, to catch all the bits that invariably want to jump onto the floor. ( I have a magnet on a flexi shaft to recove them at the moment) and make sure your flooring is light coloured to find 'em. Still wouldn't stop those bits that fire off sideways ( Go sproing!) I am still missing many small parts, and fear my wife has vacuumed them by now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 All I can offer to the above discussion is the dimensions, it should be about 39 inches high, 20 deep, and 35 or more wide. Drawers along the whole right side is good, a lip around the left right and back sides is good, as well as a notch into the front edge, to stop stuff from rolling off... My late uncle's bench had an neat feature, a slide out tray at waste level, this tray was a frame of wood about 2" wide, with a white leather center piece, tray would be about 24 inches wide (or whatever width you have left in the cubbyhole after you install the drawers). Whenever working on the bench, you pulled the tray out to your belly (how far depends on if you have a dickdo or not) and the idea was that if a part fell, it would fall on the tray, and the loose leather allowed it to not bounce out and it was easily visible against the white of the leather... RG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaccum Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 All I can offer to the above discussion is the dimensions, it should be about 39 inches high, 20 deep, and 35 or more wide. Drawers along the whole right side is good, a lip around the left right and back sides is good, as well as a notch into the front edge, to stop stuff from rolling off... My late uncle's bench had an neat feature, a slide out tray at waste level, this tray was a frame of wood about 2" wide, with a white leather center piece, tray would be about 24 inches wide (or whatever width you have left in the cubbyhole after you install the drawers). Whenever working on the bench, you pulled the tray out to your belly (how far depends on if you have a dickdo or not) and the idea was that if a part fell, it would fall on the tray, and the loose leather allowed it to not bounce out and it was easily visible against the white of the leather... RG That's a practical feature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaccum Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Here is a pic of my Workbench 36"H 20"D 72"W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Very nice looking bench. RG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 I think I need to tidy mine up before I can photograph it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Whenever working on the bench, you pulled the tray out to your belly (how far depends on if you have a dickdo or not) and the idea was that if a part fell, it would fall on the tray, and the loose leather allowed it to not bounce out and it was easily visible against the white of the leather... If I had a dollar for every part I dropped... No, wait. If I had $0.50 for every 4 letter expletive exchanged for every part dropped... I'd have a new El Primero... Oh, wait... ...Dickdo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 BTW... My work area, which is currently much, much more messy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 BTW... My work area, which is currently much, much more messy... ... which means stuff is happening. I can't wait to see the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Ha! I wish... The truth of it all is just that I've been messy... And lazy. ...But this morning, I realized I have to tear my franken 16610 apart again, so more work at the table sometime this week anyways... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 All I can offer to the above discussion is the dimensions, it should be about 39 inches high, 20 deep, and 35 or more wide. Drawers along the whole right side is good, a lip around the left right and back sides is good, as well as a notch into the front edge, to stop stuff from rolling off... My late uncle's bench had an neat feature, a slide out tray at waste level, this tray was a frame of wood about 2" wide, with a white leather center piece, tray would be about 24 inches wide (or whatever width you have left in the cubbyhole after you install the drawers). Whenever working on the bench, you pulled the tray out to your belly (how far depends on if you have a dickdo or not) and the idea was that if a part fell, it would fall on the tray, and the loose leather allowed it to not bounce out and it was easily visible against the white of the leather... RG That must be what the lower tray in my attached picture is for... I was already thinking that a narrow well along the front edge would help with rolling parts. Oh, and after looking it up, I can say that I indeed have no dickdo. LOL http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dickdo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaccum Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 I always try to clean and organize the workbench after every job/repair.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaccum Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Very nice looking bench. RG Thanks! vaccum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docblackrock Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 If I had a dollar for every part I dropped... No, wait. If I had $0.50 for every 4 letter expletive exchanged for every part dropped... Like under your fridge you mean Randy? Pfff, you fellas and your all-American wooden work benches down in a dingey dungeon basement..... Me? I have a 'portable system' in that I take over one side of our glass dining table in front of a floor-ceiling window (great natural light) and use my GF's cutting mat (she's a graphic designer not a butcher ) as a base with appropriate protection taken. A small toolbox comes out of the utility room, and my parts are all kept in a transparent acrylic multidrawer unit (Muji if any fellow Brits are interested). Powerbook sits on other side of table if I need to refer to it. Ultimately the price I pay for the luxury of having a 'modular'/bijou/cosy/put-away system is that I have to be ultra-organised and clean and tidy my crap up after each surgical session Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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