Wouter,

On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 09:18:49 +0200, Wouter van Ooijen wrote:

>...
> It starts as an empty room, so I have the chance to prepare everything
> before even the walls are re-finished.

Then run cable trunking along the walls so that anything you find you need later can be added.  I don't think it's possible to predict exactly what you 
may want in the future, so allowing for changes is a Good Thing!  I don't know what your budget is, but three-channel trunking at 
just-above-benchtop level isn't very expensive (over here the Building Regs. say you can't have mains voltage and other stuff in the same channel).

A series of "panic button" switches to disconnect power supplies in a hurry can limit the amount of smoke-release when things don't go according to 
plan.  Perhaps have particular sockets fed by these (colour coded or labelled) so that other items don't get switched off, such as magnifiers / lamps, 
test equipment, computers.

The first thing you need to decide before serious construction starts is the height of your workbench.  Get the chair/stool you will be sitting on (one 
with castors, so you can move up and down the bench without standing up and carrying it) and "practice" to work out the best height that fits with 
it.  

Some jobs that need close visual inspection but don't take long (say drilling PCBs) may be better done standing up, so a higher-level work area 
would be useful.  Your central vacuum should have a port there, to extract drill waste.  It could also be used to hold down PCBs being drilled, by 
having holes through the table.  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.

As well as the above and smoke-extraction, your central vacuum can be used for clearing debris off the bench - carefully!  You can get ports that 
are designed to be at floor level and that open so that debris can be swept into them.  Mount one at the back of the bench and use it the same way.  
But obviously make sure nothing you want to keep is nearby!  :-)

Most people probably wouldn't need it, but since you have your web shop the suggestion of a backdrop-area for photography is a good one for you.  
You could even have a camera-mount fixed there, with the centre-of-shot marked on the backdrop with a dot so you can quickly position the subject 
without using the viewfinder.

If you use VoIP via computer (Skype or whatever) you may want to mount a directional microphone and speakers on the wall behind the bench, 
accoustically isolated from each other.  Then you can sit and chat hands-free while you work, without audio feedback.

Just some thoughts - I will probably have others!  :-)

Cheers,


Howard Winter
St.Albans, England


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