My New Tinkering Table

Stewart H · Apr 26, 2015

For a while, I've been wanting to get a proper watchmaker's workbench but as they start at about £1,000 (including VAT) I thought I'd see if I could find any other ideas on the web. I came up with this one:
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2014/03/ikea-watchmakertable.html

It looks reasonable enough but I don't need the shelf and thought that looking for a small screw or spring on a grey table would drive me crazy. I also thought that a cupboard would be more useful than a second set of drawers. One point to note is that the small legs, from the original design, to support the back of the table top, have been superseded by even shorter ones so are of no use - I used the Silveran legs and a pair on each side rather than one.

So, here is my new tinkering table:

Plenty of storage space

Edited to say that the total price was £176 plus two hours in the hell that is Ikea Croydon and a morning assembling.

Hijak · Apr 26, 2015

Very nice Stewart...And very organized, I like it.👍

Spike · Apr 26, 2015

Ikea Croydon?......you have my sympathies.

Looking good!

Do you wear those black calf shoes while you tinker then?😉

ChrisN · Apr 26, 2015

Interesting. I'm using a slightly higher than normal writing table with an adjustable height swivel chair so, it's set pretty low much if the time. I will have a look into this myself. That means a trip to IKEA at Bilbao and you can't get much in any of my cars so, might look for alternatives locally.

Anyway, you now have £800 left over to spend on another watch. What's it going to be?

By the way, like the matching nets 😀

Cheers, Chris

Stewart H · Apr 26, 2015

Spike
Ikea Croydon?......you have my sympathies.

I'm not sure which level Dante would put it, but Ikea Croydon would be at least a six. It even took half an hour to get as far as Fiveways on the way back - but only 20 minutes after that.

Spike
Do you wear those black calf shoes while you tinker then?😉

The Barkers range made for Russel & Bromley fit me like a glove, I seldom wear anything else but it's carpet slippers whilst I'm tinkering.

ChrisN
Interesting. I'm using a slightly higher than normal writing table with an adjustable height swivel chair so, it's set pretty low much if the time. I will have a look into this myself. That means a trip to IKEA at Bilbao and you can't get much in any of my cars so, might look for alternatives locally.😀

I managed to get it all in the Fiesta - I'd only have got the legs in the other one.

ChrisN
By the way, like the matching nets 😀

It's the box room - the nets were there when I moved in and I have never got round to changing them, though now I am going to be using the room, I guess I'll have to put some curtains up - in which case the nets can go. Shall I send them to you?

Spike · Apr 26, 2015

Box room?................I wonder how many of our transatlantic brothers have read that and said "Christ, he's even got a friggin room just to store boxes in"

Stewart H · Apr 26, 2015

Maybe I'm just old fashioned - OK, there's no maybe about it. I'm one of those people who always wears a tie to work and is a member of a St. James's gentleman's club - for the benefit of all, that is a traditional gentleman's club, not a titty bar.

Funnily enough, the two boxes you can see at the right hand edge of the pictures are full of watch boxes.

lenny · Apr 26, 2015

Stewart H
...member of a St. James's gentleman's club - for the benefit of all, that is a traditional gentleman's club, not a titty bar.

This would make for a wonderful email signature. A bit too long for a business card...but still so much promise 😀.

Alpha · Apr 26, 2015

Nice and neat and tidy 👍

Call me weird, ok you all already do 🙁 but I prefer to work standing and as such my bench is set at that height.
For a long time I tinkered at a normal bench height until one day I was having a problem with a piece, moved over to a large window ledge and sorted the problem and realised how much easier I found it.

dsio · Apr 26, 2015

That's actually pretty smart, amazing how cool some of those Ikea hacks are, I know Trev's workstation is a modified Ikea desk with drastically improved legs from one of those guides

Stewart H · Apr 26, 2015

ChrisN
I
Anyway, you now have £800 left over to spend on another watch. What's it going to be?

Forgot to reply to this point. That money goes back into the tinkering budget. £800 to spend on tools 😀

KIMBER · Apr 26, 2015

Looks good to me. I have nothing to say about what you wear in your home.It's just none of my business.

alam · Apr 27, 2015

Now you need a few specimens to tinker with! 😀

SeanO · Apr 28, 2015

so your're going to go to the significant other and say....

"I need some new curtains".....

is that right?

Stewart H · Apr 28, 2015

SeanO
so your're going to go to the significant other and say....

"I need some new curtains".....

is that right?

John Lewis ready mades - it's less hassle.

Alpha · Apr 28, 2015

Love this forum, where else can we discuss watches, furniture, curtains etc. etc. etc.
Now I am about to knit a little woolen cardigan, any advice on the best needle size 😉

Stewart H · Apr 28, 2015

I hope is a cardigan for Sandy - or will it be a stretch one for Buzz?

Alpha · Apr 28, 2015

Stewart H
I hope is a cardigan for Sandy - or will it be a stretch one for Buzz?

Large Onesies X 2 😉 Sixteen days to go and who knows what size Buzz may be by then ?

Archer · Apr 29, 2015

Stewart H
I'm one of those people who always wears a tie to work

That reminds me of when my former company went "business casual" and ties were no longer required for people like me. The engineering manager I worked for at the time was very distraught over this, and I remember him saying:

"If we are not wearing ties, how can the workers respect us?"

My reply was:

"If you need a tie to get respect, you have bigger issues than a dress code."

I now wear jeans, and tee shirt, or shorts and golf shirt in the summer - of course with shop coat when I am actually at the bench...

Anyway, sorry for the interruption, and nice looking bench overall. No arm rests might make prolonged work a bit much, but should do for short stints I would think.

For those who have their own bench like this, just a few tips about setting the height properly...

First start with your chair, and adjust it so that your feet are flat on the floor, and thighs are parallel to the floor - this is the height your chair should be at, and from there you can determine bench height. You don't want to be hunched over the work, but want it more just below chin level. This will vary depending on the torso height you happen to have, and just for reference my bench top is 41 inches off the floor. This puts it just below my shoulders as I sit in my chair with arms at my side...right around the height of my sternoclavicular joints...

Cheers, Al

gee_cee · Apr 29, 2015

Alpha
Nice and neat and tidy 👍

Call me weird, ok you all already do 🙁 but I prefer to work standing and as such my bench is set at that height.
For a long time I tinkered at a normal bench height until one day I was having a problem with a piece, moved over to a large window ledge and sorted the problem and realised how much easier I found it.

Funny - hadn't thought about it until your post, but whenever I'm changing a strap, removing links, etc, I always do it standing up. Wonder why..?