A couple modelers have recently mentioned putting their desks under their layouts. I have several desks in my trainroom, each with its own function. My computer desk is where I do all my Trainboard activities. I've got my track planning info and supplies, Internet hookup, scanner, and printer. I also have a telephone, all of my operating session information, virtual interchange information, and NMRA materials (I'm a division officer). This is where I spend most of my time when I'm in the trainroom: My work bench is the next most busy desk. On the other side of the aisle from the workbench is one of 8 cabinets that I picked up for $10 to $15 each when a doctor's clinic moved out of the area and the special education cooperative I work for purchased his building and remodeled all the exam rooms into offices. I use this cabinet and counter for all my tools and supplies like nails, screws, tape, odds/ends, scrap paper, flash lights, tool battery chargers, etc. On the other side of the basement, I have an electronics desk where I have my command station, booster, power manager units, programming track and all my Digitrax manuals. This work area is right on a major aisle and there is no place to sit down, so I usually do what I have to do and leave fairly quickly. Under the Keystone Steel and Wire Mill, I have a table with leaves that provides a great place to spread out maps and pictures, also put refreshments on operating session nites. In the far aisle with the benches, there are 4 cabinets that hold all of my scenicing materials: lichen, ground foam, ballast, glues, sifters, etc. What do your work areas look like?
I've two work areas in my railroad room. One for "dirty" work like weathering: and one for more clean work which serves as dispatchers place too: And sometimes I use the floor. :angel: Wolfgang
Most of our construction work takes place in the old train room, which is now a hobby/exercise room within the house. Here's my side of the 6' x 4' table, while I was building my Navy tugs. It's messy. All my components are stored in jars at the top of the central island. Here's Jeanne's side. Very neat and organized, of course. Here's the perpetual mess on the train room table. There's a programming track along the desktop front, and always the tools of the day, and yesterday, and the year preceding yesterday. Just outside the train room is my saw table, where I cut most stuff, to keep the sawdust of building out of the room. Usually it's used only as horizontal storage. I can build modules here, when I clean it off. But I usually build them on the kitchen table. I'll look for that image, with wine bottles serving as weights, as I deleted it from my original Railimages albums.
My layout, when I finally get building on it, will be along the outer walls of an "L" shaped room. My work area is along one wall of the inside of the L.
My "dining room": Taken while standing in the "living room". Door at rear is a secondary exit and cannot be blocked Window on left is kitchen. Power supply holders / Stools go with table under kitchen window.
I notice a theme - cluttered! But how else would the right tool be on hand when needed? Not to interrupt that theme, here's my work areas. All the sawdust-creating work happens outside in the Garage: Left wall = compound mitre saw, drill press, shelves for storing power tools, small-item-holders Back wall = non-trains hobby stuff, computer, clothes dryer Right wall = timber storage Centre = saw horses and thus timber cut-up area Moving inside to the layout room, one wall is covered in Books, the other in Layout: Far left = shelves storing track, ground cover and kit boxes Left = work area for soldering and clutter, with shelves below/behind for tools Right = computer (where I'm sitting now). Keyboard is on a slide-away-tray to reduce the desk to 2' for reaching into the layout! Far right = DCC command station, transformers, power for lights, etc Back in December it looked more like: I've also got a folding table which I've dragged out for track laying: Which is now occupying the centre of the layout room. (layout to the left, books to the right, exit the room behind the photographer)
I have essentially three areas where I work. Mostly it is here, the main work bench. The Coors ashtray of all thing is my oldest tool ( I don't smoke btw), it is used to soak decals. I've had that puppy for about 28 years. This is where I mostly put things that are drying. I also loaded up the wall with "stuff". This is another station where I usually paint. But also store "stuff" that's in progress. I have a spray booth with a board/duct that fits the window so I can exhaust out. One day, I really want a large workshop w/ custom cabinets that doesn't share the laundry room. "Dream on I guess"
Interesting comment - "my oldest tool" -. Mine is a real railroad spike bought at "Steamtown"(when it was in Vermont), by my sister for my 18th birthday. I have used it for everything from driving "track nails" (brads), a weight, and driving nails. I have also used it for removing ice from porches. As for space - I'd trade all of my train space for a woman to share it with. Be careful what you ask for.
I use an old computer desk for a workbench, and a new computer desk for a computer desk... It's a little crowded with construction going on, but will be much better once the track is laid, foam is shaped, and scenery work begins. The table is on wheels, so I can get to any area without much trouble.
The work bench is outside the layout room here. Just the layout and some shelving in the layout room.
Dave & Kitbash Both of your workspaces kind of creep me out, are you guys really that neat and tidy? Please tell us you cleaned the place up for the picture. If you are having neatness issues I suggest you examine the other pictures by Pete, Russ, Steve and the others. This is what, (to me anyway) proper workspaces should look like. I'm giving extra points for Pete's wine bottle weights, (genious!). Pete are those weights full or empty? 2slim
No. I'm not always that "neat and tidy". The "neatness" of my workshop runs in cycles. I will use it, and use it, and use it until I can't find something. OR I break something because I can't work in the clutter, or whatever. Then, I clean it up. This happened last week. This past weekend the counters were totally cleaned off. As you can see, they are starting to build back up w/ stuff. I should take a picture in another couple of weeks if you want to see a mess. I've had the place in a cluttered state that would rival anything you've seen.
Actually they are probably full. We buy wine by the case, and the wine rack was nearby, so I just pulled them over. They are obviously not full any longer.
:tb-biggrin: It is small, but so is Z scale. I figure if it's all on my desk I save money on filing cabinets! Cheers, Jim CCRR
LOL...No way!! We had company over for dinner and I cleaned up to give them a tour of the layout. Over the weekend I had been working on installing some stationary decoders. Earlier in the day I still had umpty-leven tools strewn on the floor, the workbench, and both levels of the layout around the corner from my workbench, all kinds of wires and wire scraps, several boards that I was considering using for a panel to hold my stationary decoders, trimmings from a Homasote piece that I actually used, soldering equipment to wire a Tortoise, Tortoise packaging, bags of stuff I'd purchased a few days ago but hadn't put away yet. 2 boxes of Digitrax "stuff", manuals for programming my DS44s, DS54s, and DS64s plus a dozen sheets I printed out from Internet searches. I had taken a break from stationary decoder installation and had cut and rubber cemented a mockup of a bridge using several printed pictures made into an image collage on foamboard and had about a foot of picture and foamboard scraps all over the computer desk and floor because the bridge is to be positioned directly over where I stood when I snapped the pic of my computer area. The mess went away during the hour before company arrived. And, like Kitbash, the mess is already starting to reclaim the trainroom.
My train room is a spare 10' x 11' bedroom. I made the tiny closet into my work desk. It's only 8.5 square feet, and is MUCH messier looking than this right now: The rear tracks are glued down to hold models while I stare at them and get ponder paralysis, sometimes for months.
When I had my HO scale layout, the trainroom was a study in controlled clutter. The cheap-o desk I used for a workbench was covered with the usual "modeler's mess". Reminds me of the sign I saw somewhere- "a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind." That's how I'd justfiy it, anyway..............:tb-rolleyes:
Well you could classify me as a neat person,,,, I can not stand a mess when I am trying to work,,,, It has gotten to the point that I do not even have to look where I am reaching, because I know the tool is there. This photo is where I am going to put one of my two helices ,, in the corner that is,, so the work station will have to move to a different spot. There ya have it,, adios Wyatt
I finally got around to posting mine. it does get cleaned off regularly, my two granddaughters [2 n 3] like to set there an watch the trains go by out the window, and of course play some. inch
