Tamiya Work Station, anyone?

I would give it a pass. For the money you could do better with a magnifying lamp and a rotating work station like some of us built here.

The round blank was less then $2, a piece of dowel was under two bucks and I spent a bunch of time with a drill. If you have or know somebody with a drill press that would save time. Combine that with a $50 lamp and you're set.

I find the Workstand from Tamiya to be on the small size...

uproar wrote:

Does anyone out there actually have/use one of these?  Is it even remotely worth it?  I am highly organizationally challenged, and also have been developing a bit of a problem with very close work thanks to my 45 year old eyeballs, so I'm considering buying one of these stations, but they are a bit pricey (list at $117, but usually sell in the $85-$90 range online), so I would love to hear from someone else who owns one.  Thanks in advance!   Rory

Don't most males of this species have organization problems??? It seems like it would be nice when it comes time for decaling or the final detailing, but other than that I can't really see a practical use for it. I like BGrigg's idea better. I have the Tamiya paint stand set that is pretty handy for things like this. Its got one stand for a car body, and another that is a round table with slots and holes and comes with 4 spring clamps, but it could easily be made with a little thought and some old fashioned fabrication

uproar wrote:

Does anyone out there actually have/use one of these?  Is it even remotely worth it?  I am highly organizationally challenged, and also have been developing a bit of a problem with very close work thanks to my 45 year old eyeballs, so I'm considering buying one of these stations, but they are a bit pricey (list at $117, but usually sell in the $85-$90 range online), so I would love to hear from someone else who owns one.  Thanks in advance! Rory

' Hi Rory, yes, I do have one.I just got it last month!...I like "Stuff!" I love "Gadgets!"...I'm the guy who buys Ron whats his name "Ronco's inventions", I have his Rotisserie and its wonderful, I've been using it for five years and it does make the "Best tasting chicken you'll ever taste"..So, Now that you know my love of things and stuff you'll understand I had to have one! I didnt just run out and buy it! I checked it out for almost a year and finally bought one from Internethobbies.com..for $85.00....I got it from my on first name bases UPS driver who now just walks on in with out knocking,  were that close...I opened it and wasn't to happy with what I had there, "I've paid $85.00 for this?" I'm thinking outload! Then sat it back in the carton and it sat there for a week it was collecting dust! I was in the front room watching TV and had my German figures in hand checking them out and had my bottles of glue, tubes of putty and brushes, opening my brand new box of Andrea Color acryilic paint for figures the new Flesh paint set..I went in and pulled out my brand new collecting dust Tamiya work Station, As I sat it on the kitchen table, Being single, I can do my models anyplace I want too..I sat my hand full of figures on the stations work area, and placed my paint brushes in the little holes on the sides and brought down that 4"X6" magnifying glass and looked for the first time at a figure through the lins and it was Big! I could see it good! I could really see the eye's, nose, ears, mouth..I knew right then I was in love!...Its a really good tool for me and my old eyes.. . The work station is a little high for me! I'm sitting in a wheelchair and its just right for the work bench in my hobby room and just right for the kitchen table, but 2 1/4" inches to high to work with I thought till I started using it and found it was wonderful! It was high enought for me not to have to bend down with my head tilted back to see up close through the Magnifying glass at the figure with my Bifocals as I'm doing anything from putty in the seams, to gluing.. And now that I'm starting to paint them, my face is close enough to the magnifying glass that Its just at the right height to work comfortably.. So I do like mine..Its a Old Mans dream come true for me to be able to see through my bifocals and the magnifying glass at the same time with out straning my neck and I'm comfortable working with it..Then when I'm finished for the night, I can pick up the whole work station and bring it in here and set it all down on my work bench till tomorrow or the next day when I'm in the mood to work on them again..Also with me having a 50" color TV in the front room I can sit at the kitchen table with my work station and watch the "How to build & paint Military Figures" over and over again or one of the other tapes on modeling or airbrushing and enjoy working on them......

 Have a fun life and injoy your models,  "RC"....

 

 

 

  

Well, I went out and bought a Tamiya Workstation....sat in the box for about two months while we moved (the receipt is long gone!), and when I finally got the thing out and set it up, one of the LED bulbs is out, and for some reason, the batteries don't work (apparently a wiring problem), so I had to buy aa AC adapter.  But the Tamiya AC adapter is either discontinued or nearly impossible to find (why one couldn't have been included for the $85 price is beyond me), so I had to buy a universal adapter, so now the thing works mostly....although I did have to buy a small cutting matt, as that wasn't included either, anhd Tamiya matt is also discontinued.....do you get the feeling Tamiya doesn't support its products well?  It is useable, and does magnify very well, but I'm having trouble justifying the $85 price.  I wish I could return it to internet hobbies...all in all, I'd give it a 65 out of 100.  Not worth the money.

I agree with Peglegrc.  While it is pricey it's a boon for my ageing eyes and its portability is also an advantage to me as I do a lot of my mofel work sitting watching TV.  I bought a cutting mat from a local stationary supplier and even though it's not quite big enough a bit of blutack keeps it in place.  The LED lighting is OK but I will look at replacing them with LEDs of higher and less bluish output as soon as possible.  A generic (and cheap) AC adaptor is the next step; despite the fact I have at least a dozen plugpacks lying about none of them is 6V which is annoying.  The main gripe I have, and I suppose it's minor, is that the paintbrush rests are on the left side and I'm right-handed.  The locations for bottles are good but I favout Humbrol products and of course they don't fit properly.

 

On the whole I'm quite pleased with it - 85/100.

 

Michael

I passed on it...

No kit manufacturer makes a product, outside their paints, that's worth a damn to me... Beides, I don't their engineers ever built a model, much less have five or ten different models under construction, with two or three on the bench, at the same time...

I just use Lazy-Susans caddies, parts organizers,  and a clamp-on mag-light..

I just use a Harbor freight magnifier with light on the bench, a lazy susan, and sometimes a "helping" hand with magnifying glass removed. I could never justify paying that much for something like that.

Horses for courses of course.  Undeniably pricy but for me in my situation it's ideal, and solves a problem - obviously it's not for everyone.

A good light on a swing arm with a magnifier, a good workbench, and maybe a cheap carousel to hold paint bottles is all I need.  Plus an old bookcase shelf on an adjacent work table to hold miscellaneous supplies works well for me.  My shop is not pretty, but very functional.  And oh yeah, pegboards to hang tools and stuff on.

?

Wow, this is wild--I started this thread well over five years ago, and nobody has touched it since April, 2006, and now, suddenly, IT LIVES!!!   Cool!  One thing I might add is that if one purchases this little gem, do make sure you don't accidentally leave the lights turned on, as the LED lights burn out very quickly, and I do not believe they are replaceable.  All around, I think the Tamiya Workstation is a good concept with a fair amount of design flaws that should be fixed.  Is nice having the magnification, though.  We've moved again, and mine is still waiting to be unpacked, assuming it survived the move without major damage.

Would not get one. Would save money and get some real tools (optivisor, cutting mat, airbrush, resin casting set,  this list goes on..) Just what I would do...

I actually did replace the lights in mine.  I ordered some 10mm super bright LED lights Ebay.  It took a few hours to replace them but it did work and was nice and bright.

-Jesse

They are usually good for a classroom like teaching method like I do.I have at least five sets of these and they work fine..It works great for cockpit assemblies,and special photo etch platform for the bending tool.Also, very great for the Figure modeler.Good portable platform for the biginner.