Does anyone have their dream work space?

That would be my photo tent.  See the lamp next to it?  I have another one on the other side of the tent.  The bulbs are trumpet style compact flourescent.  30 watts, 5000k color range (daylight simulator) and almost zero heat (after a few hours, they get a little warm).  Plus the one lamp swings around and acts as a work lamp.

It's for taking shadow free photos and eliminates the need for the flash.  I got the tent on ebay for about $25.  The lamps, I also got on ebay, for $60 (both lamps) though they retail for twice that.  If you're interested in taking decent pictures, it's definitely worth the investment.

-Fred

what is that baby incubator looking thing on your bench?

Looks like one of those inflatable/collapsable mini booths. I saw one at HL Saturday - 27$

Would make a good drying booth, but soo would a foil lined box.

I don't know if it's my dream space, but it's pretty close

My work bench and supplies

My spray booth

And my Ikea display cabinet (best $60 you can spend)

Enjoy,

Fred

Here is another heat source to create a drying oven. I dug this out of my resin casting supplies, almost forgot about it. A good old fashion warming platter. Scour the yard sales and kitchen gadget collections of all your relatives, someone must have one. I got mine from a cousin.

I use it to warm the molds for casting. For drying, I suspend the 'oven' slightly above the warming platters surface, as these babys do throw some heat. You can use a cooling rack from the wife's baking supplies to act as the spacer.

Addendum: This warming tray is the Warm-O-Tray...they can be found online. There are also newer versions both corded and cordless which I would suspect are more energy efficient. 

Sweet!

Sounds pretty straight forward. When I transfer in March and get back home I'm going to build one.  I'm using the "stick it in front of a fan method." Thanks for the reply.

Jeff 

firesmacker wrote:

Mike, Is that booth on the left the drying booth that I've heard you mention before? And If so, would you mind giving me a brief run down on how you made it and or what it is made out of? Regards,   Jeff

Jeff,

Sure! It is nothing more than a cardboard box lined with aluminum foil that I put in with 3M Super 77 spray adhesive. I cut a hole in the top of the box and installed a light bulb socket with a 100 watt bulb in it. I hang an old black T-shirt in front of the box to keep the heat in.

Here is a closer shot:

Mike,

Is that booth on the left the drying booth that I've heard you mention before? And If so, would you mind giving me a brief run down on how you made it and or what it is made out of?

Regards,

Jeff 

Here is mine. It's not perfect and I am making changes all the time but it works well for me.

Here is my little slice of heaven... not my dream work space but it is better than what I had a few years ago. 

Like anything in your home, you have to adapt the space based on the needs at the time. Go from a 13" television to a 72" widescreen (I can only wish) you'll have to make some adjustment in the floor space allocated.

My workshop(s) has gone from a toolbox and a TV tray to one half of a 2 1/2 car garage back to being virtually non-existant to what I have now. Like anything in life you have to remain flexible.

For 2008 I decided to start the year off with a clean workshop. I had planned on gutting the entire room to do some finishing work on the walls and ceiling to match the rest of the man cave, but the time and the opportunity passed. Cold freezing weather gave way to rain and lots of it. Transporting building materials in the rain sucks so, I let the project slide in lieu of others that were more pressing.

What I did do was consolidate my spares, relocated my paintbooth, gave myself greater access to my bench top and put more of my tools and accessories inside enclosed storage to help keep them cleaner and easier to locate. The one thing I must do, is acquire more display cabinets and build about 30 kits from my stash to free up more space. The stash has grown and space is getting tight.

I once sold off most of my collection (this is where it went to being virtually non-existant), something I regretted doing ever since. So that isn't an option. So building more is the only choice I have! Anyway, here it is as of yesterday.

i have a 2 questions here

1       does anyone have Their dream space  or is their dream space what they see here in other people's photos

2  if you really have your dream space  how long is it a dream and when does it turn into a nightmare? what i mean by this is your dream space today is a 10x12 rm and today you have a lot of space but 1 1/2-2 yrs from now and the place is over loaded with your stash and shelves of built stuff etc........

i know  it's another of my wacky thoughts   but......

prowannab wrote:

Racedriver that is one impressive stash you have there,not to mention a beautiful work station, I see that you prefer the tamiya paints. One word to sum it all up AWESOME!!!!

apreciate it prowannab - now I just have to build more than 1 model so far to justify it.

sf_plane_nut wrote:

i finally moved into the game room... it looked like this... now it looks like this... now if i can just get some damn work done...

Racy- as perfect as I can imagine.

I've got a really nice setup, but it's a block away from my house, and you know, I really miss my family when I'm over there.

 Racedriver that is one impressive stash you have there,not to mention a beautiful work station, I see that you prefer the tamiya paints. One word to sum it all up AWESOME!!!!

I am pretty lucky as I have a 12x16 room in the basement that I keep my game computers and hobby bench in and have complete privacy from the rest of the house. Only stipulation was I had to build a room of similar size for the wife.It was a small price to pay.

This Is my current setup:

Do I have a dream workplace? Yes...first I would like my own workbench.. 

Well I don't know if it's a "dream workplace" but it does the job very nicely. There are a few inprovements I'd like to make but I get along alright. This is apic of the main work area.

These are pics of the snake cages that almost always become overflow area to hold seperate peices that are drying or just in the way of finishing something alse.

 My favorite peice that I have is the main work table that is an old glass dining room table, I LOVE IT. I suggest that everyone has one It's great when a model is done or the area gets to messy, you just take a razor blde and scrape off all the old glue.paint and what not and you have a pristine work area again. Honestly I can't say enough about a glass table for your main work area.

I have about a 14x10 space in our unfinished basement, strategically close to the boiler for wintertime comfort....have purchased the lumber to build a  30" deep, L-shaped workbench...8' one way....4' the other....leftover wood to go for shelving etc.

I'm over 50 now, can spare the expense and time a little bit....after getting back in after a long layoff.....I just want to build my next....and last, workspace.

The paint booth I'm building (airbrush thread) is going to be located in the other end of the basement on a 4x5 table. Never gets too cold down there to paint (well, maybe tonight!).....and stays nice and cool in summer. The workbench should be finished shortly after the paint booth.....I'll post some shots of it.....if you promise not to laugh at my lack of supplies!

I feel for those dealing with cramped or transient workspace.....been there, done that!

Nam 

Hello all. Well I hope to move out to the garage after the weather warms up. But till then I`m stuck in this 10x10 room with the computor &tv set...

willcombs wrote:

Personally, I think you're all nuts. A zillion models and loads of space ... what does one do with all that? It's impressive to see a room full of models, but it looks more like a hobby shop than a studio. I imagine the process of accumulating so many models would be a waste of time and money. I have only one complete, three WIPs, and just four in the stash, and I currently paint on the 7'x7' concrete "patio" right outside my apartment. I build on the floor and I have no shelf space. I have one toolbox with paints in the tray on top and my equipment below, and a tackle box for parts organization/drying and such. Where I live right now, extra space is currently occupied by my bikes (bicycles) and maintenance stuff, protection, parts, etc. I wouldn't mind having a room with a formal workbench and some shelving for display/storage/reference (and a wall-mounted bike rack would be awesome), but I think I'd want a simple space large enough only for what I need, so I don't get carried away with it all. Nope, I don't have my dream workspace. But even if I did, I don't think I'd work any better than I do without it. I kind of like it even, because the lack of kits forces me to stay focused on the models I've got, and the lack of space also forces me to be clean and organized.

well in your case i think your dream space would be  just a nice desk with 2-3 drawers in it

keeping your parts-paints etc in the drawers and just enough space so you can just get off the floor.  modeling on the floor might be ok while your young but the dream space i have just described for you will be better for you back when you get older         just something practical -simple- neat

Willcombs, I see you have 5 total posts. Bluntly put, it seems you weren't taught good manners and you might want to review the TOS for FSM forums.

Back To Topic >>>>

Personally, I think you're all nuts.... It's impressive to see a room full of models, but it looks more like a hobby shop than a studio. I imagine the process of accumulating so many models would be a waste of time and money.

This is one of those "to each his own" things. Tolerence is important, because everybody is screwed up somehow - even you. No small part of this hobby is about acquisition. Let's be honest: We know we have more kits than we'll ever build and more than we can display, should we actually finish some. So we succumb to a bit of avarice, so what? Fortunately, this hobby isn't so expensive that we can't afford to do this. You said you had a space full of bikes, tools, gear and so on. It is in our nature to get "carried away with it all." How much more of that biking stuff would you like to have? 

Nope, I don't have my dream workspace. But even if I did, I don't think I'd work any better than I do without it. I kind of like it even, because the lack of kits forces me to stay focused on the models I've got, and the lack of space also forces me to be clean and organized.

There is a certain Thoreau-esque nobility in austerity, I'll give you that, although it is often only in our own mind. The whole "Struggle Makes You Stronger" thing, if you will. But here I have to disagree with you on the point of work space. I've recently just re-created a nicely outfitted work desk. It's small, but it is comfortable and it is pleasant. Before, I had a pretty pitiful little corner where I had to stand (see my latest post up-page).

Will I get more done, and do it better or neater, because of it? No. It doesn't work that way. And like you, I dont measure my success that way, either - building models is a journey. It's not how many I finish, but the process of the building that lures me. But I will enjoy it more when it's convenient and I dont have to live like a hermit to do it - therefore I will derive more pleasure from it. Having a dedicated, focused work space will also afford better results in the end product.

At one point in time, I would have sat on the floor like you, feeling smug because I had "discipline" over those who were less focused than I. Maybe I would have even felt like I was the only one who wasn't "nuts", even.

But not now. See, I've struggled, I've worked, I've pushed against the river and come away the winner many times over. Today I prefer to be comfortable and relax without any self-imposed guilt that somehow I am slipping. Wait'll you get about 25 more years on you - you'll understand.