In the last day or so, I've made a start on setting up my workshop (shed, man-cave, whatever). The functional requirement was very specific i.e. for all-weather facility for accommodating working test-gear & light tools in support of fixing stuff (and most definitely not as an extended garage/annexe for broken kit awaiting repair, caravan/other domestic ephemera, heavyweight tools or valueless junk).
The windows are double-glazed (supplied by a local company to my specification) & SWMBO's suggestion of reasonably priced horizontal blinds from our local 'Dunelm' outlet works very well.
Internal panelling is Brazilian hardwood plywood (9mm) - left unsanded (to avoid the dust) & finished off with 2 coats of Danish oil. Low energy LED lighting of my own design/build, plus a 2nd hand office desk to act as a workbench. There's 240v technical supplies above the bench (a recycled multi-socket outlet strip recovered from a scrapped equipment rack); a timeswitch operates on Economy 7 overnight to control a 500-2000W oil convector plus a cheap Peltier effect dehumidifier; this keeps the environment dry (and warm, when it needs to be). Running my Tektronix 454 'scope & Hewlett Packard 8640B signal generator helps to keep the place even warmer ... being as how they both have linear power supplies with fan-assisted cooling. I have plans to add a 60watt Solar Panel that will float-charge a 12v leisure battery to run the LED lighting; easy enough as the structure is aligned alnost exactly North-South (hence the requirement for windows, which look out onto the back garden) - and the garage roof is immediately adjacent (and flat).
I've put a 'Screwfix' steel shelving system along one side by the bench to serve as accommodation for essential test gear & tools; I may well get at least one more of these as they're very versatile/robust.
So at long last I've been able to move most of my carefully repaired & working test gear into what is an appropriate non-domestic environment (i.e. out of our dining room where it's all been so carefully stored under wraps for the last year or so ... hence regaining a small number of brownie points with 'Er Indoors'
Some pictures, by way of an update. Everything had to go on hold over Christmas ...
G.
[P.S. - mark_in_manc, mhennessy, BigClick.. note eqpt layout & take a bow
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