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Lets see your work bench hint and tips.  I will start with a real simple one

Paint Holder

I have had to do a lot of painting using those small Testor's paint jars.  When mixing two or three colors to custom make a new color I have three jars open, often with a small screw drive sticking out of the tops to stir and make drops to a add color to mixing board.  This has caused me to knock over one or more jars of paint, spilling and making a mess and wasting 25 year old paint.  I have some model airplane dope that is unopened and over 50 years old.  I store most of my paint up side down.  I store the small Testor's bottled in Christmas card boxes and them in a couple of shoe boxes.

I finally made a jar holder to stop the spilling.  I drilled some holes in a scrape of plywood with a spade drill bit, and glued a piece of card board on the bottom, simple enough and easy and quick.

Charlie

IMG_3981

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Last edited by Choo Choo Charlie
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Here's a few simple ones -

1. Small tools, brushes, etc. - buy a desktop organizer (Staples, Amazon, Ebay or make your own) to keep them neat, well organized and not as accessible to the grandkids - don't want a 2 year old grabbing an Exacto knife off the desk.

2. Small parts - buy a parts tray or bin to keep those small parts in and label the compartments with a label maker.

3. Soldering Iron - after drinking the "good" water, re-fill and keep a small plastic bottle of tap water on your workbench to soak your sponge. I hate having to go up and down stairs at my age just to get the sponge wet.

@Richie C. posted:
3. Soldering Iron - after drinking the "good" water, re-fill and keep a small plastic bottle of tap water on your workbench to soak your sponge. I hate having to go up and down stairs at my age just to get the sponge wet.

Lose the sponge and use the brass mesh tip cleaner.  Does a great job on the tip, doesn't require you to be a water boy, and doesn't cool the tip as much as water.

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..use the brass mesh tip cleaner.

John, thanks for the tip... Looking at the product page for the brass pad cleaner you showed, it also mentions flux (in the pad). Do these pads come with flux embedded in them, or would it be applied separately?  If the flux is user applied, is this something you do with your tip cleaner?

Soldering Tip Cleaner pad

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I've used these for years, I've never put flux on them.  My replacements don't mention flux, but you never know.  I do occasionally use a tip tinning compound, especially when they start to look a little "grungy".  This stuff works great for cleaning the tip.  It's noteworthy that many popular soldering stations have this built-in.  My Hakko has a place for the sponge and the brass tip cleaner.  I have no idea where the spare sponges are, it's been years since I used one.

I have a shelf unit in front of my work bench.  On the right side there are 6 small shelves that hold plugged in solder guns, electric drills with different bits, several Dremel Moto tools with different bits, etc, and hot glue gun.  The top shelf has a sabre saw which I usually use standing up.  The outlets below can plug in 12 plugs.  It is on the right since I am right handed and it easy to just grab the one I need, ready to go.

The peg board on the left rear holds over 80 pliers, 100 screw drivers, Crescent wenches, socket wrenches, etc. all handy.

I also have lights with hinged arms and shades on the sides to allow getting light were I need it.

The opening to the left bottom contains boxes with files, sharping stones, etc. in them.  I made the  openings for drawers but do not make drawers as they are bothersome to open and close and I can not see in the drawers above eye level sitting or standing.

I usually clean my soldering gun tip with a paper towel which you can see on the bottom of the picture.

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Charlie

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Last edited by Choo Choo Charlie

WISH ITEM-Please invent a large magnetic sheet about 4ft x 4ft I can put on the floor. I drop a screw - it bounces and lands 15ft away and usually underneath something. Nick

At least you’ve found them,…..I’ve surrendered trying,…..I’m convinced some 3rd dimension voodoo goes on once the screws leave the bench,…..the laws of physics and gravity seem to be abolished when the black screws are removed…..😳……

Pat

Well now I feel like an idiot because I dumped my old 1980s childhood Testors paint a few years back assuming it wouldn’t be any good anymore. Sounds like at least some of it would have been okay.

I’m a big pegboard guy. And baby wipes for cleaning stuff. And I do believe I’m undefeated at finding stuff I drop (except for the stuff I’ve dropped over car engines that doesn’t actually make it to the ground).  

Thanks for the info on cleaning the soldering iron!

@harmonyards posted:

At least you’ve found them,…..I’ve surrendered trying,…..I’m convinced some 3rd dimension voodoo goes on once the screws leave the bench,…..the laws of physics and gravity seem to be abolished when the black screws are removed…..😳……

Pat

The screws are with the socks that disappear in the dryer. 🤪

What's most frustrating is knowing you dont want to drop a screw and it happens anyway.

Last edited by RSJB18

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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