I used to fly and build RC planes with my dad when I was a kid and got out of the hobby for about ten years and have recently gotten back into it. I built an 11x12 room in my basement and am planning on setting it up as my hobby room. Any one have any suggestions on a good building table or general suggestions on the layout or any other tips? (Materials used, Table Surface, Work bench Height) Any pictures would be great.

Brady

Table surface should be hard wood,

However, a slate of glass on top will allow you to build straight and true

I was thinking of using a nice piece of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood and using the extra 2"x 4"s that I have from framing the room to build the table. Would a bench 8 ft long by 2ft wide be large enough? I am unsure of a good height as well.



Brady

Brady, I have two tables in my shop.

One is a good sturdy SOB that is anchored to the cinderblock wall with a 3/4" particle board top (Good for putting you vise on).

The other is a "Building table" which is free-standing in the middle of the room so I have 360 degree access to it. It has a 2x4 and 1x6 frame and is topped with a hollow core door for a top (These can be gotten cheap at your local home improvement store... Ask if they have any that are damaged and just lay the damaged side down)

I had to do some repairs on my bathroom floor this spring. I used the plywood that has a flat smooth surface (A litte more expensive than regular plywood) so the tiles would look nice on top.

I had an extra piece left over and it makes and excellent building surface. Flat and smooth!

Sure wish I had a basement. My wife won't let my airplanes come inside. I am stuck with the kerosene heater in the winter and I sweat my butt off in the summer in my garage!

But its worth it, a basement would be heaven though!

Wings, maybe we can work out a deal... I'll send my wife to live at your house, and you can move in with me.

Then we can convert the WHOLE basement into a workshop!

BTW, do you do dishes?

Dishes?

Na, before I got married I used paper plates.

If I had my way I would have an airplane HOUSE, the heck with the rooms!

for your table a hollow core doar with ceiling tiles glued to it (they can hold pins better)

I guess I'm lucky. My wife lets me have my "workshop" in the living room I paint on the back porch, so then I have to deal with the cold of winter & the heat/humidity of summer [:'(]

I also have 5 indoor cats. I am sure they would LOVE for me to work on my planes inside![sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

I have 3. Two are only a year old. I have to put everything away when I'm done at night. My wife has to keep an eye out when I go for a beer, or to get rid of the beer I already drank

Cats can be a royal pain in the butt... If it came down to getting rid of my cats or the planes.... It would be a tuff decision. The planes would probably go.

Cats are awsome!

i hate cats!
every time i go near one i get a cold! some people dread alergies, i like mine!
i have other opinnions about cats too but i wont get started in that!
as far as the room goes just do what the room will let you and what you want to do
i have never heard of putting celing tiles on you bench but that sounds like a good idea, as long as they arent those insulation ones!
and as far as glass goes, you cant put any pins or anything in it and hope you dont hit it with a hammer or slip with a screw driver! i would stick to ply wood but thats me

Three must have items for a building room: a good solid bench vise, a bench grinder (you will find so many uses for it you won't believe you ever got along without it) and a variable speed drill press ( a real one, not one of those cheapie things you mount a regular drill into).
Make sure the drill press has a tilt table and get a vise you can clamp to the table.

Hey Guys

I must be luckier than you. We bought a house with 1.25 acres of land. Lots of it on the west side of the house. I have convinced my wife that we need a two story pole barn. One for storage, as there is none in the house and one as a HOBBY ROOM for my trains and planes.

Hopefully when we get it, it will be about 30x40. At least that is what we are planning. Yes, it will have gas heat and window AC's.

Larry

i got lucky. my dad got tired of my working on my planes on the carpet, my mom got tired of me working on my plane inside where all her work is done, i cant do it out in the garrage becasue i sweat to death, and so in our new house (we are moving in less than a month now) there is a room designated "HOBBY ROOM" which will be for hobbies and hobbies alone. Assembly table in the center of the room for good access on all sides, and probably another smaller soldering/working table off to the side. the problem with having them all in one is if you have your workstation and your asssembly station on one table is that one of the two can not fit. usually the assembly and it ends up going together on the floor. this is INSIDE so no more garrage door ac's (no need for a heater, it is always about 80 degrees outside) and life is good[sm=RAINFRO.gif]

Sorry to get off subject again,,,,,, but,,,, CATS RULE People who don't like cats are just afraid for some reason. If you have an allergy, I completely understand.
Anyway, back on the subject, for building. My wife found me a very nice, used, free, steel case table (extremely sturdy, and Heavy), 4' * 3', * 29" high. I use that for basic building & cutting. I have a 24" * 36" Hobbico cutting mat on top of that. For building wings/fuses, building off plans etc, I have a 80" * 24" * 1 1/2" board that I got from Home Depot (kinda like a door). On top of that I attached a cut to size piece of 1/2" insulation board/material (easy to pin plans, balsa etc). I also have an A-Justo-Jig attached to that. I just plop that board on top of my steel case table. Like I said b4 I have to put everything away at night, so the board, plans, and whatever I'm building, is easily transported to a closed room where that cats can't get in. So that's how I do it, in an apartment with 3 cats....... and no "accidents" so far,,,,, even though they try
Joe
edited: at first I said my table was 80' long [X(] its 80" missed the shift key on that one........

You NEED a wall like this!

I build and store my planes in the basement. It is unfinshed for now. I want to frame up a room just for models. The best thing about my wife is she hates cats more than I do. Heck I would get rid of my dog before I quit flying.

Jim,
Is that a ceiling fan powering that Corsair??
Dennis-

i had a ceiling fan like that once. the housing was a blue cowl and it had a large silver hub on the front. it had wings and a fuse too but i hated it and they kept falling down on me as i slept so i sold them.

Yes it sure is. A 120 volt electric!

a ciling fan on the wall!? hmm thats interesting!, now put one on the ciling goin strait down with a ciling fan on that!
how good does that fan pull the corsair? and how many batteries do u run in it?