Talyer Talk #2 - Workbench Update

Greetings and salutations plamo connoisseurs! Welcome to the 2nd iteration of Talyer Talk! If you missed the first run and have no idea what this series is about, here's the link: Talyer Talk

"Plamo Like A Sir"

I've been making some great progress on the cabinet / workbench, but I had a massive brainfart and forgot to take wiring into consideration when I had the damn thing built. I had no choice but to make modifications to the existing structure. At least the shelving was removable, otherwise it would have been a real pain. Jump in if you'd like to check out my mediocre wire-wrangling efforts, and if you're in the market for the perfect plamo toolbox, I found a couple that are hard to beat!

Click on the Read More link for the rest of this post...



I installed a 4-outlet powerstrip with individual switches onto the underside of the top shelf, right behind the fold-out lamp. The placement allows me to switch everything on and off from within arm's-reach, with minimal obstruction to the lower shelf. I added two fixed light tubes alongside the power strip to improve overall lighting. I spliced the wires together into a single, bendable plug, and I now have all 3 light sources assigned to switch #1 (far right).

 I had to replace the plug of the power strip itself because the wall socket nearest to the cabinet (actually inside it) was meant for an air conditioner. Since the board is flush to the wall, I cut a tiny bit off of one corner with a jigsaw, so I could route the power strip's cord up towards the outlet. I used u-shaped plastic cable guides nailed to the underside of the board to guide the cord and get rid of slack.

I had to drill a small hole down into the bottom cabinet where the compressor lives. I then ran an extension cord from the bottom shelf through the hole and up to the power strip. I also replaced the cord's plug with a bendable type to keep it out of the way. The compressor is now assigned to switch #2.

I ran the cord of the exhaust fan up to the powerstrip, replaced the plug with a bendable type and assigned it to switch #3. With everything in place I am now able to turn on the lights, compressor and spray booth from the powerstrip with ease. The 4th outlet can be used for charging gadgets or the random power tool.

And after weeks of searching through several hardware stores, I finally found the perfect new home for my tools. I purchased a few good sized cantilever toolboxes made by Keter at a nearby S&R.

The 3-tiers were on sale for around Php1.1k ($22) and comes with a bunch of adjustable dividers. The 2-tiers were a little cheaper at about Php800 ($16) and have removable plastic buckets that are great for storing loose parts during a build.  The quality is top notch and they don't even smell of cheap recycled plastic like most toolboxes that cost roughly the same.

They have a very small footprint when closed, are stackable, and best of all - they fit perfectly in my cabinet. Tangible evidence that there is such a thing as destiny...

I got an A2 sized cutting mat and placed it side by side with my old A3 to max out usable desk space. They're screwed into the desk so they stay in place even if the cabinet is closed. Next, I set up a desk mounted regulator for easy PSI adjustment without having to open the compressor compartment, and I also upgraded my spraybooth configuration. You can look up the details on those projects here:

>>> Desk Mount Regulator 
>>> DIY Compact Spraybooth

With the cantilever toolboxes and collapsible spraybooth, I get full use of the entire desk depending on the task at hand, easily switching between build mode and paint mode...

This workstation improvement project is becoming a hobby in itself, but I'm enjoying every minute of it so it's all good. I'm determined to maximize every inch of usable space in my new work area!

If you've got a killer workspace or just want to share your plamo hacks, hit me up on facebook at facebook.com/budgetotaku.

Until next time, keep building plamo!