[Lithotech]

Plain padded rubber mats make good soft surface to stand on, and wewt they are non-conductive!

Wooden work surface is fine and dandy, but pick up a Yoga Mat at a garage sale for a buck (or new for about $20), place it over the wood for a soft, non-slip, non-conductive, and non-case scratching surface!

Use an old power supply, plugged in but turned off, as a ground. Simply attatch a wire to it, then the system case you are working on with an aligator clip, to complete the ground. I also have an anti-stat wrist band attached to it, ready for use. Believe it or not, I rare use either and have never had a problem even though my floor has carpet on concrete.

Can't have enough power! Place a good surge protector on the side somewhere, and/or a UPS. If the walls are unfinished, consider adding more wall sockets, preferably on different circuits. I have two sockets in reach of my bench, on the same circuit. I then have three surge protectors, one very high qual and two mainstream. After all this, I only have six outlets free! They are taken up by lights, chargers, the PSU, monitors, speakers, and space for two computers. I also have at least two more computer power cables that are loose and ready to use for things like external drives etc, so it is very rare that I have to use one of the open sockets. I have yet to pop a fuse.

Use long nails or screws in the wall to hang various cables from. Lots of shelving and parts storage is also important. Costco sells a heavy duty wire rack for less than $100, it is food grade so very high quality. It's adjustable shelves are perfect for storing multiple computers and parts. High qual caster wheels make it mobile. Can't find the part number or make/model, but I am pretty sure it is the only one they sell in thatprice range and sheer size. NCIX got a bunch of therm when they moved their Broadway location, I saw them there and asked where they got them. I then went to Costco as a guest with a nieghbor and picked one up. I just wish I had room for another one.

I use Banker Boxes (cardboard file cabinets) for storing mobos that have heatsinks on them, perfect and cheap.

A KVM is a must of you want to run more than one computer while working on another. Never enough room for more than one or two monitors, and they generate a lot of unwanted heat. I can run three systems at the same time on my bench, two via KVM to a CRT, and one to a small LCD. And still have enough room to work on a 4th! I also have a layoff bench that I can run two or three more systems, via another KVM and large CRT. Once I have a system buttoned up, I move it to the layoff table for any further testing etc. The layoff table is just behind my main systems' desk on a different circuit, and just got another 4 port KVM so I can access them directly from my desk.

I mostly stand while working at the bench, which is why I like it so high. Kitchen counters are way too low for me, my back hurts when doing the dishes! A good stool is a must. Something that has an adjustable hieght and quite high at it's topmost is a godsend when doing delicate work or your feet are getting sore. Ideal bench hieght is just above your belly button, so you don't have to lean over hardly ever. You can raise the desk with blocks of wood. I got my stool for $30 at Outdoor Warehouse, and is a cheap POS but perfect for now. A better one is at Canadian Tire, the HotRod magazine stool for about $60 iirc -- want one! Expensive but best solution, is a drafting stool/chair.

Have you ever noticed how often you must turn a case back and forth to get to screws and wires on each side of a case? I am constantly lifting and turning a system when working on it, forcing me to get out of my chair. So...

For a future project, I plan to make a Lazy Susan for easily spinning a case around while working on it. I haven't locked down a plan yet, and may build it into the surface of the bench or just have it on top so I can move it out of the way when I am not using it. It needs to be lockable somehow so it doesn't rotate when you don't want it to. Lee Valley sells the rotating hubs, cheap and good quality with bearings. One of these ressesed into the bench with a plywood top and some more yoga mat material would be sweet.

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