Time For A New Vehicle Assembly Facility

 

This is a night-time photo of the current BlastFromTHePast rocket building/electronics/small repair project workbench -  where all of my BAR activity has taken place over the last year and a half.

The structure was originally built for use as a chop saw station, and is constructed entirely from scrap 2x dimensional lumber procured from nearby house construction dumpsters.  Yup – I'm a consummate ‘Dumpster Diver’ !

When I moved my woodshop to the basement, I no longer used power tools, so the bench got pressed into service as a general utility work surface.

Under the bench top is a storage unit made from the under-drawers of my old waterbed. They are fairly functional as well, but do not allow any leg room under the bench top.  I have to sit sideways on the shop stool to get any modeling work accomplished.  Quite uncomfortable and impractical.
Above the bench is a ramshackle hodgepodge of shelving, also made from various pieces of found,  scrounged, and scrap  lumber.  Again, very functional, but not particularly aesthetically pleasing. 
 
Mrs. BlastFromThePast is certainly not thrilled with the ‘rustic’ appearance of my workshop, despite being tucked away in a corner of the unfinished basement.

So, to remedy this, I am in the process of designing a proper work station that will feature a nice smooth work surface, ample under-bench tool and supply storage cabinets with ball-bearing drawers, a back-of bench shelf and ‘cubby’ unit, and an overhead lighting bracket.

And it won’t be made out of scrap lumber!

Of course, building such a beastie will, no doubt, take time away from work on model rocket projects, especially since it will all be done using hand tools. But I’m sure I’ll manage.  The nice thing is that the new bench can be built nearby in the woodworking area of the shop, so I can continue using the current bench in the meantime.

I will certainly keep all of you blog-readers updated on the progress of this endeavor.

On another note, I got a good opportunity to view the lunar spectacle this morning. Awesome stuff!

Cheers,

-Ed