Yo everybody! Thought I’d check in with a little progress update
Got my tools inventoried
I still have a few odds and ends to put away, which I’ll do later tonight. I couldn’t figure out where to keep my paints, then I decided to keep them in a storage room downstairs where I was originally going to have my workbench. The room, however, is directly underneath my parents’ sleeping quarters, so I decided against using that for my hobby. They would let me - they are very accommodating - but I love them very much, and would never take advantage of them. Their undisturbed rest means as much to me as my own if not more. It’s a nice, dry and cool room, so it’s perfect for storing paints and such!
I also solved the puzzle of how to maximize the use of my desktop. I found a small stand that fit my laptop perfectly, so I put it just under the desk, on the side, so I have easy access to it without it taking up space on the worktop. It’s a very large laptop. I got it when I was into gaming, and it’s rather bulky and powerful - just like me
Finally, I took out the window pane where I am putting my exhaust vent. It was a booger. The glass was very old and brittle, and the glazing was like concrete. I got a couple other windows in the basement to repair, so I’m going to see about having the local hardware store get me all fixed up. I’d do it myself, but cutting acrylic sheet without a table saw is a pain in the butt, so I shall seek the services of a professional, then after that I will go to the hardware store [:P]
Welp, arts and crafts are over for now, the nurse is calling for me to take my meds. See y’all in the funny papers
Do not underestimate THE TIDY MAN lighting and thunder MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…
Seriously though, I’m going to try to keep the spills and general klutzification down to an unreasonable minimum, but if I begin seeing much carnage, I’ll have to call a truce and seek other diplomatic means of continuing my hobby. I do have a plan B, but I don’t want to go that route unless I have to. I start working nights this week, so that’s going to be interesting. I’ve been preparing over the weekend, and my folks reported that I am practicing good light and noise discipline. I’m a pretty slow and methodical worker, and rarely make messes, so I’m pretty confident I’ll be okay, but I can’t seem to escape the fact that I am human, which is not easy when you’re this perfect
I’ve got my minions at Ace Hardware cutting my window pane replacement. We went over the dimensions, and where the hole for the exhaust vent would be best. I can’t wait to complete that project. It’s been pretty fun putting it together so far. I hope it works!
Listen to all the voices of experience above. No matter how hard you try to keep the bench “clean” it won’t stay that way for long. None of the benches I have set up over the years have looked like that except for the first 10 or 15 minutes before I started building something on them and stood there and swore up and down that they were going to stay that way. Don’t worry though, you’ll get used to it. [;)] We have.
Alright, lots of catching up to do on house maintenance, which took time from focusing on my hobbies, but that’s starting to settle down. We also had a big storm Thursday with very strong winds that took out the rear window on my truck, so I had to spend most of yesterday getting that fixed. I began working night shift last week, which has been great because now I actually have some daylight hours during the week to get things done, and with my restored energy, I’m completing a lot of tasks quickly
I got a nice piece of sheet acrylic with a 4" hole to replace the window pane I took out. The guy at Ace cut it a little long, so I’ll have to trim it a bit, no biggie. Tomorrow, I’m going to get all my ducting pieces and dry fit them. I may also seal the fan’s box, but that’s probably as far as I’ll get. If I get the ducting fitted and aligned good, then I might go ahead and install the acrylic piece. I’m taking my time with this because I want to make sure everything is like I want it and fitted well before I go installing it and sealing it all up. So, if all I get done is fitting my duct work, I’ll be happy with that
In the meantime, I’ve been reading up and studying a lot on modeling as usual. Barring any major setbacks, I plan to be cuttin’ and gluin’ and sandin’ and paintin’ in a week or two
Well, I got the vent system fitted. That’s the easy part…
I went and got crazy and decided to set the plastic tote on top of the fan just to see what it looks like, and it looks like a much better fit. Now I have to decide whether I want to go on with my original configuration or a down-draft config. Both present some slight construction challenges, but nothing formidable. The biggest difference that I can tell is the height of the work surface. The original sits on the table top, while the down-draft config is up much higher - so much so that I might have to get a taller chair or stool. As far as cross-draft vs down-draft, it appears the down may have the advantage, but it’s hard to say. I did get the fan wired up, and it works great!
Looks like a fine start to modeling fun - sure, the bench never stays that way but it’s good to make a clean start (and to refresh it now and then.) Looking forward to your builds on that fresh setup!
Thanks waikong. Yeah, that’s exactly how I would do things too. I’m not a multi-tasker. And I’m an orderly, put things away, semi-clean freak. I’m that way at work too. It helps me keep my place, and eliminates frustration
Very nice. I’m envious. A craftsman tool cabinet, no less! I find my bench is neat and orderly only between builds. When I am actually working on something, it’s a mess and I spend time searching for tools and my cutting board is just about overrun with them. Also, am I the only one who doesnt clean out the little trash can or vacuum the floor until a build is totally complete? Carpet monster is sneaky sometimes!
