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New table: What shoulf I considerate for measurement and marking out?

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PekkaNF:
Hello,

I have collected way too much stuff to my garage and I'm clearing some out to make some space to work and some new tools, but lately I have found out that I need some place to measure and mark out parts.

I have slipped into measuring and marking out over a tool chest, because it of confortable height: When standing table top comes to elbows. Then I move over my cluttered work bench to punch centres. It would break my heart to hammer tool chest that has lathe tools, milling tools and many of the drills. That would do no good.

I'm listing here items I have been considering:

1) I'm pretty sure I want table top to elbow height when standing
2) I also like some toe space under the table, that I stand close enough and rest my arms on the table to ease measurement and layout
3) Good light is essential
4) What about table top? Something of light uniform color and relatively hard not to dent too easy? Probably would be smart to put light machine feets under the table or other form of adjustment to level the table top.
5) Some drawers nearby to keep marking out stuff and measurement tools available
6) Any handy suggestions on how to locate a small surface plate. It's rock, not really light weight to swing on and off at whim, but annoyingly small (around 200*300 mm or so) to all the work on it. Would it be very daft idea to build a self for a surface plate and cover it with this main table top I'm rambling about? Maybe the table top could be hinged or slid away to reveal this tiny surface plate when needed? I don't want to leave surface plate "exposed" I'll probably knock something over it eventually.

Then I probably need still punch on the old work/asembly/cluter collector bench.

Am I missing something essential here?

I will not start building this right away, I have more urgent things to do, but I rather think it over before running amok and build something halfway. I should build it summer tough because I don't do woodworking inside.

Thanks,
Pekka

joshagrady:
Pekka,

I'm currently cramped for space, living in a small apartment, and setting up and tearing down "the shop" every time I need/want to do something.  I use a thick (8mm) piece of glass that I scavenged from someplace, that I can setup on the dining room table, layout, and then return to its place behind the bookshelf.  I would not recommend this setup unless nothing better is available.

When I dream about setting up my ideal shop, I usually reflect that Artie's mark-out table has to be one of the best I've ever seen.

Saludos from Spain,

Josh

PekkaNF:
Josh,

Thank you

This is exacly the situation I'm trying to avoid. I need a space I can go for an hour or two every now and then and do my hobby, leave it unfinshed and return it on a whim, without any need for a complete room makeover.

I see that I'm not alone and stuck with too little space. My big plan is to get rid of clutter and move all unncessary material to a storage or recylcle...a battle of it's own. I'm also trying to designate a little space for each repetitive action:
* Need a little space for most used materials (Need info material coding does anybody use paint to mark different grades of steels?)
* Need a little space for my metal cutting saw.
* Minimum useful space for markking out and measurement
* Obiviously I'm milling and turning pretty frequently all tools that are needed to that machine should be close.
* A little space for a new machine :D
* Some assembly space and space to keep unfinshed work

I can weld and I have some grinding equipment. Any tought of hot work near house gives me creeps. I'm looking a proper drawers and toolchest it any would come my way. I could fabricate frame out of angle iron and bolt easily there adjustable feets and bolt on drawers and such.

And without further ado: What is the minimum markking/measurement space requirement?

I put some litle items on the table and was pretty surpriced that do anything usefull I needed about a metre width and 400 mm deep space.

I was thinkking of putting a surface plate on a self under this table top and just putting some plastic boxes on both sides contains the odd bits, but it might bea goos idea to make somewhat raised table around this surface plate. Like recess that 70 mm deep lump of granite in a table recess, the surface just 5 mm higher that the unaccurate table. This swiss cheese should be removable to allow measurement of odd shapes (like round rods with a lump of metal at the other end(s)...).

Still thinkking,
Pekka

jiihoo:
Hi,


--- Quote from: PekkaNF on June 07, 2011, 05:36:49 AM ---(Need info material coding does anybody use paint to mark different grades of steels?)

--- End quote ---

I was reading Tubal Cain's Model Engineer's Handbook last night and then I remembered seeing this post a while back. He suggests the following code.
Some colors are used twice or thrice; in such cases the metals are dissimilar enough not to cause confusion.

No color: Aluminum, Mild steel
Yellow: Free-cutting mild steel, Copper
Red: Common brass, Stainless steel
Red/black stripe: Cast brass
Red/yellow stripe: Free-cutting stainless steel
Blue: Carbon tool steel (silver steel / drill rod), German silver, Cast gunmetal
Green: Phosphor bronze
Green/black stripe: Cast Phosphor bronze
Black: 70/30 brass, Cast iron
Black/white stripe: Aluminum alloy (spec stamped on end)
White: Hex bar of nut size, brass or steel

Bars are painted at each end and in the middle. Special materials are coded black/white and wrapped & labeled.


I am thinking of adopting this sceme. The 14 ml mini paint cans that plastic model builders use might be a convenient size and they are quick drying. The two nearest supermarkets 5 mins away both stock the mini paint cans from Revell.

Cheers,


Jari
(Got some pictures now so my intro post can't be too far away :-)

modeng200023:
I have just bought some free-cutting stainless steel 303 and it was coloured green.
Is there an industry standard for identifying colours?

John

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