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Bench Assembly 2

A project log for Lab Rebuild and Benches

A personal project to overhaul my home lab setup, and install new benches

quinnQuinn 07/31/2017 at 23:500 Comments

Installing the first shelf with the power bar meant feeding the wire into the plate, and into the upright channel, and finally connecting to the power cable.

In adjusting the spacers, I intentionally left room for this shelf to be lowered as I set it a bit higher than expected to make room for monitors.  This will allow me to lower it if I ever want to without cutting the laminate again.

I continued with this process to add both shelves to both benches.  I also installed one of the light fixtures to test out how I liked it.

The way the light fixture is attached, it comes out perpendicular to the uprights.  This meant that there was not much room between the top shelf and it.

With a couple extra holes drilled into the brackets, I could adjust the angle, to have the light fixtures stick out higher.

I added two extra holes, one to make it vertical, and one at an angle.  To make them even, I drilled one, then clamped it to a second to use it as a guide when drilling.

After testing, I decided I liked it best with the arms at an angle, and the fixtures pointed at the ceiling for indirect lighting.  This added a lot of light to the room, without notable shadows on the bench.  When the fixtures were pointing down, even with the arms at the original angle, shadows would form on the bench from the shelves, or equipment on them.

I wired the lamps in series, and to a plug instead of wiring it into the upright.  This is so that I can put in a separate switch to control both of them instead of needing to reach up to the switches on the lamps themselves.

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