My office/work area

Tools 'n' Tips Article by Jeff Brundt in 2003

 

 

I recently moved to a new house (OK, not new construction, but new to me) and had a chance to do a new work area. The basement was partially finished. There was carpeting and drywall up. The electric was partially run and there was insulation in place. The only thing I had to do was finish everything off and make it useable. The room I chose for my work shop (and office) was to have been a fourth bedroom. Since there was no real need for this room I negotiated occupancy rights from the lady of the house. One of the first things that needed to be done was box in all the ductwork. This comprised building a basic wood frame around the ducts and then covering that frame with drywall. O course you have to tape and mud and sand. And sand, and sand. This was the longest part of the whole process. I decided to install a suspended ceiling. Everything you need is at the local home improvement center (in this case Home Depot) Since I was going to eventually do the whole basement I started small with my office to get the feel for how to install this type of ceiling. I won’t go into the particulars but suffice it to say that it’s not that difficult and anyone here on ARC is more than qualified to do it. Once the basic grid was up I had to decide on lighting.

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Over the workbench I went with a per-wired 2’x4’ fluorescent fixture with 4 bulbs. This gives a nice even light. For spot lighting over my desk I used recessed can lights. I wired all of these in to the existing light circuit after removing the hideous fixtures that were previously there. Once the lights were done it was time to install the grid panels. Since the grid I chose was standard 2’x2’ squares it was just a matter of dropping the tiles in place. For the grids that were non-standard I did have to measure and cut them with a utility knife.

The finished room is dramatically different than before. The lighting is much more even and balanced. The whole room is much brighter due to the white walls and ceiling. I also had to install base trim moulding so following the rule of a major project (you know; any new project allows you to purchase a big, new tool) I bought a compound miter saw and went to work. Once the trim was done it was ready for move in.

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Here are some particulars for the room:

  • Overall size: 11x14
  • TV alcove with digital cable hookup. It’ll fit up to a 27” TV
  • Multiple phone jacks
  • Storage closet is 12’ long and 3.5’ wide. This is where the ‘stash’ of unbuilt kits is hidden
  • Even though there is good ventilation major paint spraying is done in another work area.
  • Carpet is a Berber. For those of you worried about paint spills there are protection runners under the workbench
  • The room is quiet and away from the main sleeping area upstairs so those late night building sessions won’t disturb anyone
  • There is no need for a dedicated computer line. Why? I went to a wireless network at home! Much neater.

Now here’s an even better perk. Just outside the door to my office is a small alcove area about 7x9. This space is basically unusable for much of anything so it’s become my display area. As the collection grows with items from the stash being built (hahahahaha) I’ll have a place to display it. So this area was given the treatment too and had a ceiling installed with recessed lighting. 

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Right now it’s not completely done because my in-laws treadmill occupies it and I have to build some display cases but I know my completed models have a home. I think from the pictures I have hung on the walls you can see an aviation theme. I hope you enjoy seeing pictures of my new work area as much as I have enjoyed building it and sharing with you. 

Jeff Brundt

Visit my web site @ http://www.geocities.com/jbrundt

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Photos and text © by Jeff Brundt