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Regular poster 323 posts Goose in The Caboose Productions Regular poster 323 posts
Goose in The Caboose Productions

Well everybody, we've got a closing date on the new house, end of September. Start of the new layout is in sight! Finally!!!!!!!! Along with that vane, how do those of you that have large work benches w/multiple work areas organize said benches. I realized on the last layout progress was really slowed down by having to clear off the workbench everytime I wanted to shift between projects to help keep my interest up. It didn't help ethier that in the shuffle I would end losing parts for one project and get them mixed up with parts for another project. 

Do you organize your workbench by type, e.g.; one area for everything locomotives, one for everything buildings, etc.

Or do you organize by work - one area for everything electronic, everything paint, you get the drift.

My thinking so far has mainly been the latter as follows: Four workareas. First one would be all the styrene and detail parts that go Into scratchbuilding and kitbashing. Second work area would everything locomotives and rolling stock - weight, detail parts, decal work, etc. I guess you could really put these first two uder the non-electronics category. The third workspot would be anything electronic like decoder installs or wiring up control panels and tortise machines before installation. Fourth would be paint and weathering. My chalk powders, Ink wash, airbrush and spray booth. Also this would all be on one custom workbench built before anything else and integrated into the benchwork. 

Programming area with Sprog, Locobuffer for Digitrax interface and JMRI test track would be in a nearby spot under the benchwork. All the major stuff like benchwork, puffball trees and locomotive frame milling would be done in the garage. I know I won't like making myself wait that much longer to start re-building, but given past experiences it will be a worthwhile investment.

_garthft.jpg 

Goose in The Caboose Productions  -  Railroad and Model train fanatic, superhero fan, and lover of historically accurate and well-executed sword fights.

Long live railroading and big steam!! And above all, stay train-crazy!!!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTkT-p0JdEuaMcMD10a72bg

 
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mark_h_charles Regular poster 439 posts
mark_h_charles

Workstations, project trays

Your 4 workstations plus garage sounds like a good plan. For work in progress, think about some sort of trays, drawers or boxes. Keep each project (and its notes) in a single tray. This system has helped me very much. I bought several sizes at a crafts store. I like having multiple projects, and I remind myself to focus on a few (mostly.)

Mark Charles
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Lancaster Central RR Frequent poster 582 posts
Lancaster Central RR

I am currently trying to organize. I only have one workbench

Everything tends to be piled up in one place. Sometimes I have cardboard trays and sometimes I finish up the project. I finished up 2 or 3 projects.   I have about 10 projects that I have run into a problem with and are currently on hold in a box or tray. 

Having multiple workstations sounds ideal to me.

The discussion about a cart from another thread, got me thinking about a cart to work on things while watching tv and then I can wheel them into the train room with little risk of  breaking details. 

Lancaster Central Railroad &

Philadelphia & Baltimore Central RR &

Lancaster, Oxford & Southern Transportation Co. 

Shawn H. , modeling 1980 in Lancaster county, PA - alternative history of local  railroads. 
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DougL Frequent poster 696 posts
DougL

Organization is my constant struggle

I will be following this thread closely because I can use new ideas for organization.

I start out with a nicely organized workbench ...

An hour later, the place is covered with paint brushes in various states of drying into cement,  tiny bits of unrelated models mixed in with the current parts, missing screwdrivers, superglue stuck to my fingers, open bottles of paint near the edge, several hobby knives, sheets of paper towel, screws bouncing off the desk onto the floor ...

And I can't find the model I am working on.

--  Doug -- Modeling the Norwottuck Railroad, returning trails to rails.
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ACR_Forever Super User 1,673 posts
ACR_Forever

Project Trays

Our local grocery receives frozen juice in cardboard trays of a dozen tins.   They throw them out, mountains of them.

I pick up a few every time I buy groceries.  They're free, and at about 8x10 inches, are perfect for most smaller projects.  Larger projects go into printer paper box lids.

Having standardized sizes makes it easy to stack and organize.

Now, if I could only suppress my propensity for starting new jobs before finishing old ones, resulting in needing more trays, etc. etc.

Blair
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Ironrooster Frequent poster 752 posts
Ironrooster

Plastic trays and cookie sheets

I use plastic trays and aluminum cookie sheets (the kind with a lip around it).  I find these help keep all the parts together.  I use small fishing lure boxes for the little parts to keep them from sliding around the trays.

The separate work stations sounds good, but I never have enough hobby workshop space for that.  So I do everything on an old desk I have.

Paul
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ACR_Forever Super User 1,673 posts
ACR_Forever

The box trays

have higher sides, so can be stacked by alternating position.  Useful as the collection grows...

Blair
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Goose in The Caboose Productions Regular poster 323 posts
Goose in The Caboose Productions

Thanks for the suggestions

Thanks for the suggestions everybody, appreciate it. We're going to close on selling the old house sooner than we thought, so here in about a month and a half, I'll dismantle the old pieces and start building the workbench. Fingers crossed I'll have some real progress to share soon.

_garthft.jpg 

Goose in The Caboose Productions  -  Railroad and Model train fanatic, superhero fan, and lover of historically accurate and well-executed sword fights.

Long live railroading and big steam!! And above all, stay train-crazy!!!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTkT-p0JdEuaMcMD10a72bg

 
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Chuck P Prolific poster 1,015 posts
Chuck P

Plastic cafeteria trays

My local restaurant supply company had them for 50 cents each. They were used but clean. I bought 10.

 
HO - Western New York - 1987 era

"When your memories are greater than your dreams, joy will begin to fade."
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