Workbench

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Atomic_Sheep

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Is there anything special that is required for an electronics workbench? I was thinking making it all completely metal and grounding it but then I read that the top needs to be non conductive. Most people seem to not really give this much thought and build it from wood and put an ESD cover/mat on top.
 
IMHO, that's the proper way to do it. ESD mat to dissipate static and, if your work gets accidentally set on the the uncovered top, it won't short out. My bench has a butcher block like top with an ESD mat.
 
A metal workbench for electrical/electronic work is a really bad idea.

Wood is a good choice, it is non conductive, there will not be problems if/when live wire come into contact with the benchtop.
Working on a bare board on a metal worktop is likely to cause big problems.

If you have to take rigorous ESD precautions, use a proper ESD Mat and associated earthing precautions.

JimB
 
Metal is definitely not a good idea unless it is surfaced with some non-conductive material like Masonite, plywood or particle board. Bare metal invites short circuits and ESD.

Wood is good. So is a table with a Melamine or Formica surface, like this one., which is what I use in my work room. I top it with a sheet of cardboard so the table top doesn't get scratched.
 
Whenever I had bought motherboards for PC builds in the past, I never got rid of the antistatic foam that was included in the package, so whenever I need to do a repair on a motherboard or similar, I just use that antistatic foam onto a wooden table. Works perfectly.
 
I use an old tongue and groove wooden door. The grooves between the boards catch stuff before it lands on the floor...
 
throbscottle said:
I use an old tongue and groove wooden door. The grooves between the boards catch stuff before it lands on the floor...
Click to expand...
I "apprenticed" with an uncle who was a real watchmaker. An important accessory are pants with cuffs. They catch everything. Hard to find during certain fashion trends, but I appreciate functionality over fashion.
 
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