How to achieve a “space” for the least amount of essential Tools (both hand and power) including a bench (and what bench to get/build).

Unfortunately, people like me don’t have a garage not a proper shed. So what would a work space look like? I’m in the head space of a Kitchen designer: The triangle of sink/oven/fridge. Is there a similar sort of “space design” for bench/bandsaw/pillar-drill/table-saw ?

Also, how to build your own - perfectly suitable but nothing fancy-pants - bench for building guitars and general “working”?

Cheers.

Also, how to build your own - perfectly suitable but nothing fancy-pants - bench for building guitars and general “working”?

Quick comment on that one @rashdown_online ... my set-up bench is an old office desk top, bolted to a pair of adjustable height IKEA trestles, and also bolted to the wall (so it doesn't wobble at all).

Total cost was ~£30 IIRC.

Trestle legs like this

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/finnvard-trestle-with-shelf-white-80150095/

I've then got a fairly cheap (plastic) draughtsman's chair.  These have a lot of height adjustment.  The table top is at a height that I can work at stood up, or, with the chair height up high, can sit at and work.  You don't want one of the fancy leather/padded chairs (because it'll get filthy in the workshop), but a wipe-down-with-a-damp-rag plastic one is perfect.

🙂

Also, how to build your own - perfectly suitable but nothing fancy-pants - bench for building guitars and general “working”?

@rashdown_online This is a great idea, I’m struggling with an old pallet for the main structure and a piece of MDF screwed to it. It is not flat and causes me all kinds of problems. 

4 x 2 and plywood..a bit of hardboard on top...nice and simple. Pretty cheap two and solid.

I’m not sure whether you have covered this but I want to install pickups (humbuckers) into a body with no pickup rings (direct mounted). I know people use wood screws but I don’t like that idea. I have bought some brass flat bar so I can make something to mount them on. 

This is one idea @johnnierox-boo , still screwed to the wood but more secure

Another option is screw ferrels that are glued into the body.

This is one idea @johnnierox-boo , still screwed to the wood but more secure

I've got something similar to that - though implemented in cheap plastic rather than brass - to secure the P90 sized HB in my LP Jr build.

It works nicely.  Would obviously be neater done in brass rather than plastic.

Seems like the little bars would be reasonably easy to home-make too - although someone milling them all would be even neater.

Or ... wonder what materials @darrenking can cut ...

@tv1010101 I could make these out of 6mm thick solid HP laminate. Not metal, but easy to tap threads into for machine screw fixings. What is the aim of these blocks as I don't quite understand the advantages?

@darrenking

The purpose is to allow pickups to be mounted directly to the body (into the bottom of the pickup cavity) rather than into a pickup mounting ring which is then attached to the body.

I'm not persuaded that there are any sound benefits from doing it, but - to my eyes - it certainly looks neater than having the ugly pickup rings screwed to the body.

They'd just need to have holes tapped that were the correct size for standard pickup ring mounting screws, at the correct distance apart, and then a couple of other holes towards the middle of the bar to enable that to be fixed into the pickup cavity.

And do they need to have any means of adjusting the height and angle of the pick up?

That's a good Q @darrenking.  I'll have to think about that!!

I'm not persuaded that there are any sound benefits from doing it

Some say pickups mounted to pickguards or rings have a brighter sound than those screwed direct to the body (which tend to have a warmer sound).

I may be too old and shot ears but I can’t hear the difference. I agree with @TV1010101 though that it does look nice and neat.

And do they need to have any means of adjusting the height and angle of the pick up?

@darrenking the ones I’ve used I put hard(ish) foam something like an old mouse mat doubling up if necessary so you can raise or lower the pup. Angle is more difficult..

I'll have to think about that!!

@tv101001 @darren king I would use some sponge or foam stuck underneath that squashes down when lowering the pickup and raises the pickup when raising the pickup. 

@tv101001 @darren king I would use some sponge or foam stuck underneath that squashes down when lowering the pickup and raises the pickup when raising the pickup.

That was a really bad sentence! 

What is the aim of these blocks as I don't quite understand the advantages?

@darrenking For me Darren it’s just aesthetic really, just to get rid of the pickup rings. There are a lot of ‘80 metal guitars without pickup rings and I want to emulate that in some of my builds. 

@johnnierox-boo don’t worry. I have days when making sense feels like a second language!!

I know it would mean having another cover plate but couldn’t they be mounted from behind to avoid having the visible recesses for the screw fixings?

Or could the mounting plates be fixed into a recess in the front so that they sit flush with the surface?

I know it would mean having another cover plate but couldn’t they be mounted from behind to avoid having the visible recesses for the screw fixings?

@darrenking Yeah I know what you mean, that’s how Strats hold their pickups but what happens when someone asks for no pickup rings and no scratch plate? Direct mount is the only answer and I’m not happy with using wood screws as the height adjusters. 

Or could the mounting plates be fixed into a recess in the front so that they sit flush with the surface?

I don’t mind having the cavity visible, it’s pretty cool! 

This is my Ibanez PGM Signature with no pickup rings but using wood screws for the direct mount.