New/Old Test Equipment & new work bench

[Fresh_Start]

This isn't much compared to what some of you all have on hand, but it's a start:



Heathkit VTVM
Heathkit resistance decade box (P.R. chassis behind it)
Eico resistance substitution box
Heathkit capacitance substitution box
Sensor Field Effect Meter (thanks SLuckey!)

After a good chunk of the last two weekend re-organizing & building, I finally got my new workbench put together.  Two base cabinets salvaged from our vintage 1966 kitchen form the bases.  74" x 28" top of MDF on top of plywood with oak edges.



Cheers,

Chip

[stingray_65]

CHIP!

NIIICEEE!
Love that Jet drill press! those things are work horses!
Air conditioning, anti fatigue mats all you need is a kegerator and a microwave  LOL.
vintage cabinets, vintage bench gear, coils of wire hung on a nail ready to use at a moments notice.
You can tell it's a workin mans shop by the drywall and spackle wall paper, it looks so real! 

I think I'm gettin a little green here.

AW dang! I am jealous! you got 2 outlets! one on each end of the bench! no $6 power strip!

That Princeton Reverb on the stand  is just showing off

Every man should have such a place to get away from it all.. even if its only a couple feet from the house.

I think Ben Franklin said " I'm a strong believer in luck, and the harder I work the more I have of it"

You are one lucky dude Chip!

Ray

[eleventeen]

I've been tempted to get a (tube) VTVM but I doubt I will. I had one, years ago. I think the model after that (same exact unit except all beige) I kind of don't like having to readjust zero when changing ranges.

I really, really like my Fluke 77 DVM. It's not the highest end nor newest Fluke meter but much like a Heath VTVM, it "anchors" their product line. I've had that sucker for 20 years and and I'm about about 1 year into only the third 9v battery I've put into it. Amazing, very rugged piece. Yes, undoubtedly I use the continuity "beep" more than any other function, I admit. I've measured volts on "ohms" by accident a hundred times. You cannot hurt these Fluke meters. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that any decent quality DVM is protected against measuring volts on "ohms".

As a religious matter I do not measure current on my Fluke meter unless I am metaphysically sure I am dealing with 10's of mils and no more. IMO you measure current by getting an external panel meter of at least 200 ma and build a dopey box with two leads or a dual binding post. When I was learning back in the 60's and 70's, ALL meter blowups occurred by measuring current or measuring volts while on "ohms". So it (it=measure current on your main voltmeter or VTVM or VOM or whatever) is something that was etched in my brain as something you do not do.

I just bought a Fluke 12 "auto-everything" meter. It automatically senses whether you want to measure AC, DC, or ohms! I think it needs >4 volts to decide AC or DC. It's a little too automated for me, but it came up for $25 BIN on ebay late at night one night and that's about half price so I snagged it. It's OK. I'll not recommend it, though. Haven't really used it enough. And in a pile of goofy gear I bought, I got 2 qty Radio Sack VOMs which only needed new batts, are complete POS, but there are times when it's nice to have multiple meters.

Yup, like the amp chassis stand! And of course I have a Jones for the drill press barely visible on the left. Funny thing about that style of amp stand--I can't think of a better way to build it than out of plywood scraps. You could spend maybe 60 hours building one out of Micarta or other more "sophisticated" material, but it wouldn't be one whit better.

Dude, the way you photographed it, I was REALLY hallucinating on your Heathkit decade box! LMAO! I'm thinking WTF are there twisted pairs of wires and all that stuff in a DECADE BOX??!!

[simonallaway]

After a good chunk of the last two weekend re-organizing & building, I finally got my new workbench put together.  Two base cabinets salvaged from our vintage 1966 kitchen form the bases.  74" x 28" top of MDF on top of plywood with oak edges.

Nice work, Chip...I'm deeply envious. I was about to post something about the lack of tunes, but then I spotted the iPod + speakers  Put that on shuffle and you're lost for days!

[jjasilli]

Looks just like my test stuff! I'm still trying to organize a good way to get the test equipment up overhead.  Ditto to the amp cradle & drill press! 

[Fresh_Start]

By the time I was in 5th grade, I wanted to be a mad scientist when I grew up.  Maybe I've finally achieved that goal:



Here's the variac StingRay was kind enough to give me:


Crude light-bulb limiter made from Lowe's parts:


Small box for "listening amp".  Should have made ground lead longer, but this is a FANTASTIC little tool.  Thanks Doug!  Just plug it into a small solid state amp and go searching for "the" problem. 


"B" is for "bad amp" and "G" is for "good amp".  Maybe you know too much about how I think now...

Cheers,

Chip