Introduction: Wire / Work Station
The reasons behind this project have to do with the fact that I come from a generation where circuit boards were very hard to come by, and very expensive (the vacuum tube era). Therefore I still use UGLI wiring (point to point),which requires the use of “hook up” wire (I happen to have several spools of 18 gage wire, and was looking for a “space saving” solution for its use. When I hit upon this idea. (it is presented in two parts [the rack, and mounting the power source] for the convenience of those who are not using the power source.)
I hope that you find this interesting, and that it helps you to find new ways of dealing with issues that you may have.
Step 1: PARTS LIST:
PVC Pipe ½” X 10’ 1pc………………………….………………………….$2.32 ea
PVC Tee ½” 2pcs……………………………………………………$0.96 ea
PVC Elbow ½” 6pcs……………………………………………………$0.78 ea
Wood Dowel ½” X 48” 1pc……………………………………………...……$1.75 ea
2 X 4 X 96” Wood Stud 1pc…………………………………………………...$2.92 ea
Misc.
Loctite 0.85 fl. oz. Quick Set Epoxy Aprox. Cost $5.00
PVC cement (if you do not have it the cost should be about $5.00 per 8oz can)
Spray paint (color of choice) [I recommend Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X
because it gives good coverage, and it only costs about $4.00 per 12oz can]
Screws (2 #2 X ¾’ , 4 #8 X 2”) these I had in stock but should not cost more that a couple
of dollars if you must buy them
Tools needed:
Drill, and 1/8” , and 7/64” drill bitts
Hack Saw (or other means of cutting PVC Pipe, Dowel, and 2 X 4
Shop rag to wipe off any excess glue after assembling joints
Sand paper to smooth edges, and allow PVC Pipe to fit into Elbows, and Tees.
Square, or other means to determine the angle of the PVC fittings as you glue them.
Step 2: Build the Wire Rack:
1> cut PVC Pipe
a> cut 2 pcs 8” long for uprights
b> cut 2 pcs 18” long for base
c> cut 4 pcs 2” long to connect Elbows to Tee
d> cut 2 pcs 3” long for top of rack
2> glue Elbows to the ends of the 18” pcs of pipe being sure to keep both ends
pointing in the same direction (once glue dries it is impossible to correct)
3> glue Elbows to one end of the 8” pcs of pipe
4> glue the Tees to the other end of the 8” pcs of pipe being sure to keep the Tees at
a right angle (90 degrees) to the Elbows
5> glue the 2” pcs to the other end of theTees
6> glue the 2 18” sides to the 2” pcs protruding from Elbows
7> At this point you should have a base with 2 uprights with elbows facing each
other Now insert the 2 3”pcs into the elbows on either side of uprights
8> Cut a 18” pc of ½” Dowell, and center it in the 3” pcs of Pipe, and drill a 7/64”
hole thru the Elbows, and the Dowell (one at each end of the Dowell)and pin
the Dowell in place with 2 #2 screws.
9> Paint (with color of your choice) to cover any markings on the Pipe, and to protect
The Dowell.
Step 3: Add Platform for Power Source:
1> Cut a 13” pc of 2 x 4 Stud
2> Sand edges (to remove slivers)
3> Paint (color of choice) for appearance, and protection
4> drill 1/8” holes through each base pipe at 2”, and 10” from one end
5> start #8 screws through the base Pipe (in order to roughly center the platform)
6> place 2 X 4 between the Pipes at the end of the Elbows on the end where the holes are
7> tighten the screws (a little at a time) until the Platform appears to be mounted in the
center of the base, and the screws are flush to the Pipe (and the whole assembly will
sit flat on a table.
Step 4:
Finaly I mounted my Power Source (https://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-Power-Source/)
to the platform with epoxy glue and allowed to dry overnight (the only foreseeable issue with this method is that to do any work inside of the Power Source would require the removal of the platform (as I do not foresee any problems with the Power Source this isn’t an issue for me)