Show Us Your Work Bench

[Radretireddad]

40 minutes ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Wow some of you guys have loads of kits stashed away. I basically have no stash. When I first started building, I guess technically my dad had a very small stash of kits. But then I built all of them. And then when I ran out of kits in that "stash" I just started buying usually one at a time and I typically build it right away. I have a large stash of built kits, but essentially zero unbuilt kits as a stash. That being said I have a few kits I got from a cousin who didn't really have the knack for building kits, that I would never build and have so far just used them for extra parts. Namely a glue-bomb '68 Corvette L88, an unbuilt 2012 Vette, an unbuilt '97 Mustang (I think it's a '97) that was missing a whole lot of things already, including the box, and a '92 Ferrari Testarossa left over from my dad's initial stash; the only one from that stash that I never built. 25 cents at a garage sale I guess he couldn't pass that up.

You’ve reached the point most would like to be at. I had a modest collection of kits that I, like you, bought and immediately built back in the 80’s when I was single and had the time. After getting married, virtually all my spare time for the next three decades was devoted to family life but I still kept buying and storing kits in the hope of being able to return to the hobby in the future. Two years ago I was able to bring the stash out of cold storage and begin building again. Since I retired last year it’s full speed ahead.

[Mike C]

[oldcarfan]

On 4/21/2025 at 10:02 AM, Musclecars said:

mad a change yesterday(Easter Sunday) to the area I sit and work at. Also cut down the stash by selling off 9 Moebius kits,lost interest in building them. So now I reserved the 2 5" foot tables joined together for building and foiling/decals and the 6" table for detail painting. Pegboard for holding glues and sandpaper and pegboard for holding aftermarket parts, set up the parts bins in one location

 

 

I love your set up! Can I ask where you got those storage bins with the pull out drawers? I've been looking for some for a while.

[Falcon Ranchero]

3 hours ago, Radretireddad said:

You’ve reached the point most would like to be at. I had a modest collection of kits that I, like you, bought and immediately built back in the 80’s when I was single and had the time. After getting married, virtually all my spare time for the next three decades was devoted to family life but I still kept buying and storing kits in the hope of being able to return to the hobby in the future. Two years ago I was able to bring the stash out of cold storage and begin building again. Since I retired last year it’s full speed ahead.

Well that's good you're back into the hobby. So far I've been full speed ahead since I started building in Feb. 2021. By the way, nice stash of kits you have there; spied a '60 Pontiac Trumpeter kit; heard they have loads of small parts. Also the '59 Cadillac Seville is one i've been meaning to get as to complete my "Big Three in Luxury for 1959" having built both the '59 Imperial and '59 Lincoln 2-door hard tops. 

[Radretireddad]

2 hours ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

By the way, nice stash of kits you have there; spied a '60 Pontiac Trumpeter kit; heard they have loads of small parts.

You heard right. This is the one that initially came with bad chrome. Trumpeter sent a replacement chrome tree out to their customers.

 

2 hours ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Also the '59 Cadillac Seville is one i've been meaning to get as to complete my "Big Three in Luxury for 1959" having built both the '59 Imperial and '59 Lincoln 2-door hard tops. 

Yep. Like so much of my stash I bought both when they were available and still affordable, knowing at the time it would be years before they would be completed. Not sorry I did.

[Brutalform]

Too many projects going on at once, is nothing unusual with this bench. 

[TarheelRick]

I know mine is still in the corner of the basement where I left it a few months ago, but as for right now I cannot find it. However, I have begun an extensive redo of my basement and will eventually uncover it along with some additional workspace. 

[Musclecars]

On 4/29/2025 at 11:04 AM, oldcarfan said:

I love your set up! Can I ask where you got those storage bins with the pull out drawers? I've been looking for some for a while.

Hey there Gary thanks for commenting. All the bins came from Harbor Freight, as of now they don't carry the blue and gray ones only the yellow ones

[dragstk]

Here is my desk set up. I made this table when I was a jr in high school and it has gone with me every where Ive lived. And this is as messy as my desk ever gets. Im kind of a stickler in putting things back so I dont have to go look for them

I have an air brush set up, just out of the pic, on the left and my stash of about 130 kits

[johnyrotten]

9 minutes ago, dragstk said:

Here is my desk set up. I made this table when I was a jr in high school and it has gone with me every where Ive lived. And this is as messy as my desk ever gets. Im kind of a stickler in putting things back so I dont have to go look for them

I have an air brush set up, just out of the pic, on the left and my stash of about 130 kits

Nice sign on the shelf.👍

[Mothersworry]

My little shop of Horrors...posted before but perhaps some that haven't seen it might find it useful. Built the shop in 2018 in anticipation of retirement (2020). Ikea Kitchen cabinetry wuz used throughout. I also maintain  a storage unit that has sumthin like 1200 to 1500 or so unbuilt kits (kinda lost count after the last collection I bought). 

Entrance to the shop, some of the more interesting kits (vintage) on the shelves,  the door is fer a supply pantry.

Resin goodies stored between display cases. Secondary work bench in the foreground to the right.

Paint booth with compressor located in sound proofed cabinet below and manifold mounted to the right side of the booth. Secondary work bench in the foreground to the right.

Main work area, airbrushes and related stuff in drawer below paint Booth. Drawers to the right contain various painting supplies. 

 TV mounted on wall, drawer units above contain resin bits and goodies, photo etch stuff, detailing parts, decals and  abuncha other goodies. "In progress" kits on shelf  below.

Secondary work bench...this is where the messy stuff gets done, Dremel work, soldering, polishing, metalwork, etc. Cable driven hand held tool holder controlled by a modified foot pedal...can take the Dremel down to 0 RPM. Ultrasonic cleaner fer cleaning resin and other stuff and Dehydrator on the bench as well.

Closer shot of the main work space, currently playin around with a '63 Galaxie lightweight. Creating a Bostrum seat master fer Kevin to cast up. 

Supply pantry...I like to have spare stuff.

Opposite wall in supply pantry, can never have enough paint...sums good, mores better, too much is just right.

[Rich Chernosky]

Tghis is a great thread. Really enjoyed seeing the area that some of you create your masterpieces. Some of my fellow modellers have asked me how I produce so much work. well this is the answer. A well lit, organized and comfortable work area.  This is the result of many years of resets. I have all the tools and paints I use the most in the center. Everytrhing has its own spot   so clean-up  and work is quick and easy.  Yes...it usually looks this way.  A few more details under the pictures. 

Counter top is granite. A razor blade clean everything off including any type of glue.  The two racks in the center hold all the knives, pliers, tweezers and some of the frequent ly used paint brushes.  Moto tools and bits are in the slide out drawers (made of plexiglas) under the orange drawers.  Most of the decals and other scratchbuilding supplies are in the many drawers. Most of this was hand  or custom made over many years.

Around the corner form the model room is the paint booth and several racks of sprays. The paint booth is custom made and is of the down draft type. The center section lifts up to expose the exhaust that has a filter over it. The filter is a cheap scrubby pad btw.  It exhausts through the wall by the dryer hose. The blower/suction fan is mounted to the outside of the house. It has a 145cfm capacity . I have used this design for more than 30yrs now and never had a problem with fumes or over spray.  Keeping it clean however.......<G> Compressors are mounted on seperate stands to eliminate vibration. 

[stitchdup]

I dont know how you guys can work in such neatness. I have tried it and it just dont work for me. I have random parts scattered across my bench as i never know when an idea will take my fancy. If a kits within arms reach of my bench it being worked on currently, not necessaraly this week but i've done something recently with it. I'll start to the left of my model room door. It used to be my bedroom but i moved my bed into my front room as i rarely get visitors and i got sick of living in a stack of boxes and sanding dust and it also keeps my flat cleaner.

inside the wardrobe is 3d kits and some larger kit boxes and some of my tamiya bug kits. theres a case of them at mums house too.

next we move left to the start of the stash. i need more shelving, lol

next up is the booth and bench. my airbrush is in the cupboard under the bench and the drawers are decals, detailing stuff, tools i dont use much, sand paper and evergreen rods and sheets. i did keep my rods in kitchen towel tubes stacked on my bench but they got squashed and i've not got around to getting some plastic sink pipe yet. My bench usually looks like this. Its and old computer desk and the keyboard drawer holds my big files, saws drill bits and other larger tools i use often. i have my small files stuck in a bit o polystyrene and my brush paints in the clear trays but they'll be moving to that small wooden drawers at some point. the filter is out of the booth for replacement but usually looks like cement, lol.

to the right of my bench we have spray paints, detail parts, supplies, more kits and some large scale kits under the unit but not pictured, large totes of loosely sorted parts kits or bagged kits

and finally for the model room another cupboard full of spray paints

next we have my front room which also has a bench but its being used for my computers just now. i have a display unit for some builds and my 3d printing station. I keep my printers covered as we get a lot of uv light first thing in the morning with being so far north so this helps with that in summer and keeps them warmer in winter. I have another cupboard in my kitchen for my 3d printer stuff. Well thats it for this edition of cribs, you have seen the majority of my home as its very small

I'm not tidy but i find this works for me

[iamsuperdan]

19 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

I dont know how you guys can work in such neatness.

Hey Les,

If I ever visit your place, and then afterwards some of your VW and Porsche kits appear to have gone missing, I had nothing to do with it. 😛

[stitchdup]

11 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

Hey Les,

If I ever visit your place, and then afterwards some of your VW and Porsche kits appear to have gone missing, I had nothing to do with it. 😛

theres a hudson bay company anniversary (350 years maybe)in the next few years so there will probably be some deals then. my dad did the last one a got 2 weeks in canada for £15 but that was near 50 years ago

[Dave Van]

3 hours ago, Mothersworry said:

My little shop of Horrors...posted before but perhaps some that haven't seen it might find it useful. Built the shop in 2018 in anticipation of retirement (2020). Ikea Kitchen cabinetry wuz used throughout. I also maintain  a storage unit that has sumthin like 1200 to 1500 or so unbuilt kits (kinda lost count after the last collection I bought). 

I can see you are running out of space to store ZZR kits....I have room available FYI............

Nice set up BTW

 

Just reworked my space...

 

[iamsuperdan]

1 hour ago, stitchdup said:

theres a hudson bay company anniversary (350 years maybe)in the next few years so there will probably be some deals then. my dad did the last one a got 2 weeks in canada for £15 but that was near 50 years ago

HBC just went into bankruptcy and liquidation! All stores closed. End of an era.

 

[stitchdup]

48 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

HBC just went into bankruptcy and liquidation! All stores closed. End of an era.

 

to think it all started with seal skins and fur. the first store is on this side of the pond is now a lighthouse storeyard and museum. the boat i was on spent 2 years there.

[stavanzer]

I started cleaning my garage last weekend. I was able to finally 'get' to my workbench. I moved all the clutter away from it, and can finally see what is there. As I was cleaning up to the bench I discovered things that I had lost, or totally forgotten that I had bought. Found a Harbor Freight 'Chicago Electric' brand Dremel tool. Brand new, never even been pulled out of the case. I don't know when I bought it. I have no memory of the purchase.....

Found Sets of grinding and sanding Bit for the tool. Sealed Boxes. Again, no memory of buying them.

Found 3 started car kits, and one Johan 1960 Plymouth wagon kit, that has never been started. Bought it 5 years ago, always knew where was, but could not get to it. The orther 3 kits? I remember them, but it has been so long since I started them that I have forgotten how I was planning to build them.

Found 2 boxes of 1/35 scale Armour Kits. Italeri. I did not even know I had these. Like Christmas. New Kits!

All in all, this Garage Archeology is fun, and sad at the same time.

Edited Wednesday at 03:12 PM by stavanzer