Help Setting Up My Hobby Room

[Tony]

I need some help designing my hobby room now that my kids have moved out. After going to football games, wresting matches for my son and plays, voice recitals for my daughter. I now have the time to start building the 250 or more models mostly AMT cars and trucks that I have collect over the years. It looks like it’s a good thing because AMT may be gone. I also have lots of car magazines. Looking on the board I have noticed that other people own as many models or more. So how do you store your models? Any suggestions on how to set-up your work bench? I would love to see some others modelers work areas and get ideas on what I need and what I haven’t thought of. The room isn’t big, its 10’ x 10’ so I don’t have too much space. Your thoughts, ideas and experience would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks

Tony

[lordairgtar]

It is important that you vent your spray booth to the out of doors if you are doing any spray painting in the new room.

[mikelo]

Aahhh yes, the bitter sweet time of the kids leaving the nest. It was a bonus time for me also as when we moved into our house, I had to make a room in the back of the garage for my models (my wife has bad allergies, but more on that later). For my work bench, I bought a couple of those generic white RTA cabinets from a store like Lowes ($20 each not on sale)(2 cabinets & 1 corner unit I put my pant on), and received as a Christmas gift my desk top which is made from short lengths of pre made counter tops from same mentioned hardware store (mine is two piece as it goes around a corner). This worked out really nice as not only does it have a back splash to keep things on the table, but it also has a raised edge along the front that keeps my knives from rolling off onto the floor. Something I learned about magazine storage, small file cabinets hold them perfectly, fit under my counter top, keeps them out of sight and organized. Not a good pic, but see pic...

For displaying my built cars, I built a showcase out of those prefinished shelves that matches my cabinets. (I didn't even have to cut anything) See pic....

For storing my unbuilt kits, because of my wife's allergies (I used to have a cat before I met her & she has bad allergies to cats. It was amazing to see what was actually in those boxes!), we got these plastic shoe boxes when they went on sale for 5 cents each. Every four rows has a thin strip of chip board going across so they stay sturdy and you can pull one out of the bottom w/o knocking them all over. Again..

I put my spray booth out in the garage for ventialtion purposes, and I even have a carbon filter in it. I also built that using a RTA cabinet.

When I started, I didn't have anything anywhere near as fancy as all this, and I don't think any of it you really have to have. Just giving you some ideas from someone who has been collecting pieces for several years.

[crispy]

Another big factor is lighting. You can never have too much of that.

Here's a link to my hobby room.

http://public.fotki.com/73superduty/my_hobby_room/

I just put shelves over the top of my benches to store models. Also have a bunch of them stored underneath the benches but off the ground.

Chris

[VictorSmalls]

Great information guys. I am in the process of apartment shopping and will have an extra bedroom to make into my model / workout room. I will be looking to incorporate some of these ideas in my own room.

[Dr. Cranky]

Those clear containers are a great idea, and I just can't believe you paid five cents for each of them. Wow!!!

[Bruce Poage]

I finished a new basement hobby room about a year ago. It is a similar size to what you have. I built a workbench on two walls. While out walking with the wife one day we found the pieces of what once was an armoir made of chipboard with a plastic laminate surface. As soon as I could get the Dodge Dakota I picked up the pieces and hauled them home. Several of the big pieces are my workbench. The spray booth is across the room from the one sectioin of the workbench and is vented outside. I have shelves above the workbench with multiple cigar boxes for pieces and parts. I found some stepped spice racks at Target. My bottle paints are on these racks around the corner on the other part of the bench. On the same wall as the paint box I stacked about 8 old plastic milk crates to make book shelves for my many model magazines that I have put in binders. The one wall I have yet to mention has more shelves for about 125 unopened kits.

Some old license plates, car show pics and other car memorabilia decorate the walls. I forgot to mention the CD play with a stack of music that ranges from drum corps shows to gospel quartets to Kansas. It is a fun polace to be.

[Tony]

Hey'

Thanks guys for your input, the rooms look great. I do like the high shelves so I can look for certain model. Yes I have been looking at putting a spray booth in also.

Thanks

Tony

[Modelmartin]

Mikelo,

I love the cabinet spray booth. I am in the process of building a new garage with an upstairs for my model car business and will use that idea. Thanks.

[James W]

I built in my work bench. Starting with preformed countertops you can get a home improvement stores. I built a corner unit on top of a couple cabinet units for storage. The space between the cabinets allow one or two chairs.

Power strips under the table supply dremel foot switch and lights. I drilled holes in the countertop to mount the adjustable swing lamps eliminating the clamps that never stay tight and routed the wire through the base pivot point.

Jairus has some pictures, perhaps he will post a couple?

[Jairus]

James' Desk

Pictures were taken 05/21/04, just after the Warkentin family moved into their home on 22nd ave. Today the desk is much more cluttered with projects and magazines, while the walls are coated with pictures, shelves and posters. It's more like a den now than a hobby room and quite comfortable I might add.

[Gregg]

I was going to say either that pic was a long time ago, or James did a lot of cleaning up!!!!!

:-)

[mikelo]

It looks like James has the same counter top I have. Mine is also a corner piece. Nice set up.

[Brendan]

My model room set up is pretty simple. THe room is 11x12 and it's about 132 square feet. The materials cost was about $250 to $300 for the booth and benches. I did a simple ladder frame construction for the benches. The bench tops are plywood and then high density particle board. That way if you ruin the top of the work bench, it can be replaced inexpensively. Make sure that you build the benches high enough for your comfort and so that you can easily reach everything.

My spray booth is simple range top fan with variable speeds that directly connected to the outside. You want to look for a fan with enough air flow so that it can suck out fumes quickly. You're looking for a high CFM hood.

Here are some pictures of the layout with all the creature comforts...for example, TV and video games...while waiting for models to dry.