Show Us Your Rocket Building Table

[JLP1]

Its a Macklin jig with a Black and Decker framing laser. You can get the laser on Ebay or at least you use to be able too. I place the body tube in the jig, set the fins, and then I use the laser to tweak the final alignment before tacking them in place.

 

[4regt4]

It's a little messy right now....

 

[mh9162013]

It's a little messy right now.... View attachment 538362

Hahahaha, that's basically how mine looks.

I even build parts of my rockets standing up using the corner of the washer or dryer when there are no clothes piled on top of them (my building table is in the laundry room).

 

[4regt4]

Hahahaha, that's basically how mine looks.

I even build parts of my rockets standing up using the corner of the washer or dryer when there are no clothes piled on top of them (my building table is in the laundry room).

Actually, my "workshop" is a card table in the middle of the living room. I get away with it because wifey likes it better when I'm around and not hiding in the garage or basement. And we watch TV while I'm building.

Most glue work is done in the kitchen, as the counters are high and it's easier for me to do that standing up

Hans

 

[ewomack]

Someday I may actually finish it... imagine that...

 

[cthunter01]

I swear it was actually completely clean and organized a week ago! Then I started working on it again…

 

[techrat]

My workspace is a small section of my bedroom (my other bedrooms are my hamshack and my computer museum). That said, you're only seeing less than half of my other rockets, plus I have kits hanging on hooks on the wall (where you see the hanging 'chutes). But I'm realizing I already have 20 rockets and I've only been in the hobby for 6 months! What will this place look like in a year?

 

[cfoster3448]

Yes, please don't judge... LOL! Mine is primarily a rocket building table - and when I have family/friends over for a dinner, it all gets relocated to a box and put in another room, which is typically a 15-30 min. process. (As you can tell, I haven't had company over in a few months) - it's generally a bit more "tidy" than shown here...

 

[Hobie1dog]

you use what space you have. Today there's an article on a girl renting an apartment in NYC for $650/month and it's only 80 sq.ft. All of my personal possessions are in a 13x14 bedroom now since losing the 1 car garage. I'm one step away from building on the dining room table.

 

[techrat]

Today there's an article on a girl renting an apartment in NYC for $650/month and it's only 80 sq.ft.

Yes, I once lived in Manhattan and saw an apartment where you couldn't open the door completely to get inside because it hit the bed. It was basically a walk-in closet that had been converted into an apartment.

 

[Joekeyo]

I can stand up or sit down.

 

[Joshua Smith]

I can stand up or sit down.
View attachment 538679
View attachment 538680

You're lucky. I can't stand up or sit down depending on the day

 

[Hobie1dog]

Do any of you use a boom light/magnifier combo at your build table?

 

[4regt4]

Do any of you use a boom light/magnifier combo at your build table?

I have one, but being that I'm working on a card table in the middle of the living room, I don't have power.

Hans.

 

[ep29030]

Once I retire, I want to do a series on building a rocketry workbench starting with a card table. I figure that most people have enough room for a card table workbench. We will put some homemade, ruler and hobby knife built shelving above it. Storage on the sides. Got ideas for using every inch of space possible to be able to build LPR/MPR and small HPR kits. It's probably another 6-9 months away at this point. Besides, I have a large bench in my garage, but sometimes I prefer to work in the house. so a card table workbench would just fit the bill. Of course, we will start the project with a list of requirements that will break down into all the goodies (supplies, tools, adhesives, etc) we will need to store in our bench.

 

[ep29030]

Do any of you use a boom light/magnifier combo at your build table?

I have a nice one covered with dust. I've used it a couple of times. Seems like I need positionable light more than I need the magnification.

 

[4regt4]

Once I retire, I want to do a series on building a rocketry workbench starting with a card table. I figure that most people have enough room for a card table workbench. We will put some homemade, ruler and hobby knife built shelving above it. Storage on the sides. Got ideas for using every inch of space possible to be able to build LPR/MPR and small HPR kits. It's probably another 6-9 months away at this point. Besides, I have a large bench in my garage, but sometimes I prefer to work in the house. so a card table workbench would just fit the bill. Of course, we will start the project with a list of requirements that will break down into all the goodies (supplies, tools, adhesives, etc) we will need to store in our bench.

I'm all over this....

Patiently waiting.

Hans.

 

[cthunter01]

Once I retire, I want to do a series on building a rocketry workbench starting with a card table. I figure that most people have enough room for a card table workbench. We will put some homemade, ruler and hobby knife built shelving above it. Storage on the sides. Got ideas for using every inch of space possible to be able to build LPR/MPR and small HPR kits. It's probably another 6-9 months away at this point. Besides, I have a large bench in my garage, but sometimes I prefer to work in the house. so a card table workbench would just fit the bill. Of course, we will start the project with a list of requirements that will break down into all the goodies (supplies, tools, adhesives, etc) we will need to store in our bench.

I have a wooden table that used to be a dining table I got off of Facebook market place. It’s a perfect crafting table, which I think the family I got it from also used it for considering the odd colorful stains on it. You can find them on Craigslist or other classified ads papers/websites. I like the hard surface and sturdy legs. I don’t think I would recommend a card table or anything wobbly for a work surface unless that’s all the room you have. Thrift stores can also have old tables that might make good work tables.

 

[ep29030]

I have a wooden table that used to be a dining table I got off of Facebook market place. It’s a perfect crafting table, which I think the family I got it from also used it for considering the odd colorful stains on it. You can find them on Craigslist or other classified ads papers/websites. I like the hard surface and sturdy legs. I don’t think I would recommend a card table or anything wobbly for a work surface unless that’s all the room you have. Thrift stores can also have old tables that might make good work tables.

As the owner of 8 card tables, I'm familiar with their issues. It depends on the table you use--some of the new plastic tops are pretty rigid. Plus, they don't have fabric to get cut with hobby knives. So we will start with with a good quality card table. I want to do the project with sourced supplies that everyone can buy. If you can't duplicate what I do, it has little value to you. But I think people will be surprised when they see what we can do with mostly paper products, wood and fabric. And some hot glue, polyurethane glue and Titebond. Duct tape, of course. And we will learn as we go--that is the best part. Even if mine has flaws, everyone can see them and start designing better solutions. A win-win. Half the fun is stimulating new ideas from the community.

 

[Pappy]

 

[Huxter]

Do any of you use a boom light/magnifier combo at your build table?

I have a 3 inch magnifier w 3 diff color LED lights. Works pretty well. The 3 inch makes it a challenge to get both your eyes focused on the target. If I bought again, I'd go bigger -like 5 inch.

 

[cthunter01]

As the owner of 8 card tables, I'm familiar with their issues. It depends on the table you use--some of the new plastic tops are pretty rigid. Plus, they don't have fabric to get cut with hobby knives. So we will start with with a good quality card table. I want to do the project with sourced supplies that everyone can buy. If you can't duplicate what I do, it has little value to you. But I think people will be surprised when they see what we can do with mostly paper products, wood and fabric. And some hot glue, polyurethane glue and Titebond. Duct tape, of course. And we will learn as we go--that is the best part. Even if mine has flaws, everyone can see them and start designing better solutions. A win-win. Half the fun is stimulating new ideas from the community.

Ahh, I see. I missed the community design aspect of your original post.

That sounds interesting! After I got married, one of our wedding gifts was a nice dining room table. The previous table I had (the one I got from Facebook marketplace with the stains on it), got turned into my crafting/rocket building table. And since that's worked out pretty well for me so far, I haven't needed to look into changing it. And I thought I'd recommend it for others looking for crafting table ideas...

But I have actually thought about what I would design for a workbench if I started from scratch. How big would the table be, where I'd put any shelves, where I would put my soldering station, where I'd use and store adhesives, etc. So that sounds like an interesting endeavor, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

[ep29030]

Ahh, I see. I missed the community design aspect of your original post.

That sounds interesting! After I got married, one of our wedding gifts was a nice dining room table. The previous table I had (the one I got from Facebook marketplace with the stains on it), got turned into my crafting/rocket building table. And since that's worked out pretty well for me so far, I haven't needed to look into changing it. And I thought I'd recommend it for others looking for crafting table ideas...

But I have actually thought about what I would design for a workbench if I started from scratch. How big would the table be, where I'd put any shelves, where I would put my soldering station, where I'd use and store adhesives, etc. So that sounds like an interesting endeavor, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Oooh. soldering station. Have to put that on the list as well . The hard part is getting the requirements right (what do I need to build?). My goal is to list the requirements that are needed 90% of the time and build a place to house all of that stuff. I created a list for my trailer and I intend to edit it for the draft list of what we need to do, and what equipment we need to do it.

 

[bjphoenix]

I figure that most people have enough room for a card table workbench.

I don't. I'm using a table I built many years ago that might be 18"x40". It gets covered up by the usual stuff- glue bottles, tools, balsa scraps, etc. I end up with a small corner uncovered that I actually work on, maybe 6" x 12" if I'm lucky. Besides a place to lay tools down, I don't do that much on the table. I use that corner to cut pieces of balsa and things like that. I'm mostly building BT60 size rockets so I put a motor mount together and let it stand on its end while glue fillets dry, that doesn't take much space. When I'm gluing on fins or doing fillets I have a little box setting on the table and I lay the body tube on that. The last couple of weeks I was building 3 kits at the same time so I had more parts laying around and I had to be careful that I kept it all straight.
I'm not allowed to use any space in the house for rocket work. We have a 2-car garage that always has my wife's car in it. I have a fairly big workbench with a table saw built into it so that takes up space in the other side of the garage. Along with other shelves and things I have one little space left for my small table. In the summer my garage can get really hot so I don't spend much time out there working, I'll just go out and glue something then go back in the house.
I did borrow my wife's lighted magnifier last week to put new shroud lines on an Estes 18" parachute. Otherwise I use a variety of big number reading glasses so I can see things up close.

 

[4regt4]

You are my hero....

 

[ghostfather]

Just some cheap Ikea cabinets on wheels, so I can make room for fiberglassing and painting when necessary. Also a small drill press and belt sander on the table to the left.
And lots of unfinished kits and projects.....this is up in the attic, with a door and window to a balcony

 

[teepot]

My workspace is a small section of my bedroom (my other bedrooms are my hamshack and my computer museum). That said, you're only seeing less than half of my other rockets, plus I have kits hanging on hooks on the wall (where you see the hanging 'chutes). But I'm realizing I already have 20 rockets and I've only been in the hobby for 6 months! What will this place look like in a year?

Maybe like this.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Maybe like this.View attachment 539598View attachment 539599

my hero

 

[techrat]

Maybe like this.

Droooooool.......

 

[Pappy]

the table itself is a small component of the larger concern... the rocket room (*sung to the tune of elton john's 'rocket man') . i was thinking how cool it would be to have an enclosed area, maybe a modular shower stall with a powerful overhead fan that would vent through ducting to the outside... good lighting array around... 24 hour painting area!! Humidity controlled, temp controlled... so many rocs to build, so few daylight hours to throw paint...

another issue, as illustrated by @teepot 's spacial dilemma (lose the car... taking up rocket space) is placement and display. recessed wall, shelving, plexi doors?

i personally love showing visitors my rocket room and little display area. every area in my house i evaluate for rocket placement and likelihood that my wife will kick my ass if i go for it.