Electric Stuff Service Bench
- Thread starter Michael Mayben
- Start date
Michael Mayben
IHPA Tech Moderator - Retired & No Longer Online
This mess has been growing daily for quite a few years. Had it under control at one time, but since it was out of the way over in a corner I was in denial.
I started this cart back when I was installing the electrical system infrastructure here for the shophouse. Made it real handy for moving schnizz around when drilling framing, setting components and such. Once that was done, it was converted to a "low voltage" bench and used for rough-in of the satellite and lan system.
Then it became a repository for crap once I completed the dawghauler electrical system.
I'm tired of spending way too much time looking for schnizz that I can't remember where I stuffed. Usually it's easier to just go git more stuff for individual projects...which simply adds stuff to an accumulating pile of stuff I can't find.
Years ago when I was in the trailer/rv/towing products bizz, I built a similar unit for doing toad wiring setups, complete with a "master" backboard that had a full set of lights and load cell for an electric brake control so that it could be plugged into the trailer connector and then observed from the seat of the vehicle without an assistant to call out "ok" or "scruud" when testing electrical hookups.
So this is an initial effort to organize this stuff in a usable format.
The cart is one of those cheeepazz rollers found at harbor freight or pepo'shuckadvanzone. With a knocked together shelf added which could have been much nicer but was done in about five minutes seven years ago outta scrap sheathing.
Whatcha got here is a 12vdc/5a filtered power supply for firing light loads, and a 12vdc battery complete with charger that is easily removed. That stuff is used to power up anything needed inna bench-test mode.
Then ya see a 40 year old+ snap on ignition coil tester that can be used for any inductive ignition coil, either battery-powered or magneto. To complete that suite izza el cheepo dvom.
Then ya got a sun instruments "vat", that one dates to 1955 and is the grandfather of the far more common and modern sun vat 20 and vat 40 seen in nearly all auto electric shops and garages. Includes a large scale dc voltmeter and ammeter, and a carbon pile load cell for battery testing and loading down charging systems on-vehicle with an appropriate battery hook-up adapter.
That sun vat saw service for years in sam bond's garage (lincoln dealership) in eugene, or, and also several other independent garage employment venues!
The commonly-used hand tools for electrical work are scattered on the cart, along with an assortment of all kinds of fuses, circuit breakers, fuse holders, fusible link repair parts, etc.
The locking cabinet has drawers that contain an assortment of bulbs, flashers, lighting pigtails, etc. Another organizer holds all the ignition coils and related crap I use for training aids here at binder u.
Right now, this unit serves as a handy repository for all the distributors I got in process for rebuild/conversion.
It ain't finished, more wire spool holders will be added, along with another shelf of some sort for organizing all the distributor-related schnizz.
I started this cart back when I was installing the electrical system infrastructure here for the shophouse. Made it real handy for moving schnizz around when drilling framing, setting components and such. Once that was done, it was converted to a "low voltage" bench and used for rough-in of the satellite and lan system.
Then it became a repository for crap once I completed the dawghauler electrical system.
I'm tired of spending way too much time looking for schnizz that I can't remember where I stuffed. Usually it's easier to just go git more stuff for individual projects...which simply adds stuff to an accumulating pile of stuff I can't find.
Years ago when I was in the trailer/rv/towing products bizz, I built a similar unit for doing toad wiring setups, complete with a "master" backboard that had a full set of lights and load cell for an electric brake control so that it could be plugged into the trailer connector and then observed from the seat of the vehicle without an assistant to call out "ok" or "scruud" when testing electrical hookups.
So this is an initial effort to organize this stuff in a usable format.
The cart is one of those cheeepazz rollers found at harbor freight or pepo'shuckadvanzone. With a knocked together shelf added which could have been much nicer but was done in about five minutes seven years ago outta scrap sheathing.
Whatcha got here is a 12vdc/5a filtered power supply for firing light loads, and a 12vdc battery complete with charger that is easily removed. That stuff is used to power up anything needed inna bench-test mode.
Then ya see a 40 year old+ snap on ignition coil tester that can be used for any inductive ignition coil, either battery-powered or magneto. To complete that suite izza el cheepo dvom.
Then ya got a sun instruments "vat", that one dates to 1955 and is the grandfather of the far more common and modern sun vat 20 and vat 40 seen in nearly all auto electric shops and garages. Includes a large scale dc voltmeter and ammeter, and a carbon pile load cell for battery testing and loading down charging systems on-vehicle with an appropriate battery hook-up adapter.
That sun vat saw service for years in sam bond's garage (lincoln dealership) in eugene, or, and also several other independent garage employment venues!
The commonly-used hand tools for electrical work are scattered on the cart, along with an assortment of all kinds of fuses, circuit breakers, fuse holders, fusible link repair parts, etc.
The locking cabinet has drawers that contain an assortment of bulbs, flashers, lighting pigtails, etc. Another organizer holds all the ignition coils and related crap I use for training aids here at binder u.
Right now, this unit serves as a handy repository for all the distributors I got in process for rebuild/conversion.
It ain't finished, more wire spool holders will be added, along with another shelf of some sort for organizing all the distributor-related schnizz.
Attachments
Michael Mayben
IHPA Tech Moderator - Retired & No Longer Online
Here's the azzend of the bench, all test leads are hanging conveniently, and a connection point is rigged for the battery. The battery is set up for quick change-out and the footstool/toolbox also serves as a mount point to set any battery that needs to go on the charger.
I also plan to add a "mount" for holding a distributor once it's completed...and an appropriate electric motor for spinning it, that way it can be quickly connected to the "electrical system inna box" (the dewalt pod) and all functionality tested under a nominal load, something like a ghetto-version distributor machine, complete with a mounted dwell meter.
I also plan to add a "mount" for holding a distributor once it's completed...and an appropriate electric motor for spinning it, that way it can be quickly connected to the "electrical system inna box" (the dewalt pod) and all functionality tested under a nominal load, something like a ghetto-version distributor machine, complete with a mounted dwell meter.
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holokaibrown
New member
Dammn! That looks good. I won't post a pic of my garage because you'd probably have to ban me due to the level of mess....
Michael Mayben
IHPA Tech Moderator - Retired & No Longer Online
You gotta garage now??? Man that is an improvement over working out on the street or down on tha beach!
Good ta hear from ya, ya need to come around more often!
holokaibrown
New member
Haha! No doubt! It's only a garage in the loosest sense of the word, more like a dirt floored carriage house that couldn't fit a Scout for a million bucks.
I got some engine work I've been meaning to get to for the last year or so..
I'll get a thread started next month and we'll get her goin! Hopefully the surf will die down at some point this winter so I get some doggone work done.
I got some engine work I've been meaning to get to for the last year or so..
I'll get a thread started next month and we'll get her goin! Hopefully the surf will die down at some point this winter so I get some doggone work done.