A few steps of the new lab / workshop at Plecter Labs

Space created from scratch in the basement in about 6 weeks (evenings and weekends).

I started with this... Single light bulb, dust, concrete, no electricity dispatch. After we moved, I parked ALL my tools here.














I started by reworking the parking zone in october 2008 : floor flattening, paint, lights.

Before, After...



Started at the end of march 2009, the renovation of the lab / workshop space. Floor flattening, paint, electricity, lights, and a wall to separate the workshop and lathe space from the electronic lab.
♦ 20/04/2009  : painting and thermal isolation of the ceiling finished in the lab space. My lathe / mill combo machine should be reinstalled next week. The previous lathe stand I built back in 2006 will be salvaged to get the massive steel legs installed in the new stand made of ikea furniture.
I still have to build up the other side of the workshop, also with ikea kitchen furniture and thick worktop (4x65 cm) but I'll have to modify the main water supply plumbing, install a water filter and a sink. An second hand electric hoven will also be there to dry / cure powder coated parts or regular paint / resins.




♦ 30/04/2009  : The Lathe Strikes Back !


The furniture is being assembled, slowly but surely. Now the lathe is back, I'll be able to salvage the massive steel legs and rebuild a metallic structure to reinforce the lower cupboard on which the lathe stands on. For now, a piece of wood is counter balancing the weight to protect the worktop from bending, just in case. Soldering the legs to build up the new steel structure will be the opportunity to try my new arc welder !
The worshop side facing the lathe is growing too, now I have to workout the plumbing system before I can put more of those cupboards / drawers cabinets etc. That will be after the Cusset Convention (The Force Legacy Con.), I've been invited there.

♦ 22/05/2009  : The Lab is now fully operational, back to concrete props work !
Computer cabinet with NAS server (printer server, audio server, backup...), printer, laminating machine, audio amplifier, network audio streamer and UPS inverter !










The Nightwish poster is also back !


Do you like my levitating glove ? it will soon be converted into a floatting death star (with green laser)
Guess what's on the table ?


We also took the time to upgrade my friend Arkos saber (from CF 2.5 to 4.2 !!)

♦ [update - 05/12/2009]
I don't have any pictures right now but the "clean" side of the lab now has a kitchen oven and a sink.
Finally finished my mobile Powder Coating booth (also a mobile bench). Ikea low cabinets / drawers and the old kitchen top on which my lathe was before. With a lamp to observ the right coating of the powder.




♦ First tests. I'm using the screw driver base of my Warranty Voider Jedi tool. It works but the anodising coat creates troubles on the PC electrostatic process due to the isolating nature of the anodising layer. Powder goes on anyway, perfect for testing the cure in the oven. I'm using some Eastwood Machine Gray here.


♦ Second test using this time a raw aluminium part, it's a mount I use to machine plastique discs for my chassis. Degreased the part with a solvent free aternative from trichloretylene, grounding crocodile clip on the threaded rod and misting the part at an even lower pressure (< 0.5 bar). Much better. This time I'm using satin black.


The piece had chuck marks, but despite of this, the coat is really uniform and thick (gosh this thing is HARD). Next time, testing on real saber parts.
I'm also working on a exhaust system to send outside the PC mist. The powder is so thin it stays in the room too long and I can't weak my mask all day. I'm testing right now using a computer 12v fan, flexible pipe and a removable magnet attachement.