AR-15/M4/Firearm Workbench Picture/Info Thread

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In my quest to get organised for 2010, my primary objective is to remove all the items that have been residing in my floor, or stuffed into a closet, and put together some semblance of structure.

I'm also trying to get some ideas for how a proper maintenance station is organised. Something for working on, building, and maintaining your weapons.

Anyone have a dedicated setup in their man cave for this sort of thing?

Break out some pics!

Mine in various stages: (Nowhere close to finished)

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5326/gatp.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/5451/viceq.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/8041/benchc.jpg

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4452/vicey.jpg

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2655/shoplight.jpg

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9099/glockjf.jpg

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/4508/sr5561.jpg

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5606/sr5562.jpg

[brit]

been lurking awhile, I think this might actually be my first post.

Here's my bench...

http://turboninjas.com/gallery/d/48955-1/workbench.jpg

description I posted on another forum:

I actually got lucky on this one, all I had to do was make a base for an existing work bench top. This top had been sitting in the garage in the house I grew up in. My mom rents it out now, and it had been awhile since I had been in the garage. So, I saw it, took it, then called to ask if I could take it.

The base is various cedar 2x's and treated 4x4's from a $10 cull pack I bought from Lowes. Size of the top is 7' x 3.5'

The guy who owned the house before I bought it did a lot of reloading in the garage, so in the bottom left, you can see an section of tubing that serves as an inlet for a portable A/C unit that he cranked up to combat the summer heat. He was nice enough to leave it with me.

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Nice setup.

A mini-fridge stocked with Breckenridge Agave Wheat is on the must-do list for my cave.

I really like that tabletop.

[Quib]

My workbench/shop area is really nothing to show off. It’s not set up specifically to work on weapons, but serves as a work area for everything from weapons to wood working/home projects to automobile work.

[Army Chief]

Once I finally get to a point where I'm not relocating every year or two (or, as is the case right now, every nine months), one of the first things I intend to do is set up a proper industrial-grade workspace ... and then find some things that need to be worked on. ;)

There are a number of good ideas in evidence here already, and I'm interested to see where the thread might progress.

AC

[tac40]

Now if I can just clean up my garage ; (

[Quib]

Once I finally get to a point where I'm not relocating every year or two (or, as is the case right now, every nine months), one of the first things I intend to do is set up a proper industrial-grade workspace ... and then find some things that need to be worked on. ;)

There are a number of good ideas in evidence here already, and I'm interested to see where the thread might progress.

AC

I can relate to that! [:)]

Bouncing back n’ forth between the US and Germany, and constantly living in apartments, it wasn’t until a few years ago that purchasing a house and settling down, I was finally able to have the shop and garage space I longed for for years.

[Army Chief]

For those who may have an interest in expanding upon the topic, there is a omplementary discussion on AR-15 spare parts storage, located here (http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum/showthread.php?p=18730).

AC

[Army Chief]

Bouncing back n’ forth between the US and Germany, and constantly living in apartments, it wasn’t until a few years ago that purchasing a house and settling down, I was finally able to have the shop and garage space I longed for for years.

This sort of goes along with our sidebar discussion the other day on keeping an inventory of components on hand for reconfiguring carbines, building up new ones or just generally conducting effective T&Es. A lot of guys try to build a "test sled" of sorts for hanging evaluation gear on, but I can't see making the outlay on a cheap clone, and once I've made the investment in a top tier weapon, I'm not always comfortable with breaking it down for testbed purposes.

Eventually, I'm sure we all find some happy middle ground, but your comment about bouncing back and forth between the US and Germany got me to thinking about this, because I was doing much the same thing, and in that case, the ARs couldn't even be imported/reimported across borders because of changes in German law. I was often up to my neck in USGI M-4s, of course, but nowhere near the civil/LE side of the industry.

To get back on topic, my objective in this instance is to find the right balance between inventory and tooling, workspace and storage capacity, and optimization and versatility. I'm also interested in what we see as the crossover between our work area(s) and our storage/security areas? We're obviously not going to want to store weapons, ammunition or valuable components in the typical garage, and yet, if we set up our workbenches in the house (i.e. basement or spare room), then they are less immediately useful for other projects like home improvement or auto maintenance. I'm interested in thoughts along these lines, and why some of you made the decisions that you did when setting up a workspace.

AC

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I can relate to that! [:)]... I was finally able to have the shop and garage space I longed for for years.

This is what's motivated me. There's something inherently foul about having to do maintenance on the floor, and using needle-nosed pliers to hold a hex key that's too short to reach, while loosing the selector detent spring amidst a pile of firearms-related rubble. Or spilling super-glue on the kitchen counter top trying to attach a tape switch to something that probably shouldn't have a tape switch attached to it.

Workspaces are nice.



To get back on topic, my objective in this instance is to find the right balance between inventory and tooling, workspace and storage capacity, and optimization and versatility. I'm also interested in what we see as the crossover between our work area(s) and our storage/security areas? We're obviously not going to want to store weapons, ammunition or valuable components in the typical garage, and yet, if we set up our workbenches in the house (i.e. basement or spare room), then they are less immediately useful for other projects like home improvement or auto maintenance. I'm interested in thoughts along these lines, and why some of you made the decisions that you did when setting up a workspace.

AC

In my situation, the workspace resides in the garage, along with my peripheral shooting gear (haven't taken any photos since it was finished)

Began life as a military wall locker:

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/987/locker1.jpg

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5017/locker2.jpg

Then all rust brushed off, and painted:

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1700/89794154.jpg

The initial attempt at organisation:

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/3964/organisationy.jpg

I haven't updated the photos, but once I wrap up my man-cave I probably will do a thread on that topic...could be a while.

The wall locker is setup to house my earpro, eyepro, spare batteries for weaponlights, any "field attire", boots, NOD, all my spare AR mags, and other various field-use widgetry.

I've installed hooks in the ceiling where all my nylon items, vests, BOBs, belts, etc. are dangling from.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/9665/bugout.jpg

I'm in the process of building some shelving to store all my various backpacking/hiking/grid-down supplies (spare butane canisters, etc.) which I've made boxes and homemade stencils for (I had way too much time on my hands)

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8935/jetboil.jpg

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5302/fuel.jpg

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5418/matches.jpg

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2417/candles1f.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/2382/candles2.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/2881/flares.jpg

Since the wife and I bought our first house in May of last year, I finally have been given the opportunity to organise.

I plan on building a second workspace for general laborious chores, but right now my goal is to finish up a bench, configured exclusively for working on and maintaining my kit. I don't see it as a necessity, but if I set it up this way, I think it will make my firearm-related life easier, as well as motivate me to clean/inspect with a higher frequency.

Roughly 1/3 of the pegboard behind my bench is devoted solely for cleaning-related tools and supplies, and the other 2/3 is being dedicated for hand tools.

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/121/benchg.jpg

I'm trying to figure out how I will move ammunition and "hardware" into the garage space and feel good about its safety. I've considered heavy-gauge steel cabling, and bolting it to the floor, through the ammunition cans. I figure if someone wants my stuff badly enough, they'll get it. I'm brainstorming on ideas to make it a big enough PITA to dissuade and/or impede them.

[modmycara4]

Once I finally get to a point where I'm not relocating every year or two (or, as is the case right now, every nine months), one of the first things I intend to do is set up a proper industrial-grade workspace ... and then find some things that need to be worked on. ;)

There are a number of good ideas in evidence here already, and I'm interested to see where the thread might progress.

AC

in the same boat here. luckily with this apartment I have a small garage with a tiny black & decker workbench. so we'll see how it holds up with a decent size vise

look forward to the day I can buy a house and not have to move anymore