REVIEW: IKEA Micke Desks, and the Hobby Zone SDM3b Professional Paint Station

I thought I'd talk a little about my new painting area.

I wanted a fairly compact setup that would still allow me the ability to do my best work.  So I went to Ikea and got a "Micke" desk for about $50.  The desktop is 20x29 inches and it has a full-length drawer underneath.

It's a pretty good size to place right under a window, to allow you the largest amount of natural sunlight for painting.  However, I also wanted some space to store boxes of models and other materials, so I later purchased a drawer unit in the same style.  Its top is the same level as the desk and it cost me $60.

In retrospect, I should have gone with the larger Micke desk for $80 and then I'd have a consistent surface for larger work and no need for the drawer unit.  Live and learn.

This is the kind of desk I built for my girlfriend.  I should have gotten the same kind for myself.

These desks were easy to assemble - it took me about 45 minutes for the larger one and about 30 minutes to put my small one together,  You have the option of putting the cabinet part/open leg on either side.  For the larger desk, there's a hutch available for $40.  It's very handy (if you are not right in front of a window, of course).  Someplace to display your finished work or keep other needed things at hand.

 I also got a couple of inexpensive desk pads to protect from scratches and spills - they're durable clear plastic and sized to fit the desktop.  It's easier to replace a $6 desk protector than a $50-80 desk, don't you agree?

My main problem with these desks is that they do not have an edge that you can use to clamp on a work lamp.  So I need to place my table-top lamp on the side cabinet.  It's a fairly big adjustable lamp with a heavy base about 7 inches across - but the LED bulb in it is so heavy that the lamp isn't as stable as I'd like.  I use a bulb that puts out 1250 lumens at a color temperature of 5000K - almost exactly like natural daylight, but it weighs over a pound.  Make sure your lamp can support something like that, and you'll have he best possible workspace lighting you could need!

I also wanted something that would allow me to keep my most frequently used paints at hand, as well as my brushes.  So I bought a  Hobby Zone SDM3b Professional Paint Station on eBay for $55.  It's 24x16 inches and is made of MDF fiberboard.  It shipped in a flat package and required assembly with wood glue and masking tape.  Assembly was easy and fairly quick (aside from the time needed for the glue to dry).  If you can build models, you can aseemble this thing.  The slots are 36mm wide and can accomodate the Citadel paint pots.  It's got room for about 50 Citadel pots, or probably 60 of the P3 jars.  There is a model available if you use the AV dropper bottles - it's called the SDM3s and it has 26mm slots.  The paint station also has holes for 20 brushes and a couple very large holes for things like glue bottles or a small water pot.  The small "wings" on either side are detachable and can be used for setting aside models to dry.

It's already saved my desktop from one spill and the nice thing about it is, you could pick the whole thing up and move it without disturbing anything.

So, that's a little about my work area.  It's not 100% ideal but realistically, few of us have the space or expense to set up the perfect work space - especially those of us with spouses or girlfriends who have input into how much room our hobby occupies.

There are advantages to my setup - it alleviates the need to paint at the kitchen table (no longer allowed with a brand new table!) or at my computer desk.  However, it's sitting directly perpendicular to my computer desk, so I can just swivel to the right to paint.  That also allows me to view a YouTube video or listen to music while I am working.

I hope you find the product reviews useful - I encourage you to check out the paint station, and maybe I have given you some ideas about setups that are economical in space and money.