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A Hobbyist's Electronics Lab — Parallax Forums

A Hobbyist's Electronics Lab

ALIBEALIBE Posts: 299
edited 2006-12-02 16:16 in General Discussion
Hello folks,
apologize if this is not the right forum for this sort of a question. Please direct if so.


I am looking to repurposing some of the open space in my basement for setting up my hobby electronics lab.·I have a few tools (and more) that I use in my hobby work. However, when it comes to how to structure or placement·of the workarea, I have no clue whatsoevr. Although, needs and wants of different hobbysists differ in wide range of spectrum, I have a feeling that there's a "good practice" or "good starting plan" of placing the various components in a hobbyist's lab.

I am seeking some advice from thoe in this forum who have a dedicated place in their homes for their hobby workspace. If someone can share some pictures of their setup, that will be greatly appreciated. Or, links to the sites that talk to this topic.

any pointers would be great.

Appreciate your input and feedback

Thanks much

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"any small object, accidentally dropped, goes and hides behind a larger object."


ALIBE - Artificial LIfe BEing. In search of building autonoumous land robot
http://ALIBE.crosscity.com/
·

Comments

  • Steve JoblinSteve Joblin Posts: 784
    edited 2006-10-28 01:05
    I used to own my own business that focused on garage and workshop organization and storage systems, so this is one topic I know a lot about!· If you send me a layout of your space and the types of tools you have, I can work with you on a specific layout to meet your needs...

    In general, you want create 5 "zones" that focus on tools; supplies; workstations (drill press, table saw, band saw, compressor tanks, etc.); clean area; and dirty area.

    I like to have two work surfaces... one that I don't mind getting dirty, messy, and possibly damaged; and one that should be clean and empty for precise clean work (like soldering circuit boards, small parts assembly, etc.)

    One key element that you absolutely should carefully plan out is lighting... it is amazing how easy it is to mount a light in a spot that creates shadows where you don't want them!· Lighting is key!

    Send my a layout of your area, the types of equipment you have (or plan to have), and the types of tools that you have (or plan to have)... I can mock up a few ideas for you.
  • ALIBEALIBE Posts: 299
    edited 2006-10-28 01:27
    Steve,
    thanks for your offer to help and advise.· The space is essentialy unfinished portion of the basement - which is perfect for dungeon style workshop. Measures ~ 10' x 8' space.·

    these tools:

    an oscilloscope, power supply, laptop, 5 of those plastic slide-drawers to stow components, vintage portable TV/Radio to keep me syncd up w/ daily news over weekends while I'm working, a buncha rolls of wires, soldering station, pliers, screwdrivers, drill and bits,·3 rolling rubbermaid 3-cabinets of spare parts, power-chord extender to serve up at least 20 connections, need a place to sketch up paper design, a few electronics books, and a few usual scrap tools that we all love to keep around.

    After I posted this thread, I found this prod at this url: http://www.listaintl.com/files/align.htm

    Looks like the prod is very modular and the workspace can be customized to larger lengthsalign2.jpg.

    thanks again








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    "any small object, accidentally dropped, goes and hides behind a larger object."


    ALIBE - Artificial LIfe BEing. In search of building autonoumous land robot
    http://ALIBE.crosscity.com/
    ·
  • metron9metron9 Posts: 1,100
    edited 2006-10-28 03:10
    Don't forget

    Fire Extinguisher
    Smoke Detector
    Book Shelf
    File Cabinet
    Dual monitors (one for PDF files who wants to print that much paper!)

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    Think outside the BOX!
  • ALIBEALIBE Posts: 299
    edited 2006-10-28 03:17
    absolutely. I got my dual displays that needs to be factored in

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    "any small object, accidentally dropped, goes and hides behind a larger object."


    ALIBE - Artificial LIfe BEing. In search of building autonoumous land robot
    http://ALIBE.crosscity.com/
    ·
  • JW SmytheJW Smythe Posts: 12
    edited 2006-10-28 05:37
    A planned work space? Wow. [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    My "work bench" consists of two saw horses with a small piece of plywood on top. Parts are stacked on and under it. My o'scope is on an old shipping box in my office with the computer. My major layout area is the floor of my porch (better for magic smoke leakage problems).

    On a fairly regular basis, my girlfriend says "You're not going to leave all of that there, are you?!?!"

    It's all in the way I work though. I move things around as needed. I use to attempt something resembling organization, but when I worked in a PC store, I always found that wires got twisted up insanely, spread thin, and things were never where I needed them anyways. The worst was always missing screwdrivers. Oh ya, it's in my pocket, so I wouldn't loose it under all the parts. [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    I eventually gave up, and do things on an as-needed basis. Ok, today I need the o'scope, VOM, a roll of wire, and all these parts. Shove everything else into a pile, and get to work. If you look too organized, people don't think you know what you're doing.

    Is that why people look at everything I do as if I'm a mad scientist? [noparse]:)[/noparse] At least I (almost) always get the right results.
  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2006-10-28 12:12
    I picked up a desk similar to that from IKEA. It was a computer desk that you could get extra "out-riggers" for your CPU, Printer, CD rack..etc...
    The desk was very rigid and offered a nice wide open space....I didn't bother with the outriggers....

    It's a nice start, but in the end it all depends on what you're working on!
    If you have test equipment...it's nice to have them at hand, but out of the way! I'm trying to fish together a bracket that will allow me to mount my function generator/oscilloscope/DMM under my overhead shelf and give me some hangers to hang the test leads on.

    It's a nice table top and I don't want to kill the finish, so I actually use the keyboard tray when soldering! Monitors off to the side, but I would've liked to have one of those monitor 'arm' stands.

    Anyhow, I keep my "dirty" stuff in the garage.
    I've put those "plastic sort bins" on my christmas list!

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    ·

    Steve

    "Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2006-10-28 13:30
    ALIBE, that workstation must cost a bloody fortune.

    How about "ESD" flooring?·

    What will the V-P and the share-holders say?
  • ALIBEALIBE Posts: 299
    edited 2006-10-28 13:48
    Steve, would you be able to share the IKEA prod link by any chance.
    PJ, I have not looked into what the price is of this workstation - working on that.

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    "any small object, accidentally dropped, goes and hides behind a larger object."


    ALIBE - Artificial LIfe BEing. In search of building autonoumous land robot
    http://ALIBE.crosscity.com/
    ·
  • Steve JoblinSteve Joblin Posts: 784
    edited 2006-10-28 22:00
    Yes, Lista is pro-grade stuff!· Very good, but very expensive!·It may be a bit too over-engineered for the hobbyist... remember, you are not going to be doing the same specific task over and over... you will want something a bit more "open"... Take note of your kitchen design for example... it is laid out for cooking, baking, preparation, and serving.· note how you have cabinets and drawers below and cabinets above... check out the attached for examples and inspiration... they are made by a company called Mitchell Garage Cabinet Systems... they are strong, sturdy, but also competitively priced!· Check out www.mitchellgcs.com
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2006-10-29 04:36
    Ikea Jerker Desk

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    - Rick
  • ALIBEALIBE Posts: 299
    edited 2006-10-29 13:01
    Steve, Rick;
    thanks both for the links. I did not know that Lista are expensive.

    Mitchell's look very modular and comprehensive - from browsing thru their site, I did not find a working standalone desk - I see they have one against the other cabinets and walls - sort of similar to kitchen-desk. I will keep that in mind when we decided to remodel our garage (it definitely has a need for a makover.

    The IKEA desk looks robust and extensible and seems like it will get me started. I will visit the local store and see what additional things are available that can be added to this desk - like shelves, side mounts, etc.

    I will post a few pics once I have completed this small side project

    thanks again

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    "any small object, accidentally dropped, goes and hides behind a larger object."


    ALIBE - Artificial LIfe BEing. In search of building autonoumous land robot
    http://ALIBE.crosscity.com/
    ·
  • parskoparsko Posts: 501
    edited 2006-11-03 17:01
    Alibe,

    You may have noticed this from the Prop forum. When I saw the pic, I thought about how nice it would be to set mine up the same way. Andre's workstation:

    attachment.php?attachmentid=42551

    I can only imagine what the rest looks like...

    I, too, have thought the exact same thing, how do I set up my workplace. Unfortunately, I am in temp housing until I am back in the states next year, so I can't quite set things up the way I want to. Plus, I also have my lady using the space occationally. Luckily, she is completely sweet about me doing this electronics stuff (sure beats having a boyfriend who's hobby is drinking in a bar!!!), so she doesn't complain about the messy space.

    It is nice to start fresh, as you are. Best luck, post pics, I'm interested.

    -Parsko

    BTW- I went to Ikea here and bought a standard issue desk/table with adjustable legs. It is nearly perfect other than it being a bit small, if you choose to do an Andre like setup...

    NOTE: not sure how to resize Andre's picture so the screen isn't so inconveniently stretched...

    PPPS- Dual screen all the way baby. I just did it about 2 months ago, bought a 17" CRT for $12 to sit next to my flat screen. WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!!!!
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2006-11-03 22:03
    I assembled my lab in a closet [noparse]:)[/noparse] A cheap table from the office supply store and some shelves from Home Depot was all it took.
    I have my old computer in there, an Athlon XP1900, with an ethernet cable to the router for internet. I had to get a 20 foot 3 wire
    extension cord to get power in there. The closet is about 5 ft by 8 ft, so not too cramped. My scope is actually hanging from the
    wire shelf above.

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    - Rick
    workshop.jpg
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  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2006-11-04 01:53
    Rick,
    Cool. I see Forest M Mimms notebooks in there... I love them too.

    Bean.

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    Cheap used 4-digit LED display with driver IC·www.hc4led.com

    Low power SD Data Logger www.sddatalogger.com
    SX-Video Display Modules www.sxvm.com

    "People who are willing to trade their freedom for·security deserve neither and will lose both." Benjamin Franklin
    ·
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2006-11-04 13:50
    I couldn't do without my Engineer's Mini-Notebooks, they're right next to my Parallax manuals.
    It's a shame they're so old and yellowed. I need to buy a set of the newer editions.
    I have several more Forrest Mims books stored elsewhere. The project
    currently on my bench is a frequency counter out of one of them.

    "Getting Started in Electronics" is the best beginner electronics book I have ever seen.

    fyi parsko - look for a program called Paint Shop Pro, older semi-free versions should be
    available for download (version 3 or 4) somewhere. It will let you do just about anything
    to graphics files.

    edit: ah, maybe the picture is just a link to the original, nothing you can do about that probably
    unless the board software supports height=" " and width=" " tags?

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    - Rick

    Post Edited (RDL2004) : 11/4/2006 2:00:19 PM GMT
  • ALIBEALIBE Posts: 299
    edited 2006-11-21 01:46
    I have finally assembled my workspace yesterday. Pics soon to be posted. Nothing showcaseable, only shareable [noparse]:)[/noparse]

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    "any small object, accidentally dropped, goes and hides behind a larger object."


    ALIBE - Artificial LIfe BEing. In search of building autonoumous land robot
    http://ALIBE.crosscity.com/
    ·
  • Dennis FerronDennis Ferron Posts: 480
    edited 2006-11-25 20:19
    Here's where I work on hobbies. It's a workbench I designed and built myself. 2x4's for legs, 3/4 inch plywood table surfaced reinforced by 2x4's underneath, half-inch bolts holding it together. This thing's built like a piece of playground equipment. It can hold a thousand pounds without creaking and disassembles into modular pieces for easy transportation. Built in lights and power strips. In these pictures I was using it for engine work (that's 2 VW Beetle engines on it, plus a reverse electrolysis tank (the red bucket) and an arc welder (on the top shelf in the first pic, not visible)). Bear in mind this is in a college dorm room. At one point the table had its own ventilation system. When my fiancee saw it for the first time she said "I don't know whether to laugh or cry, so I'm going to do both at the same time!"

    I've since repurposed the table back to an electronics/robotics workbench. Now it has an oscilloscope and lots of electronics on it. The rebuilt VW engine is back in the VW.

    I keep all of my junk box parts in towering stacks of storage bins at the other side of the room.

    Edit: No, I wasn't welding in my dorm room. I was using the welder as a power supply, duh.

    Post Edited (Dennis Ferron) : 11/25/2006 8:27:03 PM GMT
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    storage.jpg
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  • ALIBEALIBE Posts: 299
    edited 2006-12-02 16:16
    I have finally gotten around taking a few pictures of my electronics workspace/workbench. Added a few notes from my experience coming up w/ the layout - nothing fancy - just another way to layout workspaces/workbenches.

    Can be found here: http://aliben.wordpress.com/2006/12/02/an-electronics-hobbysits-workspace/

    All comments and feedback are welcome

    ciao

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    "any small object, accidentally dropped, goes and hides behind a larger object."


    ALIBE - Artificial LIfe BEing. In search of building autonoumous land robot
    http://ALIBE.crosscity.com/
    ·
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