Orgainizing Your Workspace (56K warning)

[kurtlives]

Hi there guys. This is my contribution to the forum. I always seeing people asking about how organize their stuff and since I am a fairly organized guy I thought Id share how I do it.

Ill show you how when I get stuff like this in I keep it all organized...



First off here is my workbench. I find the key to organization is space. Its hard to be organized when your cramped. I built the bench then covered it with some neat foam stuff. Taped to the wall you can see a list of about 100 pedals that I want/need to build.


I like to use lots of storage boxes. I get them from Ikea and Canadian Tire they are cheap and great for storing components.

This is the first storage compartment. I like to use these guys for storing common value components or parts I have a lot of. Labelling each little drawer is key. On a side note I love that vintage style cloth wire, solid core is so easy to work with.


Here's the second storage box. The top is full of resistors. The bottom is amp building supplies, switches, jacks knobs and more.


Moving onto the middle of the bench...Here is another storage box. I keep uncommon resistors, caps in here. I also put my semiconductors, hardware (DC jacks, nuts etc), wire and pots in the drawers. Please ignore the funny scribbles, I was very young and had a rock/shell collection. I keep all components that are the same in little plastic baggies that are labelled. I use the ones Steve from Smallbear sends me mainly. This is not only keeps things tidy but it is also eco friendly. Beside the big box is a smaller box. This box also for resistors but for 30K and above, the other one is for below 30K. This makes it easy to find a resistor. Its either a common value and in the big storage containers or its in the + or - 30K box.




Now this is very helpful for me. A stock-list. I am constantly referring to this. It tells me what resistors and caps I have and in what value, material and wattage. I always know when I am running low. With it I don't have to go through tons of resistors to find out I don't have a 3.9K resistors.


Over here we got lots of circuits that need boxing up/testing/tweaking. The enclosure beside them are eagerly awaiting some circuits.


Another useful organization tool and only $10 at Ikia...Bargin! With this paper holder ma bob  I don't have papers scattered all over the place. At the top there you can see a big plastic bag filled with smaller bags. Of course all the bags inside are sorted by size. I keep all the baggies I get with orders in there, they are great for keeping parts together and shipping parts.


Always good to know where your tools are. The other drawers are filled with transformers and tubes and a random crap drawer.


I like to keep all my bread-boarding stuff together. Inside that box I have 2 more boards and lots of hookup wire. Behind it is random stuff, ya.


To keep the carpet clean I have a drill press in another basement room that dosent have carpet. Much eaiser to clean up metal shavings there rather then in a thick carpet.

And that's how I keep things organized. It might seem like a giant pain to sort through all your stuff but it saves you lots of time when your actually building. Hoped that helped some of you out.

Chris

[iaresee]

Nice Chris. Thanks for posting those pics. I dream of the day I can have a permanent space for my hobbies. For now it's the kitchen table.

[Paul Marossy]

I have a similar system, but my workspace is only 48"x24". I've built bunches of pedals and even three tube amps on that little workbench. The key to using a small area like that is really just being organized.

My workbench is now sharing a small corner in my studio:

[tehfunk]

that is just beautiful for so many reasons. the organization, AND the parts. eventhough I am still just building a couple of pedals, I don't think I'll ever really stock parts; currently I only buy what I need.
lol, how many tropical fish do you have??

[tiges_ tendres]

I like the fact that you had good rocks and bad rocks in that one drawer.  But now the "rock" can come out of any drawer!  I suppose it depends on what you are making.

[kurtlives]

that is just beautiful for so many reasons. the organization, AND the parts. eventhough I am still just building a couple of pedals, I don't think I'll ever really stock parts; currently I only buy what I need.
lol, how many tropical fish do you have??

I got probbly 200 or so 0.022mF and 0.033mF TF and a few other odd ones. Most of "mine" are going in Dragonfly's pedals.

It seems like a lot of stuff but its really not. I buy in bulk and look for the deals.

[letsgocoyote]

Very cool.  I think its funny cuz I recognize some of the parts in your pictures that you bougt from me



I wanna see mroe workspace pictures!

Here is mine, taken a couple days ago

[loss1234]

is there a company online to order all the little drawers from?
i havent seen them in any local stores

thanks

great post!!! i need major help in this area

[Solidhex]

Yeah

  Thanks for this thread. I should start one with pics showing how disorganized you can get your workspace. Any recommendations on cheap desks?

--Brad

[letsgocoyote]

i got my parts drawers at target.

look at thrift stores for cheap desks although i built mine

[Skydog]

I saw the subject of this thread and said, YES! 56k is the name of my problem! I didn't realize until later that you meant the modem speed. Yes, I have a 56k resistor problem so I will just put it here rather than starting a whole new thread, and see how my luck goes.

First, I'd like to say that the thread is amazing. I love looking at all of your shops and organization. I'm a newbie and working at the living room table! This also my first post, so please be gentle. Maybe one of you can help answer my (simple) problem:

I'm doing a Tubescreamer mod I found online. It is for the TS10 and two extra 56k resistors are called for, besides the other two that remain. However, I'm getting my parts from Radioshack and they don't carry 56k anything! So the guy there says I can add a 47k and 10k together in series to get 57k! Great! But there's already two other 56k resistors that are staying. He says that the 1k difference each should be well-compensated for by the 5% tolerance rating. Can someone here back him up?

If I can get confirmation that I'm not going to ruin the pedal by doing this, I can be tube-screaming tonight!

Thanks for helping a first timer! I really respect you guys that know this stuff inside and out.

Skydog

[kurtlives]

Putting a 47K and 10K together is absolutley fine. He is right about the 5% tolerance.

Welcome

[Skydog]

Thanks for the kind welcome.

I completed everything but that and couldn't wait to try it out. Amazing, amazing difference! I think I'm hooked on modding pedals. Oh snap.

[cheeb]

I got my parts drawer thingy at Lowe's. Cigar boxes are also your friend.

[tiges_ tendres]

I saw the subject of this thread and said, YES! 56k is the name of my problem! I didn't realize until later that you meant the modem speed. Yes, I have a 56k resistor problem so I will just put it here rather than starting a whole new thread, and see how my luck goes.

First, I'd like to say that the thread is amazing. I love looking at all of your shops and organization. I'm a newbie and working at the living room table! This also my first post, so please be gentle. Maybe one of you can help answer my (simple) problem:

I'm doing a Tubescreamer mod I found online. It is for the TS10 and two extra 56k resistors are called for, besides the other two that remain. However, I'm getting my parts from Radioshack and they don't carry 56k anything! So the guy there says I can add a 47k and 10k together in series to get 57k! Great! But there's already two other 56k resistors that are staying. He says that the 1k difference each should be well-compensated for by the 5% tolerance rating. Can someone here back him up?

If I can get confirmation that I'm not going to ruin the pedal by doing this, I can be tube-screaming tonight!

Thanks for helping a first timer! I really respect you guys that know this stuff inside and out.

Skydog

Yep, the guy at radio shack was right!     Could this guy be the last of his kind?  working at a shack in some distant town where cell phones arent the top seller?

Sorry, we are all a bit jaded with radio shack.  No one really knows what they are doing in most of them.  It looks like you are lucky enough to be one of the last few guys to get that kind of advice!   

[B Tremblay]

"Not the best rocks" 

[demonstar]

Yep, the guy at radio shack was right!     Could this guy be the last of his kind?  working at a shack in some distant town where cell phones arent the top seller?

Maybe the revolution is coming; all part of the new 'Golden Age' of pedals. 

I'll tell you what though, I'm jealous of all you guys that can have a special place for doing electronics. I have to use the kitchen table and tidy up straight after doing it. I've only just been allowed to solder in the house. Before I could only do it in the garden or garage. I do however have small desk for recording my music etc. so it's not too bad.

I don't have enough parts to need a system yet but I fear the time is nearing (Secretly I'm kind of desperately trying to get to the point where I have enough parts to file them because that means I've got loads.) Currently everything is just in little bags. I only recently went from having everything thrown in a cardboard box to using a portable unit of plastic drawers keeping resistors in one draw, caps in another and one for semiconductors.

One other comment I was looking at Dragonfly's mojo gallery and that is awesome. I think components is just one of them things where you can never have enough. Kind of like guitars. 

[idlechatterbox]

  Thanks for this thread. I should start one with pics showing how disorganized you can get your workspace.

[JimRayden]

That last pic is pretty much my way of pedalling. With a usual breadboard instead of the fancy test rig.

---------
Jimbo

[Processaurus]

"Not the best rocks" 

Glad someone else thinks that is soo very.  Kids can be pretty amazing...