Orgainizing Your Workspace (56K warning)

[demonstar]

Both of those paintings were done by a local artist here in Upper Michigan back in the late 70's.  They were left at the house when we bought it.  There are actually 6 or 7 similar scenes.

Cool! This was the painter I was thinking off but obviously not related....

"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross"

Anyway back to the workspaces...

[bassmasta17]

bob ross was who i was thinking of. He has his shows still on on PBS.

[frequencycentral]

Here's a few shots of 'Castle Analogue'. This is my recording area and breadboarding space (on the lid of my baby grand!). I do all my actual building and store most of my parts in a little cupboard which is very tiny and very messy.......there is no way I'll ever post a photo of that space.  

[Paul Marossy]

Here's a few shots of 'Castle Analogue'. This is my recording area and breadboarding space (on the lid of my baby grand!). I do all my actual building and store most of my parts in a little cupboard which is very tiny and very messy.......there is no way I'll ever post a photo of that space.  

Haw, the lid of your baby grand is where you build stuff?! You have some nice keyboards, BTW.

[frequencycentral]

Haw, the lid of your baby grand is where you build stuff?! You have some nice keyboards, BTW.

Yeah - it's the only wide open space I find! I don't solder there though! That's about half the vintage keyboards you see there - I am a total vintage gear slut.

[larryprune]

Old post, but a good one.  Thought I would show my workspace.   Notice my use of the rotating spice rack as storage.

[kurtlives]

Damn your pics aren't working. 

[elshiftos]

Here's a few shots of 'Castle Analogue'. This is my recording area and breadboarding space (on the lid of my baby grand!). I do all my actual building and store most of my parts in a little cupboard which is very tiny and very messy.......there is no way I'll ever post a photo of that space.  




Is that a DIY EMS Synthi?! 

[frequencycentral]

Is that a DIY EMS Synthi?! 

Yes sir, that's a DIY Synthi A right there, the VCO's are temperature stablised with oscillator sync, 1v/Oct cv input and gate input, sample and hold instead of voltage controlled reverb though.   

[JKowalski]

Just got done cleaning up yesterday. Total mess before, now it's a joy to work on.

Still need to organize my capacitors, then put labels on all of the drawers.



If you're wondering how I have so much test equipment, it's because I got it for free! The oscilloscope I bought used, and the guy (who was quitting electronics) gave me the FG-8002 function generator (bottom one) for free along with it. The function generator on top of it, the giant dual tracking +- 0-30 volt/ single 0-15v power supply, and the 0-60v rack mount power supply on the left were all free too-My dad has a friend who buys lots of random electronic crap and sells it off, and he had amassed so much stuff that he was willing to give alot of it away to clean out his garage! I also got (not pictured) a huge CRT logic analyzer/analog scope, another 0-30V power supply, a little breadboard/function generator/power supply test board, and a bunch of random electronic components.

The huge chunk of power supply in the middle of my desk is unbelievable. It's lab quality, with extremely well regulated outputs, precision adjustment, analog volt/amp meters for each output, tracking positive and negative outputs... And it weighs like 5 tons. I still can't believe he would give something like it away.

[edd29]

Just got done cleaning up yesterday. Total mess before, now it's a joy to work on.

Still need to organize my capacitors, then put labels on all of the drawers.



If you're wondering how I have so much test equipment, it's because I got it for free! The oscilloscope I bought used, and the guy (who was quitting electronics) gave me the FG-8002 function generator (bottom one) for free along with it. The function generator on top of it, the giant dual tracking +- 0-30 volt/ single 0-15v power supply, and the 0-60v rack mount power supply on the left were all free too-My dad has a friend who buys lots of random electronic crap and sells it off, and he had amassed so much stuff that he was willing to give alot of it away to clean out his garage! I also got (not pictured) a huge CRT logic analyzer/analog scope, another 0-30V power supply, a little breadboard/function generator/power supply test board, and a bunch of random electronic components.

The huge chunk of power supply in the middle of my desk is unbelievable. It's lab quality, with extremely well regulated outputs, precision adjustment, analog volt/amp meters for each output, tracking positive and negative outputs... And it weighs like 5 tons. I still can't believe he would give something like it away.

nice and clean work space ! sir  I like your power supply.

[gutsofgold]

Hey, where did you get that work mat from?

[JKowalski]

Hey, where did you get that work mat from?

Fry's electronics. Ten bucks, I think. Makes me feel safer with all the IC's I mess with - in a carpeted room in dry, hot arizona...

[larryprune]

Damn your pics aren't working. 

Sorry Smugmug was having some issues.

[jacobyjd]

Hey, where did you get that work mat from?

Fry's electronics. Ten bucks, I think. Makes me feel safer with all the IC's I mess with - in a carpeted room in dry, hot arizona...

If you're looking for something similar--I use a cutting mat from a sewing supply shop. It's blue with a yellow 1" grid. Doesn't help with ICs, but it makes for a nice spot to work

[earthtonesaudio]

Nice clean workspace Chris!  I'm so jealous of you guys who have entire desks to work on!

[markeebee]

Um, I know this sounds kinda trite, but I organise workspaces for a living.  Factory and lab design, that kind of thing, including workplace furniture and stuff from these guys....

www.sovella.com

If anybody's interested in a workbench or storage or whatever, I can do a deal for forum members so that you only pay factory cost.  UK, US, most of Europe.  It's still not gonna be REALLY cheap, but it's absolute top-of-the-range kit.  I'm not touting for business (honest), more like I'm trying to offer some sort of service to 'new friends'.

It goes without saying, of course, that my own workspace is far more disorganised than any posted so far.  When was the last time you saw a barber with a decent haircut?

[darron]

back when i was working for a tube amp manufacturer:

[andrew_k]

I got fed up with trying to keep parts within arm's reach of my main bench, so I've shuffled it all around so the tools and test equipment are the most convenient thing to access. Really working out well so far.



This bench is high enough that I can sit or stand comfortably while working. The desk to the right has parts drawers on some homemade shelving and there are two shelves to the left full of larger stuff like transformers, chassis etc.

[darron]

most things i actually end up building on my lap anyway lol. once the transformers were mounted on the chassis i'd usually stand for the rest of the work.


good to see you have organizational skills far better than mine andrew! as soon as i develop a way of organising my resistors i'll try to keep up with you (: