Keeping yourself "Nice" - workbench tidying, storage and management - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2017, 07:08:10 am
content: Find yourself the recipient of comments from S.O. mates or random visitors to your cave about "how do you work in this mess" or "if you cleaned up once in a while you would be able to find it"Not so much for those in squeaky clean cal labs or for those with an OCD complex (clearly neither group would understand) but more for those of us who fight to keep it clean once in a whileDiscuss or Drop some photos here of your bench and racks, storage, jigs and tools to help keep the mess at bay. I want to knowNo discussions of throwing ANYTHING out or SELLING and or BURNING is welcome here

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2017, 07:51:22 am
content: Mmm I searched for workbench threads and it didn't turn up work-bench it seems but it wouldn't cross mine or most peoples minds to search for for a startNot a fan of running parallel threads either but rather than 120 pages of show off your bench and the gear you own which it seems that thread does well. As I stated above this was more about how to keep it clean and show off the good bits of your bench which is the intention, nothing really to do with the gear.Unless it is a gratuitous shot of my fairly new Lindstrom cutters with my bench screwdrivers in their Acrylic holderBut it is about the holder really and how to keep the bench clean and your gear stowed.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2017, 08:16:30 am
content: Is that a coffee machine in arm's reach? And professional alcohol. Not just the kid's stuff.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2017, 09:20:06 am
content: That would be my 'spare' 3grp Izzo Lever coffee machine and GrinderI recently purchased a makeup holder and set of drawers tooGetting in touch with my .......I then broke out the Dremel and cut it to pieces so the vertical bits reached the bench.

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2017, 10:00:08 am
content: To stay on topic:Usually I prefer to clean up the mess I made on my workbench to some extent (rather lowish standard in terms of wife, GF, boss, whatever ...) after finishing some work. The picture may give an idea of what the bench looks like a few days after cleaning up.Too much stuff on the bench make me feel uncomfortable - because there's no space to put something in order to start working with it.A clean desk makes me feel more uncomfortable - because it's sterileSome things like equipment have defined places to sit, other stuff just gets stuffed into all kind of boxes, coarsely sorted by purpose. For example I've got a "power electronics junk box", it contains IGBT modules, DC-Link capacitors and related, a "heat sink" box also containing some enclosures and bigger resistors, a "big mess of cables and wiring" box (actually more than one box), an uC dev board box, ...Smaller components are coarsely sorted into assortment boxes of various kinds (https://www.google.de/search?q=sortierkasten)At my home lab, I've just finished to build new shelves to put all the equipment and parts and junk boxes into, moving stuff from basement to there is in progress.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/whats-your-work-benchlab-look-like-post-some-pictures-of-your-lab/msg1341145/#msg1341145There will be some kind of workbench in front of the shelves.One problem is common to all places I ever had for my workbench (no matter if at home or at work): Electronics stuff is like an ideal gas - it occupies all avaliable space in no time. With one major drawback: It isn't compressible like an ideal gas.

author: noidea
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 14, 2017, 01:15:54 pm
content: Quote from: Mr. Scram on November 14, 2017, 08:16:30 amHey BF are you the same BF that's on a not snobby aussie coffee forum?3 group izzo lever where's the drool emoji! you don't have a spare lever group hanging around that would fit a CMA boiler do you?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2017, 03:57:46 pm
content: The trick is to find a fixed place for everything and throw away whatever is less expensive than the cost of the storage space it needs. I keep every project (hobby or professional) in a tray or container. IKEA has cheap containers and an online store.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2017, 08:54:57 pm
content: Quote from: noidea on November 14, 2017, 01:15:54 pmPart way into cleaning my bench but alas no spare 'unattached' Astoria lever groups were found, there may be some others apart from the Izzo however

author: gibbled
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2017, 08:56:54 pm
content: I like the Jim Williams/ Bob Pease method. It certainly results in lots of comments from visitors but it seems mostly judging or an expression of their inner emotions so is ignored.

author: eamondo2
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 28, 2017, 03:40:47 pm
content: Quote from: capt bullshot on November 14, 2017, 10:00:08 amI second that. The shop where I work is difficult to keep any kind of organized, I have barely managed to keep my bench workable and tidy. Nice nixie tube clock by the way, I've always liked the look of those.

author: precaud
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2017, 02:21:41 pm
content: I'm pretty good about cleaning up the bench after a project is completed. But projects are not started and completed in serial fashion. Several are going on at once, moving in and out of the bench space. For me, that's what creates the "clog". I don't know of a good solution for it.My ex and I used to talk about this. She had a different definition of what "being organized" meant. For her, it was visual; "everything in its place". For me, it is functional; "I know where everything is when I need it".

author: Refrigerator
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2017, 07:15:48 pm
content: Whenever i clean my workbench it very quickly ends up ever messier than it was before.Organized chaos is what we call it around here, right ?Well i don't mind being in my empire of dirt anyways.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2017, 04:27:29 am
content: Quote from: Refrigerator on November 29, 2017, 07:15:48 pmThe worst thing is cleaning up and suddenly being unable to find anything.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2017, 05:05:01 am
content: Which one of you hid the lenses for my Loupe?

author: gnif
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 30, 2017, 05:14:55 am
content: I am glad I am not the only one... I struggle to keep my office/workshop tidy. So many pulled apart things for spares (or I just like breaking things)... tools that really should be in the shed ... not sure how my angle grinder ended up in here.

author: sarel.wagner
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2017, 06:09:50 am
content: I suffer badlyEspecially so as the workshop IS one of my projectsFor other (normal) projects, the only way that works for me to have a per project container, even for bigger stuff. Only when a project is large, say a tube amp or a an instrument, the smaller parts goes into a bin, and that is stored with the bigger part. So when the 'other' project is worked on, this one goes into storage with its parts bin.Things like tools have dedicated storage spaces, very minimal general tools are stored on the bench. My place is tiny, 3 x 3m (9' x 9') with to much gear, and the gear is growing

author: precaud
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2017, 01:39:06 pm
content: Quote from: sarel.wagner on November 30, 2017, 06:09:50 amNow that is a good idea...

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2017, 03:50:54 pm
content: At work, I only clean up when a project is completed, but then everything goes. It gives me satisfaction and it makes estimating the state of a project easy. If there are dozens of Digikey boxes and Farnell envelopes, and PCBs stacked on each other scope connected to something and several stuff Wildlarized, it is obviously working well and everything is fine

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2017, 05:08:20 pm
content: Quote from: sarel.wagner on November 30, 2017, 06:09:50 amFor swapping projects (per project container method), another member put me onto the idea of tray racks (can't recall whom). Kinda like equipment racks; just lower the tray as much as needed for larger projects, including say an aluminum amplifier/rack enclosure. The fiberglass trays are quite strong, and if you need stronger, you can use metal (BTW, metal trays allow you to resistively ground the entire unit for ESD).Restaurant supply shops that deal in used equipment or craigslist/kijiji/gumtree/... types of sites would be the least expensive way to get one IME. There are also benchtop types (no wheels), or those that have a table top/work surface to them. Aluminum will be less expensive than stainless (over $1k without trays new).

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2017, 05:18:36 pm
content: Edit: removed pictures. I came to the conclusion I felt uncomfortable showing large portions of the inside of my house online.Only left the drawers, because there was a question. What can i say... I am also not a facebook or twitter person.What do you think of this for keeping yourself tidy:Impossible, right. Not a real place! Fake! Staged!That is somewhat true. Below the before pic. Still pretty good I think. Only a few minutes of cleanup.The reason is, I moved house a few years back, and so I "designed" my creative corner, rather then have it organically grown over decades. All pre-owned furniture BTW, for pennies on the dollar, from at least 8 different owners.And this is my "clean tinker" corner, in my home office, so I need to keep it somewhat presentable, hence the closeable cabinets. The "unclean tinker" area is in the inhouse garage, and an unused bathroom is the "warehouse"Now, please do not think I am normally this tidy. This is all *hugely* different then my old house. I have to reprimand myself very often to cleanup.But I came to the realization that you cannot properly work when your project are in strata of several layers thick, so I took the opportunity when I relocated to start afresh.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2017, 04:33:15 am
content: "Premium Bananas" - great boxes to store rigol oscilloscopes. You even do not need to label the box to know what is in it.

author: macboy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2017, 04:33:21 pm
content: cybermaus, I like those shallow drawers. Do you know where they are from or what they are called?

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2017, 04:47:20 pm
content: All of it is IKEA Effektiv series. They had that in the late 90's and early 00's but I had it all pre-ownedOnly half of it is shown here, the other side of my office is indeed my office. Less drawers there though.And alas, the shallow drawers were the hardest to collect. Most people had like 2 meter high bookshelfs with only 1 drawer unit in the middle, so to collect 9 pairs I had to make a lot of separate purchases. Even to this day I have an alert in Marktplaats (local Craigslist) that shows up when an item in this IKEA series appears.

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2017, 04:53:49 pm
content: Quote from: Bud on December 01, 2017, 04:33:15 amI don't really have that many Rigols though, so labeling would still be required on the boxes that don't contain Rigols

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2017, 12:56:44 am
content: My tip for the month: IC tubes.Got IC tubes sticking out everywhere with no place to put em?The easy way to cut them to a manageable size is with a Japanese style pull saw. Mini dozuki or a dowel saw. Leaves barely any burr. Now you can fit them in a shoebox or w/e you got going on at your digs.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2017, 01:07:42 am
content: Found the lense box for my Loupe.Today is going to be dedicated to packing away the weeks arrivals

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2017, 03:03:25 am
content: Quote from: cybermaus on December 01, 2017, 04:53:49 pmI should have added a smileyLet me edit it a little. Hope my point is clearer now:"PremiumBananasLemons" - great boxes to store rigol oscilloscopes. You even do not need to label the box to know what is in it.

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2017, 05:58:17 am
content: Your joke at my expense was perfectly clear, and non-offensive. Now you spoiled it, and my purposely ignorant reply, by explaining it.Maybe I should have added aPS: dont worry, it also had nothing to do with the retraction of my imagesAt least not on any conscious part of my decision process.

author: CopperCone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2017, 12:48:26 am
content: just wait till you get microwave stuff.It is difficult to put away. And difficult to throw away. filters, couplers,etc

author: Terry01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2017, 01:12:20 am
content: Quote from: beanflying on December 02, 2017, 01:07:42 amIs that mould growing in the coffee cup? If it is I salute you Neeb!

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2017, 01:16:55 am
content: Quote from: Terry01 on December 04, 2017, 01:12:20 amIt was a very tasty Siphon brewed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. If bieng a 50 year old coffee hipster is possibleThat thing on the left is the cooling tray for my roaster

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2017, 01:58:05 pm
content: I also have the problem of too many projects running simultaneously filling the workspaceThe easy part is the tools, they all have their drawer or place to stick them so that is 10 minutes time and done.The hard part are all the collected open stuff, wires, unfinished projects etc.So what I usually do is place one or two projects in a transparent plastick box so I can see what is inside ( i know not esd safe but the esd boxes are not transparent and cost a fortune).The rest of the stuff that does not belong to a project or unknown origin/destination I put in a small container and label it december 2017 if I should do it today.Then when I am missing something I look into those "unknown treasure and garbage" containers. After a year (december 2016 and earlier) I take one hour to look what is expensive and needed and what is garbage and make sure it is empty.The problem I have is that I have collected over time a lot of stuff that I think is not garbage and could be very nice in a future project but in reality it is already sitting there for 10 years in a box. What to do?