EEVblog #570 - LAB Cleanup And Shelving

[EEVblog]

Buying shelves is not really a solution at all.

It is a big vital part of the solution.
Look at what just happen, I had a ton of stuff and it just covered the floor. Now I have that same stuff, and a ton of space left, and it's al neat and tidy.
Next step is getting rid of some stuff. But if I didn't get the shelves, and only got rid of stuff, then it would still look very similar to what it did without the ability to easily shelve and organise.

[sleemanj]

Having to clear a space to work (or walk) is just a sign of greatness.  Story goes when Jim Williams had to move his workbench once, he just wrapped the whole thing in gladwrap (cling film, saran wrap depending on your place in the world), moved it, and then cut it open at it's destination.

[rolandpenplotter]

Having to clear a space to work (or walk) is just a sign of greatness.  Story goes when Jim Williams had to move his workbench once, he just wrapped the whole thing in gladwrap (cling film, saran wrap depending on your place in the world), moved it, and then cut it open at it's destination.

Now that's a passionate engineer I'd love to meet him.

[Fsck]

Having to clear a space to work (or walk) is just a sign of greatness.  Story goes when Jim Williams had to move his workbench once, he just wrapped the whole thing in gladwrap (cling film, saran wrap depending on your place in the world), moved it, and then cut it open at it's destination.

Now that's a passionate engineer I'd love to meet him.

you're a little too late.

shelves are great though, I have a small apartment and I "rebuild" my bench by shuffle equipment to and from a set of shelves depending on the project required.

[BravoV]

Now that's a passionate engineer I'd love to meet him.

Jim Williams passed away on June 12, 2011 (aged 63).

[rolandpenplotter]

Now that's a passionate engineer I'd love to meet him.

Jim Williams passed away on June 12, 2011 (aged 63).

Aww

God rest his spirit.

[Hydrawerk]

I would never walk barefoot in my lab or room... There might always be a screw, nail, or a sharp metal piece on the floor.

[Rutger]

Dave, tip for bubble wrap rolls, buy some PVC pipe and tie to top shelve with some ties and you can hang the rolls up.

[c4757p]

I would never walk barefoot in my lab or room... There might always be a screw, nail, or a sharp metal piece on the floor.

That's how I find them

[calin]

I just love the almost dead plants in the plastic bin ... Claasic !!!

No worry Dave .. there is more to come in the new space

[all_repair]

Space and Time is tightly coupled.  It is the lack of time that eventually becomes a lack of space problem.

Self  help group for common disease here :-)  I have been forcing myself to have a paper list for most effective spending (effect over money).  Hobby stuff drop way down the list, and some that I would have bought on the first day, hasn't been bought for almost 3 years now.  The most effectively thing to spend is:
-- tidying up (zero money in, and getting biggest effect).

But now Amazon shipping to Singapore free* , and finding a cheap way to ship from Taobao, are messing up my plan again.

[EEVblog]

Space and Time is tightly coupled.  It is the lack of time that eventually becomes a lack of space problem.

Very true.
Every one of those items on the floor was "I'll just sit it here for the time being..."

[staxquad]

I'm looking forward to your next dumpster diving video.

EEVBlog instant auto reply, "don't hold your breath".

[(In)Sanity]

Buying shelves is not really a solution at all.

It is a big vital part of the solution.
Look at what just happen, I had a ton of stuff and it just covered the floor. Now I have that same stuff, and a ton of space left, and it's al neat and tidy.
Next step is getting rid of some stuff. But if I didn't get the shelves, and only got rid of stuff, then it would still look very similar to what it did without the ability to easily shelve and organise.

Ahh yes,  well valid points.  It sounds like you have the correct attitude toward the shelves.   Often we'll get more shelves and free up space only to just have room for more stuff.   It becomes sort of a vicious cycle.    It sounds like you ave a handle on it.

Jeff

[SeanB]

I did do a tidy up, now the scrap yard is getting a lot of metal in the 4 types he takes. Been looking at the pile of old VCR's and thinking that they will also go into the box for stripping and recycling. Hard to throw old PCB's because there still are usable resistors on them, or transistors.......

Anybody want a Tektronics Phaser 340, perfect working order, plenty of black wax free. Also there are 2 Umatic VCR's I really want to tear down, at least 50kg of scrap steel in each. Think there is still one Umatic tape around as well, though most went to the dump and had a compactor run over them ( video available with sound and vision but no smell) and I know where they are to around a 5 cubic metre range.

[Greg323i]

The first shop I worked in was almost as bad as Apex Electronics, in Sun Valley, but not nearly as big. I do not have pictures, nor do I want them! 

[daqq]

Impressive mess Dave! Though when compared to one of my professors and his lab and his cabinet (and his hallway), it pales. He stacks of stuff (tech, papers,...) so high that they actually managed to block out the sunlight from his windows. He had a clean path where you could walk to the desk. He is a good person, with this tiny flaw :-)

[Monkeh]

That's the problem - I'm not bothered about getting money for most of it, but it's too nice to just dump.

Need to let people come raid it for stuff they could use, then!

[victor]

I don't understand why you have your work benches on a narrow corner and have shelves on the center of the room. I would totally inverse that setup.

[peter.mitchell]

My mantra for a while was "the floor is the biggest shelf in the room"...
Lack of space really does become a problem though; shelving really helps it.
One of my issues is boxes; boxes are a big waste of space, unless they are full, they waste so much space.
The same applies to other smaller containers on the workbench. You almost always go to fill the empty one because you want it kept separate, however this just wastes space.
I solved my problem by having a few small tubs/containers, and only a couple of boxes, every week i'd empty tubs/containers my stuff into ziplock bags and put it in the box, after a few months, i'd sort them all back into the component storage.
For bigger things that you can't really do that with, shelving helps a lot. Need room on your bench but you have 5 projects running and there is no space in between? Dump everything from the project into a ziplock bag, put it on the shelf.
The other big thing is test equipment and leads. You have to force yourself to pack up when you're done. Put your stuff away, tidy up your leads, put your drivers and cutters away. You don't lose nearly as much stuff that way and it keeps the space clear!

[vk3yedotcom]

If anyone admits to having a messy lab, please post the photos

* There was the deceased estate radio/computer shed I crawled around on Saturday - but unfortunately no pics.

* The late Julie Kentwell on ABC TV will take some beating



KEY QUOTE: 'There are two types of shacks - those that are an absolute pigsty and those where nothing happens'

* More at

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=messy+shack+contest&espv=210&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=hOzcUr-SPIzfkgWFpYDQBg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=978

* More thoughts

Though often derided, there's actually some benefits of having junk all over the floor.  You can survey it. It's easier to find than if it was locked away in cupboards.   Shelves can make things look good for a while but if they increase the room's storage capacity they postpone the root problem which is 'too much stuff'.  A good approach is not to stop accumulating stuff but to insist on a rotation.  A condition of getting new junk is getting rid of a similar volume of old stuff.  20% of your most useless stuff gets sold / chucked each year to make room for incoming stuff.   Circulating stuff is healthy - we're lucky that there's still plenty of hamfests where this happens.

[Psi]

Could remove the whiteboard from its mounting frame and attach it to the roof so it can flip down when needed.

Then, when facing a difficult circuit problem and you need a different perspective, just lay down on the floor and look at the circuit on the ceiling 

[taiteki]

what a shame the plants! 

keep going!

[madworm]

Definitely go for casters for the new 'island' workbench - but not crappy ones. All of them should be on swivel mounts and come with breaks.

[EEVblog]

I don't understand why you have your work benches on a narrow corner and have shelves on the center of the room. I would totally inverse that setup.

Huh?