Need to rent work-space for electronics soldering

[Faringdon]

Hi,
Please advise if you know of any space in London, UK, that i can rent whilst i solder up and assemble a 2kW SMPS?
I am not allowed to solder in my flat.

[tggzzz]

Hi,
Please advise if you know of any space in London, UK, that i can rent whilst i solder up and assemble a 2kW SMPS?
I am not allowed to solder in my flat.

It must be difficult not to be able to do your hobby in your flat.

Hackspaces/makerspaces are designed for hobbyists; why not use one of those?

Besides, surely the cost of renting a space will vastly exceed the cost of a single common-or-garden fuse. Or travelling from, say, Southall to Woolwich.

Hi,
Just doing a hobby prototype...multiple SMPS's.
We want to have a 1A fuse on a 60VDC rail.......why can't we use this.?..

   MP001593
https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/3665667.pdf

....we know its an AC fuse, and  could possibly  release shrapnel if it blows.....since its not DC rated...but we will have protective eyeware on.

DC rated fuses are more expensive as you know.

[Faringdon]

Thanks, i cant see prices for makerspaces, and there arent many of them......im surprised there's nothing...i remember back in the 70's, you could cheaply rent garages to do your car up in......that would be great for this, just a space with a table in it........but i cant find anything like that now. This would only take about 2 weeks to assemble this...then i could take it to the customer premises for testing

[tggzzz]

...then i could take it to the customer premises for testing

Is this or isn't this a hobby prototype?

[Faringdon]

Its unpayed work.....if the supply works, and the cust likes it......it "might" go ahead to something....but unlikely.
But i wish to build it anyway....to see how it goes........so at the moment, yes, its just a hobby.
I have not been payed a sausage to date, and dont stand to be......the cust has the full schem and layout anyway,  because i gave it to them to try and get them interested, so neednt pick me for the work anyway....even though i designed and layed-out it all.

I actually want to build it anyway, regardless of the customer.

As you can understand, with Chinese import power supplys available, the customer has other options.

[thm_w]

I am not allowed to solder in my flat.

Dare I ask why

[jpanhalt]

How is soldering any different than a toasted cheese sandwich?  Do you ask the landlord permission before using a toaster oven?

[sokoloff]

None of my landlords would have ever had any way to know that I soldered in their place. I soldered in every single one of them.

"Don't ask; don't tell..."

[MR]

Soldering in apartments is just fine it won't change the colour of the walls -- it will just leave dust and that you can clean away easily.
However be sure you can get the fumes away from your nose (it might be more challenging in winter times, unless you live in a warmer area).

[mikeselectricstuff]

Hi,
Please advise if you know of any space in London, UK, that i can rent whilst i solder up and assemble a 2kW SMPS?
I am not allowed to solder in my flat.

How is anyone going to find out?

There is the London Hackspace
https://london.hackspace.org.uk/

[mariush]

Ridiculous.  Is your landlord visiting you daily, or is your wife against it?

Open the window, get a fan to blow towards the window and all the flux smoke will go out the window.  There won't be residue on the walls, smell, whatever.

If you use leaded solder, there won't be lead in the smoke, nothing to worry about....

[mikeselectricstuff]

If you use leaded solder, there won't be lead in the smoke, nothing to worry about....

..and the flux fumes will be less nasty...

[jonpaul]

Rebonjour Cher Farrington

We consulted for decades, familiar with such issues, the arrangements to the customer are critical to fix in advance. 

1/ Labspace...suggest you contact RSGB, a local ham will assist you, you should join anyway

2/ never heard of such a restricted rental.

3/ We used a Hakko solder fume extractor/ filter in residential labs.

4/ setting up a bench outdoors, eg backyard or in an alleyway is another solution.

5/ Welders or auto repair shops may have space to rent or exchange

Just the ramblings of an old retired EE

Jon

PS a consultant gets paid per hour, or never gets paid at all.  your chance to collect is nil.

see Nathan Sokal's "getting paid" as a consultant in 1980s

[Gyro]

I find it quite sweet that you're prepared to break every rule in the book apart from soldering in your flat.  Clearly every man has his ethical limit, you just have to dig deep enough.

[josuah]

I use Chloric Acid for etching at home, white fumes going out of the bottle...
I did not even think of asking the landowner.
Maybe I am at the extreme opposite of the spectrum...

I would advise a desk-top mat, even cardboard would do, and much larger than the working area, to make sure there is absolutely no chance of dropping the iron onto something valuable, like a varnished and polished desk top wood finish.
Working in comfortable conditions also help with avoiding damaging mistakes.

This just came to my mind: did you precise it was electronic soldering very small things with as much heat as it takes to cook chicken with half of the fumes, with only a few watts and not mechanical soldering involving welding of large mechanical pieces?

Offering to install an extra smoke detector just on top of the work area and a fire extinguisher nearby could help to convince the land owner.

[tggzzz]

I find it quite sweet that you're prepared to break every rule in the book apart from soldering in your flat.  Clearly every man has his ethical limit, you just have to dig deep enough.

Tee hee.

I think the concepts of "SEP" (HHGttG) and "externality" (economics) might be relevant here.

[Faringdon]

Thanks, must admit the Hackspace looks great but too small for this, its a "communal" space so to speak.....you cant book a space or anything.
The cheapest "Unit" for hire, on a month  by month basis, in the London/Greater London area is £800 per month.
..all it needs is a window (let solder smoke out) and a  mains plug socket, and be at least the size of a small lavatory room.

Access do it for 600£ per month but minimum 6 month contract.
Anyone know any cheaper?

[mariush]

A caravan / camping place and an inverter to power your soldering station if they don't have AC power ?

[Faringdon]

Thats actually a good idea....Maybe somewhere in Margate etc..

[Infraviolet]

Some years ago I lived in a place where soldering was supposedly banned. Initially I took it outside, there was a corner of the building with a plug socket just inside a door, ran a long extension and soldered in a sheltered spot outside on a few dry days with minimal wind. Then winter came, I soldered inside by an open window, well away from the building's communal smoke detectors (not that it smoked measurably anyway), nobody ever found out. Packed the iron away in a box and buried it beneath a pile of other things under the bed when not in use. Cigarette smoking was also banned but plenty of people enjoyed that horrid activity, so no guilt in doing something productive which generates minimal smoke and has far less risk of ever starting fires (you just use a proper temperature controleld iron with a stand and remember to turn the iron off and take the plug out when you're finished).

In short, when one has lived for a while where soldering is banned one learns how efficiently organise ones iron to pack away as small as possible when not in use.

[Faringdon]

Thanks, but for this, i need to rent somewhere.
In and Around London, there are loads of office rental websites, but none actually  tell if its a co-working space, or an individual lockable office (i need the latter).
All it needs is a window and an electrical socket.
Preferably access  including and beyond normal office hours.
Preferably month to month contract....ie not 2 year min contract.

Which is the best website for this?

If the lockable office situation is undesirable because "they dont know whats going on in there", then im happy for them to put a camera in  so they can see.

[tggzzz]

In and Around London, there are loads of office rental websites, but none actually  tell if its a co-working space, or an individual lockable office (i need the latter).

Greater London is 1500km² or 600mile².

It would be a waste of time for anybody here to suggest places, since any such place is unlikely to be near enough to you. It could easily take 1-2 hours travel in each direction!

If you want people to help, you have to give them sufficient information.

[Faringdon]

Thanks, commuting wouldnt be a problem. Specially if price was nice and low price rental office.
I mean, i'd rather it were near Stratford, but anywhere on the tube/overground/Elizabeth line would be fine

[SiliconWizard]

How is soldering any different than a toasted cheese sandwich?  Do you ask the landlord permission before using a toaster oven?

Yeah, this all sounds very odd.

Not sure about the UK legislation, but generally speaking, I don't think a landlord could even prevent you from doing any reasonable hobby activity in your flat. *That* sounds against the law.
Making too much noise, sure, using nasty products that can be smelled by your neighbors, sure, but soldering? How can it disturb anyone or be any worse than just cooking? Heck, many people even make smelly stuff while cooking. And I'm sure many, many more fires start in kitchens while people are cooking rather than from hobbyists soldering a few PCBs. Oh well.

[jpanhalt]

There are so many inconsistencies, I wonder whether we are being played or he is building an excuse in his own mind not to deliver this power supply.

I don't have a clue about commercial property in the UK, so I searched for cheap property in London.
https://www.thestorefront.com/selections/cheap-commercial-property-london

One of several hits.  £20/day for a small place doesn't sound too expensive to me.  However, I would have serious doubts about renting to anyone for just a month, though, unless it was for some special event like an election.  In the US, I would want to be prepaid for any short duration and include cleaning/damage fees, etc.