[sdiy] Messy workshop and Into the future (was Old Age and Synth-DIYers)

[allenre at umich.edu]

When I showed up, I asked Harry if the basement was his "laboratory", before we
went down.  He called it "the dungeon", and when I saw it I realised why--it
would be torture for me to work in a space like that.  Now I'm sure that the
only reason that Harry gave me his oscilloscope was because he had some other
electronic apparatus in mind to quickly replace it.

Harry is quite the pack rat, having boxes of components randomly distributed,
racks of gear which looked inaccessable due to the stacks of boxes which were
topped off with circuit boards in some limbo between construction and
completion; the work area looked like it was only a few feet wide (reminds me
of "the tank", the crammed area where I worked in my first job as a
dishwasher), and had the requisite clutter.  I think that a lot of other
members here who have submitted photos can learn from him. Here are some
guidelines (I'm just a novice, Harry is the real expert here):

1) Don't take the time to eat away from your work area.  That won't allow for
pop cans and other such containers to accumulate.

2) If you can THINK of a use for something, it is worth keeping!

3) If you need more area to work, you have two options:
   a) push everthing to a corner/side of the desk to make space, or stack if
this is not possible.  When stacking is no longer possible, go to b.
   b) get another table and start over

3) This is key--never get rid of something unless you absolutely have to (to
make room for more stuff) !

Just some suggestions...

Ryan

> Hah... you can all forget it, workshop wise...
>
> I have you all VERY beat... however in the last
> contest
> Batz Goodfortune took first place, and I agree he
> deserved it.  I'm prlly second place.
>
> Ryan picked up a Nicolet Explorer oscilloscope
> from my work area last night, maybe he will vouch for
> my (messy) quality
>
> H^) harry