Reading through by dougw really got me thinking. There were so many great ideas put forward in that discussion, that I looked around my messy space and decided that I really need to do something to clean up my office/workspace. I was especially intrigued by a item mentioned by Gough Lui , these sweet storage bins by Duratool (https://www.newark.com/duratool/d00417/box-storage-22-compartment/dp/58M5461). I have used a similar storage line of storage container from a different vendor in my shop for hardware storage, but the Newark pricing on these units was too good to pass up. I put together a nice shopping list on Newark to start off my clean up project (including 15 of these storage bins).
No sooner to I order my clean up kit and I notice a higher priority project to work on. With the start of the year, I began to notice a couple of issues with my home network. All of the hardwired connections to my router were failing and I was having random complete failures of my WiFi. I spent a couple of days working on the router, factory reset, firmware update, multiple PC driver updates, but nothing seem to improve the situation. So, another order on the way for a new router and some long over due improvements to my hardwired connections (I had two switches inline, between the router and the computers, PC decktop/laptop and Mac, and one of the network drives).
Again, the order placed, I noticed a couple of other issues. One being that my PicoScope 5444D MSO was being connected to my computer through a USB 2.0 port instead of the USB 3.0 port that existed on the PicoScope. Time to update the computer with a new adapter and yet another order on it's way. The next few days were filled with what seemed like a non-stop sequence of deliveries through the various services.
Seeing as the network was struggling the most, that is where I started. I removed all of the existing network pieces and installed the new router (Asus RT-AC66U-B1) and a pair of long network cables direct to the two main computers (My PC desktop and my wife's Mac). I then added the two network harddrives, both now located near the router (one USB, the other ethernet). Everything worked as expected and speed tests indicated a >50% improvement to all devices. Here is the new setup:
With the network settled, I moved on to my PC. I had already brought my BIOS and drivers up to date (still hanging on to my Windows 7), so I just installed the the new USB 3.0 adapter card. The drivers did not go easily on this one (not that they ever seem to), but after several attempts and multiple reboots, I found the new device and re-connected my PicoScope. In the future I will have to do a deeper test of the performance of the scope (especially in bus decoding that seemed very slow). Next up, attack the mess and start my reorganization.
At this point my desk was a complete mess. I had stacks on top of stacks and finding things was getting very difficult. In addition to the mess, there were a few things that had been bothering me with my current workspace. Here is an image of the current workspace (not a recent image, so the level of messiness is not properly represented):
The main issues that I had with my current workspace were as follows:
- The pair of wire shelving units that surround my monitors has a pair of legs in the center, partially obscuring my view of the second monitor.
- The roll around under by soldering station makes it difficult to sit comfortably in front of the microscope.
- I need more storage space through out the office and the adjacent closet (which was also in need of a cleanup/reorganization).
With a plan in place I headed out to the local hardware stores to see if I could find some solutions. I decided on a larger wire shelving solution (48"x18" instead of the pair of 24"x13"). The nice thing about the new shelf unit was that it was a 5 shelf unit that could be built into two sections (one for my desk area and the other for the closet). I then decided to repurpose two smaller wire shelving units, placing one on the 3D printer area and the other under the soldering station. Here is a view of the reworked workspace:
I still have some cleanup to do and I also have some plans for more tool/part holders, but this is a giant step forward. The new Duratool storage bins were a big hit, some much so that I have shared a lot of these with my wife, daughter and son, so I needed to order another 5 units for me. The other thing that I am really excited about is my new board holder (https://www.newark.com/panavise/201/bench-vice-mini/dp/97F8324 and https://www.newark.com/panavise/312/tools-bench-vice/dp/75F026 ) that I purchased along with the storage bins. Here is a list of the upgrades to the workspaces:
- 3D printer area - The upper shelving unit allow for greater storage of small parts and hardware (my fine collection of nuts/screws/washers/standoffs and o-rings) along with a shelf for a small portion of my robot collection (including WalkyII and my reworked Mr. Machine).
- Main Desk area - The two monitors are so much easier to view and the two new storage boxes hold all my hand-held test equipment and large collection of development board, making them more more accessible.
- Soldering area - The relocated wire shelve unit and the modified three drawer tool box (I cut off the upper lid and snugged it into the desk support) make a great addition for tool and part storage (using the Duratool storage bins). I even have a bit more leg room in front of the microscope.
All in all, I am very happy with the reorganization. In the process of the cleanup I was able to locate many lost tools and parts. There is still a lot to do, but I am already finding a large improvement in the soldering station, as I set out to build another 20 of my DMX controllers (RGB Led and 12 channel servo boards) for one of my clients.
I plan on adding some hanging bins and a shop built tool holder to the soldering station soon (parts on order and plenty of wood shavings in the shop already), so expect some updates soon!
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