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#MakerTips - Essential Tips for Makers

Last year we launched our successful ebook  Essential Tips for Makers Series 1 full of #MakerTips from our amazing Community, Top members, Friends of the community and element14's The Ben Heck Show.

 

.....I think its time for Series 2!

 

From this week we will be posting all our best #MakerTips on social media using the Hashtag #MakerTips and then compiling them all into a free to download new ebook.

 

Post your best #MakerTips below

 

Our top #MakerTips from Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone and Ben Heck:

 

“Learn to walk before you run”

Ben Heck, element14 presents Ben Heck Show

 

If you’re just starting out with making, don’t dive into overly complicated projects right off the bat. It’s easy to become mired down and give up when faced with an overwhelming task. It’s better to start with smaller projects that are easier to complete. They might not be as cool (or as useful) but the satisfaction you’ll achieve with their success will give you the confidence and building blocks of knowledge to move onto bigger things.

“Don’t pigeonhole your ideas… just make them!”

Ben Heck, element14 presents Ben Heck Show

 

Don’t get too hung up on “how cool” your project must look or the aesthetics. The most important thing for it to do is work, everything else comes later. If you pigeonhole yourself into a size, shape or design you might be hampering the creative potential of the project itself, not giving it room to breathe or change. A crummy looking functional prototype is much better than a fancy looking inactive piece. Never be afraid to throw out a bad idea and start over

“Build on the shoulders of giants”

Jason Kridner, Founder at BeagleBoard

 

Foundation Borrow from those before you, as I’ve borrowed from Isaac Newton in my quote. With infinite possibilities in what you can make, take the time to examine those who’ve given you inspiration–and who inspired them. Simply reproducing the experiments of the past can provide skills, answers and critical questions to guide you further. Go beyond copy-and-paste to understand the tools you are already using.

“Build your own Maker Kit”

Carrie Anne Philbin, Director of Education at Raspberry Pi

 

Having a “Maker Kit” with the most commonly used electronic components, breadboards, cables and tools on standby can help to streamline any design and build process. When inspiration hits you want to be able to begin prototyping straight away. Make sure you have equipment notepad for notes and you have a mobile maker kit that you can use at home, work or while visiting other workshops.

 

The Series 1 ebook is still available for free below.

 

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Essential Tips for Makers Series 1

In our new series, we have gathered the best Maker Tips from across the Community. This book includes practical tips for everything from building your workshop, developing your ideas and improving soldering technique. We have rounded up top tips from Ben Heck, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Hackster.io and many more.

Download Now

  • in reply to mcb1

    >Planning

     

    I'm going to add Nico's Corollary of Accumulation:

     

    Hoarding

     

    It's a good idea to "plan ahead" by accumulating as many parts as humanly possible, just in case they might be useful for a project!

     

    On a more serious note, it is good to have common parts in stock - like various resistor and capacitor values, common transistors, LEDs, header pins, USB cables, and even micro controllers you commonly use - in my case that includes Arduino, ESP-based, and Digispark type boards.

     

    Corollary 2:

    It's not a bad thing to build an additional shed for this.

    I hope you've been hoarding nails in anticipation of this scenario.

     

    Cheers,

    -Nico

  • This may have been mentioned before (maybe in Series 1)...

     

    Organization

     

    I find it useful to keep a spreadsheet of the parts I have, and the location of the parts.

    This allows for a very quick search to see if I have something or need to order it, and it also helps me find where I put things!

     

    For reusable SBCs and micro controllers, the location is often a note of which project it's currently part of.

    For parts I've purchased for specific reasons I'll also note what project it was intended for, and what purpose. As this is a hobby for me, I often forget why I bought things, and why I would want such a part in general.

     

    And I'll be the first to admit that this is a tedious process, and my spreadsheet is again quite out of date!

     

    Cheers,

    -Nico

  • Planning

    Most of a project is the planning aspect.

    You should never assume it will just come together because you've picked up a screwdriver, or soldering iron.

     

    Proper planning will help make the process smoother, and if it's a large project, allow parts to be 'contracted' out.

    It will form the documentation required to support the item later, and if nothing else allows someone else to duplicate your project, should you wish to share it.

     

    Mark

  • Don't be afraid to ask for advice.

    Sometimes makers get fixated on doing something a particular way, and then get stuck.

    Asking for assistance when you're at that stage can sometimes make the difference.

     

    Don't assume someone else is going to suddenly just do everything for you, you need to show you've put in the effort and for whatever reason you're stuck.

    Mark

  • "Connect red to red and black to black" shouldn't be followed without giving any though to what the circuit does. It does however lead to some good advice when mending a unit......"A picture says a thousand words". Photograph anything you are taking apart paying particular attention to the cable colours and where they go/come from. Also a mobile phone's camera with its built in flash can also get a good look at areas you cannot easily get your head into.

     

    Rod

  • Not really a quote, but a whole song!

  • Don't think of unfinished projects as failures

    Sometimes we don't quite get to the finished project that we intended. Or sometimes something more interesting "jumps the queue" leaving your previous idea sidelined. This can be a bit disheartening. If this was a work commitment or a commercial product then you could definitely consider it a failure. However, as a maker the desired end result is often having fun building and learning as you go. If you managed this (even if you didn't complete the project) then you can consider it a success.

     

    Having said that, it's good to finish some of them!

  • Think objects, code objects, make objects

    What we learn a new concept? When it is well explained, when we can appreciate the logic that drive our thoughts through the unknown until the concept is so clear to appear obvious. The reason is that the concept is dismembered, explained step by step where the assertions are the bases of a growing complexity. This is the way we love a good teacher explaining us extremely complex concepts. The same when we teach to a machine, creating functional-logic modules and growing the complexity of ever module to an always more complex design. If the conceptual base is correct, the architecture can support any change and evolution no matter what is the final complexity.

  • in reply to e14phil

    yes, indeed. 2 minutes of motivation and worth it image