WICO@Home - Setting Up a Space for Tinkering
All of us are staying at home these days to help flatten the curve of the COVID-19 and protect our communities which means that we are away from our normal shops, makerspaces and school labs. I’m in the same boat, quarantining down in LA with family instead of working out of the normal WICO HQ or Maker Ed Community Space up north.
Luckily I have a bit of experience setting up workshop environments in unusual places ( i.e. the loading dock of Chabot) and wanted to share a couple of the things that I think about when setting up my workspace.
1. large work space
Tinkering requires a lot of room to build prototypes and test out ideas. For my most recent workshop set up I re-purposed an old rusty ping-pong table but you could take over a kitchen table, workbench or even a large patch of floor.
2. recyclables collection
Many great tinkering projects start with saving the packaging from food and house supplies. I especially look for thick cardboard boxes, thin colorful cardboard food packages, toilet paper or paper towel tubes, and round containers.
3. trash bin
There will for sure be a lot of scraps and little bits to throw away during your project time. I like to have a little trashcan right under my workspace that I can fill up as I go.
4. different sized containers
Try to find some little containers where you can put the tiny parts that you’ll be working with. These don’t have to be fancy - paper bowls, hot dog trays, small boxes or tupperware work great.
5. materials and tools close at hand
“Having stores of ‘stuff’ is still vital, even though I can get almost anything delivered the next day. I'm often puzzled that stores like this tend to be regarded as old fashioned and eccentric - because to me they are so efficient. The stores make it possible to try out ideas extraordinarily quickly. They are also almost an extension of my brain because they act as a physical version of a memory map, reminding me of ways to solve problems or make things.”
6. pens and pencils
It’s a good idea to have some tools to draw out sketches, make marks on wood/cardboard and take notes. I like having both pens and pencils at the ready because I also lose them so often.
7. snacks and water
Sometimes I’ll be working in the shop all day feeling very cranky and everything seems to take twice as long to accomplish. Most of the time, in these moments I’ve come to realize it’s because I didn’t drink enough water during the day. As well, it’s no good to tinker on an empty stomach.
8. bluetooth speaker
I like to listen to music while I work. Lately I’ve been listening to concert albums on spotify. A few of my favorites are Wilco: Kicking Television Live in Chicago, Daft Punk Alive: 2007, and LCD Soundsystem: the long goodbye at MSG.
9. something funny
For me it’s important to have something funny or whimsical around to make me smile when I’m working. This could be googley eyes on a power tool, rough drafts of weird projects or other unusual curiosities.
10. good lighting
Working on small electronics projects, using hot or sharp tools and reading book/guides are all a lot easier with good lighting. I put a clamp light on a step stool so that I could move it around the space as needed.
11. accessible power supply
I like to tape or zip tie a power strip right to the table so it’s always easy to plug in tools or other necessary items and charge my phone or speaker.
12. cutting station
A large piece of scrap wood is a nice thing to firmly attach to the table to have a place all set up when the need arises to cut cardboard without ruining the surface underneath.
13. craft paper table cover
I usually like to cover my workspace with brown or white kraft paper. This serves two purposes. For one, it takes the pressure off making a mess with glue, paint or scraps leaving my freer to tinker. And secondly you can write directly on the table and make notes to yourself.
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What do you need for your at home tinkering space? We would love to hear more suggestions for ways to turn kitchen tables, garages and backyards into spaces for making and creating.