M. Adam Davis writes:

> Well, you're an engineer.  Sit down and figure it out analytically...
> 
> Problem (current state of the world):
> A single project takes little space, but requires a substantial amount 
> of test equipment and nearby support materials/components.

I'm ADD+OCD and I don't like medication, so I've developed all sorts
of odd coping strategies to deal with my many projects.  One method
I've found to work very well is what I call the "bin method."  Every
project has a bin.  Items come out of the bin when I need to work on
them.  They go back in the bin when I'm done with them.  Every bin has
a home.  Tools that are only used by a specific project live in the
same bin with materials.  (I also have a dozen-odd toolboxes, each
tailored to a specific task or set of tasks.)  And I always have a
stash of extra bins of many sizes, so that as a project expands and
shrinks it always has an apropriate home.  Mostly I use clear plastic
flip crates and storage totes.

Such a system could work very well for EE people, though you wouldn't
want to use the cheap common plastic bins as they are a static
nightmare!  That, and there is a *much* better solution in this case:

If I were in the above situation (which I may very well wind up in
given the results of some recent investigation -- my hobby may have
turned into a paying gig this weekend!) here's what I would do:

I would make a bunch of boxes that were the size of my work area,
perhaps 3 ft. wide by 2 ft. deep.  The bottom would be 3/8"
in. plywood.  The sides would be 1x3s.  The front could be hinged to
lay flat, though this isn't even necessary.  There would be no top.
Anyone could go to home depot and have the materials pre-cut.  It
would take perhaps 10 minutes to screw together each box.  Personally,
I'd build a rack with rails so any project could slide in and out as
needed, but these boxes could be just as easily stacked on an existing
shelf or shelves.

This may *seem* like a lot of work, but really, it's trivial when you
consider the amount of time spent making a "context switch" from one
project to the next.  All of your various components and breadboards
stay in tact, and are simply swapped on and off your desktop!

-p.
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