Once the growing sprawl of electronic parts starts showing up in your dreams, you know you’ve got some tidying up to do. But who wants to spend hours organizing parts and gear when you could be having fun actually using it? Hmm … good point.
Well, if you do manage to pull yourself away from all that hacking and experimentation for 10 or 20 minutes, consider installing a quick-n-dirty wire rack to tame all those wild spools that roam your workbench.
From the Shed: New Arrivals
Once the growing sprawl of electronic parts starts showing up in your dreams, you know you’ve got some tidying up to do. It can be a challenge to spend quality hacking time on humdrum sorting & parts organization, but of course, in the long run it’s a no-brainer.
I’ve yet to discover a magical motivator* for organization. But if you can put aside a few minutes for the cause, consider installing an uber-simple wire rack using plain old curtain brackets – perfect for taming those wild spools that roam your workbench.
*sadly, impromptu desk-naps do not help.
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Update: From the comments, Chris makes a good suggestion –
it would work well to mark and drill the lower hole for the curtain rod bracket, then put the screw in and tighten a bit, leaving it a bit loose. Then mark the upper hole exactly where it now needs to be, based on the lower hole. Let the bracket swing down and out of the way while drilling the upper hole, then swing up and screw in. Next, go back and tighten the lower screw’s nut. This way, it’s no problem if the first hole is drilled a bit off, and the marking on the second is easy.
Similarly, mount both brackets, then put the dowel in and mark for cutting based on the actual finished position of the brackets.
Very true, thanks Chris!
10 thoughts on “Collin’s Lab: Wire Rack Attack!”
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That is nice for small spools. It is on the edge of a shelf where it doesn’t consume too much room.
For larger spools, this is what I did: http://circuitgizmos.com/wordpress/?p=544
Haha, you totally need to add tassels and a crocheted wire rack cozy to complete the look.
That’s exactly what I did with my spools of wire although mine aren’t hung up anywhere. I just used a long piece of dowel and put a hose clip on each the end to stop the reels falling off. The whole thing lives on my messy little electronics table – a bit of board screwed to an old stool base.
Collin: while I like this project for its organizational benefits, I think that there is a great benefit from construction directions that don’t penalize for a little slop.
For example, it would work well to mark and drill the lower hole for the curtain rod bracket, then put the screw in and tighten a bit, leaving it a bit loose. Then mark the upper hole exactly where it now needs to be, based on the lower hole. Let the bracket swing down and out of the way while drilling the upper hole, then swing up and screw in. Next, go back and tighten the lower screw’s nut. This way, it’s no problem if the first hole is drilled a bit off, and the marking on the second is easy.
Similarly, mount both brackets, then put the dowel in and mark for cutting based on the actual finished position of the brackets.
Makes it a lot easier to do well, and the success inspires folks to continue on to more projects!
Definitely good ideas! (added above)