Back in April I posted about a goal I had for this year: setting up a decent workbench for myself in a corner of my (minuscule) home office. As the year comes to an end, I think it’s time for an update.

Did it happen exactly as planned? No…

Did I make progress? Yes!

So what happened?

We’re in limbo right now. We live in a rented apartment, which the owner has put on the market for sale. That means at any given day we may get a 30-day notice to vacate. I simply didn’t feel it was worth it to go all the way with getting rid of stuff to make room for a bigger table (it will inevitably happen when we have to move) and buying the table/bench (that would have to fit the exact dimensions of the space available here, possibly not being the ideal size for the next place) just yet.

I did make some improvements: I doubled my work area (with an additional table – another dinner tray table! – I use when I’m working on something) and I added a few items to my set of equipment. I got a digital multimeter (my old one is analog, which I still keep as I read it can be useful to show changes in values) a bench-top power supply, hot glue gun, several large breadboards, much needed tools and a myriad of parts.

All in all I don’t have the workbench I had envisioned (yet), but I have a bigger workspace, much needed new equipment and a lot more parts to play with!

On a related note, I came up with ideas for two bigger projects I want to work on which will be ongoing, in addition to the small stuff I build for learning purposes. I’ve placed quite a few orders from DigiKey, Jameco clearance center and CuteDigi lately, that I’m sure my husband now fears I have a shopping addiction… I am excited to start working on these projects and sharing them here. Stay tuned!

My current setup:

The work area:

And storage:

How about you? What is your workbench setup like? Are you planning any improvements and/or additions in 2012?

You might also enjoy:

1. The 2011 Workbench Challenge

TGIMBOEJ, The Great Internet Migratory Box Of Electronics Junk is a progressive lending repository of electronic components. An open collaborative project, TGIMBOEJ can be seen as a cross between P2P file sharing and a flea market, an internet meme in physical form. It arrives full of wonderful (and possibly useless) components, but you will surely find some treasures to keep. You will be inspired to look through your own stuff and find more “electronic junk” that can be donated to the box before it is passed on again. And on and on and on. There are several incarnations of TGIMBOEJ being passed around the US and some parts of the world.

What I took from the box:

• Straight thru-hole connector headers
• Alligator clips
• Assorted capacitors
• Assorted resistors
• A hobby motor
• A LED flashlight

What I added to the box:

• A surface mount accelerometer
• Right-angle thru-hole connector headers
• Assorted capacitors
• Assorted adapters
• A multi-card reader
• Assorted wires
• Several unidentified components from previous orders containing wrong items that were not worth exchanging

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