Lessons learned from moving a makerspace
There are many design patterns for running a successful space. The very first is the Infrastructure Pattern. It’s so important it’s listed before the “how to start a space” pattern. I’d like to share with you a little experience gleaned from moving a hackspace.
In our newest space we have 200sqft less and we want to keep as many toys as possible. That means we have to use every part of the buffalo.
Medium sized stuff
All our benches are ESD benches with uprights and one or more shelves above the work surface. Here I’ve installed a 2×4′ pegboard with 1/4″ holes, attached to the back of the bench with 1/4″x5″ zap straps. Some of the hooks I made with old coat hanger and some pliers. Others I got from a kit. The kit comes with these black plastic snaps that hold the hooks really nicely. If you’re making a lot of hooks you could put nails in a block of wood to form a jig and then bend the coat hanger around the nails. Consistency is symmetry is beautiful.
In the last space I experimented with a big wall o tools. Instead of pegboard I drilled 3″ screws on the wall as needed, then hung and outlined each tool with a marker. Worked great!
Everyone could see where things belonged and they went home on their own. In the next version I’d put a piece of paper with an outline or cutout of the tool, held with scotch tape. Then they could be reorganized if needed, without leaving a mess.
Cost
- A single 4×8′ sheet could be cut in four, costing $5/bench.
- A pegboard organizer kit is $15 from home depot.
- IIRC we have 16 benches, for a cost of $400.
What about the smaller tools?
a) Keep them in a bag like the files in the picture (top right).
b) 3d print a custom holder. Maybe glue in a magnet? What a great reason to learn 3d modelling!
What about the lighting in that photo?
Depends on how dark the new space is. I like the idea of only turning on a light where you need it to save power. I’d use
- 5m 12v white LED strips
- 12v3a power supplies
- PC power cables
Plug into the bench front. Turn on the bench to turn on the lights.
What about an LCD monitor?
Clear bench space for working is worth way more than the pegboard. Secure the pegboard for extra weight and mount the LCD screen off the bench. I imagine a Raspberry Pi mounted directly beneath the monitor, and a couple of hooks for the keyboard when it’s not in use.
Small stuff
Some don’t have labels because I don’t know what they’re called. Some have a schematic symbol. This way I hope to learn to read wiring diagrams.
Big stuff
On every bench I put a piece of tape with a letter for the bench and a number for the shelf. The bottom shelf on the first bench would be A0. The letters go up around the room following the left-hand rule, and the numbers go up bottom-to-top. A DIY Dewey Decimal system! Every bin label has the letter/number address and the name of the contents.
When we moved to a new space we had to update every address. The current labels at VHS are glued to the outside of the bins. Mostly we scratched out the old address and wrote in a new. Now we’re doing it again and the bins are starting to look… pretty ugly.
A single sheet of paper folded in half can stand up in a clear plastic shoebox and still be easily read from the outside. We put a piece at both ends of the bin so it can’t go on a shelf backward. It’s non-permanent so it won’t be a headache next time we move to a new space, or repurpose the bin, or change the contents. Leave no trace!
Cost
If you have to clean off the old shoeboxes, goo gone + elbow grease. Also a pack of A4 paper and a sharpie.
Final thoughts
Our stuff was packed into boxes on pallets, bound with cling wrap, and trucked to the new location. While sitting in the outbound queue there were a few items we went looking for and couldn’t find. Why? because the label for each box was on the top of the box, which was covered by other boxes in the same pile. Write it on the side and turn them facing outward, if you can.
Got tips?
Comment below with your moving & infrastructure suggestions.
