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We love seeing people's workspaces. You learn so much about them, their approach to their work, the kinds of tools they use, how they organize themselves, what of their labors they choose to display, and so on. You can also get useful ideas for organizing your own workshop, studio, or office. And generally, be inspired.
Below are two radically different working spaces. The first is the machine shop of the late Bob Jorgensen, whom I wrote about a few days ago. The second is a video by Internet pioneer Howard Rheingold, who's a writer, artist, and futurist. The video is a guided tour of his "dream office," the space behind his house where he does his writing, thinking, painting, and sculpture.
We want to see your workspace. In the comments, send us links to your photos (or videos) of your shop, studio, or office, and tell us something about it, point out unique features. We'll pick our favorite and give you a copy of The Maker's Notebook and your choice of The Best of Instructables or The Best of MAKE.
I am a hobby machinist and physical computing tinkering working out of a very compact shop in my NYC (Manhattan) apartment! My workshop is only about 85 sq ft but I have a CNC mill, 7x14 lathe, multiple pieces of sheetmetal working equipment (notcher, shear, three finger brakes), grinder, buffing wheel, punch press, air compressor, workshop computer, soldering station/EE bench, bandsaw, drill press and more! I do not do 'for profit' work but rather do rapid-prototyping and similar stuff for myself, friends and fellow hackers. Check out my website/blog at www.nyccnc.com
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Not much too it, but here it is. I've extended my workbench top, added a new 'scope, and unpacked a lot of parts since then:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmpalmer/511148180/
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This is the prototype lab for CircuitGizmos. 10 foot long bench, well illuminated, a plethora of parts drawers, and conveniently located a few steps from my office.
http://circuitgizmos.com/wordpress/?p=253
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Hey, thanks to everyone who posting images. Keep 'em coming.
@Gizmo
Nice work, man! I'm envious! Looks really well organized. And neat! I wish my shop was this neat. Maybe this'll inspire me to clean it up and post my pics, too.
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Well, thanks man! I've steadily improved my workshop condition over the decades. It is a labor of love and subject to "continuous improvement". The pictures are less than half of the entire area.
And, um, I must be OCD: I hesitated taking pictures while it was messy.
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While this isn't my shop, I think it's pretty neat:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/angrycider/sets/72157616189580498/
My Grandpa passed away in 2003 and these photos were taken just after. He made his living as a television and radio repairman. I can't tell you how many old radios, test equipment, and parts are buried in this garage. It's not the most organized shop, but it's still pretty neat.
It's been six years and we are still sorting through it all. Since I took these photos, I've learned quite a bit about electronics and have a new appreciation for most of the things I find in the shop.
His shop has a very distinct smell that brings back lots of memories watching him tinker around. The cool part is that I'm trying to use as much as I can in my own shop and projects, so that smell is starting to take over my garage.
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Please take a look at the new short film by artist Bruce Gray on Youtube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn9ennZWxtg
“My World: 1.0” is a short 3 minute stop motion film by renowned Los Angeles artist Bruce Gray. This entertaining video is a collage of Gray’s sculptures, paintings, unique furniture and his downtown studio in a very fast paced whirlwind tour through his world. Not only are the sculptures beautiful and the kinetic art fascinating, but the style of the film and Gray’s sense of humor leave you wanting more!
This film is an ongoing evolving project, and will be updated to version 1.1 and further at various points in time. Make sure to turn up the volume to hear all the fun sound effects, and watch for the suspended super power magnet sculpture, found objects motorcycle, giant red high heel shoe, and rolling ball machine. Bruce Gray’s ubiquitous artworks have been displayed at many art galleries, museums, in the press, and
countless times in movies and on television.
Gray’s clients include Austin Powers, NYPD Blue, Seinfeld, Friends, Star Trek, Frasier, Six Feet Under, Academy of Motion Pictures, A&M Records, Gene Simmons, Madonna, Herbie Hancock, Joan Jett, Coca Cola, Mercedes Benz, IBM, Little Rock National Airport, Children’s Hospital Boston, University of Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt University, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Edwards Air Force Base, and The Rolling Ball Museum in Seoul, Korea.
For more information see www.brucegray.com.
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I decided long ago that I didn't need lots of empty space for the sorts of things I make (radios, kites, and other smallish gadgets) but I did need a lot of walls. So when I finally had the chance to design a custom home with a basement shop, I did the obvious thing, and created a shop shaped like a one-lane bowling alley.
The whole story is here, with photos:
http://www.duntemann.com/12vtubes/shoptips.htm
--73--
--Jeff Duntemann K7JPD
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I saw this and felt that it was time I wrote a page about my workshop. So here it is:
http://caladan.nanosoft.ca/c4/hardware/workshop.php
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Here is my workshop when I first opened it in 2007 with some friends:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97174251@N00/2893057330/sizes/o/in/set-72157607535930720/
Not too many tools at this point, but we were just getting started.
We call it the "BurnWorks" since the idea was born at BurningMan 2007... our girlfriends/wives have another name for it, "the clubhouse". We make bicycles and recycled art and host art gallery openings for our friends.
You can read about us here:
www.burnworks.org
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@Del Cruiser
I see a fridge, munchies, and... is that a bar? How much work do you guys actually get done in there? :-)
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Wow. These links are wonderful, folks. Keep 'em coming.
Jeff, your shop, and your article about it, are amazing. I made a separate post for it. It'll go live at 4:30am PDT.
Jennifer, your shop is insane too. This topic is totally inspiring me to clean and organize my shop.
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Thanks Gareth. The funny part is that I didn't clean up before I took those pictures. That's my shop as it is in the middle of a project, or rather, two different projects.
It's also less than half of the workshop space in the house. I didn't feel right about writing up my wife's workshop (the room adjacent to mine), even though I myself keep a very large shelf full of parts (and my collection of wire) in there. We also keep our CNC milling machine in that room.
Who knows, maybe she'll eventually tidy up and post some pictures herself?
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I love the idea of showing people your shop. I think for every project that comes out of a shop something else gets built for the shop; something to organize, something to store, some jig, fixture or tool. Lots of things get made for the shop that only the Maker that works there can appreciate. The shop is always evolving always changing.
I like to take photos of my shop every couple years to see how it moves, what got replaced and what is new. I would love to set up some "before and after" pictures. The first photos of my shop were taken in 2003, so much has changes in 6 years. I can't imaging what things will look like in 60 years.
I hope this post sticks around and maybe a flickr pool just for shop photos?
Anyway...Here is my shop:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostmachine/sets/72157612934823829/
Slideshow:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostmachine/sets/72157612934823829/show/
This is a video tour I did for my parents of my shop to show them some of the tools they have given me over the years. (9.5 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96wBEQsTAbA
This is a shorter video tour for friends (2.5 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDEB2Y1v0qY
Keep up the good work and thanks for the opportunity to share.
LM
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Too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, and no place I'd rather be.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blightdesign/sets/72157604164859811/
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House of Awesome labs, in all it's poorly lit glory:
http://ohbah.com/lab/
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I have left a comment in the workbench contest thread that we had last year. Hopefully some of the entrants will also enter this one (lots of them were fantastic).
http://forum.hackedgadgets.com/viewtopic.php?t=1884
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Your piece was one of the inspirations for mine, Alan. It was looking through those entries last year that I realized just how much I love snooping through people's workspaces!
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Here's my studio at ASU, one of seven spaces that share a wood/metal shop.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bekathwia/3453581529/
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We were on Holidays back in Portugal, I took a picture of my Dad at his workshop, the most hectic I've ever seen. It's a all in one space: a lathe and other metal working tools, wood working bench and (not in this frame) the electrical bench (currently busy with a toaster), and yes Land Rover garage too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcsilva/3456134855/
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