Setting up a electronics/prototyping workshop

General
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Hi folks,

I am currently working on buying tools and materials to set up a small eletronics/tinkering workshop at BioRTC (https://biortc.com/).

I am trying to be as frugal as possible and still make sure everything that is needed to start developing projects and/or fixing things are available in a place where your usual global suppliers will take a long time to deliver if at all… So making sure most common tools/consumables needed are available is a good thing…

I put together a small BOM here (yes it is a google sheet for now, as the people working with me do not do markdown or git but I can make this into a more open format soon).

I would like to ask members of this community to share what else they think it is important/needed that I might be missing?

Thanks!

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You can check the FabLab inventory list (electronics part):

I definitely would add a couple of those Arduino starter kits, as they include a lot of sensors, buttons and other useful stuff.

Andreas

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Hi Andre

Here is a shopping list we made for the Biomakespace workshop, all from RS with part numbers (plus a list of slightly cheaper replacements). You can probably get even cheaper on eBay. From a quick glance I’m not seeing much that is different!

Jenny

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If the ESP is cheaper than the nano ditch the nano. You don’t need a fume extractor. Get screws -2,2.5,3 mm. Get a bench drill. Maybe a glue gun.

Also get an electric owen to cook our PCBs.

Cheers,
Adrian

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Hi,

I have been running an independent electronic lab for more than 10 years now.

Looking at your list, I would like to recommend you more in give more investment on your drill.
Get the cordless one if you can, it will make your life more easier.
I have a drill that lasted for 10 years now and it’s functionality is beyond whats going on inside the lab itself.

Multimeter I would recommend you get something that can also read capacitance.

I suggest also to invest in a good hands tools such as pliers and wire cutters.

For other prototyping, I have put some list here;

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Hello,

Andreas is right and I wanted to add the need for jumper wires - male male female female and male female. For the oscilloscope you might want a probe to measure >100 volts too and it’s not cheap. And several bread boards as it’s likely you will have several projects at a time. Order them wide enough to accommodate the chips as ESP is wide.

Also, in my practice I discovered that only the sensors I specifically ordered were useful in the end. So, go through the list of projects you intend to do before ordering specialized stuff that will end up gathering dust and waste money. In my case I needed motors and pumps and heaters ad specific sensors etc. Add also several pots like 10k 50k 100k for prototyping.

Cheers,
Adrian

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Quick look at the list, I saw an electricity connection tester. The multimeter should be able to do that so to save money, I’d take that off the list.

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Dear GOSH Community Forum,

I recommend you look at Assignments: CHE4568: The Basics of Making, Summer 2022, Sect. 01 (instructure.com)

for a training program, along with parts from the next three links:

https://fit.instructure.com/files/45587143/download?download_frd=1
https://fit.instructure.com/files/45587145/download?download_frd=1
https://fit.instructure.com/files/45587141/download?download_frd=1

https://fit.instructure.com/files/45587153/download?download_frd=1
https://fit.instructure.com/files/45587149/download?download_frd=1

The fourth link was a review of maker education that I decided to convert into a textbook under development (5th link). In the fourth attachment, see Chapter 5 (pp. 11-47), particularly pages 35, 32, 26 (particularly ref. 51c), pp. 23 (particularly the list that bridges those pages), and items linked to in the references at the bottom of p. 19.

GOSH is discussed on p. 21.

Best regards,

Jim Brenner

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