Curious about everyone...

I'm 54 and haven't really met anyone in person who is interested in electronics. As a result, I've never seen an example of how other people enjoy this hobby. So just out of curiosity, what is everyone like? Are you a type of person that hoards any parts you find, or just buy what you need? Is your workspace just a desk in a room, or an industrial complex built into a volcano? Do you actively look for a project, or just do what is needed at the moment? Is it messy or neat?Anything else you would like to add that is interesting?

I'll start: I grab any parts I can find, and actively look for them. My lab is in a barn and I still don't have enough space. Both. Both!
Interesting: the previous owner of my house had already converted part of the barn into a shop, but I had to replace the workbenches because he was VERY short and they were only waist high to me. And I am 5'8"...

I was gifted with a decent sized closet for building my projects. The bigger stuff I do in the garage.
I have many hobbies that some might not associate with someone who messes with electronics. My hobbies often fluctuates and sometimes I spend a season just focusing on one more than the others.

I like Gymnastics, Guitar and piano, Ink sketching, Rock climbing, anything outdoors, photography, urban exploring, free running, and of course building with electronics and sometimes hacking with linux.

I think I might have broken the record for the amount of comas used in a post.

I got interested in electronics and computers in the early 70s & started building my own gadgets and eventually computers.
As of about 1980, someone asked if I could repair a computer - which turned out to be a core memory Minicomputer running a CNC Machine tool.

I've been designing and repairing industrial control systems and machine tools ever since, in addition to electronics etc. as a hobby.

That also means I've got an accumulation of parts stretching back most of that time, plus my own hobby electronics / audio / music / computer equipment collections.

I have a large detached bungalow (single storey house) with a large separate garage, and a good part of it is basically storage that happens to have a bed & kitchen included!
One of my friends called it a whole house man cave..

My "office" / desktop workspace has cupboards full of compartment cases and plastic boxes for small components and projects in progress, shelves full of folders and five (that I can see at present) PCs.

The dining room table hosts a 3D printer, one end of the living room has a large TV and surround sound system, the other end has by "music room" with multi channel recording system, keyboards, about a dozen guitars (repairing them is another hobby) and a drum kit..

The garage (about 20 x 20ft internal) has industrial racking on one wall, stacked with machine drives, cable reels and other large parts, and a workbench on another wall for woodworking & testing large electrical gear.

The house also has a loft/attic for storage and I added one in the garage.

(I'll leave out details of stuff "stored" where it was temporarily put down some time ago...)

rjenkinsgb said:

I got interested in electronics and computers in the early 70s & started building my own gadgets and eventually computers.
As of about 1980, someone asked if I could repair a computer - which turned out to be a core memory Minicomputer running a CNC Machine tool.....

Click to expand...

Wow, this sounds like my setup. A detached barn, with a living space, drum kit and guitars, woodshop, lots of PC's and audio gear.
We have taken similar paths...