[Dec '11]On The Go Mobilekit: Mobile Electronics Bench
Description of Project
This Project was designed to facilitate the creation of electronic based projects without the necessity of a dedicated Lab Bench. The Goal was to design and create a basic electronics kit that allows any table to become a basic electronics bench.
Processes Applied:
Summary:
This project came about from the basic need to facilitate my desire to create electronic based projects. The main feature of anyone's lab or setup is the Electronic Bench, which comprises of a few general essentials; Soldering Iron, Electrical Tape, Voltmeter, Breadboard, and wirecutters/wire strippers. These are the basic essentials that allow for the construction and development of a variety of electrical projects.
I started with a salvaged old Anvil Case which is a type of storage case used to store sensitive electronics for transport and storage. Since this case was old, the internal foam padding had become 'stale' and unusable; by this I mean that it crumbled in upon itself and didn't have the normal properties prescribed to foam padding. To remove it I used a combination of a paint scraper and a rough sponge. These tools allowed me to remove a majority of the foam and clean the inside of the box to the necessary requirements to properly install Velcro. When installing Velcro you must make sure that the surfaces you are applying the adhesive to are properly cleaned to allow the maximum adhesion possible.
I decided to try to use two different types of Velcro, regular brand Velcro and Industrial Velcro (or some product with a similar name). Both of these products had the adhesive back I was looking for and they were genuine Velcro products (no store brands or knock off Velcro or Velcro). The heavy-duty Velcro strips I used specifically for the Soldering Iron power supply and stand. Also, I used it for some of the other heavier objects, like the voltmeter. The other, lighter objects I used the standard Velcro strips and squares to attach the other objects. An important note, I was able to stack two sorting boxes on top of one another to allow for better use of the available space; they are attached to one another by Velcro and then to the box.
(Current Objects in MobileKit <as of 1.25.12>)
- Soldering Iron and stand
- Voltmeter
- Dual Wire-Strippers/Cutters
- Variable Screwdriver Set
- Breadboard
- Sorting Boxes
- Safety Goggles
- Alligator Clips
- Sharpies
- Electrical Tape
- Assorted Resistors
- Tape Measure
