How to deal with hoarding

Off Topic
21

Seems like we’re getting caught in the pincers of “colloquial use” vs. “clinical use”.
Clinical hoarding is what @SewingStuff appears to be talking about. Others appear to be talking about colloquial hoarding, as in collecting shyte you think you might use some day. I fall into the latter. I hate to throw ANYTHING away. It doesn’t cause me anxiety, or other clinical indicators of hoarding, but never-the-less, is often CALLED hoarding…

EDIT: to slow on the post, but looks like I was spot-on with my assessment…

22

IMO, This does NOT apply to any area of DMS.

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Ahh, clinicians and the DSM-5 (which, incidentally, used to list homosexuality as a disease).

… and that’s where the rub is: how do you define value? Is it how much you can sell the item for on the open market? Is it the enjoyment that the object brings to the person? Is it the space it takes up which could be used to hold other objects or just be empty space?

You’ve unwittingly stumbled upon a sore point with some of us, as those who do not know the intellectual value of objects have, in the past, tossed them away without regard for others.

I’d say you might want to start with those people, rather than the collectors, if you’d like to analyse anyone. :slight_smile:

24

Defining value is a good point.

I do not consider something that hasn’t been used in five years and can be replaced for less than $250 something I need to keep. I would donate it or get rid of it, with the exception of emergency equipment if it is still of use (i.e. I’ve never used some items in my emergency preparedness bag, but I wouldn’t throw them out). This is my personal definition, and it’s different for everyone, but DMS is a shared space, so we need to be mindful of shared values and societal norms.

I do not think we need to collect every tool and widget ever created just because we’re makery. I think we need to have a nice balance. There aren’t a lot of areas at DMS I actually have an issue with, and I think most committees do a fabulous job policing their areas.

I am absolutely not tossing away a single thing without permission from a committee chair. If I were to go into, say, the woodshop, and try to throw stuff away, I would be lost because I don’t know what a lot of that stuff does. To clarify, I am not accusing Woodshop of hoarding, it’s just one of the areas where I’m totally lost.

I’m merely offering to help, with guidance, if someone doesn’t have the time or emotional energy to clean out an area they DO want to clean out. Like, for example, if someone keeps dropping off outdated serger parts in Creative Arts, I would definitely, with Nicole and Kris approving, place those serger parts on the donation shelf. We can’t use them, don’t need them, and they are taking up space that we need for all of our other fun.

I’m sorry that you find the DSM-5 problematic based on the DSM-III (which mostly removed homosexuality as a disorder in 1987 and it was fully removed in 1994 with the DSM-IV despite social norms not catching up for another decade), though I’m super excited you mentioned the newest one. I’m also not offering to analyze anyone, just throw away junk that is unwanted and in the way. If you, or others, need to be analyzed, I can gladly provide a fantastic referral list compatible with your insurance and preferences. I am always glad to be helpful. :slight_smile:

2 Likes
25

Electronics is in bad shape. We have thousands and thousands of surface mount components on reels but basics like breadboards and functional wire strippers are absent. It doesn’t make any sense.

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26

Obviously, I disagree. The post you quoted was in response to the idea that we have ‘stuff’ that is both worhless and harming relationships. As I have said, we were working on getting things organized (which is very different from getting rid of things) when you and Alex ORDERED a committee chair to TAKE DOWN one of our better benches to make room for the two smaller donations from mouser, instead of placing those benches in the center of the room (currently unused) WHERE WE HAD RUN the electrical power for them…

I have seen Art purchase both the items you mention in multiple quantities, and they disappear almost overnight… He is currently keeping some bread boards locked up for class use, but the ones he puts out are stolen quickly. The same situation is occurring with the small hand tools, or even worse the wire cutters are being used to cut hardened materials and damaging them.

For those interested, this is a major reason I am done assisting committees and teaching classes. The monday before Alex and Luke ORDERED Art to take down one of our benches with the new equipment we purchases Art and I spent 6-7 HOURS going through the parts bins and organizing them… Something I WILL NEVER DO AGAIN.

27

You know who would love to do that stuff you don’t want to do anymore? Me! I like organizing things. I don’t have your knowledge base, but I can easily sort through and label stuff with a bit of assistance from Art.

FYI, I have helped auto with this, and haven’t thrown away any of their stuff, though to be fair Brandon handles all of the throwing away of things.

All that stuff that most people don’t like to do, like organize and label drawers? That is totally my jam, and I am completely volunteering to help ANY DEPARTMENT that wants help.

Also, Walter, you should teach classes. You’re punishing us all because you’re upset with Luke and Alex. That’s not cool. I had no part of whatever past history you have with them, and I want to take your classes. Let it go like Frozen and teach people stuff.

4 Likes
28

That was intentional. I do think the things are harming relationships and have little value (though not worthless). The items that are being kept and organized should be discarded in my opinion. We can agree to disagree on that.

You were not present and seemingly have heard only half of the story. We’re getting off topic at this point.

29

Electronics is in great shape, I say.

There are two very nice benches, complete with power supplies, soldering stations, lights, etc. There are also two other benches, donated by Mouser, which are a bit too high, a bit too short, and long on bling above them (… a 6’ sign? really?). Notwithstanding, there are two nice MX500 soldering stations on them, along with multi-meters and portable o-scopes. They’ll do.

Other than re-arranging and labeling of the storage of donated components, I don’t see anything getting in the way of anyone doing productive things in Electronics. Except, of course, for:

  • Vapor polishing of 3D prints
  • Workbenches being used to cut out paper or other non-electronic material
  • Un-spooled solder, randomly melted in half, left on the benches
  • Sticky messes when people use flux but fail to clean up
  • Random bits of garbage people have left on the benches after they are done
  • People using PXI PC for non-Electronics web surfing
  • Tools which disappear or are mysteriously damaged w/o anyone owning up to it (at least we’d know)

You see where I’m going with this? The problem isn’t extra parts, the problem is that we have a bunch of slobs using the E-lab. No-one wants to help organize, and it’s always easier to throw stuff away than to take the effort to put it back where it goes, or find a place for it.

Ask yourself: Will you dedicate a few hours a week to help put resistors, capacitors, diodes, etc. in the plastic bins with proper marking on them? If the answer is no, then you are just armchair quarterbacking.

Don’t get me started on the crap that’s been left on the Amateur Radio BYOR bench. (You blow your nose on a paper towel and leave it? Really??)

Art has been slowly weeding out the chaff, and the swapfest coming up later this month promises to help further that.

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30

Here, Here Zach.

I would go so far as to say that Electronics has improved tremendously under Art’s management. We have acquire two new oscilliscopes and signal generators. We had three benches with all of the tools needed to do 95% of any work you would need to do. The tools were secured to the benches to keep things from walking off.

The Virtual Bench we spent $2500 on was actually set-up, installed, and more importantly secured. Classes were taught on how to use it…

Heck for the first time since I have been a member at least, the Electronics Room is actually being used for CLASSES.

These are just a few of the things that demonstrate an improved Electronics area. At least until board members decide to micromanage…

Want things to improve faster, then actually help sort the parts that are useful from those that aren’t instead of just disposing of all of it (and using the donated parts to raise a few bucks from people)…

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31

I will be glad to donate time to sort stuff for this or any other department.

32

Yea, and I left electronics with a surplus of $1500 and got the monthly allocation from $20 to $250. Remeber it is a team effort. I have brought plastic bins in to store parts in only to have them disappear. Also people forget we only tossed 2-3 garbage bags worth of stuff, mostly unidentifiable or strips of 4-5 parts. We kept and distributed 24 more trash bags worth. I believe @zmetzing you took the last 8 or so.

We made about $200 on parts that people donated for. About $15-$20 is donated every couple weeks.

33

I did rescue 8 bags worth of SMT parts, which were headed to the dumpster. Here’s the link to the topic:

I’m still more than willing to dig through the stash to locate anything someone might want. Just ask!

34

Speaking as someone with a yeoman’s understanding of electronic components - what all does the E-Lab have in stock, component-wise?

I’ve observed items I know to be useful: solder, heat shrink, hookup wire, fuses, a smattering of basic discrete components (resistors, capacitors, coils, transistors, diodes, LED’s), and connectors; used a few as well. I’ve also observed components whose utility I do not fully appreciate - DIPs (many presumably standard chips), SMT discretes, SMT ICs, some real oddities like what appeared to be reels of ball-grid connectors for stacking high-performance boards together, and numerous other things I did not recognize.

Is there some sort of inventory? Items that the E-Lab stocks? Some idea of what should be stocked - be it via PO or donation?

35

E-lab has a lot of stuff, which is a blessing and a curse. Starting with the passives, you have the components you mentioned: resistors, capacitors, connectors, etc. These are easily categorized, stored, and labelled.

Moving up to active devices (“discrete” semiconductors), there are LEDs, diodes, and transistors. The through-hole versions of these devices fit nicely into the plastic parts storage bins. Akro-Mills makes one that I’m fond of, but the drawers need to be lined with anti-ESD foam for MOSFET devices (2N7000 and the like).

Now, moving onto ICs: We have rail upon rail of Op Amps, some quite valuable and specialized, linear regulators, switching regulators, digital logic, opto-isolators, and microcontrollers/microprocessors. These need to be stored in anti-ESD foam, as an imperceptible static discharge can ruin them.

The high-density SMT connectors can probably be sold on e-bay, with the proceeds used to stock up standard through-hole resistors and capacitors. I agree that things like this are not very useful to hobbyists.

I’m actually against DMS member funds going toward stocking components. We have the donation box, and Tanner’s next door is most everything you’ll need. However, I do hate to throw away perfectly good through-hole components because nobody wants to help sort them.

2 Likes
36

Thanks for the run-down. I’ve generally been in the lab for one of three things - conversation with someone in there, to deal with some minor electronics problem taking longer than I’d like, or when wandering around the Space looking for someone; none of which is particularly conducive to an inventory of what’s there.

I can understand that; through-hole are generally quite accessible to the hobbyist whereas SMT requires an entirely different level of dedication.

1 Like
37

I had a much needed garage sale. Made around three hundred and fifty bucks (will be doubled as someone is interested in some nursery furniture-my son is six and I still have his crib-so ya) and took an entire full sized truck load to goodwill. Felt really really good to breathe. Now I have a garage with almost nothing in it. I could probably stand to do it a few more times to really get streamlined in my house. So now the project is to get my garage actually functional - for what I’m not really sure.
This has little relevance to Dms I know. I’m cluttered and messy. The more organized I can get the more efficient I can be (at least that’s what I imagine). It’s a really hard line to walk and one that I don’t walk very well.

Here at Dms it’s important to think about the collective. The collective needs not to waste time searching, space to work on independent projects and a system to put stuff back where it belongs so others can find it. If anyone knows how to do it better let me know - it’s something that constantly needs revision and reimagining. I’ve personally found that color coding works, obnoxious names everywhere to help inform. I’m hoping that the intro classes really set the system into motion. I’m sure at some point it would be good for us to consult with a organizational specialist who starts with the idea of functionality and works around that to figure out how all the bits and pieces should be put around to help. I assure you I’m not that person.

What’s my point? Hell Im not really sure.

38

SMDs are not that difficult to work with. One of the classes that Art has been wanting to offer is a basic SMD soldering class. That is part of why he hasn’t disposed of the SMD parts. They would serve as a free source of parts for people to practice with. Soldering most SMD parts is like soldering discrete parts in the sense that it requires some practice to get good at it.

39

I would totally take that class!

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40

That’s not true, you asked for whatever was not picked over. They sat in entrance to electronics for days waiting for you or The Lab MS to pick them up. I did put a deadline of 10 days on them as it had already been two weeks!

But I do appreciate they went somewhere other than the trash. Only took a year and a half to get them sorted.

Now the remainder still needs to get organized. My son come in and put in 20+ hours labeling/sorting. Then the labeler went walkabout. Long way to go still.

If you don’t want BoD or other members talking about trashing valuable parts then get them out of cardboard boxes and plastic trays on the floor. The storage drawers brought from Fred’s would be an excellent place. Hmm, I remember starting on labeling those too. I can no longer spend 2-3 days a week in electronics. I still drop in and clean benches every time I’m at DMS.

This is great and we have talked about it a few times, let’s do it. :wink: