Hi!
I’m planning to try to get into some solar-powered (or low-powered) DIY projects.
I have a mechanical engineering background so I’m not super worried about learning technical stuff but I live in an apartment and don’t really have ready access to a workshop.
Does anyone have good projects they’ve found? Having some creativity issues more than anything else, I think…
What are your interests like? Do you want to do engineering-type stuff in your personal time, or not-work-related stuff?
Do you have a separate room from your bedroom, or is it a studio? Some projects are small enough for an apartment, but you don’t want to sleep with them (anything involving harsh chemicals or hot plastic).
Do you have space for a dedicated workbench/desk? One thing that really helps with my own projects is having space to leave them out while they’re in progress. Having to pack them up and then unpack them again is a real hassle.
Do you have a balcony/patio/outdoor space?
Is money a consideration? Some projects have a high barrier-to-entry (a usable 3D printer will cost several hundred dollars up front).
Possibly most important, do you have any ideas that you want to create but aren’t sure how to get there? Projects are most successful when you have a vision for what you want to do, and the skills and tools you pick up along the way are just a means to an end.