Where do I begin?

Hello! I have no building skills either, but I guess the things you gravitate towards is the best place to start and try something small first? DIY Perks made some cool small projects in the early days

like making a light out of driftwood and a dried flower head which didn't need many tools. Whatever you do, all I can say is, go for it! 😀

Posted by: @dantedelfuego

Hello! I just watched DIY Perks recent video as of posting this titled Building a PC soundbar... with a twist! and I loved it! I have no building skills whatsoever. Very entry level basic tool knowledge. I am fascinated by the videos on DIY Perks youtube channel and I would very much love to learn where to begin. I live in an apartment so I don't have the resource to build in my apartment or the ability to afford to buy tools. Maybe there's a place I can go that has tools that I can use or maybe I just have to make friends with people who have tools and a garage space to build in.

My question is where do I begin? Where's the path I should follow so that I can learn the skills to build and design things like these. I always follow instructions but I'd love to get to a place where I have a vision in my mind and can design from there.

 

Thank you so much!

Depending what country you live in you might find a local makerspace that has some tools that you can use. This list is a good start but it's definitely not all of them, I know there are lots more in the UK for example: List of Makerspaces around the world

In terms of what you can do in your own house a Raspberry Pi, RP Pico or an Arduino would be great places where you can start to learn about basic electic circuits and programming - if that sounds like your cup of tea.

Raspberry Pi Foundation has an insane library of educational material and guides that are all free.

I am also not experienced, started woodworking not a while ago and am finally being able to do some at home with some basic tools.

By far, the most rewarding activity I did was to take making courses. In the city I lived they had woodworking, spray painting and many other craft classes in that particular shop, and taking those trainings not only taught me some nice skills, it provided me with a low friction path to build something looking nice and that I could take home and stare at it every day being proud.

On my own, I have to struggle a little bit too much with finding the right approach to the problems I face during the build, which takes the rewarding a little bit off the equation, while on the class they had it all sorted out.

This is actually a really important question! Starting off is the hardest part of any new skill, and it's something I've been thinking a lot about helping people with recently with, potentially, courses.

Some short advice I'd give would be to start small - figure out what you have a vision for in regards to something you can make. Where are your interests? Sound, PCs, furniture? Best to start with something you're interested in and take it from there. Sketch out your ideas, work out what materials you need, and then get a few items together and start figuring out what to do to make your vision a reality.

HI, I think it would be a good idea to get a small crafting saw, some sandpaper and files and start on building wooden things if you are into woodworking. That is the easiest for anyone. Just practice and soon you'll be able to create beautiful things. The only electrical tool you might want to use is a drill. I also have a electric screw driver because i am lazy.

If you are into electrical engineering, you'd better be good with your math and then proceed to study further. Watch ELECTROBOOM if you wish to. It isn't gonna be easy (because I am studying EE). Start with using batteries and simple circuits, like figuring out how to find a proper voltage and current for a LED.

Electronics is another thing. Most computers are plug and play, but it's still not that easy.

Posted by: @dantedelfuego

Hello! I just watched DIY Perks recent video as of posting this titled Building a PC soundbar... with a twist! and I loved it! I have no building skills whatsoever. Very entry level basic tool knowledge. I am fascinated by the videos on DIY Perks youtube channel and I would very much love to learn where to begin. I live in an apartment so I don't have the resource to build in my apartment or the ability to afford to buy tools. Maybe there's a place I can go that has tools that I can use or maybe I just have to make friends with people who have tools and a garage space to build in.

My question is where do I begin? Where's the path I should follow so that I can learn the skills to build and design things like these. I always follow instructions but I'd love to get to a place where I have a vision in my mind and can design from there.

 

Thank you so much!

Welcome to the community!

I would recommend you start with something a bit simpler which doesn't require a lot of material or wit, but still needs some things to work. A video Matt did a while back makes a projector out of a shoebox and some other things. I'd recommend trying something like that first.

You can find the video here: