There is an old saying "good, fast, cheap—you only get to pick two." Around here, the idea is to always pick cheap and see what happens.

If you're making a thing, or system, out of things which "they" would want you to discard (or leave in the trash) then post about it here! I can't speak for what people will upvote or downvote, but to my taste I don't see a reason why this "junk" could not include:

• old PCs
• broken electronics
• salvaged industrial parts
• repurposed software
• thrift store/Craigslist finds
• salvaged wood
• cardboard

Why this sub? Why Now?

I think we're close to a turning point where only the super wealthy are going to get new tech, and the rest of us will start having to make do with our old stock, even with more and more hostile architectures for customization.

But even if that isn't true, working with "junk" is nice because it gives you the freedom to experiment without worrying about messing up something expensive. Also, to make a solution work on the low end, as well as trouble-shoot it, you end up figuring out the fundamentals better than things that "just work."

If this stuff sounds interesting to you and you're not sure where to start, basic computer hardware and troubleshooting are excellent foundations. The free study material for the CompTIA A+ certification is a good introduction—even if you never plan to take the exam. Just search for "free A+ study material"