As a teen, I holed up in the basement a lot, after my accident with blasting powder, preferring to continue messing with things, er,......out of the ordinary, by myself. Figured, any breakthroughs could be shared after perfecting them, and determining their safety, and suitability for "release". One released was a Tesla Coil, similar to the crooked-one shown, which my friend Ron entered in our high school science fair, and took first place! Few of the kids in our mixed-immigrant neighborhood were Science-oriented, and the stuff we routinely did amazed many, even some teachers! The large wooden box, seen with a Variac transformer atop it in the top photo, housed a 100,000 volt transformer used to power the X-Ray Fluoroscope I had built into the brick-enclosed storeroom under the front porch.
I holed up in a storm cellar I had built when I was fourteen. It became my bed room, den, and all around good place to hang out. On that endeavor I expended all the talent I owned. You on the other hand, go on and on, displaying like a prairie chicken. Engineering is an occupation; you're retired.
That was the year my husband was born.....and I know if he'd had the chance when he was a teen to have a lab like that he'd have loved it...