Axel Verne
Start with what you own

Don't buy the $6,950 AI box yet.

Start with the one in your drawer.

The Junk Drawer Homelab gets your own AI, ad blocker, media server and photo backup running on the laptop, Pi or old gaming PC you already own. If you can copy and paste, you can do this.

Kindle $4.99 · launch price Paperback

Every code block from the book is free: get the companion kit

Honest limits: old hardware runs smaller AI models, more slowly. Chapter 13 shows what to expect and what to buy if you outgrow it. Prices: Mac Studio from $2,499 (apple.com), DGX Spark $6,950 (NVIDIA store), checked Oct 21, 2026.

MCP · DOCKER · OLLAMA
Cover of The Junk Drawer Homelab by Axel Verne: a flat-lay of circuit boards and cables under neon light

What's in the drawer, and what it turns into

One project at a time. Each chapter ends with something running in your house.

Eighteen chapters, one working project each

Lay out the drawer, give each device a job, then lock it down and hand the boring parts to a local AI. Every chapter's code is on its own free page.

  1. 01What's in the DrawerGetting startedFree code
  2. 02Subscription KillerGetting startedFree code
  3. 03The Boring FoundationGetting startedFree code
  4. 04Pi-hole on the Pi You ForgotFirst LightFree code
  5. 05Old Laptop → JellyfinFirst LightFree code
  6. 06Old Phone → Camera, Dashboard, or SensorFirst LightFree code
  7. 07Google Photos → ImmichBreak Up With Big TechFree code
  8. 08Password Manager → VaultwardenBreak Up With Big TechFree code
  9. 09Audiobooks & Podcasts → AudiobookshelfBreak Up With Big TechFree code
  10. 10Reach It From Anywhere Without Opening a PortFortressFree code
  11. 11Backups That Actually RestoreFortressFree code
  12. 12Network HygieneFortressFree code
  13. 13Local AI on Old HardwareThe OracleFree code
  14. 14Let the AI Run the LabThe OracleFree code
  15. 15Automations with n8nThe OracleFree code
  16. 16The Rack: Many Boxes Into OneFinishing upFree code
  17. 17When It Breaks: The Field GuideFinishing upFree code
  18. 18Close the DrawerFinishing upFree code
Kindle $4.99 · launch price Paperback

Every chapter's code is free on its own page. DRM-free Kindle edition.

If your drawer is missing it

1. Nothing. The default.

“If everything on the sheet is running and you're not annoyed, stop here. Seriously. The most common homelab failure mode is buying the next thing before the current thing is finished.”

The Junk Drawer Homelab, Ch. 18, What to buy, if anything

Only if a project stalls for want of a part, these are the ones the book names, in its own words. The Amazon links are searches, not tested listings.

  • Used SATA SSD

    If any laptop is still on a spinning drive, a used SATA SSD is the single highest-impact upgrade in this book.Ch. 18, What to buy · code: ch. 18, 1
    Search SATA SSDs

  • Plug-in watt meter or smart plug

    A plug-in watt meter is the one gadget I'll tell you to buy in this chapter, because it ends arguments.Ch. 1; smart plug, Ch. 18 · code: ch. 1, 18
    Search watt metersSearch smart plugs

  • Raspberry Pi power supply

    Do you have a power supply with enough amps (Pi 4 wants 3 A, Pi 5 wants 5 A)?Ch. 1 · code: ch. 1
    Pi 4 suppliesPi 5 supplies

  • 32 GB A1-rated microSD

    A 32 GB A1-rated card is the cheapest insurance in this book.Ch. 1 · code: ch. 1
    Search A1 microSD cards

  • USB 3 SSD for a Pi 4 or 5

    The card is the bottleneck. A USB 3 SSD on a Pi 4/5 is a different machine.Ch. 17, When it breaks · code: ch. 17
    Search USB 3 SSDs

  • USB 3 enclosure for an old 2.5″ drive

    Old 2.5″ laptop drives in a drawer: an enclosure turns each one into a backup drive.Ch. 1 and Ch. 11 · code: ch. 1, 11
    Search 2.5″ enclosures

  • Used business mini PC, to replace an old tower

    The HP EliteDesk 800 G-series mini, Dell OptiPlex Micro or Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny. Buy used; the refurb market is deep.Ch. 18, What to buy; power math in Ch. 1 · code: ch. 18, 1
    HP EliteDesk miniDell OptiPlex MicroLenovo ThinkCentre Tiny

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Then give your AI hands: the MCP series

Model Context Protocol is the standard that gives AI assistants scoped access to real systems. Two plain-English books, both live on Amazon Kindle and here as PDF + EPUB.

Prefer a DRM-free PDF + EPUB with free updates? Every book, every store, one page

Start free tonight

The Junk Drawer companion kit

The book tells you why. The kit saves your fingers.

  • Every code block in the book, copy-ready
  • Compose files, checklists and the cheat sheet
  • Free, MIT-licensed, no sign-up
Get the free kit Want it all in one folder? The paid kit is $24

The 15-minute agent setup checklist

The 12-step setup that makes an agent useful on day one, on one printable page. Then, if you want, new builds by email from the free Axel Verne Substack.

Instant access, no confirmation loop. After that, one click adds you to the free Axel Verne Substack for new builds by email.

The Hermes playbooks

The series that started this imprint: field-tested playbooks for the Hermes agent. Instant PDF + EPUB, no subscription.

Hermes Agent for Complete Beginners

Zero to a running agent without touching a terminal: install, first tasks, safety rails, ten starter workflows.

$12 Gumroad

58 Prompts for Power Users

58 field-tested prompts organized by job, each with when-to-use notes and failure modes. Includes the searchable library.

$29 Gumroad

The Complete Collection

Both playbooks plus the searchable library of all 58 prompts. $8 less than buying them separately, every future update included.

$35 Whop

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My books never require any of the products linked.