Organizing Your Parts Bin- tips?

[bwanasonic]

I try to make it a habit of ordering more than what I need when I start a project, and now have a nice little stockpile of parts. With this comes the problem of organizing and keeping a given part value easy to find. I'd be interested in different strategies for keeping a well organized *junk box*.

Kerry M

[Rodgre]

I keep well organized parts drawers, separated by value.



I also try to order more than I need for a given project. I started building my parts bins years ago, basically starting with a Radio Shack 500 pc. resistor pack, and separating them out by hand (ugh!)

I try to keep all popular values of everything I may need stocked. I keep resistors and caps (separated by value and whether they're polarized or not) and popular transistors, op-amps, diodes, etc. I try to make sure I have at least ten or so of each component. Most of the time, I can build a project immediately with the parts I have. If not, Small Bear to the rescue...

Roger

[Rob Strand]

It all depends on how much junk, space, and money you have and how often you access it.  For the most part those plastic drawers are OK.  When you get too much junk put the stuff you don't use in a big box - fill it in an organized fashion, say by putting stuff in smaller bags and boxes which then go into the larger box.  There's too many personal variables, do what works best for you, with your parameters- try things out and if it doesn't work refine it.

[Andy]

some people just put stuff in envelopes and label these in a shoe box.  That's pretty efficient@!!@

[bwanasonic]

I try to keep all popular values of everything I may need stocked. I keep resistors and caps (separated by value and whether they're polarized or not) and popular transistors, op-amps, diodes, etc. I try to make sure I have at least ten or so of each component

So you're saying I can just shoot out route 2 on a sunday when You-Do-It in Needham is closed, and I need a JRC4558 ? Or is the Mass pike quicker?  

Kerry M

[Rodgre]

I try to keep all popular values of everything I may need stocked. I keep resistors and caps (separated by value and whether they're polarized or not) and popular transistors, op-amps, diodes, etc. I try to make sure I have at least ten or so of each component

So you're saying I can just shoot out route 2 on a sunday when You-Do-It in Needham is closed, and I need a JRC4558 ? Or is the Mass pike quicker?  

Kerry M

Hah! Hey, you're local!
Yeah, Rt 2 would be best. I'm moving to Fitchburg next month! You could stop by the studio some time. And yeah, if you're THAT desparate for a part (and haven't we all been?) I will help if I can. I'm just not sure that an hour drive is worth the $.40 4558!

By the way, where exactly are you from? I'm in the Worcester area.

Roger

[bwanasonic]

Hah! Hey, you're local!
Yeah, Rt 2 would be best. I'm moving to Fitchburg next month! You could stop by the studio some time. And yeah, if you're THAT desparate for a part (and haven't we all been?) I will help if I can. I'm just not sure that an hour drive is worth the $.40 4558!

By the way, where exactly are you from? I'm in the Worcester area.

I live in Arlington and do a lot of gigs in the Fitchburg area.  I think there a couple of other MA locals on this board as well.


Kerry M

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Those drawers are OK for resistors, but I find those flat plastic 18 compartment 'tackle' boxes much better for everything else.
Plus, i get matching ones without dividers to keep things like CRO probes in, stops them gettig wrecked.
It means you can just look thru the top & see all your odd switches etc at a glance. These boxes are about A4 sise and 1.5 inch high. I just pile them on shelves (stacked 5 deep) wiht category labels facing out.

[petemoore]

I just cut the bottom off of a cheerios box and stick a buncha caps er whatever in it.
 I use a cardboard shipping box which I segment into shelves using razorknife and glue...and stick the cereal bottoms in that.
 It does take me a while to sort electrolytics this way but bipolar caps I can just about recognize from size and shape what their value is.
 I like my resistors on a long reel/ribbon...500 per when new.  Im gettting pretty good at sorting through the reel and finding the value I need.
 Transistors though I do keep separate...just using the little plastic boxes that photocells and other comps come in...handy little jobs with the closing tops...there's always a mark of some kind that I can recognize or I put a mark on it...indicating the type enclosed.
 Other than these suggestion segments, your bench is probably neater than mine is right now...

[R.G.]

Resistors - get a box of coin envelopes at Office Max. You'll use both the envelopes and the box. Remove the envelopes and cut the long side off the box. Now stuff resistors into coin envelopes, one value per envelope, and mark the value in the upper right hand corner of the envelope. Place them in the open box.  When you're done, you have a neat, indexed, and very compact box of resistors sorted by value. Coin envelopes vary in size, but you can get 50-100 into an envelope easily.

Same approach works with plastic transistors, but leave MOSFETs in the static dissipating plastic envelope inside the coin envelope. Metal transistors are too bulky - put them and capacitors into parts drawers.  Store IC's on antistatic foam cut to fit inside the plastic drawers.

Actually, I don't stock caps at all. I order what I need, as Mouser has them here the next day for no extra postage.

[Mark Hammer]

1) "Baggies" (resealable plastic sandwich bags), a paper hole punch and pegboard.  Many cheap DIY workbenches come with a pegboard "back wall".  Buy yourself a box of sandwich bags and label them with your Sharpie or other big print permanent marker.

Where I often buy my parts, the stuff tends to get unceremoniously dumped into a single bag, so I start off with the Baggies from the outset, labelling the contents and indicating item/quantity before I bring them up to the counter for price tabulation.

2) Needlepoint storage boxes.  I can pick these up for $2 at the local hobby megastore.  Probably not all that much different from the tackle boxes RG mentions, these have a dozen and a half little compartments plus one big one.  I can keep single compartments for different transistors and op-amps (hell, even have one for BBDs and another for OTAs) and use the big one for when I have to sweep off the bench for when company comes over or if I just need lotsa space in a hurry.  One box for Si trannies, one for Ge, one for chips, and another for caps (the resistors are still in the little parts-drawer bins).