Components organisation

[composition4]

Hi all, been a while since my last post. I am reorganising my components and couldn't find anything I liked with around 200 spaces for decent sized components. I ended up building a couple of drawers/shelves to hold plastic components containers. Nothing too exciting but simple and cheap to build. Thought I might share it in case it turns out to be a useful idea for someone. I didn't take photos whilst building them, but the whole thing only took a few hours from start to finish with no special tools besides a circular saw to cut the wood straight (table saw would have been even quicker)... I can draw out plans if anyone finds it useful.

[abakuzam]

Around 300 matchboxes, costed me about 10$, and quite a lot labor, attached them to another, perfect fit for resistors. Used staple to attach the drawers ,  super glue for hole thing, works really good. Also not too much work for maintenance.

[GibsonGM]

Getting organized is great, and makes building so much faster!  My problem is that when I'm done with 10 or so projects, I have a workbench with 100 poly caps and various resistors, diodes, etc. all over it.  RE-organizing is much more of a pain, LOL. 

[vigilante397]

My problem is that when I'm done with 10 or so projects, I have a workbench with 100 poly caps and various resistors, diodes, etc. all over it.  RE-organizing is much more of a pain, LOL.

Every. Single. Time. That's why aside from my nicely labelled and organized part bins I also keep a box of "to sort" components to put back. Eventually. When I get to it. Love the look of your setup though composition4, and the matchboxes is a great idea too

[willienillie]

C4, dig the username.

Nice shelves too.

[cab42]

My problem is that when I'm done with 10 or so projects, I have a workbench with 100 poly caps and various resistors, diodes, etc. all over it.  RE-organizing is much more of a pain, LOL.

Every. Single. Time. That's why aside from my nicely labelled and organized part bins I also keep a box of "to sort" components to put back. Eventually. When I get to it. Love the look of your setup though composition4, and the matchboxes is a great idea too

I have that kind of box too, at the moment actually two of them. It will take more than one glass of port wine to get everything back in place.

I just a casual builder, and as such, I don't have a huge stock. I usually keep my components in ordinary envelopes in a couple of Ikea boxes that fits two rows of envelopes. Works great!

[vigilante397]

I'm a casual builder, but my wife is just glad I don't play video games all day so I have 360 bins for through-hole parts and four 144-compartment organizers for SMD parts. I have a problem

[287m]

Around 300 matchboxes, costed me about 10$, and quite a lot labor, attached them to another, perfect fit for resistors. Used staple to attach the drawers ,  super glue for hole thing, works really good. Also not too much work for maintenance.

same energy



oh, why not rotate, sorry

[PRR]

If you use color-code resistors, know your color code (and have good color light), and don't do a LOT of stuff, I found it sufficient to only sort to "decades". 100 to 999, 1k-9.9k, etc. That's only about 8 drawers for all likely resistor values (I used to do a lot of sub-Ohm parts). It also fits the code: all "red in the third stripe" resistors go in the same drawer. Need 4.7k? Open red drawer and look for Yel/Vio. Inversely, you find a red-stripe on the floor, just toss it in the red drawer.

Yes, the rise of sub-10% and 5-stripe resistors spoiled my scheme.

[Rixen]

SMT resistors and caps, leave in their packs, tape to paper, put in clearfile.

Possible to also buy whole assortments already in a folder.

[vigilante397]

SMT resistors and caps, leave in their packs, tape to paper, put in clearfile.

It's a lot faster to keep them in bins, plus peeling back the film on the cut tape to get all of them out is sooooo satisfying

[Rob Strand]

If you use color-code resistors, know your color code (and have good color light), and don't do a LOT of stuff, I found it sufficient to only sort to "decades". 100 to 999, 1k-9.9k, etc. That's only about 8 drawers for all likely resistor values (I used to do a lot of sub-Ohm parts). It also fits the code: all "red in the third stripe" resistors go in the same drawer. Need 4.7k? Open red drawer and look for Yel/Vio. Inversely, you find a red-stripe on the floor, just toss it in the red drawer.

That way saves a heap of space.   Keep a small number of each value in the trays and bags of bulk parts elsewhere.  Can do the same for caps.

[antonis]

Maybe I'm the only guy who keeps his resistors placed on manufacturer's papers stripes marked with their nominal values, placed inside plastic bags also marked with respective values, placed into individual drawers with appropriate labeling, familiar enough with colour-code and still uses his DMM for value verification.. 

[Ben N]

If you use color-code resistors, know your color code (and have good color light), and don't do a LOT of stuff, I found it sufficient to only sort to "decades". 100 to 999, 1k-9.9k, etc. That's only about 8 drawers for all likely resistor values (I used to do a lot of sub-Ohm parts). It also fits the code: all "red in the third stripe" resistors go in the same drawer. Need 4.7k? Open red drawer and look for Yel/Vio. Inversely, you find a red-stripe on the floor, just toss it in the red drawer.

I use a variation on this approach: a separate compartment for each first two digits, including all multipliers. So I have 1 ohm, 10 ohm... 10M all in one compartment, but in separate little Tayda ziplocks. Same for 22, 27, 33, 39, 47 etc.

[deadastronaut]

^ yup, similar....

i have 1k/10k/100k....3 drawers..

then 2.2/22/220/k drawers and so on...

50 drawers in total...

2 of these...i added brass label inserts on the fronts.

https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/craft-storage/25-drawer-cabinet/5052089182363?CAWELAID=720011340002622088&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiYOVlNKR5QIVCbrtCh2ayAAFEAYYASABEgIDE_D_BwE

[composition4]

For me, the best way to store resistors is the envelope per value in a box. Mine is looking a bit worse for wear after a few years and I'm due to renew it soon, but see below for a photo. I find it exceptionally quick to flick to the right envelope and grab any value without messing about with lids or drawers etc.

I wish I could find some thicker (card) envelopes in Australia though for a bit more durability.

[yanng45]

SMT resistors and caps, leave in their packs, tape to paper, put in clearfile.

It's a lot faster to keep them in bins, plus peeling back the film on the cut tape to get all of them out is sooooo satisfying

Totally agree on the peeling  , i use those : https://www.amazon.fr/AideTek-BOXALL96AS-Couvercles-Anti-statique-Organisateur/dp/B0187S6CLM/ref=sr_1_4?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=smd%2Bboite%2Besd&qid=1570719697&sr=8-4&th=1 for 0605-1206 sizes, best investment ever.

[vigilante397]

Totally agree on the peeling  , i use those : https://www.amazon.fr/AideTek-BOXALL96AS-Couvercles-Anti-statique-Organisateur/dp/B0187S6CLM/ref=sr_1_4?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=smd%2Bboite%2Besd&qid=1570719697&sr=8-4&th=1 for 0605-1206 sizes, best investment ever.

Same here, I have one for resistors, one for capacitors, and one for ICs/diodes/transistors, then one of the 48 bin ones for bigger stuff that doesn't fit in the smaller compartments. Those things are great!

[anotherjim]

I'm semi-organised. I do store resistors by decade but 1k and 10k share one draw because I get through so many. 100nF ceramics get a drawer to themselves. Small drawers individually for film caps, that works since there aren't so many values from 100pF to 1uF (we only tend to use 1,22,47 in the UK though I stock some 68).

Over at the inventin' station, I have a slush tray that I have to eyeball. Easy to read carbon resistors there and a worn-out protoboard that holds common IC's, transistors and 78Lxx regulators.

[stallik]

I spent quite a while cutting out these dividers and labelling them all up. Then added an 'everything else compartment for the values i'd forgotten