keeping up with parts invintory ideas

[sickbend]

I'm trying to start this part time pedals and pedal mods and already have a huge parts inventory from the grab bag parts kits resistor kits metal film cap kits and so forth what do you guys do to keep an accurate running inventory when you have hundreds of parts?

[Zben3129]

Some things I have found:

Resistors can be kept in stock easily without breaking the bank. I recently bought 100ea of the 30 most common values I could think of in 5% carbon film. Have yet to run out of any resistor value after 10+ pedals and breadboarding (I can't reuse resistors from breadboard) except for 10k for 30 bucks.

Capacitors are a little bit harder, I end up buying these more often.

IC's, I bought either 20 or 30 4558's a while ago and haven't run out. Sockets are the key to keeping IC's in stock as they are reusable if you don't like a circuit. Get some single op amps aswell and you should be good.

I stocked up on transistors recently...100 2n5088 100 2n3906, 100 of a pnp (can't remember which), 30 J201 and 100 mpf102, and I can't see running out of these any time soon.

Diodes are simple, 100 1n914's and maybe 30 1n34a

Pots are from futurlec...50c a piece so perhaps buy 5 or so of each common type and if you run out buy more when neccesary.

I buy enclosures/switches/hardware/jacks when I need them, as they are expensive.

Zach

[SonicVI]

I started a spreadsheet of what parts and how many of each  had in my stock. The only problem with this was that I was too lazy to keep it updated when I used any parts.

[ballooneater]

The bags that Mouser ships parts in are great for keeping track of parts. I just have separate drawers for caps, resistors, and semiconductors all sorted by value.  When it comes time to re-order, it's a breeze to flip through the various baggies and see which are running low.

[newfish]

Maybe someone should sell a beginner's DIY kit comprising of...

A dozen Bi-Polar Trannies (6 each NPN / PNP).
Similar FETs,

Couple of dozen of the most popular resistor values.

Same for caps.

A sheet of Perfboard

...and a few LEDs / Diodes, Op Amps, sockets and DPDT switches thrown in for good measure.

Maybe a deluxe edition with a Breadboard included

Just an idea really - maybe those of you with online stores could do a trial run as a Christmas Goodie.

[PerroGrande]

I really appreciate how Mouser stores (and allows the repeating) of previous orders.  I am *terrible* at proper inventory control, and frequently double order (frustrating) or forget something (**argh**).  I've found that assembling a "need" list over the period of a day or two is WAY better than sitting down and cranking up a Mouser order on the fly.  I also look at my previous orders to see if I "should" have something and just can't find it -- another problem that I've been known to have.   

[ayayay!]

Someone in a previous thread mentioned the envelope holder and I use it now.  Get a recipe holder and a pack of 50 envelopes.  Roughly $2.00 at Wal Mart.  Label each with the resistor value and dump them in.  I've got about 40 envelopes and it works great.

[Zben3129]

when you forget to order something, you will remember about 20 mins after you hit the submit button 


Zach

[Sir H C]

If you are really organized, you can have parts lists for each build, have the main inventory (all in a speadsheet) and as you do pedals the inventory goes down with the # of each used in that pedal.  More work than I do, at work we just reorder when we see something is low.

[R.G.]

For resistors: Shoebox plus coin envelopes. A coin envelope marked with the resistor value handily holds 100 1/4W resistors. Tidy, all in place, easy to keep up with.

For capacitors: All capacitors which can be bought as box style PCB caps are bought that way. Electros are stocked in a few values. Stored in Harbor Freight compartment containers, with 32 compartments per container(about $5).

Stocking process: For each new project: (1) make parts list (2) consult existing stock. (3) If stock is sufficient, mark it off the order. (4) If stock insufficient, order either 100 or 200 (whichever is cheaper per resistor and convenient) per resistor value; order 2x the number of caps needed. (5) When parts received, they go into the parts envelopes/compartments first. This ensures that resistors are always on hand and some caps are always on hand.

Oops, left off electro caps. The common value electros (1uF, 10uF, 22uF, 47uF, 100uF) are all stocked 100 at a time, either 16V or 25V values. Same process as resistors; if not enough for the project, order 100.

This keeps a stock, minimizes the stocking on the expensive stuff (box caps) to a few on hand, and ensures that there is always good stock of resistors and electros.

Semiconductors are bought based on how I feel. There are always 2N5088s, 2N3904s, etc in 100 unit quantities. You can find transistors like this for $10 per hundred easily enough if you look. Garden variety opamps (TL072, etc) are bought one tube of 25 per order, common CMOS also per tube.

But then I build a lot of stuff... 

[sickbend]

thanks guys guess I will combine a few things I'm going to get the tall bins with like 60 compartments and stack them I tried a shoe box full of resisors in bead baggies 100 baggies for 2 dollars at walmart but it's stil way to much to go through cause I have complete kits in both carbon film and metal film so I think I will do a full invintory set up parts lists for each build and try to keep an acurte running invintory of parts on hand going to invest 200 in a large internet order to get me started should keep be busy a lil while lol anyway thanks for the ideas and replies

[sickbend]

ok looks like I found something that works. I got small bead baggies and the 60 bin compartment drawers and I put all the sorted resistors in the compartments like so 1 ohm to 100 ohm, 100 ohm to 1k, 1k  to 10k, 10k to 100k, 100k to 1m then 1m to 10m, then a misc resistor drawer for loose ones to re sort. Caps I did electro, ceramics, greenies and orange drops in separate compartments, leds, photocells mic elements small swtches etc. It's nice cause not only can I sort a mess full of parts quickly I can keep a very acurate invintory just by looking at the parts organizer and one larger organizer for pots bigger switches jacks etc. I think I'm finally ready after 4 hrs of sorting to place a big parts order 

[grathan]

I use a bunch of plastic bins to store parts. Something like this:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10310690

everything goes in a little labled baggie like this:
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=628

Then a text document alphabtized by part types

caps
diodes
transistors etc..

with part names and quantites. At the bottom is a list of stuff on order and what project it is for and where I ordered from.

I suppose a spreadsheet would work, but I'm thinkin a text doc with hyperlinked index might be easier for me to set up.

actually a spreadsheet would be cool too because it could list all projects that use a peticular part. hmm...

[frank_p]

I use a database (filemaker) to enter the datas of what I buy.  I put everything I need in the fields as to make searching easy.  When I plan to do a build, I do a quick search with the BOM, then I go to the store to get what is missing.  If I don't do that I end up buying too much things I already have.

But putting together a database is a lot of work for hobby purpose.  In your case it would be more useful than in my case.

I am at the point where I tell myself: throw that database away, you end up taking more time classifying than building, it's obsessive.  But in your case, when you do business, its important to have a book well kept.

Oh, and yes capacitors are a pain, there are so many kind of them with different sizes and voltage rating...