How are you guys storing/organising your stuff?

[Tdub]

Just wondering how you lot are categorising/storing your parts?

[juansolo]

Strewn chaotically around the build room. Some things are in boxes, some are in bags in boxes, some are on the sofa, some are on the floor.

[Tdub]

Ha! Exactly my feels.

I'm trying to figure out how to get a system that is easily accessible but also easily reconfigurable, and by that I mean if I get a 422k resistor, I want it to be easy to shuffle space around if I need to make room for a random value.

Also wondering if some sort of inventory system would be worthwhile or just cumbersome.

For the moment, I have all the resistors and capacitors contained in ascending order in two arch files with basketball card inserts, so there's a pocket and a little plastic bag for each value and that seems to be working reasonably well but parts like LEDs, transistors, diodes, and pots are just all over the place in a fabulously frustrating explosion of hardware.

[Martan]

I bought cheap "glad-lock"-style plastic bins meant for leftovers from the grocery and used a label maker for "resistors" "capacitors" "electrolytics", etc. They stack well, are easy to expand to new categories, and there's a size thats about perfect for filing Mouser-size bags to keep things in order. System cost about $5.00.

[benlanc]

I keep my resistors organised in powers, e.g. 1R, 10R, 100R, 1k, 10k, 100k, 1M all grouped together. I have a separate drawer for less common values (11k, 33.2k, 16k, for example)

I then have three larger drawers for capacitors (electrolytics, polybox, ceramic), with values kept in individual bags, although I think I'll soon split this in to two draws, one for 16V rated, and another for higher voltages.

I also have separate drawers for ICs, switches, pots, trimmers, knobs, diodes, TO-92 (with components in labeled bags) and sockets.

Then I have "project" drawers, which contain all the bits I need for an in-progress project.

[Willybomb]

I have a large zip loc back for resistors, one for capacitors, and one for general hardware such as pots.  ICs and diodes get a small bag, sometimes.  Whenever I do a build, all the resistors (or capacitors) get tipped out on the table and I sort as I go.  Usually the resistors have a paper tag with the value on them, otherwise I check the values with an app on my phone.  Because the light gives me grief I use the LED light on my phone to discern greys from yellows etc.

Because I'm between locations, I do all my soldering, sorting, and populating, standing up at the kitchen bench.

[Haberdasher]

I've seen some guys come up with some pretty cool ways to organize things, including separate parts drawers for every little thing and maintaining spreadsheets for inventory.  It's an appealing thought, but I know myself, and even if I managed to get everything perfectly organized, I'd NEVER keep things in that state for long.  So here's what I do.

I have some big tubs with lids that stack, and there are separate ones for resistors, film caps, electrolytic caps, ceramic type caps, diodes/leds, and hardware/knobs.  Oh yeah, pots too.

I'll use resistors as an example here, but I do a similar sort of thing with all the other types of parts too.  Within the resistor tub, I segregate 5 big plastic bags by value.  Each particular value of resistor is still in its little baggie it came in from mouser or wherever, and I write the value in a colored fine tip marker on the labels so I don't have to read the small and faded print constantly.  Everything <1k, 1k-10k gets shoved into one big bag, then 11k-99k, 100k- <1M, and finally 1M and larger.  That way I avoid the hassle of keeping everything perfectly organized at all times, which is good for me, but I still know where to reach for something.  As I work, I try to notice when a particular value is getting low and I jot it down and it goes in a running mouser cart.

It isn't the ideal system, I know, but it gets me by and works for me.

[jimilee]

Ha! Exactly my feels.

I'm trying to figure out how to get a system that is easily accessible but also easily reconfigurable, and by that I mean if I get a 422k resistor, I want it to be easy to shuffle space around if I need to make room for a random value.

Also wondering if some sort of inventory system would be worthwhile or just cumbersome.

For the moment, I have all the resistors and capacitors contained in ascending order in two arch files with basketball card inserts, so there's a pocket and a little plastic bag for each value and that seems to be working reasonably well but parts like LEDs, transistors, diodes, and pots are just all over the place in a fabulously frustrating explosion of hardware.

All mine are grouped together in separate bags and smaller bags within to contain the different values. My inventory system is when I run out or need a Value I don't t have, I order more. I usually have several builds at once going, so I never run out of things to build.

[dont-tase-me-bro]

Since the mouser stuff comes labeled and individually bagged, I keep them sorted by type and in ascending order by value, or with ICs, alphabetically.  The mouser box also makes a perfect container.  Everything else goes in a $15 harbor freight 40 drawer thing

[EBRAddict]

I bought a few of those 64-bin organizers on Amazon. I use one for common caps, one for common resistor values, one for everything else like switches, toggles, jacks.

Then I use six half-sized hard plastic bins from Costco for other stuff.

I cleared out 3 draws on my rolling toolbox just for the tools and wire I use for electronics.

[davent]

For things the size of 1/4w resistors and the like i use a couple cut down cardboard Ikea magazine organizers in conjunction with 3x5" labeled ziplock bags. One tray(?) will hold thousands of resistors.

Bigger stuff into the small drawer units shown earlier or divided/lidded plastic organizers of various sizes.






dave

[juansolo]

Ok opening ourselves up here, but this is Cleggy's front room where I go to build things. The decor is completely old school. But Cleggy (like myself) is from Yorkshire, so if it isn't broke, it doesn't get fixed. He has strangely decorated quite a lot of the rest of the house, this room however, is quite a long way down the list

This was a VERY tidy day (as Phil was coming over). But you can already see things starting to appear on the (very pink) sofa and floor.

Anyhow... enjoy!

What I will also add is that I'm actually quite OCD and tidy. Cleggy I'm sure exploits this when I come around as the room was such a tip after the winter break he sat and watched me tidy it up for about an hour supping a cup of tea... There comes a point when I have to do something

[matmosphere]

I have a few shoe boxes and a small organizer with various things, but for the most part I order in small quantities. Last fathers day the kids gave me a couple of little organizers, generally before I start a project I stock one up with just the parts for that project usually straight from the shipment when I'm checking it in.  I work in our detached garage that doesn't have heat/ac so I don't like to leave everything out there. Doing it this way makes it easy for me to grab the project and take everything out without needing to make a trip into the house every few minutes to grab something.

[mrclean77]

I will try to come back later w pics. I have a few drawer organizers right on top of my build desk. I tried to do bigger tubs/etc, but those require you put everything back in and away when done...I would NEVER do that (promptly), so I have been trying to make it where everything is right at my fingertips, with only a few things to take out (pliers, cutters, solder etc) then put back away....when I get some more drawers and space cleared out, I will separate some more pots and bits, but for now I have separated: resistors (most of the common ones anyway), box caps, diodes, elec caps and knobs.

It's a little OCD-ish, but if I leave myself a big mess to clean up, that will delay the next build for sure. I'm not even ashamed to reveal I made myself a spacer so the labels on the drawers are even....ok, maybe a little.

[peAk]

resistors:

I used to use plastic bags but I like the way these envelopes hold up better



builds that need boxing:



Everything