What do you use for storage?

[adamthole]

My electronic parts inventory keeps accumulating, and I was wondering what everyone used for storage. Right now mine are laying in the various boxes they came in, on the floor in my room. (not a pretty picture) What is your favorite storage/good cheap storage? I a moving soon and want to have good storage.

My favorite so far is something like this:

https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/s...toreId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=319599

But I thought I would ask if their was something better, or with a better price before I bought it.

On a side note, where is a good place to buy 0805 SMD resistors, cheap? I am looking for a big package with various values, but if it is cheaper I can buy the different values seperately.

https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/s...logId=10001&productId=172806&searchValue=0805

That looks okay, but I'm hoping to find cheaper.

Thanks!

 

[upand_at_them]

I don't have a lot of components, but I use small parts bins that I got at a craft store.

As for SMD items, try Ebay. I was surprised to find a lot of good buys.

Mike

 

[zevon8]

I like the stacking storage bins, about 3" tall, 3" wide, and 8" deep. I can use the packing label on them so that I can reorder exactly what is in the bin. It is easy to grab a few off the rack to have in front of you while building things. They are a nice size for various parts, from resistors to switches, to tiny stuff in the original packing, and are antistatic. Many bigger suppliers have them in bulk at good rates.

 

[evandude]

for surface mount parts, go to walmart and look in the craft section. they have these little plastic containers that look exactly like what tic-tacs come in (about 1"x2"x3/8" with a little snap-lid) and they come in packages of like 20 or so, for cheap. then you can get a small fishing tackle box (one of the flat clear ones with compartments, not the ones that look like toolboxes) and put the snap containers in there.

the fishing tackle boxes are also great for other parts as well, and they're usually pretty cheap also.

 

[Russlk]

I use the plastic drawers as in your link, but prefer to pick them up at yard sales. I think you will find them cheaper at Wal-Mart.

The price per piece for 0805 resistors is good but if you buy just what you need, it will be a long time before you spend $80. You will be buying other stuff so shipping cost is not an issue. Check out Xicon resistors at Mouser.

 

[gerty]

Don't forget ice cube trays, they're good for keeping the different values seperate.. Just don't ever drop it :shock:

 

[Optikon]

My electronic parts inventory keeps accumulating, and I was wondering what everyone used for storage. Right now mine are laying in the various boxes they came in, on the floor in my room. (not a pretty picture) What is your favorite storage/good cheap storage? I a moving soon and want to have good storage.

My favorite so far is something like this:

https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/s...toreId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=319599

But I thought I would ask if their was something better, or with a better price before I bought it.

On a side note, where is a good place to buy 0805 SMD resistors, cheap? I am looking for a big package with various values, but if it is cheaper I can buy the different values seperately.

https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/s...logId=10001&productId=172806&searchValue=0805

That looks okay, but I'm hoping to find cheaper.

Thanks!

In addition to ebay, this place is decent for cheap parts.
https://www.vakits.com/index.php?cPath=104_26&osCsid=aef63b8fff0b08b3145debca59d6f7ae

 

[mstechca]

I'm cheap :lol:

Once it was used as a plate for cooking pizzas, now I use it for my electronic parts.

 

[adamthole]

wow, that vakits place alot of extremely cheap parts kits, thanks! Have you ordered from their before? Just curious if it is as good as it seems.

 

[Optikon]

wow, that vakits place alot of extremely cheap parts kits, thanks! Have you ordered from their before? Just curious if it is as good as it seems.

Yes I've ordered from them. I bought the whole 5% (E-24) series of 1206 resistors from them but 2 values were missing. I wasnt going to complain about 2 values considering the price. NOthing fancy, they pack them in 5 cent zip lock baggies... cheap cheap cheap...

 

[adamthole]

is it just bulk, or reel?

 

[Optikon]

is it just bulk, or reel?

You can get either. I bought bulk 50 pcs of every value which is what I would recommend to you. Seldom will you ever need to have more than 50 of something laying around.

But if reels (5000+ pcs) appeals to you, you can buy them that way as well.

 

[Dean Huster]

Evandude's tic-tac box idea is wonderful, but you can get a lot of SMD resistors in a small space, so you'll still have lots of room left over. Don't forget that you'll need around 120 of those to handle all of the 5% values from 10 ohms to 1M ohm.

I started buying Acro-Mills parts drawer cabinets back in 1965 and now have something like 750 2.5 x 3.5" plastic drawers, cabinets all nicely labeled, etc. In these, I store all hardware, diodes, transistors, 1/4-watt resistors, ICs, lamps of all kinds and other miscellany. In addition, I have 9 Lyon metal drawer cabinet, 18 drawers per cabinet, each about 4" x 18". In these, I store all capacitors, power resistors, all resistors other than 1/4-watt, sockets, connectors and just about everything else. My parts supply can put any Radio Shack to shame in most respects.

Understand that I've been collecting stuff (the packrat syndrome) since 1962. I can still identify a few parts from then. I bought most of the plastic drawer cabinets (the 50-drawer models were $12 US in 1984) and the metal ones were given to me (that was luck).

There are 96 values per decade for 1% resistors, so I store them in paper coin envelopes (2" x 3"), mark the outside edge with value and put them in two of the metal drawers on edge like file cards. For those parts that aren't used as often, that's really compact, yet organized storage. I'd suggest that for the SMD resistors.

At the moment, I store my SMD resistors in 4 x 6" plastic parts boxes, six division per box and 24 boxes, one box per significant digit set, each box containing six decades of values (i.e., one box may contain 22, 220, 2.2K, 22K, 220K, 2.2M or whatever). It's a bit of a hassle, but I don't do much with SMD, so it's OK.

Diodes and transistors are NOT stored and sorted by part number. It's too hard to add new numbers. Each drawer is numbered and each section of each drawer is lettered. I have a look-up system on the computer with a printout for fast access in the shop. A 1N4001 may be in drawer 17D while a 1N4004 is in 24B. I have my TTL ICs numerically arranged, but it can be a problem if I add a new number or dramatically increase a quantity in one drawer section. THAT'S a hassle.

I prefer covered storage rather than open storage so that you have at least a small chance of easy recovery if you drop the storage container or bump it into something.

Dean