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Member's Forum Component storage tips wanted
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  • Replies 37 replies
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Related

Component storage tips wanted

opalko
opalko over 3 years ago

Hey folks - I am slowly accumulating more and more components. I am working my way through Charles Platt's second book: Make: More Electronics and now have many more IC's I need to find a good way to store. I was using his suggestion from the first book using very sturdy, albeit small, mini-storage boxes like these:

image

I have filled the 7 or 8 I have like this but have been unable to find any more of the same type. 

In the second book he recommends small circular containers within a larger plastic box like this:

image

which looks similar but better than the storage boxes I have like these:

image

In these the parts tend to slip from one bin to another.  But the price for that box of circular containers is too expensive for me.

What are your suggestions for storing components? I tried to scour the pictures in John Wiltrout's blog of shop tips articles to see how he stores things but I can't really tell how he does it. Mostly I am looking for IC's, resistors and capacitors at this point.  I like the idea in this instructables  ( https://www.instructables.com/4-DIY-Electronic-Parts-Storage/ )as I have hundreds of similar lidded containers (plastic dog food containers) that I have saved over the years but think they would be too big to store individual components (roughly 9cm x 12cm x 5cm). Should I worry about ESD with a method like this as one of the commenters noted?

image

Thanks for any ideas!

Robert Opalko

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Top Replies

  • Andrew J
    Andrew J over 3 years ago +8
    Quality Street is your friend in this situation:
  • scottiebabe
    scottiebabe over 3 years ago +7
    The only advise I can give is to markup your component bags with a sharpie with the part number in giant text: Electronic distributors design their labels for a factory floor not a proto lab. Lead…
  • dougw
    dougw over 3 years ago +7
    I have several (about 10) multi-drawer cabinets for connectors, switches, and components. When I have too many components for a little drawer I use a plastic shoebox: I also keep MCU modules in shoe…
Parents
  • scottiebabe
    scottiebabe over 3 years ago

    The only advise I can give is to markup your component bags with a sharpie with the part number in giant text:

    image

    Electronic distributors design their labels for a factory floor not a proto lab. Lead free and ROHS are in larger text than the actual component value.

    Then I just keep the components in a clear plastic box by component type.

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  • scottiebabe
    scottiebabe over 3 years ago

    The only advise I can give is to markup your component bags with a sharpie with the part number in giant text:

    image

    Electronic distributors design their labels for a factory floor not a proto lab. Lead free and ROHS are in larger text than the actual component value.

    Then I just keep the components in a clear plastic box by component type.

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  • shabaz
    shabaz over 3 years ago in reply to scottiebabe

    This is annoying too... after COVID cleaning cycle the labels all react. Farnell ones fade rapidly, RS and Mouser fade too, but they are quite dense and often instead just darken with the dissolved ink mess. 

    image

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  • scottiebabe
    scottiebabe over 3 years ago in reply to shabaz

    This is true! I got IPA on one bag and the label text dissolved, but it was only the datecode and lotcode which I don't care about for prototyping lol

    As soon as you get a pile of 20+ of those little bags in a pile you can never find your BAT54 diodes again! I wish they made easier to read labels. 

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  • kmikemoo
    kmikemoo over 3 years ago in reply to scottiebabe

    scottiebabe  I've also had to start grouping parts in ziploc bags for the projects I plan - but haven't started yet.  Bags of bags or loose parts.  Too many "What was I going to do with this again?"

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  • scottiebabe
    scottiebabe over 3 years ago in reply to kmikemoo

    LOL I know the feeling. I have boxes of breakout boards and sensor modules that have turned into blackholes... 

    image

    I could have sworn I had bought one of those rf modules... My parts organization is a work in progress...

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  • phoenixcomm
    phoenixcomm over 3 years ago in reply to scottiebabe

    imageThank gd I use a database!!

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  • scottiebabe
    scottiebabe over 3 years ago in reply to phoenixcomm

    LOL, this is also a great suggestion!

    OP: I heard about PartsBox via this youtuber recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SWd2HBYvfg , never used it myself though...

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  • phoenixcomm
    phoenixcomm over 3 years ago in reply to scottiebabe

    No /members/scottiebabe roll your own. I use MySQL for the DB engine. I don't have a pretty front-end yet. The last one I wrote with Perl is a good language to use. and HTML for display. (www.phoenixtrading ~+250K parts). On this one the combo will be Q-t/perl/html

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  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 3 years ago in reply to phoenixcomm

    phoenixcomm, rolling my own solution is almost always the last option I choose. In any technology.
    Others do it better. In particular when they are more than 1 person.

    Exception when it's in my expertise area. Or when have to design something on my own for work.

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  • rsjawale24
    rsjawale24 over 3 years ago in reply to phoenixcomm

    It's a great idea to keep an inventory. I just use excel sheet for that Stuck out tongue

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  • Andrew J
    Andrew J over 3 years ago in reply to rsjawale24

    I used to use an Excel spreadsheet but it just doesn't scale well after a while.  Now I have a MS Access database.

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