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  • Author Author: dychen
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Organize Your Workbench Wishlist

Cable Bundle with Toilet Paper Roll

After a while, everyone's workbench starts to get cluttered with nests of cables, tools, tiny components and more. Thankfully, there are a lot of products designed specifically for engineers and makers that help organize the loose parts and cables, and give your bench a tidy and professional appearance. Time spent searching for things will be cut down dramatically once everything has its own little compartment.

Cable Management

Over the years, engineers and makers typically build large nests of cables. Without proper organization, this can make any kind of troubleshooting a nightmare. Walking barefoot or on your knees on cables gets a little annoying after a while.

Label Maker

The first step in organizing cables is labeling. It can be a pain to print a label when you just want to plug in and go, but it eliminates the time wasted later when you need to trace each cable to figure where it goes.

Brady Label Maker

Label Maker

Barcode Scanner

Many label makers can print barcodes. If you've got a lot of cables, a barcode scanner makes it one step easier to figure out what they are.

Barcode Scanner

Barcode Scanner

Wire Marker

If you have a bundle or a snake connecting instruments with multiple channels, wire markers are a great way to go.

Wire Marker

Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

Cable marker

Cable Marker

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Cable Tie

Cable ties or zip ties are very handy; an inexpensive way to quickly bundle up unruly cables.

Cable Tie

Cable Tie

Cable Tie Tension Tool

Rather than doing it with your fingers, you can grab a cable tie tension tool. They cut and tighten in one press of the lever.

Cable Tie Tension Tool

Cable Tie Gun

Twist Lock Cable Tie

Twist lock cable ties bundle your cables with a convenient twist. They're also reusable, though I guess zip ties are also technically reusable (as long as the new bundle is smaller than the last).

Twist Lock Cable Tie

Twist Lock Cable Tie

Spiral Wrap

Spiral wraps make it easy to make a bundle out of a group of cables. This is something I've previously done using duct tape, which, of course, only sounds like a good idea.

Spiral Wrap

 Spiral Wrap

Cable Reel Holder

Cable reels are easier to store and manage than coils lying on the floor. If you deal with a huge amount of cables, cable reels make organization easier.

Cable Reel Holder

Cable Reel Holder

Cable Spool Rack

Most engineers and makers have to dig in their drawers to find the right cable spool; make things easy, and put them on a rack!

Cable Spool Rack

Cable Spool Rack

Jumper Assortment

Having a box that is divided into sections is much easier than having all your jumpers in the same shoebox (along with loose resistors and capacitors).

Jumper Assortment

Jumper Assortment

Component and Tool Storage

Speaking of resistors and capacitors, another source of of clutter is the large amount of tiny components lying around on every bench. Add surface mount components to that and we've got ourselves a serious problem!

Storage Cabinet

Every engineer or maker absolutely needs one (or twenty) cabinet with several small compartments. This saves untold hours in reading resistors.

Storage Cabinet

Storage Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

ESD Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

With some of the more sensitive components, it might be worthwhile to have some ESD bags on hand.

ESD Bags

Antistatic Bag

Portable Tool Case

Now onto our tools, because I've stepped on my pliers barefoot for the very last time! You've probably already got a cabinet for your tools, but a portable tool case is very handy for tools that you might need to carry around.

Tool Case

Portable Tool Case

  • For me it's simple, I need another kind of storage box for components (eg, resistors, capacitors), something else for small electronic modules, and obviously I need something bigger like a case for tools and things like that because I managed to mix them, electrical tools, mechanical tools. Although, I don't know how to do it because most of the time I end up with small bags for components and cardboard boxes for modules placed on top of each other.

  • in reply to manojroy123

    Sorry  .  This is over one year old.  The giveaway is over.

  • How to participate in this giveaway. I am intrested in this giveaway.

  • in reply to vinayyn

    Do you have an invisible elf that comes in at night to put everything in its place ? 

    When I get deep into a project I have tools and instruments get scattered as I use them, I'm so concentrated on the task at hand. In the middle of doing a task, I lose my tools, tape, crimp tools, meter, and have to go on a scavenger hunt even if I've only been working for an hour :-)  

  • in reply to vinayyn

    This is so tidy! I am very impressed. How do you manage to keep it so tidy?

    Dubbie

  • in reply to vinayyn

    That's too tidy! I don't believe you!

  • I have Used The Old Plastic Box For Storing The Nuts Bolts and screws. After Breaking My Pen stand I have Used a Power adapter Curtain Box as a Pen stand.

    In the list Above Wall Hooks Are Missing It also a Major Material To Hang The USB and other Interfacing cables.

    image

    Image of my Workbench and Surroundings

  • in reply to embeddedguy

    Here are some of the points why an organized workplace is better than a not organized place.

    • A maker, nerd, or a hobiest needs tiny parts all of a sudden for his project. Organized things can help him to find things efficiently.
    • It reduces the cost of the project and time because one do not have to order parts again.
    • It helps in sustainable development. Because a part not stored in right manner gets destroyed or no longer useful and has to be thrown away in the garbage. From there it goes all over the recycling process.
    • In the case there are shortages, one would have less effect due to component reuse and organization.

  • It is said that having something is not enough until one finds it !!

    I don't want to participate in the giveaway but the questions are interesting to answer. 

    In my workbench, I had several tiny components such as resistors, capacitors etc. I also had a mesh of wires and connectors. I realized that I am not able to manage the thigs which I already have because it is not arranged in the right order. For that, I spend some time every day organizing the things  I had.

    The first thing I pick up was a mesh of wires and tied them with the white sellotape. Now they are better organized and easy to find whenever needed.

     imageimage

    The second thing was to manage the tiny components for that, I bought a small plastic box with places to keep those parts separated. Now I can find the right registers, caps, transistors, or diodes whenever I want. The enclosure also will increase the life of these parts.

    imageimageimage

    In the present times when there are shortages, crisis, and supply chain interruptions, I think organizing a workplace is equally important and time/cost-saving.

  • in reply to me_Cris

    Honestly that's a pretty solid way to go. I love using the little ziplock bags. I live in constant fear of my 100-drawer organizer full of resistors tipping over and all is lost. You could dump out your box and each group is still together.