Organize Your Workbench Wishlist

dychen — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 14:10:15 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by dychen on 4/1/2023 2:10:15 PM

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.

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

Wire Marker

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

Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

Cable Marker

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 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 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

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

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 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

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

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

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

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.

Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize Your Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 12:23:44 GMT

Revision 13 posted to Documents by dychen on 3/28/2023 12:23:44 PM

Cable Management

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

Wire Marker

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

Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

Cable Marker

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 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 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

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

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 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

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

Component and Tool Storage

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

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Antistatic Bag

Portable Tool Case

Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize Your Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 15:13:56 GMT

Revision 12 posted to Documents by dychen on 3/23/2023 3:13:56 PM

Organizing My Workbench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper roll in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?
Bonus points for pics of your workbench!

Terms:

Post your answers as a comment below between February 15, 2022 and March 22, 2022.
Our favorite answers will be chosen by the element14 community team, and you will be shipped your prize (or local equivalent) free of charge.

Cable Management

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

Wire Marker

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

Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

Cable Marker

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 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 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

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

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 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

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

Component and Tool Storage

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

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Antistatic Bag

Portable Tool Case

Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize Your Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 15:12:15 GMT

Revision 11 posted to Documents by dychen on 3/23/2023 3:12:15 PM

Organizing My Workbench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper roll in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?
Bonus points for pics of your workbench!

Cable Management

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

Wire Marker

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

Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

Cable Marker

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 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 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

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

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 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

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

Component and Tool Storage

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

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Antistatic Bag

Portable Tool Case

Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize Your Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 19:06:25 GMT

Revision 10 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/15/2022 7:06:25 PM

Organizing My Workbench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper roll in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?
Bonus points for pics of your workbench!

Cable Management

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

Wire Marker

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

Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

Cable Marker

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 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 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

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

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 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

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

Component and Tool Storage

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

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Antistatic Bag

Antistatic Foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

Antistatic Foam

Portable Tool Case

Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize Your Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 18:11:51 GMT

Revision 9 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/15/2022 6:11:51 PM

Organizing My Workbench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper roll in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?
Bonus points for pics of your workbench!

Cable Management

Label Maker

Brady 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.

Opticon 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.

Brady Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

HellermannTyton Cable Marker

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Brady Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Cable Tie

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

Panduit 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.

Duratool 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).

Multicomp Pro 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.

Panduit 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.

Multicomp Pro 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!

Pro Power 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).

Multicomp Pro Jumper Assortment

Component and Tool Storage

Storage Cabinet

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

Duratool 30 Drawer Storage Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

Raaco ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Multicomp Pro Antistatic Bag

Antistatic Foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

Duratool Antistatic Foam

Portable Tool Case

Multicomp Pro Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize Your Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 21:07:30 GMT

Revision 8 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/10/2022 9:07:30 PM

Organizing My Workbench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper roll in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?
Bonus points for pics of your workbench!

Cable Management

Label Maker

Brady 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.

Opticon 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.

Brady Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

HellermannTyton Cable Marker

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Brady Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Cable Tie

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

Panduit 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.

Duratool 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).

Multicomp Pro 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.

Panduit 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.

Multicomp Pro 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!

Pro Power 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).

Multicomp Pro Jumper Assortment

Component and Tool Storage

Storage Cabinet

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

Duratool 30 Drawer Storage Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

Raaco ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Multicomp Pro Antistatic Bag

Antistatic Foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

Duratool Antistatic Foam

Portable Tool Case

Multicomp Pro Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize My Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 20:44:44 GMT

Revision 7 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/10/2022 8:44:44 PM

Organizing My Workbench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper roll in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?
Bonus points for pics of your workbench!

Cable Management

Label Maker

Brady 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.

Opticon 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.

Brady Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

HellermannTyton Cable Marker

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Brady Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Cable Tie

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

Panduit 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.

Duratool 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).

Multicomp Pro 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.

Panduit 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.

Multicomp Pro 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!

Pro Power 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).

Multicomp Pro Jumper Assortment

Component and Tool Storage

Storage Cabinet

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

Duratool 30 Drawer Storage Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

Raaco ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Multicomp Pro Antistatic Bag

Antistatic Foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

Duratool Antistatic Foam

Portable Tool Case

Multicomp Pro Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize My Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 20:41:38 GMT

Revision 6 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/10/2022 8:41:38 PM

Organizing My Workbench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper roll in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?
Bonus points for pics of your workbench!

Cable Management

Label Maker

Brady 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.

Opticon 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.

Brady Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

HellermannTyton Cable Marker

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Brady Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Cable Tie

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

Panduit 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.

Duratool 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).

Multicomp Pro 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.

Panduit 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.

Multicomp Pro 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!

Pro Power 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).

Multicomp Pro Jumper Assortment

Component and Tool Storage

Storage Cabinet

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

Duratool 30 Drawer Storage Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

Raaco ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Multicomp Pro Antistatic Bag

Antistatic Foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

Duratool Antistatic Foam

Portable Tool Case

Multicomp Pro Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize My Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 20:39:31 GMT

Revision 5 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/10/2022 8:39:31 PM

Organizing My Workbench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper roll in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?
Bonus points for pics of your workbench!

Cable Management

Label Maker

Brady 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.

Opticon 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.

Brady Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

HellermannTyton Cable Marker

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Brady Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Cable Tie

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

Panduit 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.

Duratool 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).

Multicomp Pro 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.

Panduit 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.

Multicomp Pro 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!

Pro Power 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).

Multicomp Pro Jumper Assortment

Component and Tool Storage

Storage Cabinet

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

Duratool 30 Drawer Storage Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

Raaco ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Multicomp Pro Antistatic Bag

Antistatic Foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

Duratool Antistatic Foam

Portable Tool Case

Multicomp Pro Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Organize My Workbench Wishlist and Giveaway

dychen — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 20:38:22 GMT

Revision 4 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/10/2022 8:38:22 PM

Organizing My Workbench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper roll in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?
Bonus points for pics of your workbench!

Terms:

Post your answers as a comment below between 15th February 2022 and 20th March 2022.
Our favorite answers will be chosen by the element14 community team, and you will be shipped your prize (or local equivalent) free of charge.

Cable Management

Label Maker

Brady 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.

Opticon 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.

Brady Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

HellermannTyton Cable Marker

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Brady Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Cable Tie

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

Panduit 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.

Duratool 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).

Multicomp Pro 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.

Panduit 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.

Multicomp Pro 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!

Pro Power 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).

Multicomp Pro Jumper Assortment

Component and Tool Storage

Storage Cabinet

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

Duratool 30 Drawer Storage Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

Raaco ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Multicomp Pro Antistatic Bag

Antistatic Foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

Duratool Antistatic Foam

Portable Tool Case

Multicomp Pro Portable Tool Case

Tags: clean, organize, giveaway, cabinet, wishlist, cables, workbench

Wishlist - What Do I Need To Organize My Bench?

dychen — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 20:19:54 GMT

Revision 3 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/10/2022 8:19:54 PM

After a while, everyone's workbench starts to get cluttered with nests of cables, tools, and 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. Let's dive in!

Organizing Your Bench Giveaway

Prize

5 winners will each receive a Duratool storage cabinet, perfect for storing those tiny electronic components.

Questions:

In order to win, answer these questions:

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper rolls in the pic above).
Tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?

Cable Management

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 waste later when you need to trace each cable to figure where it goes.

Brady 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.

Opticon 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.

Brady Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

HellermannTyton Cable Marker

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Brady Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Cable Tie

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

Panduit 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.

Duratool 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 reusable (as long as the new bundle is smaller than the last).

Multicomp Pro 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.

Panduit 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 would make organization easier.

Multicomp Pro Cable Reel Holder

Cable Spool Rack

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

Pro Power Cable Spool Rack

Jumper Assortment

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

Multicomp Pro Jumper Assortment

Component and Tool Storage

Storage Cabinet

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

Duratool 30 Drawer Storage Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

Raaco ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Multicomp Pro Antistatic Bag

Antistatic Foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend themselves, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

Duratool Antistatic Foam

Portable Tool Case

Multicomp Pro Portable Tool Case

Wishlist - What Do I Need To Organize My Bench?

dychen — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 17:34:39 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/10/2022 5:34:39 PM

question

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper rolls in the pic above).

Also, tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?

Prize

5 storage cabinets

https://www.newark.com/duratool/spc11296/cabinet-storage-30-drawer-plastic/dp/34C7539?st=cabinet

Pegboard (take picture of one in garage)

A handy addition to any bench is a pegboard. Mount it in front of you, and install hooks and even shelves into the holes, giving you convenient access to your most used tools.

Cable Management

Label Maker

Brady 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.

Opticon 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.

Brady Wire Markers

Clip-in Cable Marker

HellermannTyton Cable Marker

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Brady Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker Sleeves

Cable Tie

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

Panduit 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.

Duratool 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 reusable (as long as the new bundle is smaller than the last).

Multicomp Pro 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.

Panduit 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 would make organization easier.

Multicomp Pro Cable Reel Holder

Cable Spool Rack

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

Pro Power Cable Spool Rack

Jumper Assortment

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

Multicomp Pro Jumper Assortment

Component and Tool Storage

Storage Cabinet

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

Duratool 30 Drawer Storage Cabinet

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

Raaco ESD Cabinet

ESD Bags

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

Multicomp Pro Antistatic Bag

Antistatic Foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend themselves, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

Duratool Antistatic Foam

Portable Tool Case

Multicomp Pro Portable Tool Case

Wishlist - What Do I Need To Organize My Bench?

dychen — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:20:30 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Documents by dychen on 2/10/2022 4:20:30 PM

question

What are your most creative things that you've done to organize your bench? We'd like to hear successful ideas and not so successful ones (kind of like the toilet paper rolls in the pic above).

Also, tell us what we've missed! There are a ton of great products for organizing your bench; what are your favorites?

Prize

5 storage cabinets

https://www.newark.com/duratool/spc11296/cabinet-storage-30-drawer-plastic/dp/34C7539?st=cabinet

Pegboard (take picture of one in garage)

A handy addition to any bench is a pegboard. Mount it in front of you, and install hooks and even shelves into the holes, giving you convenient access to your most used tools.

Cable management

Label Maker

https://www.newark.com/brady/bmp51-kit-el/label-electrical-starter-kit-thermal/dp/89T4132

https://uk.farnell.com/brady/bmp51/bmp51-label-printer-w-accessories/dp/2295937

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.

https://www.newark.com/opticon/opr-3201-black/barcode-scanner-black-650nm-usb/dp/25T1270

https://uk.farnell.com/opticon/opr-3201-black/barcode-scanner-black-650nm-usb/dp/1860387

Wire Marker

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

https://www.newark.com/brady/wm-1-33-pk/wire-marker-cards/dp/26R7795

https://uk.farnell.com/brady/wm-1-33-pk/wire-marker-cards/dp/1772537

Clip-in Cable Marker - same, but plastic clips in color

https://www.newark.com/hellermanntyton/518-06013/cable-marker-1-3-2-8mm/dp/04M4259

https://uk.farnell.com/hellermanntyton/hg1-3cass/cable-marker-1-3-2-8mm/dp/1201800

Heat Shrinkable Wire Marker sleeves

https://www.newark.com/brady/mc-125-342/wire-marker-sleeves-heat-shrink/dp/77T2978

https://uk.farnell.com/brady/mc-125-342/wire-marker-sleeves-heat-shrink/dp/2500846

Cable Tie

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

https://www.newark.com/panduit/s12-50-c0/cable-tie-300mm-pa66-black-pk100/dp/30AJ7841

https://uk.farnell.com/panduit/s12-50-c0/cable-tie-300mm-pa66-black-pk100/dp/3652266

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.

https://www.newark.com/duratool/d03033/cable-tie-gun-180mm-stainless/dp/83X7341

https://uk.farnell.com/duratool/d03033/cable-tie-gun-stainless-steel/dp/2444458

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 reusable (as long as the new bundle is smaller than the last).

https://www.newark.com/multicomp-pro/mp007507/cable-tie-27-5mm-pa66-natural/dp/95AJ6717

https://uk.farnell.com/multicomp-pro/mp007507/cable-tie-27-5mm-pa66-natural/dp/3884573

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.

https://www.newark.com/panduit/t25n-c/spiral-wrap-nylon-natural-0-25in/dp/78F546

https://uk.farnell.com/panduit/t25n-c/spiral-wrap-nylon-natural-0-25in/dp/1697687

Cable Reel Holder - say that it's available in all sizes

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 would make organization easier.

https://www.newark.com/multicomp/mcih299435/cable-reel-holder-abs-134mm/dp/02AH4450

https://uk.farnell.com/multicomp/mcih299435/cable-reel-holder-abs-134mm/dp/3052386

Cable Spool Rack

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

https://www.newark.com/pro-power/8537-0689/cable-wire-dispenser/dp/16N2312

https://uk.farnell.com/pro-power/8537-0689/cable-wire-dispenser/dp/1153821

Jumper Assortment

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

https://www.newark.com/multicomp/mc001811/hard-jumper-wire-22awg-350pc/dp/24AC5054

https://uk.farnell.com/multicomp/mc001811/hard-jumper-wire-22awg-350pc/dp/2770339

Storage Cabinet

Speaking of resistors and capacitors, every engineer or maker absolutely needs one (or twenty!) cabinet with several small sections. This saves untold hours in reading resistors.

https://www.newark.com/duratool/spc11296/cabinet-storage-30-drawer-plastic/dp/34C7539

https://uk.farnell.com/duratool/spc11296/cabinet-storage-30-drawer-plastic/dp/2527510

ESD Cabinet

For ESD sensitive components, an antistatic cabinet is required.

https://www.newark.com/raaco/118231/esd-cabinet-150mm-x-306mm-x-417mm/dp/64AC4169

https://uk.farnell.com/raaco/118231/esd-cabinet-150mm-x-306mm-x-417mm/dp/2900095

ESD bags

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

https://www.newark.com/multicomp-pro/mp700450/static-shld-bag-metal-in-5-x-8/dp/67AH8634

https://uk.farnell.com/multicomp-pro/mp700450/static-shld-bag-metal-in-5-x-8/dp/3441524

Antistatic foam

ICs should be plugged into foam for storage, because leads seem to magically bend themselves, even if they're by themselves in an empty drawer.

https://www.newark.com/duratool/mc23781/static-free-high-density-conductive/dp/14N9046

https://uk.farnell.com/duratool/mc23781/high-density-foam-1-4-x-24-x-36/dp/2527507

Tool Case

A portable tool case is handy for tools that you might need to carry around.

https://www.newark.com/multicomp-pro/mp007333/storage-box-514mm-x-280mm-x-260mm/dp/66AJ7400

https://uk.farnell.com/multicomp-pro/mp007333/storage-box-514mm-x-280mm-x-260mm/dp/3754409