Author Topic: How do you organize your components?  (Read 13085 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Sea MossTopic starter

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 2
  • Country: us
  • Complementary Metal Oxide Seamonster
How do you organize your components?
« on: May 28, 2015, 02:53:51 am »
I wasn't quite sure where to put this, but I figured here would be a good spot since it's kind of a beginner question.

So, I'm an EE/CE student and I've been doing a lot more hobbyist electronics in my dorm lately. Naturally, the majority of my parts are salvaged; however, since I am still in a dorm my components and boards-to-salvage have been piling up quite a bit. I have a small bin that I try to keep parts sorted in but it isn't working out. How do you all organize your components, boards, and test gear when limited on space?
Third year EE/CE student
Machine learning research assistant
Award winning programmer
Part-time badass
 

Offline kolonelkadat

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 202
  • Country: us
  • Obviously, windows are central to Windows.
    • Force Project X
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2015, 03:20:53 am »
bankers box

filled with those manila folders
each folder contains a bag of parts, the bag is of course the one it came in from mouser so that it has the specs and part number and barcodes and stuff so i can easily locate datasheets and reorder when low

I also have one of those component boxes with all the little drawers, but it only is for things that dont need datasheets, eg batteries, screws, switches, sockets, dev boards, solder wick, heatshrink, etc.

old pc cases make nice shelves/risers/cubbies for test gear and such with only minor modification. the sheet steel gives a lot of strength for very little thickness, so you save a few cm of desk space.


 

Offline w2aew

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1780
  • Country: us
  • I usTa cuDnt speL enjinere, noW I aR wuN
    • My YouTube Channel
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2015, 03:38:12 am »
When I was in college I used a fishing tackle box to store components.  Just like this one:
http://hookitfishit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/tackle-box-1.jpg
And, I still use it to store most of my leaded resistors.
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/w2aew
FAE for Tektronix
Technical Coordinator for the ARRL Northern NJ Section
 

Offline redshift

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 40
  • Country: 00
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2015, 03:56:23 am »
Shoe boxes:

This is so far from ideal but I can't decide how I want to sort things and I'm stuck in a state of analysis paralysis.

Ideally I might put small parts in something like this:

They have clear tops to see what's in them at a glance, they have modular compartments with registrations that keep everything in place, etc. But they are so expensive.

Otherwise I could go with the standard drawer organizers:

But as more of my components become SMT less things fit nicely into drawers or compartments. I also like to keep parts in the bags they came in to keep the part number handy but it makes them hard to fit in drawers.

The bankers box/manila folder idea is brilliant! Reels, tubes, and trays still wouldn't have a place though. And I certainly don't have enough reels to necessitate proper racks.
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 1910
  • Country: ca
    • General Repair and Support
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2015, 11:42:52 am »
Harbor Freight has these at $15 - nothing compares.. (especially if you're serious on EE).
www.harborfreight.com/40-bin-organizer-with-full-length-drawer-94375.html
You may want to insert some foam into a few drawers too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antistatic-Foam-Pack-for-Component-Storage-/291458094053
 

Offline madires

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7695
  • Country: de
  • A qualified hobbyist ;)
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2015, 01:05:20 pm »
And a package with 1000 small zip bags which fit into to the cabinets's drawer is just 3 bucks. Very handy for small parts or things like BC547A, B ,C.
 

Offline djQUAN

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 266
  • Country: ph
    • My DIY website
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2015, 01:23:52 pm »
I had different means of storing junk :)

Drawers, tupperware, plastic bins, boxes.

I just finished labeling the tiny drawers. The plastic bins aren't sorted yet.
 

Offline tombi

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 163
  • Country: au
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2015, 03:49:03 pm »
I went for index cards and stapled zip lock bags to them. The cards are stored in boxes indexed by component type and part number or component value.

Static sensitive stuff goes in a static safe bag and then goes in the zip lock.

So far so good.

I bought some bags of mixed components and this was the only way to stop myself going insane when building stuff on a breadboard.
 

Offline ez24

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3082
  • Country: us
  • L.D.A.
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2015, 06:46:34 pm »
Quote
bankers box

good idea - I have a couple of empty ones - and they stack good.   I have been folding up the datasheets and putting them with the components into zip lock bags.  Your way is better.


Quote
analysis paralysis
  boy this is going to save me a lot of money (on a psychiatrist)
Quote



I went for index cards and stapled zip lock bags to them. The cards are stored in boxes indexed by component type and part number or component value.

any chance you could show a picture ?

 
YouTube and Website Electronic Resources ------>  https://www.eevblog.com/forum/other-blog-specific/a/msg1341166/#msg1341166
 

Offline rqsall

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 87
  • Country: nl
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2015, 06:48:44 pm »
old pc cases make nice shelves/risers/cubbies for test gear and such with only minor modification. the sheet steel gives a lot of strength for very little thickness, so you save a few cm of desk space.

Do you have an example/picture of how you use old pc cases for this purpose?

Thank you.
 

Offline kolonelkadat

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 202
  • Country: us
  • Obviously, windows are central to Windows.
    • Force Project X
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2015, 08:08:03 pm »
old pc cases make nice shelves/risers/cubbies for test gear and such with only minor modification. the sheet steel gives a lot of strength for very little thickness, so you save a few cm of desk space.

Do you have an example/picture of how you use old pc cases for this purpose?

Thank you.
Basically just pull off the plastic stuff, drill out the rivets on the hard drive cages, then cut off one of the sides. I cut the bottom off because it only required cutting along one side since the other side was riveted together.

Steps could be taken to make this look a lot nicer, but I dont have the inclination. I really prefer this to the commercial offerings I have seen and used.  The commercial ones all use metal tubes that always seem to get in the way.
 

Online Monkeh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7990
  • Country: gb
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2015, 08:13:53 pm »
I would've just used two more bits of wood and maybe some braces.. A lot less work and a lot neater.
 

Offline wagon

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 289
  • Country: au
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2015, 08:19:11 pm »
I've got lots of 'drawers', 'Fischer' boxes on hooks, travel cases and also dozens of chinese food containers.  I also use heavy paper envelopes for many of my resistors.  It's never enough....
Hiding from the missus, she doesn't understand.
 

Online Monkeh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7990
  • Country: gb
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2015, 08:20:31 pm »
Yes, the chinese containers are good. Also, essentially free.
 

Offline rqsall

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 87
  • Country: nl
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2015, 09:12:53 pm »
Basically just pull off the plastic stuff, drill out the rivets on the hard drive cages, then cut off one of the sides. I cut the bottom off because it only required cutting along one side since the other side was riveted together.

Steps could be taken to make this look a lot nicer, but I dont have the inclination. I really prefer this to the commercial offerings I have seen and used.  The commercial ones all use metal tubes that always seem to get in the way.

Thank you, looks inspiring  :-+  :-/O I was just wondering if you meant the skins, the chassis or both somehow...
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 1910
  • Country: ca
    • General Repair and Support
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2015, 09:35:51 pm »
...I also use heavy paper envelopes for many of my resistors.  It's never enough....
Power resistors take up too much space! I'm calling NASA to see if they can invent something new...
I've got most parts that won't fit into the plastic drawers into these handy plastic ice-cream tubs  8)

I rarely eat the sugary stuff, but my teenage kids do.
 

Offline Fat

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 113
  • Country: us
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2015, 10:26:09 pm »
Holy Moly, I really need to work on my parts supply.  That's a lot of components.
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 1910
  • Country: ca
    • General Repair and Support
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #17 on: May 28, 2015, 11:06:06 pm »
Holy Moly, I really need to work on my parts supply.  That's a lot of components.
Don't rush it, use it and don't collect much more than you can use. My mom used to have a 70's hair-dressing salon in my home; as a boy I used to get her customers to bring stuff in for repair. Time's past, and I am near retirement so yeah, I give lots away too (but I've never had a good scope until recently.. go figure!).
 

Offline rx8pilot

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3634
  • Country: us
  • If you want more money, be more valuable.
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #18 on: May 28, 2015, 11:23:49 pm »
I have plastic and cardboard bins. Trays for sorting projects and prototypes. In total, about 500 small plastic bins, 200 cardboard bins, and about 50 trays. All are on rolling carts.

Here is a terrible photo.

I have LOT of hardware in addition to electronic components.


The 'Bakers Rack' is how I keep in process projects undisturbed when I need to clear the bench for something else. They are like portable bench-tops.
Factory400 - the worlds smallest factory. https://www.youtube.com/c/Factory400
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 1910
  • Country: ca
    • General Repair and Support
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #19 on: May 29, 2015, 12:07:24 am »
I have plastic and cardboard bins. Trays for sorting projects and prototypes. In total, about 500 small plastic bins, 200 cardboard bins, and about 50 trays. All are on rolling carts.

Here is a terrible photo...
That was great, I love it! (and more space on the bench too)
Where did you manage to snag those tray carts?
 

Offline rx8pilot

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3634
  • Country: us
  • If you want more money, be more valuable.
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #20 on: May 29, 2015, 01:16:23 am »
The bakers rack came from Global Industrial (USA)
Factory400 - the worlds smallest factory. https://www.youtube.com/c/Factory400
 

Offline Electric flower

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 83
  • Country: hr
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #21 on: May 29, 2015, 09:51:21 am »
I don't
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.
 

Online Jeroen3

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4068
  • Country: nl
  • Embedded Engineer
    • jeroen3.nl
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #22 on: May 29, 2015, 10:44:57 am »
The 'Bakers Rack' is how I keep in process projects undisturbed when I need to clear the bench for something else. They are like portable bench-tops.
That is genius. Lots of project, as-is, on a small surface area.
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 1910
  • Country: ca
    • General Repair and Support
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #23 on: May 29, 2015, 10:58:26 am »
The 'Bakers Rack' is how I keep in process projects undisturbed when I need to clear the bench for something else. They are like portable bench-tops.
Some trays have grey foam mats on them, is that anti-static?
Geez-Louise, you had to have shelled-out a grand on the rack and trays, so why stop there?
 

Offline zerorisers

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 132
  • Country: us
  • young noobie, my apologies for low knowledge base.
Re: How do you organize your components?
« Reply #24 on: May 29, 2015, 02:20:44 pm »
Pill bottles
 


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf