Electronics > Beginners

How compact can you make a component storage area?

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Mechatrommer:
floor area has never been smaller, i have to carefully walk through, esp if you have bigfoot, so the only way to expand, is by going up on the z-axis... so i have to make sure what i bought is gain stable on that axis..

RJHayward:
   If you can spend the extra ca$h, and go elaborate, I keep thinking, how about a rotating hanger-like set-up, very vertical, at 6 foot tall, or more, similar to a rotating suit rack.

   That's where you've got one suit there to grab, with perhaps another near.  Then, an easy rotate to access whatever (dress or suit) you can see...only a similar thing with a bit of depth, for the small drawers.

   Not to mean that you make the thing, more like some 'storage' system a jewelry store or pharmacy would pay extra for, and use heavily.
This suggested approach might not be immediately practical...But keep an eye out, when you go into a pharmacy, pawn shop, etc.

   What, does an online IC vendor XYZ have for the myriad of small parts ?

TomWinTejas:
I'm in the midst of organizing my components and tools and tried many options and so far I like using drawers with bags and envelopes best.  I am quite the beginner, so I may have assessed the ESD risk incorrectly, but I put what seems to be ESD tolerant components in #3 coin envelopes and ESD sensitive components in 2"x3" anti-static bags.  I label them and then organize them into categories so they're hopefully easier to find when I need them.

I'm playing around with Grist to create a component database so I can keep track of exactly what I've got on hand along with things like the component package and a local copy of the datasheet.  It'll also help point me to where I've got it stored.

donlisms:
I agree with bags.  Get the right ones, of course.

When I look at storage or packing, whether it's parts or the closet or a car, I look at how much air there is.  Wasted space.  Even a small drawer or flip-lid case with a few parts thrown in the bottom is fairly low efficiency.

With bags, you can stuff the whole drawer (or plastic bin, in my case) full of parts that don't get all mixed together, and hardly any air.  Often a set of small bags get grouped in a larger bag.

The downside, of course, is that it takes longer to get stuff out. Not that much, though - I can a bigger bag of 5ppm resistors, take it to the bench, and easily find the ones I need.

Upside -- much more flexible "grouping", and very little wasted space. 

bostonman:
Are these components you use often?

I have a wide assortment of components, very few I use often (but I also don't tinker with electronic projects daily - mainly repairs), so what I do is keep an Excel sheet of component inventory and store them in in plastic totes.

Some component types I combine such as diodes and inductors since I don't have many and an entire tote would be a waste (although my component inventory has grown enough that I don't have room in a few totes).

In any case, it began as having collected components and tossing them in boxes until realizing I couldn't find anything when needed; or know what I had. Eventually I spent a day with many bags of components all over the floor sorting them by type.

The Excel sheet is a combination of sloppy and informative. It began as a rough list which has since expanded. Now I have the general component name, part number, company, volt rating, current rating, and, why I have it which sparks a memory on what it actually is. Maybe I bought it to repair a specific item, so I'll make a general few word note.

Although the components are not easily accessible because they are not in plastic organizers, I can at least look on a spreadsheet, click on the associated tab (such as diode), look at which part numbers I have, or maybe current rating (should that tab include current), and then dive into the tote to find the component (which should be in a static bag, a roll, etc...).

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