do you keep a kit of little wire adapters?

[coppercone2]

Like premade wires with common crimps (i.e. fastons, ring lugs) of various lengths and sizes, tapped wires (i.e. tapped headers) and stuff like that? How about stuff like banana to fast on, banana to ring lug, etc.

How do you store it? I know most people here have a good stash for coaxial RF stuff, but how about normal signals? Are you the type of guy that shoves wires into a mains IEC connector  or are you civilized? 

I know its very questionable practice for mains related stuff (called a suicide cable adapter), which I stopped using since I gave my variac some banana plugs.

Having such a kit could save you a bad day if you are in the habit of connecting alligator clips to the back of screw terminals for quick testing.

Basically anything that avoids the shady use of alligator clips qualifies.

also if you are hell bent on making a suicide cable, stagger it so it does not short itself out and blow up if it gets knocked around. But seriously no alligator to outlet adapters. I should will destroy my old one.

[DaJMasta]

I think anyone with a lab setup sort of needs a set of leads and adapters, but proper storage is tricky.  I've been using those plastic drawer units ( looks like https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/GUEST_576dccc7-7a77-456e-a9f5-4042838775f4?wid=488&hei=488&fmt=pjpeg ), but they're not quite ideal - longer cables tend to get tangled in things, and you always have to dig through the drawer for the one you want.  They work pretty well for parts and adapters, though.

There are also wall hangers, either those like the Pomona test lead holders or some repurposed/homebrew other wall rack system, and while they're great for cables and finding the connector you need quickly, they take up more space and end up costing more.

In my mind, an ideal system is sort of a combination, a rack for longer cables and some of the most used ones, then drawers for adapters, shorter cables, and sort of bulk cables that don't get used much.

[beanflying]

These are my two general use mains options. 'Relatively' safe unless the idiot in charge screws up. Yes I have been tickled in the last year but not by these.

The quicktest will take spade lugs and hold them if needed but I wouldn't do it on a high power setup (I work on 2-3000+W coffee machines a bit). link here https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Quicktest-mains-connector-test-block-safe-testing-adaptor-2-metre-cable-plug/272989249334?epid=1356532495&hash=item3f8f6d5f36:g:ZPMAAOSwZB9aOTa1:rk:1:pf:0

For low voltage I have way to many adaptors, leads etc to show in one place but the starting point is good quality 4mm banana leads then off to whatever is needed. My R/C charging/testing kit alone is maybe 30 items. My bench leads either hang for common ones or in a dedicated draw for the rest.

[cdev]

With your higher mains voltage, you guys are just nuts to be playing around with funky plugs like that.

Don't do it.

Choose life!

[Monkeh]

With your higher mains voltage, you guys are just nuts to be playing around with funky plugs like that.

Don't do it.

Choose life!

What, the Quicktest? .. the thing exists to make it safe to quickly connect and disconnect mains. It has a great big switch in it which opens when you lift the cover.

[beanflying]

Rated and approved at 13A in the UK too for the quicktest? It and the light weight screw terminal block/plug aren't likely to be used over 1A anyway as life is a good thing 

[coppercone2]

The proper way IMO to do that little thing hanging off the bottom is to put it in a metal box thats grounded with grommets and strain relief thats screwed on, the electrical wire should not be used as a structural element in that fashion, at least screw it to a block of wood that has some holders via extension cord.

If you use like WAGO ferrules on the wire its better, the main problem I have seen with non-strain relieved mains stuff that's on stiff wire is strands coming loose.

See how the wire is stiff enough to allow the plastic bit to move around?

I mean its pretty good still, but you can make it better that way if you have extra time and money.

I think I got a pretty good idea though, for storage, thats very compact and friendly for a lab for cables that are pretty flat (not if they have big things hanging off them): go to office depot and buy some of those velcroed organizers that fit into a binder. I use them for sand paper and scotch brite pads right now, they seal like big envelopes you can put into a binder with a plastic flap that has a velcro strip glued on it. They are actually really good for holding sand paper, I have two of them with grits from like 220 to 2000 and SB pads and emery cloth and all that shit. It will also fit into a filing cabinet.

damn this forum helps me think so much. I am so doing that to hold my weird cables too like 10 feet of triaxial, various thin coaxial cables, weird special expensive cables and wires of thin gauge. It will beat the hell out of a tupperware filled with ziplock bags filled with cables or just a tupperware with a cable tumble weed in it. 

Too bad their only like 1 pocket. You know though, I think it will be easy to make custom binder inserts that have velcroed pockets for smaller adapters and cables, I could hold my small ones that way. For crimps it will be good but I don't think you want the contents thicker then like 1cm.

https://www.folders.com/blank-poly-binders/oxford-side-load-binder-pockets-w-velcro-closure-assorted?gclid=CjwKCAiAlvnfBRA1EiwAVOEgfLjq1Ufif2Wc4H9mWV_eTd1eGYTckv4HJAL5mEZOVPR483hzWD5knxoC4MIQAvD_BwE

[beanflying]

I see ZERO point to strain relief on a temporary bench wiring job. The screw block is used generally used on sub 50W switch mode supplies or similar boards so it all moves around.

If you are going to the bother of putting ferrules on wire then it defeats the purpose of 'temporary' or 'test' lead may as well spend the few minutes extra and put a proper lead to the device under test or use. I am the son of an Electrician and my exposure to mains goes back 40 years so twist the wire and screw it down

[coppercone2]

my whole idea is to keep a library of different connectors to minimize the amount of wire work I need to get something done, so I can pick the right premade thing for the job and have the cleanest most bomb proof bench when I am working.

Maybe I need a vacation lol. I notice I end up getting stuck alot because i come across unanswered difficult questions very often or just end up getting bored and then the stuff kinda gets pushed back sometimes dust covered etc.

I am thinking more of a industrial background where some test setup gets thrown together to be used once then kinda thrown into a cardboard box for like 3 years, trampled on a bit, etc.. then you start getting frayed wire, so I just got into the habit of ferruling everything that is meant to interface with screws that's not a ring lug.

Another part of it is that I don't like keeping the crimp tools in my electronics area, I usually figure out what I need then go to the shop to assemble it then return with it so I don't have even more clutter.

I try not to even keep bolts, zip ties, zip tie gun, glue ties or anything else in my lab either, I keep like one container with a few of each but I try to do that work else where. If I eventually get a nice teflon wire rack and stuff I will try to do all cable harness or other assembly work in another area too so things are clean and I am not mixing the engineering with being a assembly technican in the same place.