[sdiy] Organizing Components

[Thomas Hudson]

On Tue, 2004-03-02 at 10:32, Metzger, Michael A wrote:
> I'm looking for an inexpensive way to organize components, especially resistors
> and caps. I've seen the cheap plastic cabinets with plastic drawers, of course,
> but wonder about better ways. Does anyone have any good storage ideas? What are
> you all using? 
> Thanks.
> Mike

I thought I had a good solution until I moved. I found some bins that
had rows of about ten to twelve drawers that tilted out. I bought about
ten of them and had a drawer for most resistor values. Took an area of
wall probably four feet square. When I unpacked the bins after moving,
of course every resistor had fallen out.Also, most of the labels
continually fell off. Something about the plastic these bins are made of
just doesn't hold any type of label. 

They take up way too much space and are not as convenient for finding
values. If I had it to do over I would put resistors in small labeled
zip-lock bags, arranged in order in a box or drawer of some type,
something more akin to a filing cabinet. In fact, now that I'm stocking
up for guitar amp building, I will probably go this route, since I need
to stock 1/2w and some 1w and 5w values.

With a shoe box and some cardboard dividers in three rows, I could
probably store 100 of every value in 1/4 and 1/2 values. They'd be
easier to find. And much more road worthy.

With my aging eyes, brown bands and red bands seem to be so close
together, I'll probably end up measuring every one of those spilled
resistors :-(

TH