[sdiy] Suggestions for stocking parts bins?

[lief codianni]

I recently had to come up with a storage solution to keep organized on the cheap. This is what I ended up doing hopefully this helps someone else... 

I went to Walmart to the fabric section and got a couple yards of the thinest vinyl sheeting they had. (They same stuff one might use to cover their windows in the winter). This stuff is sturdy and stretchy. I comes with a sheet of tissue paper against it.
I cut the it down to 9 1/2 X 11 paper sized sheets, make sure to keep the paper on them. 
Then I put two sheets together and sowed a grid with sturdy thread onto the two sheets. I made the grid size mostly approx the size of a playing card. I mixed it up on same sheets to make bigger pockets.
I then reinforced the side abit and used a 3 hole punch on it. 
On each sheet, i took a knife and cut a slit on the top of each pocket. I realize now that if I sandwiched 3 sheets together I could have had pockets on each side. Make sure to keep the tissue paper attached and just take the effort to tear it off later. If not it will be a terrible sticky experience with the sowing machine and you will curse....
Then take a big ol' 3 ring binder or 10 and stuff then full of components.
I used little pieces of paper with the value shoved into the pocket to make identifying easy.  I debated using stickers on the outside.. but figured it would be easier to rearrange this way when I get more parts in the future.
Either way I was able to get hundreds of pockets that are of a good size for resistors and such for only a couple bucks. I spent less than 6 dollars total and 3 hours.....
Also, thanks everyone for the links related to this subject.
Lief




 
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I've  used  a  number  of  different  setups  over  the  years,   little  plastic  drawers 
(that  take  way  too  much  effort  to  reorganize  or  add  to  the  middle  of),  
small  "tube"  boxes,   empty  cigarette  boxes,   all  sorts  of  stuff.   The  latest 
is  small  bags,   marked  as  being  3x5  on  the  box,   and  most  importantly,   with 
a  hole  punched  just  above  the  "zip".   This  lets  me  put  similar  parts  on  rings 
(old  wire-type  shower  curtain  rings  work  well  :-),   keep  them  in  order,   and 
organize  and  add  to  them  any  time  without  a  whole  lot  of  effort.   A  bag  can 
hold  just  a  couple  of  something  on  up  to  maybe  1000  resistors  with  no 
problems.






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