[sdiy] Component storage

[Tom Wiltshire]

On 4 Dec 2008, at 14:06, Louis van Dompselaar wrote:

>> I'm asking for more storage cabinets for all the components I've  
>> bought
>> this year :)
>
> Speaking of storage, what do people on this list use to store the  
> zillion
> values available in the E96 or even the E192 resistor series?
>
> I have some boxes for the most common values, but the "odd" ones  
> are all
> together in one box (in the plastic bags they came in).  Terrible  
> to find
> or track your stock.

I use a few of these for resistors:

http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=1447379

Each box has 24 compartments, so they work well for E96/E192 series,  
and they're clear so you can see what you've got without opening it  
and risking spilling everything everywhere. Also they're pretty cheap.

I have two values in each compartment, which allows me to keep all  
the values I commonly use (*everything* from 100R to 1M) in just two  
boxes. I have a few other resistors in a special box for "extreme"  
values.

For ICs, I have a different solution. I bought something like this,  
and lined the drawers with antistatic foam:

http://www.viking-direct.co.uk/a/sku%2Fbusiness%2FSmead-Closed-6- 
Drawer-Unit-Black/pr=Q2D&id=SMD6DC-BK/

It works very well, since you can keep different types of chip in  
different drawers (uPs, op-amps, analogue, logic, etc) and easily see  
what is in there.

T.