I have around 50 bags of capacitors (all less than 1000UF) each plastic 3X5 bag is a particular capacitance and voltage.
right now I have them "standing up" in a small box, which I don't think is the best way.
there has got to be a better way and I want to hear from others how they organize their caps.
I looked at the clear storage boxes but it seems like it would take a lot more space at my workbench (due to needing several boxes) and some compartments would be too small and some too bog unless every compartment was adjustable
but I could be looking at the wrong choices of storage boxes or just guessing wrong on size of boxes needed
links to products would be very appreciated !
right now I have them "standing up" in a small box, which I don't think is the best way.
there has got to be a better way and I want to hear from others how they organize their caps.
I looked at the clear storage boxes but it seems like it would take a lot more space at my workbench (due to needing several boxes) and some compartments would be too small and some too bog unless every compartment was adjustable
but I could be looking at the wrong choices of storage boxes or just guessing wrong on size of boxes needed
links to products would be very appreciated !
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That's difficult, think I'd just store all the caps with the same voltage rating in the same bin.
Many use something like this.
QUANTUM STORAGE SYSTEMS Hang and Stack Bin, Black, 7 3'/'8 in Outside Length, 4 1'/'8 in Outside Width, 3 in Outside Height - 8EC68'|'QUS220BK - Grainger
Many use something like this.
QUANTUM STORAGE SYSTEMS Hang and Stack Bin, Black, 7 3'/'8 in Outside Length, 4 1'/'8 in Outside Width, 3 in Outside Height - 8EC68'|'QUS220BK - Grainger
Why do you think it is not the best way? What shortcomings do you detect this way? I use to have a bunch of those plastic 60-drawer bins for my resistors. They were 18" tall and took up tons of shelf space. I got rid of them and switched to manila "coin envelopes", which I stacked on end in a cardboard box. On the flap of each I wrote the value, wattage, and whatever else. Took up far less space.
I then did the same for my small transistors. Like TO92s. I had several drawer units for those. Now they are all in order in small manila coin envelopes as well. In their own cardboard box, saving even more space.
All my small caps are in envelopes. Like disc ceramics and silver mica
And so far, the ink has not fallen off any of the envelopes, but over the years the adhesive labels I stuck on the plastic drawers would all fall off.
I have a large selection of diodes, every zener voltage imaginable in both 1 watt and half watt. Plus a number of 5-watt values. Then plain old diodes like 1N4148, 1N4007, others. They took up an entire 60 drawer unit, now into envelopes, and the whole stack is like maybe 6 inches in a box.
Now I still have a bunch of drawer units in use, and I repurposed the ones I emptied. Caps too large to fit conveniently in envelopes go into drawers. Large transistors like TO3s are in drawers.
I then did the same for my small transistors. Like TO92s. I had several drawer units for those. Now they are all in order in small manila coin envelopes as well. In their own cardboard box, saving even more space.
All my small caps are in envelopes. Like disc ceramics and silver mica
And so far, the ink has not fallen off any of the envelopes, but over the years the adhesive labels I stuck on the plastic drawers would all fall off.
I have a large selection of diodes, every zener voltage imaginable in both 1 watt and half watt. Plus a number of 5-watt values. Then plain old diodes like 1N4148, 1N4007, others. They took up an entire 60 drawer unit, now into envelopes, and the whole stack is like maybe 6 inches in a box.
Now I still have a bunch of drawer units in use, and I repurposed the ones I emptied. Caps too large to fit conveniently in envelopes go into drawers. Large transistors like TO3s are in drawers.
Like Enzo, I find the small envelopes very convenient.
Next is empty aspirine or spices jars (sometimes they keep some smell too... my 2SA970 are all oreganoish) and then jam glass jars for big stuff.
I have several kg of little screws salvaged over the years...
As for "how to group" components (voltage, power, polarity, etc) that's the old problem of having a valid classification scheme when "reality" is not just a plain flat hierarchy...
Some suggest to start with "no groups" and split the heap as soon as it becomes "too large to manage" (beyond, like, two dozen pieces?), according to whatever groups form naturally in the accumulated heap.
For example, a bunch of capacitors, all rated in a similar voltage range, split by capacitance; versus your caps having close capacitance, split by voltage; or three/ four groups, etc.
or elcos vs film...
Takes frequent reorganizing, though...
easier to do with files in the folders of a hard disk (when the list gets longer than one "screen height")
At the opposite extreme you'd have predetermined categories along all criteria combinations, but many bins quite empty.
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Next is empty aspirine or spices jars (sometimes they keep some smell too... my 2SA970 are all oreganoish) and then jam glass jars for big stuff.
I have several kg of little screws salvaged over the years...
As for "how to group" components (voltage, power, polarity, etc) that's the old problem of having a valid classification scheme when "reality" is not just a plain flat hierarchy...
Some suggest to start with "no groups" and split the heap as soon as it becomes "too large to manage" (beyond, like, two dozen pieces?), according to whatever groups form naturally in the accumulated heap.
For example, a bunch of capacitors, all rated in a similar voltage range, split by capacitance; versus your caps having close capacitance, split by voltage; or three/ four groups, etc.
or elcos vs film...
Takes frequent reorganizing, though...
easier to do with files in the folders of a hard disk (when the list gets longer than one "screen height")
At the opposite extreme you'd have predetermined categories along all criteria combinations, but many bins quite empty.
-
I used to have a drawer for 10uf caps. Then when I used tons of 10uf/160v caps, I made two drawers, one for low voltage 10uf, and another for high voltage (arbitrarily 100v and up) Later still, a third drawer kept my "tube amp" 10ufs, again arbitrary 300v and up.
It developed over time in response to need.
It developed over time in response to need.
