Storage cabinet for resistors. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2024, 03:59:09 pm
content: Because of this other thread I had a look at storage boxes for THT resistors, and this 3D printed one looks quite good.I like the simplicity of the small flat tabs for the handles. This leaves much room for the labels, which can now cover nearly the whole front.https://www.printables.com/model/487473-resistors-or-others-storage-box-96-drawers-e12-serFor an improvement...I find I sometimes run out of room for power / shunt resistors. If this is extended with one or even two decades below 1 Ohm, then maybe make those drawers a bit bigger. Either a bit higher, or twice as wide and then make two rows of 6.Making it a bit deeper is also an option. I don't know how deep it is exactly, but when the resistor bodies can be staggered in 3 or so levels, then more resistors fit in a smaller overall area.

author: jwet
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2024, 12:46:38 am
content: I kind of like this- I've struggled with resistor storage over the years. What I've come to for the past decade or so is to have a half decade 0-56 ohms and 68 to 560 in the next drawer with 6 horizontal dividers. This puts two parts per section. Picture attached. It works OK for having a ready supply of breadboard type values but falls apart when you get past the 12/decade stuff. These get randomly thrown in the closest value drawer or kept in the digikey bag until needed.I also have full drawers of very coarse common 1/8W values in 100 220 470 1k progression up to a Meg. this is for breadboarding and works ok. These are so chrap I can throw them away rather than trying to resort them. I don't include 150's, 330,680, etc just this 3 per decade like and O'scope 125 progression. I buy these in the 200 per value from digikey for cheap- can't remember even. I also throw 0805's of these values in the same drawer- these have become sort of breadboard type R's these days. Photo attached.I really haven't found a good way to deal with SMT R's and C's, would love to see some good solutions. The little ones are like fleas and are impossible to keep together. I tried books with plastic pages that you could insert cut tape- not all my parts are on cut tape especially after a project. I have another system just that used little 1x1x1/2 inch poly boxes that go into a little carrier. Not great. I got this at hobby lobby- I think its for people that do beading? Picture.I worked at Maxim for 20+ years- now Analog Devices. They had great labs; in most labs (they had dozens) they had rotating racks of cabinets about 4 feet square that had the full 1% value progression in several power levels. They also had similar for caps and inductors. We also had all the standard bipolars, FET's, MOSFET's especially those that we specified for use, HC, AC Logic, all standard analog including all common Maxim parts and the best of our competitors if warranted If you wanted something else, you put in a request and you'd have it fast- usually the same day. The wildest part was that the reps would come in and keep all the passives stocked! They would leave sample kits behind that were free for the taking. Those racks are bigger than my lab! It was embarrassing almost.Enjoy the pics- I've been a hobbyist since age 8 about 60 years ago after a 40 year career as an EE. Learning every day.

author: Fried Chicken
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2025, 07:03:37 pm
content: How cool is that!I sent this to my friend with a 3D printer; hopefully he won't be able to help himself ahahah

author: lu1s.p
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2025, 08:50:52 am
content: Nice work!I like that it has so many drawers because I usually need a lot of different resistors on a regular basis and I have to search through various storages all the time. I would add some kind of system to be able to stack several cabinets. Some anchors on the bottom/top or something like that. Even some holes to attach them to a panel. Just a suggestion.

author: abeyer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2025, 08:47:32 pm
content: Quote from: jwet on December 09, 2024, 12:46:38 amThe storage boxes fromAideTekare a not too bad option if you need/want to keep ranges of loose smd passives. They sell the boxes alone, or complete R and C kits (though I've never tried those, and would assume the components are whatever bargain basement deal they get.)

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2025, 09:37:17 pm
content: I got some cases of resistors many years ago from work, which would have been thrown away.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 31, 2025, 08:01:12 pm
content: Quote from: abeyer on January 29, 2025, 08:47:32 pmI bought a few SMD part sets from AideTek many years ago (around 2010). I got the 0805 resistors with 481 values, 0805 caps 50 values, and some 0805 inductors. I think that lot was about $600 USD. A year or so later I also got the 0603 resistors 99 values, plus some extra empty multi-compartment boxes.I am still using these, and I've had no issues. Parts seem to match the 1% specs as I would expect, and seem to be consistent in quality & style. While a significant investment for me at the time, they have been super handy. I am not a fan of the newer box style - most of mine only have compartments in the lower section, not in the lid. I complained when I got some of the new design, and they offered me some old stock ones at a discount - but again that was years ago.It seems like prices of their sets have increased quite a bit since I bought those - not surprising as it has been ~15 years. I cannot vouch for the quality of the current product, but I consider myself a happy customer.These days I have hundreds of reels of SMD components for the PnP machines, and maybe a thousand little baggies organised across dozens of drawers with 100-1000 pcs on cut tape for prototyping, but still go back to the AideTek sets when I need a specific value that I don't normally stock.

author: JohanH
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2025, 09:31:04 pm
content: Quote from: Doctorandus_P on August 23, 2024, 03:59:09 pmI really like how compact this looks. I've got a bunch of the traditional steel Raaco cabinets with 5x6 plastic transparent drawers, two cabinets stacked, a spacer in the drawers, so 120 apartments for resistors. And I have several of them for other components, but they are quite large. Now this could be a good solution for THT resistors and keep larger stuff in the Raaco cabinets.I don't have any 3D-printer myself, but it wasn't very expensive to have them made at jlc3dp.com or in Europe at craftcloud3d.com (the first site I tried). Just wondering what material to use. The cheapest at jlc3dp seems to be some kind of SLA Resin and at craftcloud3d they offer PLA and PETG as cheapest (PETG probably the better choice?).

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2025, 10:19:22 pm
content: For me, the most practical solution is this (paper mail envelopes cut in half, dirt cheap or even free if you collect them from paper mail invoices):You can't beat that, and its random access (rolodex style) in terms of practicality.I also have these (and they weren't cheap):Guess what, half of those expensive drawers are still sitting in their cling film wrapping, unused and doing nothing, because they are very impractical in comparison with the humble (and virtually free) paper mail envelopes cut in half storage style, shown in the previous pic.I've tried many, and so far nothing can beat those envelopes cut in half (for my use case). Try it.

author: jwet
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2025, 11:01:45 pm
content: Abeyer and others that recommended the Aidetek stuff.- a late thanks for your recommendation. I bought the empty box kit and spent an evening putting my stock of loose R's and C's in them. This is a great solution for loose smt passives. I cleared out about a dozen drawers in my other cabinets that I have to find a use for- not a problem. The older I get- the finer organization I seem to prefer. In high school, I had a resistor shoebox that I would pore over to find a 1K for example. These Aidetek boxes really are wonderful. I'd like to have something about 4x the size for SMT actives SO-8,14,16 etc.

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2025, 03:49:49 am
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on January 31, 2025, 10:19:22 pmsame idea with a tray made out of foam board...My Resistor Storage Solution -- Simple Electronics

author: jwet
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2025, 04:00:03 am
content: I have tried this and it has a lot of benefits especially if you mixed cut tape and loosies. My use case is tweezering out parts to stuff a board before I stuff it into reflow. The problems with any system that's not consolidated is that I have all these "containers"- in my old system, I used small poly boxes. My preference is to have the parts in compartments and locked down. In my dotage and even before, these flea sized components even though they're virtually free are hard to coral once off a reel which is where I am.I guess these solutions are specific to your use case. This little boxes are the best I've come across, subject to change tomorrow.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2025, 06:09:03 am
content: Quote from: ledtester on February 02, 2025, 03:49:49 amWell, not exactly the same. I first take an empty paper envelope, close/seal/glue the envelope lid as if it were to mail it (empty), then cut the sealed paper envelope in half. This will let you with two halves, where each half has NO lid.Heaving no-lid is a big advantage, because it makes it easy too look inside, and easier to remove, or to put back resistors without heaving to fiddle with a paper lid at each access.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2025, 06:41:08 am
content: I used to use plastic boxes like tackle boxes and separated by decade. I also kept them attached to their cut strips when those were in decent condition, but they tangle and tend to fall off with time.About 2 years ago, I switched to envelops like RoGeorge, but rather than separate by decade with multiple values per envelope, I only have one numeric value value per envelope with multiple decades in the same envelope. It's easier to search for just one color band than two or three. After using envelopes, I much prefer them, particularly for the 1% tolerance 1/4W and 1/8W varieties. Also, with cut strips, tangles are less and those that fall partially out are not such a problem.

author: PinheadBE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2025, 02:41:23 pm
content: I used to have a lot of audio tapes and carrying boxes.When I get rid of the tapes, I kept the boxes, chop the two pins inside, labelled them and stored the resistors in it.Totally free, space saving and easy to use

author: wile1411
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 13, 2025, 10:09:52 pm
content: My method for resistor storage is to use an old business card binder and have the resistors stored in each slot.The slots are big enough I can insert a resistor packet whole. (I'll typically write on the paper strip to indicate their value if there was no covering packet.When I need something, I open the binder and flip through until I find what I'm after.The inserts are like this one from Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0B79X879BI have the inserts folded in half when not in use to ensure the buggers don't make a break for freedom or join another section and get mixed up.(I'll upload a pic later tonight)

author: nonius_
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2025, 06:25:40 pm
content: My through-hole resistors get stored in the usual drawer-racks. Have about 20 of those with 48 drawers each, and I still haven't enough storage space. They weren't cheap either....QuoteI store those in small film-cans; the kind where 35mm analog film usually came in. I got them from a local film development laboratory, three garbage bags full. That should last me for a while....For the moment they're all tossed in a cardboard box. Not ideal, but I don't use SMD much, so not a big problem for me. I still need to make a nice rack for them, though, so that every decade sits on its own shelf, increasing in value.(BTW, Drs. P, here's another Drs. PAnd I regret to say that I once had the opportunity to attend a free discussion & show of the man in the library of Rotterdam, but simply walked past it all. To this very day I regret not taking .5-1 hour to sit down and simply enjoy the man and his virtuoso command of our language and his songs. My loss.)

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2025, 10:51:08 am
content: Quote from: nonius_ on May 07, 2025, 06:25:40 pmI use the cheaper ones (plastic), sold by LIDL and ALDI for like 8 EUR. They have the perfect depth for THT components. With a printed label (EPSON portable printer, transfer on sticky plastic tape), this looks halfway decent, too.Unfortunately, they take up quite a bit of wall space. Some dedicated lab room would be great

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2025, 08:45:41 am
content: Quote from: nonius_ on May 07, 2025, 06:25:40 pmThat's no coincidenceSee "Dodenrit". A snappy song about a father who throws his whole family out of a troika for the wolves in an attempt to reach Omsk, but it's a bit too far away.

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2025, 02:39:54 pm
content: About a month ago this set of Ohmite storage cabinets shows up at one of my favorite surplus stores...

author: Fire Doger
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2025, 12:30:49 pm
content: I use a card holder. I don't do much THT so drawer is more likely to flip to the floor more often than actually using it.I liked Zero999's cases. Maybe Ali has something similar.