Storing valves

[Martin Bush]

Hello all

I have now started to build up a collection of valves. I'm focussing on those that appear in the radios I own as a way of having spares for the future, as well as picking up the odd TV valve that I can use in projects in the distant future.

I wanted to ask if there is any type of system I can use to store them - do purpose built cases or boxes exist?

At the moment I have them dotted around in bubble wrap or the boxes that they came in, but I worry that they will get dropped, knocked or damaged if not stored well.

I don't plan to have hundreds - my skills and knowledge don't justify having that many, but I do want to protect what I have while being able to inspect them as and when.

Martin

[G6Tanuki]

I store mine in a couple of the plastic stacking trays that supermarkets etc. use for their bread.

[Restoration73]

It's not only breakage, but markings can become unclear. I decided to box all mine some
years ago, since when none have become broken. One forum member offers these :
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=104631

[Martin Bush]

Thanks to you both...

So I guess the approach is quite simple - get the cardboard boxes and store carefully.

I had visions of some sort of compartmentalised system, which would probably be unworkable.

[Restoration73]

To generalise, always box valuable valves. Valves for immediate access and testing
can live in trays, or special rubber bench holders were available.

[Boater Sam]

I keep mine in mushroom trays too, thousands of them.
I am keeping them in the dark hoping that they will multiply.
Sweet tins, particularly the round ones, are good for B9A etc. A piece of foam in the middle keeps them all on their pins.

[Martin Bush]

Thanks Sam - I edited my last post when I realised another post had overtaken me...

Yes, mushroom trays are useful things. Except I have one already where "bits" go when I have tidied up and have a number of items with nowhere else to go. I fear that policy will lead to a multiplication of trays!

[stevehertz]

Valves are more resilient than you think. I keep mine in plastic storage trays grouped together in 'base types', rectifiers, output bottles etc. I then mark the end of the tray accordingly and the trays are stored on shelves in my workshop. I've never found the need to keep them all in their own individual cardboard boxes (to the extent of buying extra boxes), they clank around happily together naked (I exaggerate to make a point). I also write the valve name on itself in permanent felt tip if the original markings are showing signs of degradation. This can be removed at a later date with a metal polish if so desired. So, neat rows of plastic trays/boxes all lined up on racking.

I do a fair amount of work on guitar amps, so the box shown in the photo holds the main (large) output vales that I use for that purpose - EL34 and 6L6. That's another thing, you can make/mark your storage system to suit your valve collection; it doesn't have to take account of every valve type ever made so to speak. With my system I don't have to tease a valve out from a tightly stacked 'wall' of boxed valves (and probably tear the box lid in the process), I just grab the relevant tray and within seconds locate the one I want from its contents. I also stack the trays in twos, one above the other, with a piece of thick cardboard between to allow them to lie flat. But each to their own - that's my system!

[lesmw0sec]

What always amazes me is how well bottles have survived over the years, often in very poor conditions. I have a 1930's 'portable' which has had a very rough life, yet the valves (which are older than me) are working as well as ever. With the arrival of germanium semiconductors, I recall being assured that they would last practically for ever. I have changed many more early germanium devices than valves, apart from TV applications where the valves were usually run within an inch of their life!

[Jeremy M0RVB]

For me there is a broad line between valves in my collection and those I sell or keep 'just in case' - the latter are in ex-supermarked apple / veg trays and stacked, while the collection is stored individually boxed and then in large plastic boxes on racks that I built (i.e. not flimsy plastic things!) I used to keep the collection in the loft but I was always worried about high winds and roof damage so all are now in the (attached) garage. (the racks are hugely overkill, strong enough to climb on and only a few inches of fall should a shelf actually fail - I am a tad paranoid!)

As mentioned, valves are very resilient but I have had two break in storage for no apparent reason, one in its original packaging of the Russian Doll type where the box is 5 times the size of the valve with three layers of boxing and padding.

[paulsherwin]

My NOS valves stay in their original boxes while the pulls are loose. I store them in a range of cardboard and plastic boxes loosely grouped by base and function, e.g. 'B8A power'. I don't have a vast collection though.

[kalee20]

My system exactly.

[Tim]

Another vote for mushroom boxes, which of course stack. They are ideal for the average B7G,B8G,B9A valves(EL84,EZ80 etc.) and the shorter octals which fit in standing up(or end in if you like) so markings on the ends of the box are visible.
The good things about mushroom boxes is they are free, they stack, and due to the design, the weight of the box above is taken by the structure of the box below, not by it's contents. They are also deep enough to take pretty much all commonly encountered valves(except perhaps a DA30, but I don't have many of those!) lying down.
I too box up all my NOS and used/good/tested valves so I know they are good.
I must confess, I haven't sorted them into types yet, I just sort of seem to know which box a particular valve is in!

[dave walsh]

I've quite a few of the more modern pulls ie thin pins stored on the polystyrene packing strips that come with electrical goods etc. This has an advantage that you can" plug them in" to the material, they don't move about and can be easily arranged in groups so you can "see at a glance" what's there! Not that I do enough repair work to justify this level of sophistication.
Dave W

[threeseven]

Anyone had a NOS valve go to air in storage in good conditions?! This happened to a brand new Mullard GZ34 I had, of the more recent type in the last style of Mullard packaging. Hadn't touched it in years and was perfect when stored.

[Alan Stepney]

Yes, several of them.
It was possible to identify what had gone wrong and caused them to fail.
(A manufacturing fault at the Philips factory)

Generally though, they don't fail.

[woodchips]

Yes, I only lost three valves after decades of storage, two were boxed, appear new, new label Mullard GZ34s. Other was a 2X2.

I can recommend pamphonica's valve boxes!

[Techman]

I've had a few of the same type go to air.

All were used and were still sound, but down on emission when put away boxed in the loft. Hundreds of other valves stored in the loft have never had a problem

All were 6KD6 output valves and had cracked running from a pin by the look of it.

Just a week ago, I found another one (6KD6) which was good a few months ago and is in the room where I'm in now, but was found to have cracked from one of the pins and has gone to air. I've got one left which I've had for around 35 years that's still good, so we'll see how that one goes!

Oh, and just remembered, I've got one more which is brand new, but has an open circuit cathode connection - but hasn't gone to air - yet!

As for general storage - if they're in their boxes, then that's how they stay. If they're not in boxes (pulls), then that's how they stay.

[RF Burn]

I don't store valves anywhere that they could be subject to freezing temperatures after finding about 10 NOS devices with cracks around the pins and loss of vacuum, which were stored (in manufacturers boxes) in my garage. These were of the miniature all glass types and three QQV03-20s, none of my valves, including other QQVxxx, stored inside the house suffered the same fate, so my assumption is that the glass/metal seals may be effective at room and high temperatures but maybe not so clever at sub-zero conditions....

[M0XNA Neil]

I store mine in their boxes within a stackable plastic storage box in the house to prevent moisture attacking the pins.