Where do you keep your bits?

[PaulR]

Thanks for all the replies. Those pictures are really impressive, Colin. Is that a spare bedroom or what? Unfortunately due to lack of space I have to use the kitchen table or similar so I can't have such a splendid or permanent set up.

[AC/HL]

Originally Posted by stretch289

I've attached a couple of pics for those of you who, like me, find this stuff interesting.
rgds
Colin

Now THAT's neat

[Colin]

Hi Paul,

I'm lucky enough to have a number of cellar rooms which I use as workshops. The one with the radios and workbench in actually has a window and natural light even though it's in the cellar, (the house is built on a hillside and the cellar at that point is above ground level).

It's perfect as to get to it you have to go down the cellar steps (spiders etc. so SWMBO and kids tend to keep away) and through the first two cellar spaces and then through the door next to the storage cabinets. It's the perfect place because no one other than me ever goes there. Wonderful!

[jim_beacon]

I find those blue plastic stackable trays that are used for mushroom transport very useful, especially for things like dial glasses, meters, tuner heads and the like. A major bonus is they can usually be had for freefrom te local market grocery stall

I also have a large for qauntity of the plastic "Linbins" and their associaed wall plates that I've rescued from work and the local tip over the last few years.

Small components tend to live in drawer units on or near the bench - I have a ressitor kit, and a stock of the common value poly-prop caps, along with assorted dial lamps and a huge range of BA screws in them.

Jim.

[Nickthedentist]

Nice one, Colin, you should be very proud of that.

Originally Posted by stretch289

I'm lucky enough to have a number of cellar rooms which I use as workshops. The one with the radios and workbench in actually has a window and natural light even though it's in the cellar, (the house is built on a hillside and the cellar at that point is above ground level).

When I was a teenager, I had a whole cellar for my workshop too. It housed the boiler so it was always warm and dry. I had ten 60-drawer Raacos and 1.5" thick Victorian teak workbenches salvaged from the school physics labs. All mod cons too (phone, big old colour telly, grand piano, OAP cat for company). Like yours, it had natural light as the house was on a hill.

Sadly, when my parents moved about 10 years ago, I had to get rid of half of it and the rest has gone into their rather damp garage in Guildford. Now all I've got is an eighth of a horrible dark garage

Getting back on topic, shoe boxes are great for valves, LOPTx, tuners etc., especially the posher ones made from very stiff, glossy card. Ask everyone to save them for you (especially the ladies).

As others have implied, good labelling is essential, otherwise you'll forever be hunting around for things which you may or may not actually have.

I also have taken to keeping lists of what's in a particular box. For example, I have a crate of salvaged "walll-wart" type PSUs. My little list tells me each one's specs (voltage, power, AC/DC, regulated/unregulated, what it used to belong to), so I can see at a glance whether or not I've got what I need, without having to tip the whole lot onto the floor and go through them one by one. When one gets used, I try very hard to remember to cross it off.

Nick.

[Gavtech]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

We use amalgam capsules at work which come in a small plastic box of 50. Between me and my boss, we must use 2-3 of these a week, all of which end up in the bin. Guess who fishes them out when everyone's gone home...

Hi Nick

Is there not a mercury issue with these perhaps?

Regards
Gavin

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by Gavtech

Hi Nick

Is there not a mercury issue with these perhaps?

Regards
Gavin

No, fortunately. These plastic boxes contain 50 capsules, each of which is hermetically sealed, so the boxes should be uncontaminated.

The capsules are another matter, however. When their contents have been used, they have to go in a sealed drum, which we then pay to have collected by a specialist hazardous waste company a couple of times a year.

Nice to hear from you again, Gavin,

Nick.

[Photo_Tube]

This year I retained a couple of fruit carriers from when we went fruit picking, quite useful for transporting bits from the store to workshop. Those plastic boxes with small compartments (Often sold in craft shops but got mine from a pound store) are good for storing transistors, ic's and other small bits.

Originally Posted by Nickthedenist

As others have implied, good labelling is essential, otherwise you'll forever be hunting around for things which you may or may not actually have

Reminds me I have huge bag of resistors to sort out thats going to take awhile

[stephanie]

My god! I can't believe the two collections of photos I've seen so far.

What....order!

My bench (I don't have a complete shop per se) occupies one corner of the bedroom...with the ancillary junk spilling all over the floor on my side of the bed.

So far I've been keeping small bits and pieces in the cardboard boxes they come in when ordered. My friend in Korea sent me a little plastic flip-box to keep some stuff in, which I use for the most used parts (capacitors).

Otherwise, everything is just piled haphazardly all over my bench...and I have to move a few things over here and there (including the computer keyboard) to make some space.

I really intend on getting those cabinets with plastic drawers someday. Those would be handy for sorting out screws, capacitors, etc.

Then there's the question of the electrical wiring I rigged up for the bench.

Bits of extension flex to non-earthed surface-mount sockets. Oh yeah....the stuff that five-alarm fires are made of.

One of these days I ought to post a piccie or two.

[mikelect]

Originally Posted by stephanie

One of these days I ought to post a piccie or two.

Please don't Stephanie I don't think the experience would do the forum members any good

Mike