What's your method for organizing components?

[thelonious]

My workstation is starting to look like a clutter bomb went off. I took up amp building about a year ago, and of course I've been accumulating more and more stuff since then. What is your method for organizing caps, resistors, etc.? So far I've been using little plastic organizer boxes, but I'm curious what you all have come up with over the years. Anyone have a brilliant system that will change my life?

[six el six]

Small parts drawers.

One value per drawer (or you'll be sorry).

Hunting down the right component when experimenting, building, or repairing just annoys the crap out of me. I recommend having a designated place for everything. Efficiency has speeded my learning.

They take up a lot of space but it goes with the territory.

[EL34]

I have maybe 30 of the cabinets shown above

[birt]

if you want to keep it smaller (for now) a box with envelopes is quite cheap and easy.

i use those parts drawers only for bigger parts. the rest are in stackable trays with small plastic yoghurt bottles that are upside down with the part number written on the bottom. for some reason i got loads of them some years ago and they are very compact and tidy.

[thelonious]

Thanks, guys---looks like I'll be getting me some of those organizer boxes!

[LooseChange]

And don't forget a good way to label each drawer! Otherwise you'll spend a lifetime trying to find what you need.
I use a p-touch and print bold black letters on white stock.

[six el six]

If you use a labeler make sure the actual label that is printed will stick well to the plastic drawers.

Some tapes stick better than others.

I'm attaching a shot of my favorite kind of small parts drawer that I can't find anymore. Probably a case of "they don't make 'em like they used to".

If you can find some of these I recommend them.

[EL34]

I have maybe 6 of the old blue metals cabinets shown above and the rest are plastic.

I use very small sticky labels on my drawers.

Some cabinets have 3 different sized drawers in the same cabinet, but most of mine are all same sized small drawers.

I do use the dividers on some drawers, but not many.
Example Slo-blo fuses
One drawers may have 1 and 2 amp, next drawer 3 and 4 amp, etc

You have to make sure you put things that look exactly alike back into the right divided section.

[thelonious]

Great advice guys. Thanks. I bought a 42-drawer version of one of these to begin with. I have a feeling I'll be getting another before too long... and then it's the long road to 30+ like Doug said!

[Willabe]

I at first bought a couple to get started and then I waited for them to go on sale at the big-box stores as I was expanding. That way I had a few waiting in the wings to grow at a better price.


                            Brad        

[LooseChange]

Always on the look out for more parts drawers. Never have enough and always trying to make it easier to find stuff.
First you put all the same value (and close values) with different ratings together. Then you start separating the ratings.... and so on.