How do you all organize while building? Or store your parts?

[greysun]

After doing this for enough years, I’ve found that I need to be more organized than ever… RadioShack is no longer a potential quick lifeline for a forgotten part, nor does micro center have a lot on hand specific to pedals like these…

So what’s your organization process to ensure you have all the parts and they’re easily accessible? Let’s start a thread!!!

Mine is basically the attached image - I have jewelry organizers that I bought at Michael’s for my varied parts (only showing the resistor box, which is now overflowing, heheh), and for every project, I use a strip of painters tape to put the parts onto and list them out so they’re 1) easy to grab, and 2) makes clear what parts I need to order. I usually separate diodes/resistors from caps as I do the resistors first typically. I then fold the strip over in half to keep everything in place until I’m ready to build.




I put any jacks/pots/foot switches/led bezels into the empty enclosures.

This takes a bit of extra time, yes… but I also rarely have to order extra parts and can build start to finish quickly. I can also weed out odd parts or used parts to put into something and work through my oddities I’ve acquired over the years.

What are your organization hacks?

[jessenator]

oddly enough, I think I bought the drawer organizer on the left at a Radio Shack before they closed up. The one on the right from my local Ace Hardware. The labeling is a constant work in progress and shuffling happens when I get new stuff (and still don't care to remember what is proper decimalization of part values…). Might end up having to get a supplemental one, since a number of NPNs are just in bags within bags right now.



Have this right in front of the workbench.

I did try electronically keeping track of what I had, but that was too tedious. I just take a peek before ordering a new build/board.

The partition walls for the RS organizer are total crap. I've had to clip or melt out parts of them so they don't hit the drawer catch. The Ace one is much improved.

[greysun]

Same re: electronic tracking. It works until it doesn’t, and that happens quickly, hehe. I don’t build enough to have a setup as massive as yours, but I am quite impressed! Not surprised the RS one isn’t built as well - I hated that place, but it was handy in a pinch.

I also live in a 1bed condo with a spouse, so my space is limited to a drawer, hehe. I make do…

This next set of pedals will put me at max - if I wanna make more, I have to part with some, or part them out and reuse enclosures, so I’m gonna make it count!

[jwin615]

I keep my resistors, which are all on tap, organized by value in two recipe cars boxes. They're the perfect size for 20 PC tapes. Then used the recipe label cards to note periodic values to make flipping easier.
Other small value components, unless purchased in kits(boxed ceramics on AliExpress...), Are stored in baggies in baseball card holders in 3 inch 3 ring binders. I have on for fetsand transistors, one for caps, one for ICs, one for diodes and LEDs.
I found some cars holder sleeves that have 6 slots rather than the normal 9. They are taller slots of the same width. 2 tall, 3 wide per sheet. They work better for larger items or higher inventory items.
I have 3 multi compartment bins for pots. A, B, and C/other. Another generic 10x12 cheap bin for knobs. Go fish.
The binders stand up next to a pair of parts organizers where I keep everything else. Footswitches, pcbs, bezels, etc.
I have a fairly(ridiculous) large inventory, but it's consolidated down to 3-4 cubic feet, fairly organized(binders are kept alphanumeric) and all within arms reach.
I'll try and post pics if anyone wants to see or some of that isn't clear.

[jwin615]

Oh, and if I buy a special enclosure/component for a specific build then I try to drop the parts and pcb in the enclosure, screws in and painters tape what it's for.
Everything is safer in a metal box.

[Betty Wont]

I build for profit. I do not keep parts on hand other than extraneous resistors as I have to buy them in 10 quantities. I build about 200 pedals a year currently and buy parts weekly for each batch. I build a variety of circuits and change up frequently. This keeps my bottom line at a minimum. My point is that i don’t collect parts for storage. I store my entire parts overstock in a 9x3” Rubbermaid desk organizer tray. And I often choose my next projects solely on using up weird value stragglers. 

[derevaun]

Totally love the blue tape idea!

I sometimes use a cafeteria tray for each ongoing project, with the necessary parts on it somewhere.

[greysun]

I keep my resistors, which are all on tap, organized by value in two recipe cars boxes. They're the perfect size for 20 PC tapes. Then used the recipe label cards to note periodic values to make flipping easier.
Other small value components, unless purchased in kits(boxed ceramics on AliExpress...), Are stored in baggies in baseball card holders in 3 inch 3 ring binders. I have on for fetsand transistors, one for caps, one for ICs, one for diodes and LEDs.
I found some cars holder sleeves that have 6 slots rather than the normal 9. They are taller slots of the same width. 2 tall, 3 wide per sheet. They work better for larger items or higher inventory items.
I have 3 multi compartment bins for pots. A, B, and C/other. Another generic 10x12 cheap bin for knobs. Go fish.
The binders stand up next to a pair of parts organizers where I keep everything else. Footswitches, pcbs, bezels, etc.
I have a fairly(ridiculous) large inventory, but it's consolidated down to 3-4 cubic feet, fairly organized(binders are kept alphanumeric) and all within arms reach.
I'll try and post pics if anyone wants to see or some of that isn't clear.

Would love a pic - sounds like something I could do with my caps, diodes and LEDs to save some space or consolidate a bit. :-)