I was referring to the special black foam that the PICAXEs were shipped on.
...

As a low cost- option in the old days they just used to use any type of foam, (or even expanded cardboard) with some kitchen type aluminium foil wrapped around it.

You can wrap foil on a large piece and push lots of chips into it, keeping them oriented the same so it's easy to read all the numbers when you want to find a chip.

 

OK here is some of my stuff by no means inclusive.

As I said I never had ESD issues with chips, but as a means of protection, I try to keep them inside original antistatic wrapping.

Most chips however don't take it crude if they are put into plastic drawers. The cabinet is never moved in any kind, and there are no high-voltage machines nearby.

If you just wrap chips which you are think could be sensible into tin foil, this should be fine.

A large piece of tin foil will have so much mass that a static charge applied on it will normally not have any effects.

One thing is small signal JFETs- they seem to be sensible.

Bipolar chips like small OpAmps really would need a hard hit of high voltage to take damage.

If you want to ship things then it is a good idea to use conductive bags, they are not expensive. Or reuse them, often possible if they are still clean.

If you have to use tape then use cellophane tape, it is anti-static.

Styrofoam pieces to put into a box with sensible chips- I don't consider this as a good idea.

 

Thanks for the pics. That's roughly my philosophy on storage too.

I only wish those plastic drawers were cheaper. I get a 5x7 drawer for no less than 25 euros here.

 

I use kit boxes, the type used by arts and crafts types. I use them in conjunction with black foam. Very cheap.

 

I use kit boxes, the type used by arts and crafts types. I use them in conjunction with black foam. Very cheap.

Where do you get cheap black foam? It seems to be about $8 per square foot where I can find it.

 

Tanner's sells squares about 4"X4" for 39¢ each.

 

Eventually your collection of electronic components will grow over time. Here are my photos which I hope will give you some ideas:

For standard nuts & bolts and hardware, I prefer clear plastic cases so I can see the parts without having to open boxes:

For electronics and ICs I use these with pink foam and packets of silica gel:

 

For SMD resistors and capacitors, I keep them in the original tape and packages:

and for discrete parts and ICs I leave them in their antistatic bags in shoebox size containers with silica gel packets:

 

Finally, when your lab gets to be as big as this, there's no other choice:

Semiconductor components are stored in small antistatic bags cut from a larger bag and sealed with a plastic bag sealer:

I use milk-bags to store away excess surplus components:

 

I use the plastic bag method for non ESD parts myself.

To distort a common poem

Big bags have small bags,
to hold and sort them.

Small bags have smaller bags,
to further tag them.

And so, Ad Infinatum.