Hi. Where do you buy high quality cabinets/drawers for your components? I'm minded to buy a revolving / carousel type of cabinet, but I'm not having much luck with it. I see a product, (by I think a firm called Raaco) but reviews not great. Thanks. EDIT: Who are the quality manufacturers? Akro Mills .....

 

A great deal depends on your budget.

Among the very best are the Durham products which are steel compartmented boxes and racks with sliding shelves that hold them. But, a four drawer example like the one below is about $300.00USD (though it looks like if you choose the parts yourself you can do about 15% or 20% better).

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I can unreservedly endorse the Durham boxes and racks, but they are usually too costly for people. So—what is your budget?

 

It depends on what type of components you want to store.

1) Through-hole resistors, capacitors, LEDs, diodes, etc.
2) Through-hole active components, ICs.
3) SMD resistors, capacitors, ICs.
4) Passive components, switches, knobs, fuses.
5) Connectors, PCB headers.
6) Larger components, battery holders, potentiometers, knobs.
7) Mechanicals, motors, gears, brackets.

I must have over 500,000 components stored in different schemes and cataloged on the computer for easy retrieval.

This is not my shop but certainly ranks as your dream shop.

 

What I've been looking at. By Raaco. At least giving it some consideration. I was put off, by a poor review.

 

Money is no object while spending other people's money, go VIDMAR.

 

Here is a glimpse of two areas in my workshop.
The black drawers are antistatic.
DIP ICs are kept in their antistatic shipping tubes and bags in ordinary clothes drawers.

 

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/storage-solutions
I have the PACKOUTS at home for parts storage. They are pretty nice and the stacks are easy to move around with the dolly base.

 

Here is a glimpse of two areas in my workshop.
The black drawers are antistatic.
DIP ICs are kept in their antistatic shipping tubes and bags in ordinary clothes drawers.

That is far too NEAT!!

 

I started out putting resistors in a cabinets that is 10 across but had to get new ones that are 12 across. Resistors need 2x12 and caps 1x12.
5% resistor values.
10 11 12 13 15 16 18 20 22 24 27 30 33 36 39 43 47 51 56 62 68 75 82 91
Capacitor values.
10 12 15 18 22 27 33 39 47 56 68 82
Electronic capacitors are sorted by voltage. example: All 16V caps are in one cabinet sorted large to small. Because when I design I start out with the voltage "12V" then look to see what I have that will work.
Surface mount reals of 5000 parts are in a bookshelf, just line books.
Surface mount cut tape of 100s are in zip bags sorted by sizes and decades. Resistor, 0608, 100 to 976 in one plastic box.

 

I keep components in small well-labeled zipper bags which are kept in plastic boxes for various categories (DIP analog, DIP digital, NPN small signal...etc.) designed to store papers and have latches. The boxes stack on a bookshelf and their contents are catalogued in a notebook.

I have a couple of sets of plastic drawers but they are full of old parts of which I have hundreds or thousands of but bought them (the drawer sets) so long ago I don't even remember buying them.