Completed Project Project: Protoboard storage

Thread Starter

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Before I start this is what I am referring to as a protoboard":

Protoboard 63 columns.jpg
I love protoboards, they allow you to reuse components until they are mechanically worn out, or you have let the magic smoke out. Storage of used components can be a problem. I intensely dislike is throwing them in a bucket, I like to find them at a glance. Here’s several possible solutions for this problem shown below. Resistors in particular are reusable, as are the jumper wires.


8.jpg b Finished Protoboard Storage Box.jpg
A quick note about templates, after downloading them, print them out using M$ Paint. Since I use the .png format the dimensions will stay quite accurate which is important for this project.

Start w/ the substrate, thanks to Amazon I have pounds of corrugated card board. I cut a chunk into Qty 5 6¾” x 3¾” pieces (using the attached template, pick one to leave the over lap on). I use 5 of them because I like my leads to be 0.3” long. Each piece is slightly over 0.1” thick, and I wanted there to be plenty of excess thickness The template comes as two pieces. Cut them out like so:
1 Square Templates.jpg
Tape them together as shown:
2 Template.jpg
I used double sided scotch tape to attach the template to the card board. Cut your cardboard into 5 substrate panels:
3.jpg
Remove then now useless templates,then glue the panels together to make the final substrate. The final product will be over ½“ thick.

Next download/print the Jumper Cover Sheet and cut the corners as shown:
4.jpg
Next glue the cover sheet to the substrate as shown:
5 Glue.jpg 6.jpg
I highly recommend using rubber cement so as not to cause wrinkling of the paper. Any discoloration of the outside will disappear when the glue dries. Also use the flattest and smoothest side of the substrate to be the surface of the storage print. This jar of glue was almost empty.

<Continued in next post>
 

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Thread Starter

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
I used a large push pin to make the holes. If a jumper has problems fitting just wiggle the pin from side to side to enlarge the hole:

The Wrap Around box is made with chipboard cardboard such is found on cereal boxes. Use the Resistor WAR Box template, glue or tape the template over the chip board cardboard and cut the outside edges. I use an old dull pizza cutter to score the fold lines, after you are done with trimming the edges.fold the box and tape the sides for this result::
7.jpg a Stored.jpg
This will prevent the jumpers from falling when not in use. Here is the final storage panel when you are finished:
9 Fini.jpg
The hash marks on the front are to help make new jumpers.
 

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Thread Starter

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Here are the templates to make the Resistor Storage Box. The procedure to make one is the same.
Resistor WAR Box, Resistor Cover Sheet

b Finished Protoboard Storage Box.jpg

After using this for several days, I found resistors falling out of their holes was a major problem, this is where dumb luck beating careful planning comes in play I had accidentally order some incredibly small magnets. I modified the Resistor Cover Sheet with hash marks, which I drilled with a 1/16" drill bit. After I inserted all the magnets I then covered the face of the storage substrate with postal tape to keep the magnets in place. When you only have one working hand magnet become one of your go to tools.

While resistors are not very magnetic, there does seem to be a small amount of something ferrous in all my parts, which works good enough.
 

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