Electrical Parts Storage

[bb_max]

Hello, lurked here for awhile but never posted.

I am looking for ideas for storage of electrical connectors and components. Mostly talking about automotive type DC parts not AC outlets and such. I work in a prototype shop, so we have amassed a wide range of different connectors like Deutsch, Amp, Amphenol, Molex, Weatherpack, Metripack, etc., etc., along with variations of pins, sockets, seals, and accessories.

For now these are somewhat stored in the clear Plano-type compartment boxes, but we would actually need a dozen or so for each series to fully sort things out.

Looking for your guys' better ideas or something I hadn't thought of. My favorite idea is to acquire a set of flat files, the shallow drawers for holding blueprints, and cut some steel dividers so I would have dozens of compartments all in one drawer, along with a place to store the crimpers and removal tools for each type. The downside is this might not be very mobile when we want to move it near a project in the shop for repair or building a harness.

 

[Jlarson]

We use Durham boxes in our electric shop and in our service trucks.

Expensive but way better service life then plastic boxes.

 

[astroracer]

I have all of my stuff stored in the clear flat boxes. Those are stored in a tool box and roller cabinet. There are 10 or 12 flat boxes stored in the drawers.

Like you said, making them mobile is nice and, if you need a dozen you need a dozen. Harbor Freight has their boxes on sale a few times a year.
Another option would be card files with bins. I do this for my nut and bolt assortments.

The bins. I hot glued dividers into them for the small stuff.

The bins can be pulled out and taken to the job.
Mark

 

[premierplayer]

several threads arround here showing great homemade racks for parts box's
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=297598&highlight=parts+storage
get a label maker and tag contents on the front of the box and you're home

 

[Alan Douglas]

The basic divisions would be by manufacturer since all the inserts and tools are different.

To make the best use of limited space, you'd want easily-movable partitions, but not so easily that connector pins can slide under the partitions into the wrong compartments.

If there aren't many people using them, zip-lock plastic bags are space-efficient, but someone has to keep them in order.

I used to keep my company's fastener stock in order. It was just a fact of life to fix things that others didn't pay attention to or care about (as long as they could find what they needed). We happened to use Vidmar cabinets but they surely weren't portable.

 

[bb_max]

Thanks for the comments.
One of our clients who works onsite often has used some photo storage cases that consist of a large case holding like 20 small 5x7in cases. Each big case would be a series type, and then the small cases hold pins and different pinout connectors. This is probably our likely solution unless I can get some money to spend. Just looking for other ideas as well.

Yes a part of the problem is keeping things straight when someone who doesn't know tries to "put things back". We had a project where we assembled some lights. The leftover screws and nuts were dumped in a box with the electrical parts because "they were for a light, and lights are electrical, right?"

 

[rodsnratfinks]

I used to keep my spare electrical/electronics parts in those drawers that hardware stores keep nuts and bolts in. I was lucky in my youth to come across several stacks of them used for a very reasonable amount. Unfortunately, I shortsightedly sold them a few years ago when I put all my garage items into storage.

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[fuzzytek]

Find a radio shack that going out of business. They sold the local stores parts cabinets on Craigslist fully labeled and ready to go.

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