Cardboard Component Holder
Can't find that certain resistor? Can you even see your desk through all the clutter of electrical tools and components? When building circuits, it is handy to know where all your components are, and yet still have them stored safely so that they don't get damaged from other equipment. With these problems on hand, I set out to find a simple way to store electrical components neatly and safely. The cardboard component holder is a strip of cardboard that mounts on the wall with a few tacks. You can push components into the top of the cardboard and label them for quick finding. Follow the steps to make a component holder that stores your electrical parts.
First, you need to cut out a strip of heavy duty corrugated cardboard approximately 14" long and 3" wide. Make sure that the corrugates run down the short part of the cardboard. Next, pick up a component and straighten the wire legs of it. Drop each leg of the component into a corrugate in the cardboard. Repeat this process on your other components and wires.
If you want to have a place to store microchips and ic's cut out another strip of cardboard about 4" long and 1" wide. Glue it on top of the larger piece of cardboard, making sure the edges are mesh. Insert the chip pins into both pieces of cardboard so that the chip is straddling the crack where the cardboard pieces meet.
There are many possible ways to organize your components using the cardboard strip. You could group similar components together so that you have a wide selection of one component in the same place. You could also put certain parts together according to what projects they will be used in. It is handy to label components for easy selection. Print out a variety of numbers to match resistor, capacitor, and other components' values, and glue them to the cardboard under the component.
Finally, when your component holder is organized, select a place on a wall and tack the four corners of the cardboard component holder down securely.
Now you have a way to store your components neatly and safely. The cardboard component holder will greatly reduce the clutter on your desk. You can experiment and work with the ease of knowing where all your components are and that they will be safe and sound when you need them.
First, you need to cut out a strip of heavy duty corrugated cardboard approximately 14" long and 3" wide. Make sure that the corrugates run down the short part of the cardboard. Next, pick up a component and straighten the wire legs of it. Drop each leg of the component into a corrugate in the cardboard. Repeat this process on your other components and wires.
If you want to have a place to store microchips and ic's cut out another strip of cardboard about 4" long and 1" wide. Glue it on top of the larger piece of cardboard, making sure the edges are mesh. Insert the chip pins into both pieces of cardboard so that the chip is straddling the crack where the cardboard pieces meet.
There are many possible ways to organize your components using the cardboard strip. You could group similar components together so that you have a wide selection of one component in the same place. You could also put certain parts together according to what projects they will be used in. It is handy to label components for easy selection. Print out a variety of numbers to match resistor, capacitor, and other components' values, and glue them to the cardboard under the component.
Finally, when your component holder is organized, select a place on a wall and tack the four corners of the cardboard component holder down securely.
Now you have a way to store your components neatly and safely. The cardboard component holder will greatly reduce the clutter on your desk. You can experiment and work with the ease of knowing where all your components are and that they will be safe and sound when you need them.