Tim's Resistor Storage Box

It's time to tidy up, store and arrange my Through-Hole-Resistors that I use when prototyping with a Solderless-Bread-Board.

1. I was starting to loose track of the of resistors I have used.
2. All my used resistor where just getting dumped into a tub.

Buying sets of little draws to keep small items in can get expensive.

1. Little draw sets are designed to be stacked or hung on walls. I have no space for this.
2. So it got me thinking what else could I use?
3. Some cheep way to store and arrange the resistors I use with my Solderless-Bread-Board.

When I buy Resistor kits, they may come as a cut off ribbon of resistors.

1. I first just stacked these in a card box I made.
2. This work great to start with, but as I used the the ribbon started to fall apart.
3. After using them on a Bread-Board project, it is not practical to mount them back on the ribbon.

If I bought many of the same value of resistor, they just came in a zip-bag.

1. A zip-bag is easy to remove a resistor, then replace when done.

So I thought why not get some Zip-Bags the size of the cut off ribbons of Resistors.

1. This way they will hold the ribbons of resistors and the lose resistors I have used in a Bread-Bord project.

Also I added some dividers to group the ranges.

1. This makes it easy to find the value I want.

Plenty of Zip-Bags

1. The size I used: Width 90mm (3 1/2") Internal Depth 115mm (4 1/2") Overall depth 130mm (5 2/10")
2. The advert described them as GL4 - 3.5" x 4.5"
3. The box is designed for this size.
4. I got 100 for £2.50

Having a Laser Cutter I have made my box out of 3mm Hardboard.

1. There is no reason why this can't be made for other 3mm thick material.
2. My original was just cardboard.
3. Corrugated Cardboard would be a good material to cut using a sharp knife.

Some Plain Cardboard for the dividers.

1. I made some dividers to make group the ranges of resistors.

Attached are the DXF files for the box parts.

The number of parts required are:

1. One Base
2. Two Sides.
3. Two Ends.

On one of the sides I engraved some text.

1. The text gives the values for the colour band on the resistors.

I made the length of the box to hold the amount of resistors I have.

1. You may wand to edit the base and sides to make it a little longer if you have much more resistors than I have,

I have attached the DXF files for two types of divider:

1. One type will position any where.
2. One type has tabs to locate it in place through slots in the base of the box.

The box is glued together.

1. I just used some PVA glue.

Its a simple construction.

1. First fit the ends.
2. Then fit the sides.

Use dividers if needed.

Place your resistors in the zip-bags.

Place the zip-bags containing resistors into the box.

Well that was easy for all the new resistors I haven't used.

1. Now I just have to go through and sort all the resistors I have used in the past, which just got thrown in a tub. haha.