# DIY Pedals - Parts Organization



## Idroj (Dec 7, 2020)

Hi, I'm getting ready to receive what's going to be the 4th and biggest Tayda order I've ever placed... I have a few small part cabinets and I'm wondering how to organize all the parts, especially capacitors and resistors. I've been storing all resistors in their little pink labeled baggies in one of the big drawers in order from small to big. Capacitors, I have separated electrolytic, film, and ceramic in three different drawers. I'm suspecting I should be using lots of drawers, one for each value (maybe that would take too many cabinets) or ranges of values 1ohm-1k, 1k-100k, and so on.. Same for caps... Tayda's baggies are a hair too big for the common small part cabinet's drawers... but taking the parts off the baggies would leave me in a world of trouble having to identify parts by markings and colors... ?

How do you organize and label your parts? Could you post pics? Show us your drawers! ?

Thanks!


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## Cucurbitam0schata (Dec 7, 2020)

I use something like this - but it's getting to be too small! I think having an additional one dedicated only to resistors and caps would be the best. The spare box can be used for all the other parts (ICs, pots, jacks, plugs, wire, etc). 







I've heard of other folks using a three-ring binder with those plastic card-collector pages for resistors and caps, too. That also sounds like a solid way to search for your organized resistors and caps, like this:


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## zgrav (Dec 7, 2020)

I leave resistors in Tayda bags and put them in a plastic card file box using index cards to separate the values from small to large.  I have smaller compartments in other plastic boxes where I use half-sized index cards to separate diodes and transistors by part numbers.  I used the small plastic bins to store capacitors by values small-to-large that range through  PF/NF/UF.  As you note, the plastic bags do not neatly fit in those boxes so each little box ends up being filled with bags that are overhanging the edges.  I another plastic box with cardboard separators to store pots in size ranges, but that also gets a bit messy.


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## Nostradoomus (Dec 7, 2020)

I have one like this, the bottom drawers are great for bagged resistors.


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## Jovi Bon Kenobi (Dec 7, 2020)

I use plastic parts drawers. Each drawer has a slot to add a divider and I used cut cardboard in that place where needed. I made labels on the P-Touch which are removable so I can reorganize or add new values if needed.


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## Idroj (Dec 7, 2020)

Jovi Bon Kenobi said:


> I use plastic parts drawers. Each drawer has a slot to add a divider and I used cut cardboard in that place where needed. I made labels on the P-Touch which are removable so I can reorganize or add new values if needed.
> View attachment 8248
> View attachment 8250


Super neat!


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## Idroj (Dec 7, 2020)

Great options, I need to start preparing it.. nice big tayda order on the way! Should last me for another... month? ?   This hobby of ours is a little addictive... My wife is starting to question if I REALLY NEED 20 types of overdrive and distortions... if I'm really going to use every single one of them.. ??


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## Idroj (Dec 7, 2020)

Jovi Bon Kenobi said:


> I use plastic parts drawers. Each drawer has a slot to add a divider and I used cut cardboard in that place where needed. I made labels on the P-Touch which are removable so I can reorganize or add new values if needed.
> View attachment 8248
> View attachment 8250


That nf to uf conversion on the caps dymos has to be super handy too! ?


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## BuddytheReow (Dec 7, 2020)

Idroj said:


> Great options, I need to start preparing it.. nice big tayda order on the way! Should last me for another... month? ?   This hobby of ours is a little addictive... My wife is starting to question if I REALLY NEED 20 types of overdrive and distortions... if I'm really going to use every single one of them.. ??


My wife and I had the same conversation a couple of weeks ago. You're not alone

Edit. I have a harder time convincing her since i'm pretty much a bedroom player. She would have been more flexible if I gigged more often.


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## Chas Grant (Dec 7, 2020)

I have gotten the snide comments from the spousal unit about the number of pedals I've built also!  "OH, your guitar playing has gotten better, it must be all those Fancy Pedals you've built" says the wife in a bitchy tone.


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## Nostradoomus (Dec 7, 2020)

I guess I’m the odd man out with a spouse who 100% supports what I do without any recourse haha


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## Idroj (Dec 7, 2020)

Spousal unit! ?   

Me: - Can't do it in this particular moment.. I don't have time right now.. I'll get to it..
Wife: -But you have time to build pedals right? If you spent half the time you spend building pedals doing this and that... blah blah blah... hkdi ejk fofiuf buum saklihs skdjhfh ksh djskl


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## Chas Grant (Dec 7, 2020)

Nostradoomus said:


> I guess I’m the odd man out with a spouse who 100% supports what I do without any recourse haha



Must be Nice! ????


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## Nostradoomus (Dec 7, 2020)

It is indeed!


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## coltonius (Dec 8, 2020)

Idroj said:


> Spousal unit! ?
> 
> Me: - Can't do it in this particular moment.. I don't have time right now.. I'll get to it..
> Wife: -But you have time to build pedals right? If you spent half the time you spend building pedals doing this and that... blah blah blah... hkdi ejk fofiuf buum saklihs skdjhfh ksh djskl


Sounds about right. 

Fortunately, I'm not put under the Spanish Inquisition about my pedal builds- although I do get the occasional, "Is that for _you _or for someone else?" from my spousal unit (?). It helps that I sell a few here and there to offset the cost of my habit!


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## Harry Klippton (Dec 8, 2020)

Nostradoomus said:


> I guess I’m the odd man out with a spouse who 100% supports what I do without any recourse haha


Same here


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## Barry (Dec 8, 2020)

Nostradoomus said:


> I guess I’m the odd man out with a spouse who 100% supports what I do without any recourse haha


My better half has a craft hobby, so she totally gets it


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