Advice needed on storing parts.

[David Walz]

I am having a problem with trying to keep my em Bally parts organized, it's not like these are new, in boxes, sorted. I have a problem finding parts sometimes, I need to work on it, any suggestions.

 

[Stayouttadabunker]

Sandwich baggies with Post It notes inside. 

[Chris-socal]

I am not consistently organized in that way and I pay the price, simply because I often start a new project while waiting for parts for a previous project. I do put parts from current disassembly into baggies with the machine name and/or the owners name if it isn’t mine.
Stayouttadabunker is right, using baggies is a great method, just be sure to put any relevant information on that label. What is clear and current in your memory right now will be less clear in 6 months or a year. If you order heavier mil bags they will stay upright so you can flip through them.

Chris

[Stayouttadabunker]

The amount of parts I have here for all the different machines I take care of...is staggering.
Strong, zip-lok baggies always worked for me...even after 20 years being in this workroom in a small, rural casino in the Northeast.
My new 20-something yr old trainee looks at all the stuff and is like...wants to quit already....hahahahaha 

[lookes]

I have many hundreds of small parts. I store IC's in tubes where applicable, and small anti-static packages, in plastic bins sorted by part type, prefix (74HC, 40XX, 74LCX etc) and by board or (for instance) power supply type. Always easy to find the part I need.
I  work on a relatively small number of specific board types so it's pretty easy to keep them sorted and at hand. I make up dedicated 'kits' of parts for different equipment.  Often the same parts are used on several board types. For instance, 74LCX16646 Bus Tranceivers are used (and fail) extensively on S2000 1270 MPUs, 044 Game King MPUs and 044 Flash boards. I split an order of 50 of them amongst 3 storage bin 'kits'. Of course I know I can find one in onother 'kit' if I run out somewhere.

I even include resistors and caps that often fail in the 'kits', even tho they could be used anywhere. Anything to reduce the time it takes to find a part for a specific board during troubleshooting and repair. The parts cost next to nothing compared to the time it takes to complete the repair in most cases.

That being said, parts are costing me more, mostly due to tariffs. I did raise my prices 6/1 as a result, as I don't charge for parts separately. Sorry. 

[Badbaud]

WallMart plastic shoe boxes with labels stacked 8' high

[jay]

Dollar Store sells all sorts of clear plastic bins, boxes etc. 
Get a label maker.

I also use those plastic square Milk delivery boxes (sideways) to hold MPUs and other sizeable boards vertical (and you can stack them).
We used to use these for records in the 80's - If you have 4 of them you can put your boards in them use some 2x4 cross beams and then put the plastic boxes on the 2x4's

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[David Walz]

Awesome ideas. 

[dailey]

I store my slot machine parts in plastic stackable containers that I got at Costco. I keep all of my boards and static sensitive items in sealed antistatic bags labeled with description and part number. Lately as I've begun to run out of space, I've realized that my collection has gotten out of hand and I'll never use most of it, so I'm thinning out my collection. I'll keep some rare difficult to find parts, some extra boards and spare power supplies, but that's about it. I'm reclaiming space at the risk of having to purchase the future parts I need.