There is an interesting New Year conversation going on at the All About Circuits forum.
Members are knocking around getting their electronic resistor parts under control for the New Year. Guys have to get organized and it's not always about hunting gear you know?
If you're into tinkering with electronics this winter, you probably get tired of buying what you need each time, and choose to start a supply area or "kit" as some call it.
But as one reader says, "when you have over 150 different resistors, how do you store them? Shelves really do take too much space, and can be hard to maintain. Lord help you if you drop one and scatter the contents to the 4 winds." The parts can be very, very small.
About Resistors:
As All About Circuits points out to it's student and hobbyist readers, resistors "resist" the flow of electrical current and are common elements of electrical networks and electronic circuits. A resistor is coated with paint or enamel, and sometimes covered in molded plastic for protection. Because resistors are often too small to be written on (as evidenced by the main picture above), a standardized color-coding system is used to identify them. So once these students get beyond tooling aroung informally, they realize they need a system.
Resistors = Craft Supplies?
The challenges of "resistor organizing" are very similar to "craft and bead organizing!" (small, tiny parts = insanity). Does this picture below look familiar?
This is a photo sent in from a forum participant. Looks like he has his resistors under control.
The challenge:
"I've only really gotten interested in electrics over the last year and I already have wayyy too much stuff to keep organized. First I just spent days finding plastic organizing boxes with small enough cells to make it efficient. Soon after I found a solution I had too much for that to work so I started punching holes in the little ziplock bags that I get my parts in and put them on rings. Now I have too much for that. So how do you guys stay organized?"
The organization solutions submitted are electrifying:
"I don't. I have boxes, totes, trash bags, shelves, all with random crap, and you can't even set a beer down on my kitchen table."
"boxes for fishing tackle (they often have nice size compartments) and other boxes as size demand."
"I was using the small flip-top organizer trays you can buy for fishing gear and craft beads. This got cumbersome to work with as I added more stuff though - I ended up having tons of trays that took up half my desk and frequently got knocked over."
"I installed a peg-board and shelving behind the desk I use. On the peg-board I attached multi-drawer organizers (the kind you get at home improvement stores to store nuts, bolts, screws, etc.) I use these to hold all my components. Larger items go in a set vertical plastic drawers on the side of the desk (I bought these at Wal-Mart for like $8 each.)"
"I found a set of plastic ones where you can adjust the dividers. It works well on the go."
Joey, has the best comment:
"I have no idea...I let my technicians/engineers store the stuff. When I need something, I shout out, "I need a [fill in the blank]", and 2 minutes later its on my desk!"
This reader photo above uses large ziplock baggies to organize his resistors. He first takes a larger bag, creates smaller pockets using a "seal-a-meal" type of device, and hand-labels each bag. The result is magic but takes time to set the system up. How would you organize your resistors?
What do you think?
This is the part of our blog topic where we ask you to comment. What creative ideas do you have when organizing very tiny bits and pieces? Beads or resistors... we'd like to hear using our @johntrosko Twitter account or by posting a comment below.
By the way, there are a lot of different types of resistors, so our usage terms used in this piece may need some help. Feel free to lend your expertise, we'll appreciate it.
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A bicycle may be the most awkward item to store in the home.
There is a whole industry of organized solutions for two-wheelers. From hanging them on the wall with hooks, stands on the floor, pulley systems to hoist. Bikes can also indeed be a safety hazard if they are not properly stored out of garage foot traffic not to mention the little ones looking for adventure. Here is a neat idea a West Hollywood client turned us onto: a folding bike and a custom bike trunk. Purchase them seperately.
Folding Bikes from Brompton:
UK-based Brompton crafts amazing high quality fold-able bikes (30 seconds to fold!). The company ships them to Canada and the United States.
Bike Trunks from Pinel & Pinel:
Pinel & Pinel, a high-end French company (think 1930's ocean liner elegance and usefulness) created these custom bike trunks (and actually, a slew of other amazing trunks on their website-- so check them out). Wood and leather combined with nickel and brass plated latches steer your way into organized bike bliss in over 51 colors.
Now we just have to actually use the bike.
Images courtesy Rarified and Pinel & Pinel.
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My friend Denise Wakeman is an avid runner and snaps all these great photos when she is out and about in Los Angeles.
At night and on the weekend, Denise closes the door to her online marketing advisory company (she's also our business blog coach), and runs all over the city for fun, and on occasion, enjoying half-marathons. This weekend she posted some shots around the Hollywood Hills, the original Mullholland Hwy, Lake Hollywood and the Hollywood sign.
Denise posted this picture of a garage door somewhere near Lake Hollywood- and we loved it so much we had to share it. We're not sure if the design was painted, printed or transferred. But isn't it marvelous? Reminds us of the garage door we discovered in Beverly Hills, with glass doors.
Check out Denise Wakeman, Founder of the BlogSquad, where you can see more pictures of her exploits this past weekend.
Do you have a garage door in your neighborhood that's particularly amusing? Let us know about it in the comment section below.
Related Posts:If you're anything like us, you have vowed each year after Thanksgiving that this year, this holiday season, you are going to plan the holidays right.
You're going to get totally, absolutely organized. Your cards will be in the mail early, gifts purchased and wrapped on time, decorations will be adorning your fireplace and your guest rooms will be ready and willing to take on your beloved relatives.
Ah, yes, in a perfect world.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have come and gone, but we have to remind you (as much as we remind ourselves) that getting organized for the holidays does not have to be a daunting task. To help this, we've asked our friends on Facebook and Twitter to send us their holiday organizing tips. We received so many tips and tricks we couldn't fit them all in one post, so look for more tips in the upcoming weeks.
Spreadsheets:
Tricia O'Neill DiMeglio of Metuchen, NJ loves spreadsheets:
"I plan my schedule leading up to (cleaning/set-up) and including Christmas appetizer, dinner and desserts with Excel spreadsheets. I carry them forward from year to year and make alterations as needed. Oh, I also use it for all the gift planning and buying with all the little kiddies.... nieces, nephews and such. Helps to plan the budget and to see from year to year where the $$ goes. We have both sides of the family to our house for Christmas. I LOVE my Excel spreadsheets!!!"
Kathy Melamed, a West Hollywood Clothing and Belt Designer also loves spreadsheets:
Strategize:"I organize my list in excel by year and separate business from personal. It is also a great reminder of what you gave to who the year before and helps make sure I didn't leave anyone off."
San Francisco organizing colleague and author Emily Wilska recommends strategy:
"Use the next few weeks to set some general goals and guidelines for your seasonal celebrations. For example, you might decide to reconsider exchanging gifts with friends and extended family, opting instead to pool your money to pay for a special celebration, to make a collective donation to charity, or give one simple gift per family. Share your thoughts and plans with those you celebrate with so you're all on the same page and can figure out details before the holidays."
Organize Don't Decorate:
Saundra Wright, an Akron, Ohio home organizer, seems to have the key to holiday bliss:
Borrow, Rent or Repurpose:"As we approach the holiday season, many of us are looking forward to decorating our homes with all of our favorite seasonal decorations. However, sometimes when we bring out all of these holiday decorations our houses seem to look more "cluttered" rather than "decorated." Consider organizing for the holidays rather than decorating for the holidays!
Karli Bertocchi, professional organizer from Chicago, Illinois, has a smart idea:
"Borrow, rent or re-purpose what you can instead of adding appliances, dishes or furniture to your home for a "once a year" event."
Concentrate on Clutter Free Gifts:
Monica Ricci, Atlanta-based organizing expert and author gives out shopping advice:
Practice Clutter Portion Control:"You can still enjoy giving gifts and let someone know you care without giving them a gift that will clutter their life and their home. There are plenty of creative, thoughtful and sure to please gifts, especially for that person who has everything!"
Lorie Marrero of the Clutter Diet in Austin, Texas recommends a "clutter watcher's" approach:
"Pay attention to portion control for your purchases. Shop with a list, leave plenty of time so you're not rushed into purchasing decisions and bring a friend to help curb your clutter appetite."
Have a comment or trick of your own? Please join the conversation and leave your tip below and stay tuned for more holiday organizing tips.
Photo of Los Angeles City Hall above courtesy Benjamin Page and Flickr.
Related Posts:10 most stressful holiday activities from FranklinCovey (11/06)
Holiday cleaning tips from Fly Lady (11/05)
A handy holiday switch (7/05)
Southern California AAA "Westways" Magazine published a simple yet effective one-page article on garage organizing in the September issue.
The piece profiled how to actually get started and what to do with all the stuff left over. We especially liked the paragraph on making the garage look better by not just plopping your junk back in the corner, but actually creating systems for effective storage.
We could not locate the article online, but here is the magazine cover and a link to some of the articles.
Bravo to the the author! She mentioned the National Association of Professional Organizers and opportunities for hiring organizers. Because the magazine serves SoCal, we'd thought we'd write a quick letter to remind the editors of the two official NAPO chapters here in the region. Many thanks to Claire Flannery, our colleague here in Los Angeles who helped us proof the letter:
"Dear Westways Editor, It was refreshing to read Brenda Tabor’s excellent September piece, “Take Back Your Garage.” We Southern Californians are known by the cars we drive but our cars are only as good as the garages that house them. A messy garage often needs outside help."
"Bravo to Brenda for mentioning the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) but she neglected to let your readers know that there are actually two local NAPO chapters right here in Southern California - one in Los Angeles (www.napola.org) and another in San Diego (www.naposandiego.com). Either website can help locate a professional organizer to clear out the clutter and get the car back into the garage where it belongs."
John Trosko, President, NAPO Los Angeles
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