[Elecraft] Re: Things to sort kit parts into

[Carl, n5wn]

A good material for holding sorted parts is EPP anti-static foam.  This is a 
stiff foam, not squishy, and is a pink color.  Cut it down to about 1/2" 
thick slabs and stick component leads straight into it.  I usually take 
small "sticky notes" and tack them onto the side of the slab with the parts 
values penciled in for what is stuck into the foam.  I group all the similar 
parts together.  These slabs with parts stuck in them can easily be moved 
around between building sessions and if tilted or tipped won't spill like 
tins or sheets.  I don't know a specific source for this material but I have 
obtained more than enough of it over the years from the inside of packing 
boxes for CRTs and other computer equipment.

EPP stands for Expanded Polypropylene and is a stiff and kind of glossy foam 
with large air cells.  If you press hard on the foam will rebound to it's 
original shape slowly.  It is a great packing material for filling space and 
absorbing shock.  Maybe someday Elecraft will use it to pack kits and we 
would be able to use the packing material to sort the parts....

Another good sorting container is the recycled cardboard separator trays for 
bulk packs of jelly packages (the kind you use in the restaurant).  I use 
these separators to hold hardware, cores, wire, switches, etc. that are not 
susceptible to static.  These work better than egg cartons because they are 
typically only about 1/2" deep and have circular or rectangular depressions 
about 2-4 sq inches in size.  It is easy to see what you have and get it 
out.  The separators I like the best are for round jelly packages and the 
whole tray is about 8"x10".  You can get these separators from coffee shops 
or breakfast restaurants who use hundreds of jelly packages a day and just 
throw away these packing items.  Because they are cardboard you can write in 
the bottom of the depression what size screw or part is in that depression. 
When loaded with parts these trays can be stacked and picked up as a group 
to set aside between build sessions.  I built my K2 using 4 of these for all 
the non-static parts.

73,

Carl S.    N5WN    K2 #1241