How are you Storing & Protecting your PCBs?

[wonderbanana]

I found some awesome plastic boxes ... that are perfect for PCB's

They're not. If your PCBs could speak, they'd squeak "Please don't put me in that terrible lump of static electricity generating plastic PLEASE? Won't somebody think of the children^W PCBs!"

Plastic, especially the type of poly these boxes will be made from are superb insulators. Which means that the energy required to force an electron to move (breakdown voltage - required to conduct electricity) is very very high because the atomic configuration has no electrons which are not tightly bound. So these insulators can build up a HUGE charge because the breakdown voltage is so high.

So instead of any static being dissipated it just builds up on the surface of the plastic and waits for something to make a link to ground potential, such as you touching the PCB and being in contact with some of the metal on there, the PCB being in contact with the electron-loaded surface of the box, and your feet being on the ground.

That's just made a path to ground for the kiloVolts of potential on the plastic box (because the box is such a good insulator remember, it's going to build up an awesome charge over time), through the delicate PCB, down your arm and then into the earth. So you're actually using the PCB as part of a static grounding strap Anti-static bags or bubble-wrap avoid this problem by doping the plastic with conductive elements which stops the build up of charge.

Storing electronics in plastic or tupperware boxes isn't far off using a PCB as a snow-shoe whilst indoor skating on a nylon carpet. Seriously.

Unless of course I actually have them in anti-static bubble wrap bagggies before I put them in the box. I just assumed everyone did that anyway.

[trmatthe]

Unless of course I actually have them in anti-static bubble wrap bagggies before I put them in the box. I just assumed everyone did that anyway.

Which is very commendable if that is what you're doing. But you didn't mention it in your post, this is an area where people come to learn and assumption is indeed the mother of all ****-ups so it was absolutely worth reiterating that plastic boxes are bad for electronics. Even in an anti-static bubble bag - what if one of the sharp PCB corners pierces the bag like they love piercing my skin? Your board then takes on the electrical potential of the highly charged poly, you reach in to grab it and ZZZAPPPP!

Stored in an A/S bag and then either shelved or in cardboard boxes and you can pretty much forget about static issues.

I sense (the Force is strong in me sometimes ) that you thought my response was a personal attack. It wasn't: it was part of an ongoing attempt to stop tech urban legends, bad advice & bad practice propagating. There's so much rubbish around about board repair and handling that it's hard for anybody starting off in the hobby to figure out what's true. I encountered a ton of **** when starting off fixing boards so I'm trying to make it better for people who are in the position I was in a few years back.

[wonderbanana]

Unless of course I actually have them in anti-static bubble wrap bagggies before I put them in the box. I just assumed everyone did that anyway.

Which is very commendable if that is what you're doing. But you didn't mention it in your post, this is an area where people come to learn and assumption is indeed the mother of all ****-ups so it was absolutely worth reiterating that plastic boxes are bad for electronics. Even in an anti-static bubble bag - what if one of the sharp PCB corners pierces the bag like they love piercing my skin? Your board then takes on the electrical potential of the highly charged poly, you reach in to grab it and ZZZAPPPP!

Stored in an A/S bag and then either shelved or in cardboard boxes and you can pretty much forget about static issues.

I sense (the Force is strong in me sometimes ) that you thought my response was a personal attack. It wasn't: it was part of an ongoing attempt to stop tech urban legends, bad advice & bad practice propagating. There's so much rubbish around about board repair and handling that it's hard for anybody starting off in the hobby to figure out what's true. I encountered a ton of **** when starting off fixing boards so I'm trying to make it better for people who are in the position I was in a few years back.

Not at all, your cool mate; tis probably a fair point - gotta cover all bases and like you say, who knows who reads this.

They are, erm, awesome boxes though.. seriously

[trmatthe]

Hehe. I'll not inquire what's caused such man-box love. I think that some things are best kept off the net

[Rossyra]

Everyone makes mistakes and no-one's infallible and all that, even the experts

What's important is that we all spread the manly love

[FrancoB]

I'm still trying to find some uniform cardboard boxes to put mine in

I went round to thomj's last weekend and he had some cardboard 'pizza style' boxes which were nice but he can't remember where he got them from.

My biggest boards are about 400x300mm so I'm looking for something around that size with approx 100mm height.

I'll let you know if I find anything

[emphatic]

I got a **** of boxes a while back from the Japandeal webshop, but I regret it as my old storage method had a much smaller footprint and was probably better.

Before:

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After:

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Just store them stacked like records in a big, sturdy box with antistatic bags or pink bubble-wrap with cardboard sheets between them (to stop stuff from clinging) and it's all good.

[SuperPang]

I gave up on boxing my loose PCBs a long time ago, now they just stack on two shelves in antistatic bubble bags,...
..next to the eight shelves of boxed kits

[Rossyra]

I keep mine in a big heap

[FrancoB]

You are a big heap

I have found [these] on t'bay which look like they could be suitable. I messaged the seller and they come with the tray liner things which will be good when using them with smaller PCBs.

I need some boxes as my games are in random sized boxes all over place. I never know what is in which box and if its under our spare bed or on top of a wardrobe etc etc which puts me off digging games out to play.

Now I have my Naomi downstairs I have a load more space in one of our rooms and I'm going to get another bookcase to put them in.

[SuperPang]

Kern could always get some of these boxes from his day job

[wonderbanana]

My mainissue is I have up to 4 kids running around so loose on a shelf etc is just asking for trouble!

[Rossyra]

sell the children, buy cardboard

[trmatthe]

Oy, this is meant to be Tech, not OT!

[trmatthe]

button it wood cab!!

Coming from a Metal Mickey, that's really making me tremble Can't kern-bath come back? He's much nicer

[MrSandman]

Wow, I definitely like the after method.

Everything looks so tidy...and the labels...

I like

I got a **** of boxes a while back from the Japandeal webshop, but I regret it as my old storage method had a much smaller footprint and was probably better.

Before:

DisplayCollapse view

After:

DisplayCollapse view

Just store them stacked like records in a big, sturdy box with antistatic bags or pink bubble-wrap with cardboard sheets between them (to stop stuff from clinging) and it's all good.

[FrancoB]

I bought some of those boxes from ebay and they are great. They are big enough for my biggest PCB and you also can just fit a CPS2 A+B board in one.

The removable inner liners are handy to stop smaller boards looking quite so lost. They fit F3 carts a treat



I'm currently have them all in ESD bags but I want to add PCB feet to them all and many of them wont go in the bags with feet on so I'm going to get some pink anti-static bubble wrap instead. The 300mm wide stuff will be perfect to fit in the box 'vertically' or in the liner horizontally'.

All boxed up and labeled:

[trmatthe]

Very nice indeed! What sort of $$$ if you don't mind me asking?

[FrancoB]

[Here] is the link again.

They are £14 for 20 plus £4 next day DPD delivery. It costs an extra £2 post for each extra 20 boxes.

I bought 40 boxes which was £34, or 85p per box which I though was pretty good.

I forgot to mention that the boxes come fully assembled which is a bonus.

[drevans]

I went for a variation of the perspex solution using MDF, hexagonal bolts and screws instead.



Holes are cut for easy access to the dip switches. PCBs can then be stacked neatly without risk of damage.



The best thing about this approach is they are freestanding, so I can place a few of them in the Egret II without having to attach them to anything and they don't touch each other or the cabinet.

You never need to actually remove them from their casing, antistatic bags and boxes are great for long term storage but once you remove them, you have to handle the boards and can accidently bash them about or static shock them. This approach offers full-time protection and you never touch the actual board.



I've stored most of them in our bedroom wardrobe, top shelf, nice and out of reach from children's prying hands! There are 3 double doors worth of PCBs



Does work out quite expensive per board though. I can't find a decent source of cheap hexagonal bolts.

I can't take credit for this idea though, I used a slight variation that vib_ribbon on Jamma+ came up with.