Tube Storage Solutions

[postjack]

All my little boxes of little tubes are starting to drive me crazy. They are all over my desk, all around the house. I've read not to store them in drawers, because the constant opening/closing could shake things up, so I've been keeping them on the top shelf of a dark closet, but they must creep out at night and spread all over my desk.

So what do you do with your unused tubes, and do you have any nice, tidy, tube storage solutions?

[aerius]

I use a shoebox. Seriously, I do. The tubes are in their original boxes and those boxes go into a shoebox. Then I ran out of space and used the cardboard shipping cartons which the tubes and other electronics gear came in. When I run out of space again I'm not sure what I'll do.

[Guest sacd lover]

All my little boxes of little tubes are starting to drive me crazy. They are all over my desk, all around the house. I've read not to store them in drawers, because the constant opening/closing could shake things up, so I've been keeping them on the top shelf of a dark closet, but they must creep out at night and spread all over my desk.

So what do you do with your unused tubes, and do you have any nice, tidy, tube storage solutions?

[hungrych]

I know PFKman23 stores them in his belly.

[PFKMan23]

I know PFKman23 stores them in his belly.

I store them in your belly, Charlie...

[postjack]

fuck. damn earl.

[deepak]

I wish I had problems like this

[KenW]

I went to Home Depot and found a couple of those plastic bins used for storing small tools and hardware. It has a black case with clear plastic drawers that have locking lids. Inside each drawer, you have adjustable dividers so it's quite simple to store the tubes in a "custom size" space. By my estimate you can store about 100 tubes in one of those things. It's clean, neat and easily to label. Cheap, too.

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

I use a shoebox. Seriously, I do. The tubes are in their original boxes and those boxes go into a shoebox. Then I ran out of space and used the cardboard shipping cartons which the tubes and other electronics gear came in. When I run out of space again I'm not sure what I'll do.

You'll just have to go out and buy more shoes.

I had 3 shoeboxes full of tubes, but the gf wasn't happy so she bought me fancier boxes from Winners.

Biggie.

[hirsch]

I've got an unfortunate habit of buying roughly a 300 year supply of any tube I happen to be using Overkill, I think, but you never know. I attempted a categorization and storage system, but it's down to putting them wherever I can find room. I need to find a way to sell off the tubes I have no plans to ever use, but I keep putting it off... (anyone want to buy 200 or so tested 6SN7GTB's?)

[hirsch]

depends on what 6SN7GTBs they are

Just about all of them

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

I've got an unfortunate habit of buying roughly a 300 year supply of any tube I happen to be using Overkill, I think, but you never know. I attempted a categorization and storage system, but it's down to putting them wherever I can find room. I need to find a way to sell off the tubes I have no plans to ever use, but I keep putting it off... (anyone want to buy 200 or so tested 6SN7GTB's?)

12au7 or el34 collector over here. If I remember you don't have 12au7s though. I'm using the telefunken 12au7's Gilmore sold me in my amp right now. ^^

Biggie.

[postjack]

Well I got me a cardboard box, thanks all for the suggestions.

Now it just needs tube fillin'.

Hirsch, got any RCA grey glass?

[hirsch]

Hirsch, got any RCA grey glass?

Yep. Actually I've got at least a couple dozen of those I don't hear any major differences between the gray and clear glass RCA 6SN7GT's, though.

Biggie, I've only got a small box of 12AU7's. The HAP-03 was a small amp

[Dusty Chalk]

Just about all of them

I can vouch for this.

I can also tell you you do not want Hirsch's tube storage solution. You may want his problem, but you do not want his solution.

Of course, you don't want mine neither -- I have mine all spread out over the guest bed right now.

[hirsch]

I can also tell you you do not want Hirsch's tube storage solution. You may want his problem, but you do not want his solution.

I've got a solution? I knew that the problem was getting out of hand when I opened a small box and found several pairs of Tung Sol round plates I had completely forgotten about Still, it's kind of fun making discoveries like that.

[aerius]

You'll just have to go out and buy more shoes.

I had 3 shoeboxes full of tubes, but the gf wasn't happy so she bought me fancier boxes from Winners.

Biggie.

Yeah, I'll probably have to start using my GF's shoeboxes soon. That just sounds so wrong in so many ways, but I don't know why.

I don't hear any major differences between the gray and clear glass RCA 6SN7GT's, though.

Depends on which grey glass RCA it is. There's a grey glass one where the internals look pretty much the same as the clear glass 6SN7GT, and another earlier (I think) version which has the round micas with the rectangular mica inserts on the top mica. The first one sounds pretty close to the clear glass, the latter has a much richer & fuller tone along with more bass and smoother highs. Then again mine are all the 12SN7 and 1633 versions so I don't know how the 6SN7's are like.

[Dusty Chalk]

I knew that the problem was getting out of hand when I opened a small box and found several pairs of Tung Sol round plates I had completely forgotten about Still, it's kind of fun making discoveries like that.

It's like Christmas in March...no, wait, you don't celebrate Christmas...it's like, birthday presents from yourself to yourself, like a time machine traveller, "here, I left these here for you." You should put a silly note in one of your boxes of tubes for your later self to find later and say, "hey, I don't remember writing that..."

I have the same problem with CD's...