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AUDIO FORUMS >> Replacement Tubes >> Storing tubes..
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Message started by Matchstikman on 12/21/16 at 21:30:25

Title: Storing tubes..
Post by Matchstikman on 12/21/16 at 21:30:25

How do you tube-gurus store your tubes, especially you tube-roller types that need to be able to get to a certain tube quickly. Do you have them in their little cartons or are they foot loose and fancy free?

Worse, do you keep a spreadsheet of what you have?

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Robem on 12/22/16 at 01:34:35

I use a silver colored metal camera case that I came across at a yard sale. It hadn't been used so the foam inserts were still completely intact so I was able to configure the foam for tubes. I can't remember exactly how much it cost but it wasn't much. There is something similar but smaller sold for more money called the TubeCube but I'm sure you could find something like the camera case on eBay for less money.

Added: A search of the bay for "diced foam" should return a few good value options. ;)

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Matchstikman on 12/22/16 at 02:15:26

Robem, thanks for that.

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Lon on 12/22/16 at 02:49:29

I keep my signal tubes in a wooden box I got with honey and candles from Hawaii. I keep my rectifier and regulator tubes in a metal tin I got with mixed nuts from Sunnyland Farms (those are da bomb!) And I keep my power tubes in their boxes in an old wooden cabinet that my wife bought to hold a to of her stuff and she graciously allowed me about a square foot for that purpose.

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Lonely Raven on 12/23/16 at 04:51:26

Palomino has this cool little tray on his desk that he keeps his tubes in when he's tube rolling. I think it's plastic and he basically uses it to keep them from rolling around all over. I like it and might make something like it out of a pretty hardwood. It's not storage, but just thought I'd mention it...I used to have photos of it in my gallery, but maybe he'll post a pic.

I know Steve had a few preamp tube cases made out of hardwood. I think he was planning on making them for sale, but it never panned out for some reason or another.

I keep all my tubes in the boxes, or generic white boxes, and I keep them in big plastic bins I get from Menards. Since I have a tiny spare room I'm thinking about setting up with my little 3 watt Zen amp and LOTS of diffusers, I've been considering building a wall hanging cabinet for the tubes (in boxes) so they are easier to find. I don't tube roll that often, I tend to stick with what I like as it's rare that one tube over another makes me go WOW...they all sound pretty similar (at least in my gear). So the wall hanging cabinet is more for show than anything else...I suppose any nick-nack cabinet would work for what I'm thinking of. (shrug).

If someone has a prize set of tubes, or a few sets, and wants a display case of some sort, that's something I can make in my woodshop. I'm getting back into the garage shop this winter since I'm building so many diffusers and cabinets and stuff. I occasionally do side projects for a little extra cash to help fund my hobbies. LOL

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Syd on 12/23/16 at 11:52:13

I have two of these

which I claimed whilst on a store refurb 30 yrs ago
I have a lot of signal tubes in one and 4 or 5 rectifiers in the other.
I knew they`d come in handy :)

Little square stickers on the tubes, numbered, and entered onto some loose pages for easy recognition.

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by SMB1968 on 12/23/16 at 14:46:51

I have a 4-drawer office filing cabinet (the larger size) in my listening room for tube storage. I picked it up for next to nothing at the Habitat for Humanity store and it works great -- keeps them out of the way and nice and safe. I organize by type: Top drawer 6922s, 2nd drawer 12A_7 types, 3rd drawer power tubes, 4th one regulators and rectifiers. If you do it neatly you can store a heck of a lot of tubes in one of those things w/ a pretty small footprint. Out of curiosity I just counted what's in the 6922 drawer and there are 110 tubes in there with room to spare.
Scott

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by riknbkr330 on 12/24/16 at 00:10:37

"Yellow Submarine" lunchbox.

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Lonely Raven on 12/24/16 at 16:27:56

Quote:

Scott, that's a great idea, I really like it. I'd make nice dividers or trays or something. You've got my gears turning. LOL

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Matchstikman on 01/06/17 at 14:12:30

I saw this thing on Amazon.

It may work.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016LK9U9Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A106OV2NHLTD48

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Palomino on 01/06/17 at 17:27:20

See the recent CDApS thread for pics of how I store tubes. For the most part, I like them where I can put my hands on them.

For input tubes, I have about 4-5 sets on a plastic staircase from a Barbie dollhouse my daughter no longer uses.

For input tubes that I no longer rotate in much plus power tubes and rectifiers, I took a tip from Steve and press them into block of foam. Works best with the input tubes, but looks nice with the others.

See Raven's pics on that thread.

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Steve Deckert on 01/08/17 at 19:31:13

I have prototyped a few tube boxes that firmly hold your signal tubes in place with sockets, and a hinged lid. Works great, but so far the cost per box is well over $150 each and they hold 8 tubes.

When I show the boxes to audiophiles and ask what they would guess it costs, the average figure is below $50. That comes from a lack of understanding about what hand made things cost, a lack or understanding how complicated it is to create the tube sockets imbedded in the wood, and from reference to similar sized wood boxes that you see all over the web, from china.

Knowing the cost will be higher than people think it should be, and knowing that a box this quality can only be built by a seriously good woodworker means I may have either slow sales and no return on investment, or get stuck waiting for inventory to fill orders for potentially long periods of time and neither is a very powerful motivator for driving the development. This is the reason why even though I drew this design on my cad over 8 years ago, nothing has happened with it beyond the prototype stages.

I'm still working on making it happen. Just two weeks ago I designed a new socket system that might be a cost effective alternative to what you see in the picture, which is real tube sockets.

Frankly I can tell you it's frustrating to have good ideas get stalled out like this because you know it would be an entirely different story if it were mass produced.

If I get this particular box perfected to my liking which means able to be built in a reasonable amount of time, I don't see it ever dropping much below $150, so I would like to offer a usable alternative at the same time that is less expensive and have been working on ideas for that as well.

Something like this I could probably sell for closer to $75 making them one at a time, which is the only way I can do it. This would however be an item that could drop in price if more than one were ordered at the same time since much of the cost is setting up the laser and then cleaning it when everything is done.

This model features seven 9 pin sockets, but the sockets have 10 pins allowing you to rotate the tube so that the labels face forward making them easier to see. Of course the tubes in the picture have no branding or labels, but this is a picture for this forum post, not a web page :)

Steve

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Lonely Raven on 01/08/17 at 22:05:13

I really like the looks of that Steve. Great idea putting the laser to use like that!

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by beowulf on 01/08/17 at 22:21:32

I think something like this would be really cool.

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Lonely Raven on 01/09/17 at 02:26:32

I've thought about getting something like that. At Axpona a couple years back, I thought I saw the Zu Audio guys had a tube case like that.

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by davedutill on 01/11/17 at 03:58:31

Vintage tube Caddy (s). Great storage and cool retro factor.

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by anzaanimal on 05/23/19 at 00:35:05

Does humidity effect the ageing of tubes?

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Archie on 05/23/19 at 01:06:23

There's a vacuum inside so I'd say, no. However, the metal pins can corrode.

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Showme on 05/29/19 at 17:33:16

Freezer---it's vitally important to protect the cryo treatment!!!

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Rivieraranch on 05/30/19 at 11:43:17

Inexpensive boxes From IKEA.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/G95ckBxQ253vJDtU9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wRkdgSwUhWMgcxPj6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LXpppjm5x1Zndk9q8

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by Lonely Raven on 03/11/20 at 22:35:31

I just picked up two of these Alex units from Ikea in this nice Blue. I'm going to put a cutting board top on them and it will be my workbench in my computer room/office at the new house.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/alex-drawer-unit-on-casters-blue-40410439/

I know Steve has one of these, and used the laser to cut out dense foam inserts to hold his tubes. I have a laser now too(!) so I'm going to replicate that setup, and maybe post a few for sale. I'm just waiting for the weather to be a little warmer here as a water cooled laser and sub-zero temps don't mix well. ;D

Title: Re: Storing tubes..
Post by CAJames on 07/02/20 at 05:26:07

Store tubes like a pro: I got an old RCA tube caddy on ebay. What the TV repairmen used if you are old enough to remember that. But I've got a lot of tubes.