Tube Storage?

[ben8ding]

Hello!

As I've started to roll tubes I've noticed that storing tubes is a bit of a challenge. I know vendors usually try and ship the tubes in a box but some of the tubes that came with my amp along with some EBay vendors seem to just toss it in foam or bubble wrap and send it like that.

What solutions do you guys use to store your tubes? Pictures would be great?

I think once I get into the pricey NOS tubes I'll probably grab a Pelican style case from Harbor Freight with pick and pluck foam and store them like that.

 

[Designsfx]

The pelican case sounds like a cool idea! Have you seen the old time vintage tube cases that techs and salesmen used to carry around? Might be worth checking out.
Personally I‘m considering having a table top plate/stand machined so that I can have them out and ready for use. I don’t have a “collection“ at all- won’t even consider starting that with the prices these days but it would be nice to have something to have at the ready as well as a place to set them after pulling them when they’re hot!

 

[ben8ding]

I had to look up those tube caddies and wow those are really cool, I could totally see my grandpa carrying one of those to work on his old radios.

 

[tomb]

Tube boxes are the very best to store and ship tubes. That's what they're made for. A good tip (no pun intended) is to put a tube in the box pins first, then break a piece of foam packing nuts in half, and insert that onto to the tube tip in the box before closing it. The foam nut will cushion the top of the tube against the box top, keeping it from breaking by not letting the tube shift around in the box. Tubes are not the same as incandescent light bulbs, but the tips are the most fragile part and can break off easily if hit just right.

The Harbor Freight Pelican-clones are OK for some things, but I wouldn't use them for tubes. The foam is way, way too soft. I've had amps damaged in those boxes because the foam allowed the amp to shift enough to get a hard enough hit on the volume knob that it shattered the volume pot on the inside of the amp. Stay away from those Harbor Freight things if you're moving glass.

By the way, The Tube Depot sells tube boxes in singles or in volume. I've bought several hundreds from them over the years:
https://www.tubedepot.com/t/other-stuff/tube-boxes

 

[AnyDave]

Yeah, I just buy white boxes for tubes that need them. Then I store them in plastic bins to protect them. I do keep some in small pelican cases, but the white boxes work just fine as long as you're not throwing them around.