Organizing spare parts

[MrBuick]

Hey guys...I'm starting to acquire quite a few spare parts, and am starting to run out of room in my little plastic tackle box...looking to steal some ideas on how you store/sort your spare parts. 

[keyser]

I use these. Tons of sizes, I use for parts, tools, paints, project bits. 

Purchased over ages but all pretty cheaply. Target, WM, etc. 

can use in garage too for hardware bits, etc. 

Depending on what's in there, I label where I can, group common stuff. Tires usually get sorted, and bagged by type, then into drawers in roll around stuff. I keep Dremel, goggles, sand papers (each grit in a Manila folder labeled, decals, etc. 

Sorry for quick and dirty pics from phone. I threw needle nose pliers in for scale ref, I couldn't find tape measure fast enough. 

Edited April 23, 2016 by keyser

[KeithJackson]

You can use hardware organizers like they have for screws, etc.  They come with different size drawers so various stuff can be stored.

 

[drsnapper55]

Yeah, x2 on Christian's first two pics and recommendation above.  I like them because everything is really visible for the most part.  The trade off though is that kind of plastic can be a little brittle.  Home Depot sells them too, but you might find them cheaper at say Harbor Freight.  If you have an area available for pegboard, lots of options there too for hanging boxes, tool brackets, etc.

[Lizard Racing]

I use snack size bags to hold sets of parts within a category, such as a set of wheels, parts off the same engine or a roll cage.

These can go into bins for engine parts, tires, wheels, etc.

[Skip]

I use the flip open jewelry parts storage boxes at Hobby Lobby they're about 18 X 12 X 2" with 2 X 2"  compartments for the parts. It's usually the small stuff that gets lost anyway.  I usually store larger stuff in the stacking plastic drawer modules purchased at most big box stores.  Most of my tools are either stored in a small three drawer toolbox or hanging off magnetic tool holder strips.  After market parts resin, photo etch are kept in their original package until used and are stored file box fashion in plastic Stero Shoeboxes.  I use the same shoeboxes to keep in work kits, parts and needed items together during the build process.  

Pays to be organized, I've done it both ways where all the extra parts got thrown in a common container mixed about so anytime a part was needed it got dug for which ruins chrome quickly.  I like the organized system much better, I store all like parts together when I need an axle, I open the bin they're in and choose the one that works.  Same thing for any other parts.  Beats digging!

[Belugawrx]

Got it almost filled....

[Xingu]

Got it almost filled....

Dang it Bruce, I would love to find an old cabinet like that.

[crazyjim]

ZIp lock bags in a variety of sizes.  Hobby Lobby also caries small plastic bags.  Lunch meat containers. 2 liter pop bottles with the top portion cut off.  Store the bottom portions in the plastic containers they ship in.  Containers pictured by Christian.

[Drake69]

Military Surplus outlets often have cleaned up (or sometimes NOT clean! Eww....) office equipment like file cabinets, desks, bookcases, safes, shelving, school desks, notary stations (document tables), lamp lighting, post office centers, tool racks, mapping or plotter desks, and other reclaimed furniture for cheap that work wonders for hobbying needs.

Always a great place to find good workstation furniture there.

Edited April 23, 2016 by Drake69

[High octane]

While I have a couple multi-bin/drawer cases like shown in the first photo above, I also have ten shoe boxes full of parts as well. Two of the shoe boxes contain just aftermarket parts. I know that I could sort out the parts in the shoe boxes, but I'm really quite busy to become that well organized and I have a pretty good idea of what's in those shoe boxes.

[62rebel]

Harbor Freight has some flat "tackle boxes" that are nice, come with different colored handles so you can "color code" your spares, and they stack safely without fear of falling over. I also have several small boxes I saved from when I worked for VW to store bagged tires in, and one of those drawer units I've had for probably thirty years, with wheels in it. What I NEED to do is finish the dozen's of nearly-builts and put THOSE spare parts in boxes... I'll be needing several more flat tackle boxes for that

[Lordmodelbuilder]

I have always kept my spare parts in parts bins. I have had the one that is on the right side of this picture since the 70's & just recently found another

that is very similar. I also have begun to put a bunch of models into zip-lock baggies if they are missing their original boxes.

The other picture shows the custom wood cabinet my dad built for me in 1969. It has mostly bigger parts & tires in it now.

Bruce, I love that old cabinet. What are it's dimensions?

[Belugawrx]

That one is approx. 30"W X 30"H and only 6" to 12" deep,

Here's a shot "In Use" 

Still got about 20 unused drawers left !

[MrBuick]

Awesome, lots of good ideas. In the interest of not spending a ton of cash on plastic bins, I think I'm gonna get some plastic baggies and just keep parts in old kit boxes until I find some other things on sale or at garage sales, etc. 

[bismarck]

Dang it Bruce, I would love to find an old cabinet like that.

X2!!! Wow. I would love to find a cabinet like that to restore. I kinda like to restore old furniture as a hobby, and that piece is REALLY nice!!! 

[KeithJackson]

I probably ought to stop reading this thread.  Otherwise, I might start thinking that I need to buy more kits so that I can have extra parts to organize.

 

[crazyjim]

Baby food containers are excellent for storing wheel/tire sets.

[keyser]

Awesome, lots of good ideas. In the interest of not spending a ton of cash on plastic bins, I think I'm gonna get some plastic baggies and just keep parts in old kit boxes until I find some other things on sale or at garage sales, etc. 

Harbor freight stuff is well under $10. The bins with handles are nice if you need to disassemble your work area. I still use kit boxes and resin boxes too, but they get far bulkier than the bins. I also hate hunting through boxes to find something, so use labeling if you can't see what's in a container. 

I like the vintage chest. Every time I find one I like, it doesn't fit well. Cool piece. 

[dshue76]

I just started using plastic bins with drawers. But for years I have always just used empty kit boxes for most parts and a bigger cardboard box for the body, interior tub and chassis plate cemetery. Wheels in one box tied together in sets, tires in another tied in sets. Stock engines in one box, performance engines in another, misc engine parts in another box, transmissions in another box. Interior parts in their own box. body parts such as hoods, spoilers, bumpers light bezels etc in their own box. Clear parts in their own box and decals in their own box. There were more like the tire box, after a while it would get so full that I would have to segregate them into specific categories. At one time I had a box full of the Good Year Polyglass. They were too skinny for me but I always kept them... I always knew what box to grab even without labels.

These days though space is limited and the bins just look a little neater.

[Belugawrx]

That cabinet was apart of our hardware store, Coy Bros., in downtown St. Catharines. Est. 1850.

It was the # Drill cabinet, as well as the tapered drill / square mortise bit for drill press cabinet,...

back when I was 14, after cleaning all the windows in the place, I had to restock these cabinets,....

Love having this as a remembrance,....and, I can fit so much Carp in it,...

[1930fordpickup]

Bruce that cabinet is awesome. Being that it is from the family hardware makes it priceless. 

 

Edited April 24, 2016 by 1930fordpickup

[1930fordpickup]

I use the small drawer cabinets that have two different sizes and one that has all larger drawers. if the item overgrows the drawer they go in a slider Ziplock style and then put in a larger plastic tub. 

[gtx6970]

I use these. Tons of sizes, I use for parts, tools, paints, project bits. 

Purchased over ages but all pretty cheaply. Target, WM, etc. 

can use in garage too for hardware bits, etc. 

Depending on what's in there, I label where I can, group common stuff. Tires usually get sorted, and bagged by type, then into drawers in roll around stuff. I keep Dremel, goggles, sand papers (each grit in a Manila folder labeled, decals, etc. 

Sorry for quick and dirty pics from phone. I threw needle nose pliers in for scale ref, I couldn't find tape measure fast enough. 

I use pretty much these exact same bin boxes. Picked them up at Home Depot. I had bought one from Harbor Freight and it kept breaking the handles off the drawers,,so it went in the trash can and I went back to the ones from  Home Depot.

Also, the back wall of my work bench is 2.5 ft tall and 6 ft long pegboard with those moveable metal pegs and I have all kinds of little baggies , trinkets and even a few bare model bodies hanging off the pegs. Makes it super easy to find things at a glance.

I also use it for hanging exhaust systems that are to long to fit in the bin boxes.

[mikemodeler]

All of the above and I am still not organized! I should really stop all building and get everything labeled and orderly so I can actually get more done!

 

Great ideas from all and I think I have some shopping in my future. I do remember Big Lots having a nice selection of plastic totes and containers, will have to check them out.

Edited April 25, 2016 by mikemodeler