Workshop Storage Question

[haasmarc]

I have lots of Evergreen styrene shapes and sizes.  I have a Flambeau plastic storage box that is just wide enough to fit them, still in the bags, and it has 4 sections so I can separate the different shapes.  This has worked well for years.

Well, my issue is that my styrene "collection" has now outgrown the plastic storage box and Flambeau no longer makes the size box I have so I can't just go and buy another one.  I am looking at other ways to store the styrene.  I can build a wooden box and this is probably what I will do unless someone has found a good pre-made solution.

How do you store your styrene? 

[MK]

Hang them on a peg board by the bag.

[CRL]

Build models faster. 

[wazzou]

Like this...

[haasmarc]

@MK - I don't have any room for pegboard and I keep them in a cabinet so I don't think that will work for me.

@wazzou - Yeah that is kinda what I was thinking of building if I need to.  So many train projects to work on, trying to keep the non-train projects to a minimum.  I just finished a new paint rack a month ago.

[Hatchet]

I went low tech. Went to my local wine store and got a box on check out. Stored my plastic stock in the sections, so I have room for twelve separate sections. Scored storage and wine in 9ne trip!

Mark

[pedro]

I don’t have one, but at some point I think I will get a “lumber store” storage rack from Fast Tracks (Mt. Albert Scale Lumber)
Could be used for either scale wood strips or styrene.

https://www.handlaidtrack.com/ls-rack

[Steveruger45]

I store my strips/shapes vertically in several off cuts of plastic plumbing pipe all glued side by side with a lower row at front For shorter pieces and a taller row at back For uncut pieces and the whole caboodle glued on an off cut of 1/2” plywood about 5” wide by 16” long.  For sheets I just put them in a drawer but I was thinking of recycling and old LP record rack for those.

[haasmarc]

I store my strips/shapes vertically in several off cuts of plastic plumbing pipe all glued side by side with a lower row at front For shorter pieces and a taller row at back For uncut pieces and the whole caboodle glued on an off cut of 1/2” plywood about 5” wide by 16” long.  For sheets I just put them in a drawer but I was thinking of recycling and old LP record rack for those.

How long does it take you to find the size strip you need?

I keep most of the pieces in the bags it comes in so I know what sizes they are.  If I used some for a project that is no longer needed and I am recycling the styrene, then I put it in bags based on thickness only, since most of the time it is some piece of a sheet and not a strip piece.

[haasmarc]

I don’t have one, but at some point I think I will get a “lumber store” storage rack from Fast Tracks (Mt. Albert Scale Lumber)
Could be used for either scale wood strips or styrene.

https://www.handlaidtrack.com/ls-rack

Wow!  Storing it that way takes up a lot of room and again, how hard is it to find the size you need?  I just pull out the bags and flip through them to find the size I need.

[Steveruger45]

How long does it take you to find the size strip you need?

I keep most of the pieces in the bags it comes in so I know what sizes they are.  If I used some for a project that is no longer needed and I am recycling the styrene, then I put it in bags based on thickness only, since most of the time it is some piece of a sheet and not a strip piece.

About 3 seconds.  Which was the whole point of making this simple holding arrangement made from stuff I Just had lying around in the “might be useful someday corner” of the workshop.
It cost me nothing but time to make and saved a lot of frustration and time looking for stuff I thought I had or wasn’t sure I had too.  Win win.

Each pipe has a different strip/shape in it. The back row are usually still in their bags albeit opened and cut pieces of the same shape are in the shorter front row of pipes. I haven’t found the need to label the storage pipes but you could.  The thing I liked about this was not just it was no dollars bit is easy to make and size it to fit my available space.

[mmagliaro]

I bought a whole bunch of 1" and 1/2" clear plastic tubes from (... um... U-Line? can't remember) and a bunch of red rubber end caps to match.  I cut the tubing apart into 14" sections (Evergreen styrene strips are not 12" long), put the end caps on, and use one of those P-touch label makers to make a label for the end of the tube (something like ".010 x .050").  Every single size of styrene I have goes in its own tube.
I bought two cheap plastic milk crates and I can put 3 or 4 of the 1/2" plastic tubes into each hole, horizontally.  The bigger 1" plastic tubes are for big stuff like large brass strip and other stock I have besides styrene.  The two milk crates stack one on top of the other, so only takes up a floor footprint about 1 foot square.  As for how long it takes to find a particular size, just a few seconds.  The tubes are sorted by size, so I just look at the labels on the ends of the tubes, pull out the tube I need, and I have what I need.  I do not keep the packages.  I remove the styrene from the package and put it into a tube.

I like having horizontal clear tubes, as opposed to vertical, because when pieces get short, they are still easy to see and find in a given tube.

The only drawback to this system is that you need a LOT of tubes.  I have dozens of sizes of styrene strips and shapes, and buying enough of those clear tubes and caps gets a little expensive.  I suppose I could have used 1/2" and 1" PVC water pipe, but I like the transparent tubing.

[Cajonpassfan]

You guys are way too organized...
Here’s my method, I have several of these, by type. Aberfeldy, Balvenie, Creag Isle, Dalmore, Edradour...
Seriously, I‘m a bit of a packaging nut and just hate to throw out attractive containers. I store things in hard candy boxes, coffee wafer and cookie cans, even Hungarian paprika containers with the lids off... I’ve been known to purchase an item just for its container...like the Aberfeldy fo instance...
Otto K.

[Steveruger45]

I love it Otto. 
my dear old dad saved /collected empty 2oz tins of pipe tobacco (anyone remember those). He put small screws and nuts in them, one size per tin and all labeled and stacked on a shelf in ascending order by diameter across the shelf and by length, stacked vertically. He used to model scratch built RC boats and collect/repair clocks and watches.
He could find anything he wanted in his workshop/shed in seconds, but find the car keys or his eyeglasses in the house was a whole other matter completely.

[MK]

I bought a whole bunch of 1" and 1/2" clear plastic tubes from (... um... U-Line? can't remember) and a bunch of red rubber end caps to match.  I cut the tubing apart into 14" sections (Evergreen styrene strips are not 12" long), put the end caps on, and use one of those P-touch label makers to make a label for the end of the tube (something like ".010 x .050").  Every single size of styrene I have goes in its own tube.
I bought two cheap plastic milk crates and I can put 3 or 4 of the 1/2" plastic tubes into each hole, horizontally.  The bigger 1" plastic tubes are for big stuff like large brass strip and other stock I have besides styrene.  The two milk crates stack one on top of the other, so only takes up a floor footprint about 1 foot square.  As for how long it takes to find a particular size, just a few seconds.  The tubes are sorted by size, so I just look at the labels on the ends of the tubes, pull out the tube I need, and I have what I need.  I do not keep the packages.  I remove the styrene from the package and put it into a tube.

I like having horizontal clear tubes, as opposed to vertical, because when pieces get short, they are still easy to see and find in a given tube.

The only drawback to this system is that you need a LOT of tubes.  I have dozens of sizes of styrene strips and shapes, and buying enough of those clear tubes and caps gets a little expensive.  I suppose I could have used 1/2" and 1" PVC water pipe, but I like the transparent tubing.

I don't know if this is cheaper or it may be too big in diameter but you can buy 8 ft clear florescent tube protectors at HD for $5.50 an 8 ft. section.  You can easily cut them with a fine tooth saw and glue them together.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-8-ft-Fluorescent-Tube-Protector-TGT12CL8-R24/100173242