Parts/Findings Storage

[James D. Farrow]

Hi!

Hope this is the right place to put this.

What do you use to store your parts/findings? Clasps, jump rings, chains, etc...
Even finished cabochons.

I have been looking at those parts organizer cabinets (16 drawer, 20 drawer, ...) at Amazon but most
of them the drawers are on the small side. Not sure they will work.

Any suggestions? Ideas?

Thanks,

James

[slabbercabber]

Cabs and findings in a machinist top chest.  Small slabs in a library card file.  Large slabs in parts cabinets.

[Michael S Hoover - Redrummd]

You guys have it all wrong!  The very best way is to buy the biggest pill organizer you can.  I got one that holds pills for taking 4 times a day. 

I use one side, 14 holes for the gold parts and one side with 14 holes for the sterling silver.

You have 28 holes for parts and when you have it on your workspace you have your ENTIRE supply right next to you.

Simple - Cheap and VERY Effective.

[rocks2dust]

I also find most drawers hard to use (tiny things get stuck in the corners and my fingers have trouble getting them out). I've used both the plastic snap-top cases you find in the sporting goods section of discount stores, and old empty gem jars. You can find similar for storing beads and findings at craft stores and online at places like Nile. I do use stackable trays with sectioned felt inserts for finished cabs, etc. (I have those I collect for myself in drawers and glass top tray cases). Unpolished slabs go in drawers or stackable trays. For polished slabs, I'm using desktop letter/stationery racks that I pick up at clearance sales at office supply shops.

[James D. Farrow]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I do like to be organized. For to many years I just piled stuff up.
Was cleaning out my spare room to make place for my Ameritool and found stuff I don't even remember
buying. LOL!

One good thing I found was a full face/neck acrylic shield. Looks like a welders helmet. Can definitely use that.

Anyway, want to have everything sorted and in some kind of order so keep the suggestions coming.

James

[jakesrocks]

I use embroidery floss storage boxes. They're cheap, can be found anywhere you can buy sewing supplies, and are made to be stacked. http://www.consumercrafts.com/store/details/catalog/storage-sewing-and-yarn-organizers/10674

As for getting things out of the corners, a pair of plastic tweezers works good, and won't scratch your metal parts.

[fetaby]

I use plastic craft boxes similar to what has been mentioned, but I store them in a mail sorting cabinet.  Each cabinet can hold 24 craft boxes so I have plenty of room for small stuff.  I use address labels on the ends of the boxes to easily remember what is where. 

I also use the wooden jewelry trays sold at Nile.  They have them on sale most of the time and the 2" deep tray can hold quite a bit.

Lastly I use tiny plastic containers found at the local dollar store.  They're sold ten in a pack, and each container will hold approximately 100 grams of seed beads. 

[James D. Farrow]

I ended up getting these:

Sterilite 17918004 3-Drawer Clear View Unit with White Frame and See-Through Drawers, 4-Pack

at Amazon. They are 13-1/2-by-10-7/8-by-9-5/8-Inch

They were just right. 8" discs for the grinder/polisher fit good. Saw blades, etc...
Plus all the small bits and pieces. Labelled all the drawers on the front.

James

[Debbie K]

I have not yet found the perfect way to store anything. I keep working on it. One thing that I found that if it's out of sight, not only is it out of mind, I may not ever find it again.

I have found that with tools in particular such as bits, drills and mounted grinding stones, if I can't see them I can't find them. I went to a local craft store and got small clear plexiglass boxes, the largest being about 4" x 4" x 2", and put the thick foam stuff in the bottoms and poked holes in them with the bits or drills and put like things together in different boxes. I stack them up, but I can still see what's in them. Some things, like hart burs which I bought in a set, came in their own little wooden boxes and I leave them in them, because I can remember what they look like.

I've been using plastic boxes and bags for gemstones, but the bags are less than ideal. I know that they are able to scratch each other as they are the same hardness and I need to break down and buy lots of the padded boxes. A friend of mine got one of those plastic photo holders with the velcro closer on the outside and used it to store cabochons he had made. He put double backed tape on the cabs and mounted them to cardstock. It had the added benefit of being able to be placed in a bookcase.

I sort my rough rocks by color; it just works better for me. The only exceptions are jade and patterned jasper, I have so much of each I just group them together in two sections.

I try to sort things out by discipline: gemstone identification, metal fabrication, carving, rocks, gemstones, rock grinding, enameling and casting. Each discipline has it's area so at least I know where to look. I couldn't find something yesterday that I hadn't seen for 5 months or so and thought about it logically and found it in it's "area".

I went through an organizational frenzy about 3 months ago and I still can't find things. I have to look at it as a blessing; I have too many toys!

Debbie K

[James D. Farrow]

For my rough rocks I got:

Reditainer Extreme Freeze Deli Food Containers with Lids, 32-Ounce, 24-Pack

also at Amazon.

The rocks are approximately 1" cubed and the containers hold almost 3 pounds each.

James