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9:17 pm
December 12, 2010
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Where do you keep all those left over pieces of metal 2", 8" or 2' long? I've got most of mine in a couple of 5 gal buckets. As my memory fades, I have to go scrounging around the buckets each time to see if I maybe have what I need. Is there a better way? I guess I could organize the buckets so I have a small stuff bucket, and a long stuff one. Why is the piece I need always at the bottom. Some kind of black magic.
10:27 pm
May 13, 2010
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I feel for you. I have put in a horizontal rack that has a bunch of smaller compartments. This allows me to see the ends and shorter pieces are not going to end up buried in the bottom. I have also forced myself to be a LITTLE better about scrapping short bits. Unless they are heavy sections or tool steels, steel is pretty cheap and is the most recycled material in the world.
2:58 pm
January 18, 2011
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I'm a 5 gal bucket man myself and I usually never see what I need on top so on the floor it goes to find what I need......Pain in butt......If I could get a round tuit I'd saw up maybe 6-8 pcs of 6'' round or sq tube/pipe weld em together and maybe ad that to the catch all under the layout table for easy access...............................Ad
- [Image Can Not Be Found]
A Round Tuit ~ Magnet$3.35
Zazzle
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
— Dr. Seuss
3:09 pm
August 14, 2010
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The piece you need is always on the bottom because you're looking for the shortest piece that will do the job, so down to the bottom it fell.
I try not to save anything that doesn't stick out of the bucket (unless, as stated, it's particularly heavy or special) but I do find myself looking in the scrap buckets for that perfect piece occasionally. I don't think there's a cure: it's a sort of time/value proposition, you either spend time looking through all the junk or you spend money to get the piece you need. The precise balance is up to you.
1:18 pm
NWBA Member
March 22, 2011
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You may have just inspired me Bruce. Thanks!
Hopefully more to come soon...
as always
peace and love
billyO
5:21 pm
NWBA Member
April 19, 2010
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Ouch-a sore spot. I was just griping the other day that I had to empty a couple of five gallon buckets to get "the shortest piece to do the job"! I want PICTURES of the solution. I need a rack for the short stuff too!!!
10:23 pm
May 13, 2010
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[Image Can Not Be Found]
[Image Can Not Be Found] First picture is my short mild steel rack. Second is the tool steel rack although I have a slot in my big vertical rack for 4140 and another for for 1045 long lengths. Most mild steel under about 6" I scrap except for some short wider flats, they go into a small pail to be used for shims in the press etc. I will use them for welding up jigs if they are long enough but they are mostly for use as shims.
12:05 am
December 12, 2010
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Thanks for the pictures. I like those compartments and will make a similar container.
1:30 am
NWBA Member
July 9, 2010
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I store drops shorter than a bucket on shelves. The end of the shop seems to collect a lot of "useful" bits.
My son is the Blacksmith
3:44 am
January 18, 2011
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billyO;14437 wrote: You may have just inspired me Bruce. Thanks!
I doubt if it was me, you must have bought a ''round tuit''....:balanced:
The welded tubes would work stood up or flat on the deck.........
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
— Dr. Seuss
5:41 am
NWBA Member
June 8, 2010
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J Wilson;14447 wrote: I store drops shorter than a bucket on shelves. The end of the shop seems to collect a lot of "useful" bits.
That looks just like the same mess that I have... What to do???:unsure:
2:50 pm
January 18, 2011
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Lynn Gledhill;14451 wrote: That looks just like the same mess that I have... What to do???:unsure:
I know it hurts but at some point there's always the scrap yard.......
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
— Dr. Seuss
8:26 pm
NWBA Member
March 22, 2011
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Here ya go...I told ya you inspired me Bruce. I almost got a round tuit, but due to any combination of: my haste, inexperience, lack of adequate hammer control, I popped the tenon at the end of the 2 as I was finalizing the shape. :banghead:
I don't know if I'll try again to get around tuit, becuase it took me way too long to almost get around to it this time.
as always
peace and love
billyO
12:29 am
August 14, 2010
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Well, you've inspired me. I moved all of the buckets of scrap outside the back door. I've almost got around to taking them to the scrapyard. 😉
1:23 am
January 18, 2011
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.......Got around to making a round Tuit!!! You know what this means don't you, you can never procrastinate again, EVER....lol....you poor bastard. :spin:
This thread has inspired me too so I built an organizer for my short bits. Possibly the uglyist thing I've ever made but it works.....
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
— Dr. Seuss
3:03 am
NWBA Member
August 7, 2010
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Good Morning,
It looks wonderful, like your hair when you get up in the morning (lol). That's it, add coffee!!!:)
Neil
As long as we are above our shoes, We know where we are.:happy:
5:22 am
March 21, 2011
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Bruce Macmillan;14531 wrote: ......Possibly the uglyist thing I've ever made but it works.....
I see beauty in utility and that is a beautiful piece of work.
I keep mine in a couple of wooden crates - each a bit bigger than an apple box and much sturdier. One for mild steel, one for carbon steel. I don't have that much of either.
7:59 am
NWBA Member
August 1, 2010
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I think Bruce's rather handsome storage bin might be better, but the idea is below.
(Bruce's idea creates ORDER, and ORDER is a beautiful thing..)
Idea: Take a section of PVC pipe or some similar cheap thing, and cut it in half. Lay the halfs on shelf brackets open to the top. (Uh, sort of like rain gutters.)
Now, short pieces can be laid into these, er, gutters from shortest to least short. So when you want a 4" piece, if the left end is 2" and the right end is 6", what you want is likely somewhere near the middle. And you can see them all at a once. And need not dig to the bottom of the bucket.
I have not tried this, only thought of it while reading this thread.
And of course, these "gutters" will collect dust, oil and so forth, and if plastic will need to be out of reach of sparks.
SECOND THOUGHT - a longish narrow bit of corrugated metal - so you naturally get several rows for various bits to live in.
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