Storage & Organizing Ideas

[Bcone1381]

On Thursday the Garage door will be installed then my workshop will be ready for the move in. I am about ready to make a trip to the big box lumber store for peg board and shelving materials. My storage goals is minimize floor space used for storage. So shelves built into the wall are nice, as opposed to a set of shelving that rests on the floor and takes up valuable floor sq ft. and always is a obstacle when sweeping.

The wings I will probably hang from the walls using strips of carpet. On the small side of things, I like using 9x12" organizer boxes for my hardware. One box for each size of bolt, one for nuts, one for washers.

What do you guys do? How do you organize stuff, from the big stuff like a wing, to the small like a cotter pin collection?

[Chris In Milwaukee]

We’re regular consumers of Land o’ Lakes butter, and they have perfectly-sized small rectangular tubs for storing small hardware. All of my rivet collection is sorted and neatly marked and stacked in them.

I’d certainly like to eventually invest in those small cabinets with clear plastic drawers. Or maybe one that holds closable divided boxes like those from Plano or similar.

[johnb]

Last week, I was given a big bag of Velveeta cheese boxes for shop storage. Good sturdy small containers.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

That’s a long term option, though. . You probably don’t want to hurry through 20-something pounds of butter for your first collection!

[geraldmorrissey]

I use cheap stackable Tupperware tubs for cleco's and small clamps. Make use of space under your work bench. Be careful what you put overhead. Don't put anything up there that will fall and damage flight hardware. Once the main spar gets riveted together you got a storage problem. It's long, skinny, fragile and not easy to move around without damage. I've got a 20 x 24 shop and the spars dominate the place. Wing assembly plus tools will fill the place. Rivets and hardware I put into storage bins with individual pockets with spring loaded lids. This is the way Boeing does it and it's worked for me. Air hoses are a pain, roll them up and hang them from dog collars hooked to the wall. Make use of every bit of volume. Mostly, never use flight hardware as a tool box or a storage container.
Merry Christmas
Gerry
Patrol #30 wings

[Bdflies]

Because I work on things other than airplanes, I have a shop full of fasteners and fittings of all sorts. I've dedicated a cabinet exclusively to AN/MS hardware. When asked to help discard a rotary file cabinet, from my wife's office, I decided that my aircraft hardware found a new home. Pictures attached. I'm really anal about organization. Drives me crazy if I have to spend 15 minutes searching for a bolt...

Bill

[Bcone1381]

I have been using storage boxes like you have in photo 5. The ones you have in photo 4 are superior for spill containment especially for rivets with the individual tops on each one.

Sure is nice to have some heat! I think we are going on 8 days with daily high temps never reaching 20 degrees. The state record is 11 days. I wonder if Lake Michigan will freeze over this year.

[Bdflies]

Global Warming.

[Chewie]

These little cabinets are really nice. They open smoothly and the frame comes with dividers.

https://akro-mils.com/Products/Types/Portable-Small-Parts-Storage/Plastic-Cabinets