I'm always looking for new ways to organize all the "stuff" that keeps taking over my work desk... as well as every other surface in my home.
I bet each one of us has one or two really cool ways of storing things... so I invite everyone to share their favorites.
Extra points for things which are really cheap or free.

I'll start with my favorite: the clear plastic trays that fresh mushrooms come packaged in.
They're perfect for pens, small tools, cork rings, reel seats.. etc.
They also work great for organizing desk drawers.

I hope this starts a long list of shared ideas.

Hello David

I use the parts cabinets you buy from Lowe's it's 80 compartments I put all kinds of stuff; decals, guides, little tie wraps, Testor Paints, ETC ETC...


tight wraps!

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Lately as I've cut back a bit, I've dropped down to Plano type boxes that can be stacked and arranged in a 4-up type plastic stand. This allows me to take a whole box out and carry it to any shop table where I need it. These seem to be available at most woodworking stores.

..................

Empty cigar boxes are great. They also look nice and fun to empty.
AP

X2 on the Plano type boxes

Plano 1354 Molding 4-BY Rack System holds a considerable amount of smaller items with different shapes

6' Folding table from Sams Club. I can pile stuff up 12'' high. I know where everything is .......Its on the table.....Somewhere.!
I am a complete slob and i can't wait to here some more ideas on this. Maybe i can change my ways.

Great Thread David..
JS

LMAO Jim!
I'm looking for ideas for storage of all kinds of stuff... big and small... not limited to rod making gear.
Blanks, Rods, Reels, fishing gear, waders... literally any inventive way to store everything I own.

I'm reorganizing my apartment to function both for single living as well as rod making.
I turned a bedroom into a power tool workshop... so wood working tool storage is also much appreciated.

RodMaker has already supplied lots of good ideas through the years.
Tom's workshop, Scott Parson's too.. and of course Larry Tysinger's stand out as great examples of what can be done.

I also scan woodworking mags as well as home renovation mags for ideas.

I'm doing it on a shoestring budget with recycled items and hand-me-downs.

I have hooks in my ceiling for storing rod blanks. If you do this make sure to use good anchors or hit a joist or down they will come before long. Also, unless there are some 3M stick'ems that wont make a hole be ready to spackle later.

As for other storage, I have 2 wall shelving units and I had dedicated only to thread storage but as it does not have doors the thread spools collected dust. I have now put my threads in Plano type boxes to keep them clean.
If I get some plexi-glass doors on the wall unit I may try thread there again as I really liked seeing most of my available colors & sizes at a glance instead of going through plastic boxes.

I keep a LOT of my rod building stuff in an old dresser/drawers. Grip stuff in the bottom drawer, reel seats & arbors in the middle, misc & guides next and the top has my weaving stuff.

Shadow box above the rod bench has finish, CP, Rod Bond, Donjer kit. All at easy reach.

Found a cheap old gun rack which sometimes holds completed or "in progress" rods. More often though it's empty now that I have a rod rack I got from Swampland last year. (or earlier?)

I keep a bunch ot those very shallow cardboard boxes (beer & soda cans?) for tossing small things into when moving around from area to area just to help me NOT set something down and forget where I set it.
Hate when I do that! The shallow boxes also is great for laying out feathers in.

Used to store blanks & rods behind a door corner but was always afraid one would slide somehow into the door crack & get busted AND "out of site" really does mean "out of mind" too and as Billy can attest, a project can just sit there forgot about.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I forgot to mention one of my best adaptations:

I made a neat vertical blank storage unit out of an inexpensive PVC shoe storage kit.

The shelves are an open grid so I mounted one shelf about 2 feet above another using 5/16" Threaded rod at each of the 4 corners.. using washers and nuts.

The base is from a scrap of plywood I had laying around.

The grid openings are about 1" X 2" which is great for a few blanks in each spot.

In a few places I cut away some of the cross pieces to quadruple the openings.

Finished rods of any size will fit in these expanded openings.

I next plan to cover the top of the plywood with some kind of pad... like a bath mat for cushioning and put wheels on the bottom.

When I get it done I"ll post photos on the Equipment page in the Photos section.

I got this with some gift cards at harbor freight. It has more than enough room. I have a bin for about everything. Then when I have a rod order, I just gather everything into one bin. When I'm ready to work on that rod, I move the bin to the table. I've seen it as low as $89. I haven't even touched the other side of the storage. The smaller bins easily hold 50+ cork rings.

[www.harborfreight.com]

I also find these things handy. You find them in almost any hobby store. They are good for storing micro guides etc.
[www.joann.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2012 10:05PM by Jeremy Reed.

Hi Dave,
I find that cheap plastic boxes available from discount stores in various sizes are good for keeping stuff like corks and grips as well as all the odds and ends that you collect. Plano boxes are good for keeping guides organised and I keep all my madeira thread in the boxes that they offer. I reuse glass jars for keeping pens etc and brushes. Ziplock bags are great for keeping stuff separated and clean. Overhead storage is great and don't forget the magazine holders or a binder for those treasured Rodmaker mags. Plenty of other good ideas will keep coming.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

For my blanks, I obtained an old milk crate which is about 15" x 15". I cut various sizes of PVC pipe (1 1/2, 2") the length of the crate depth and filled the crate with the pipe pieces. I covered the inside bottom with a piece of cardboard to close off the bottom and now store my blanks in the upright position. I can probably store 50-60 blanks in a small area that takes up little room. I can easily organize them and some blanks that are in various stages of assembly can be stored in their own tube to keep from damaging any work I have completed. Entire cost was less than $15.00.

the weekly pill organizers work great for storing small guides. a lot of them come in different sizes also. I found one that did two weeks so now the chrome snake guides go ni one side and the black snakes go in the other "week"

i use silverware trays for keeping brushes, mixing sticks, picks, spatulas, small tools, etc. organized. they fit in cabinet drawers. you can find them a yard sales for a dime or quarter.

rog