Metal storage ideas

[DPittman]

I'm wondering what others use for organizing their metal, particularly the shorter stuff not long enough to rack? I seem to be forever shuffling around pieces of metal looking for something. I can keep longer pieces (4ft+) racked outside but I'm hoping there's a better solution for the short odds and ends that one must have around.

Don

 

[Dabbler]

I got some 2" 12 ga wire screening and cut it into 18" X24"sections Aligned them them up so I could 'grade' and sort. Can't pic right now. Garage flooded so everything is down and drying out. for assorted tiny pieces, less than 3", they go into plastic shoe boxes on a shelf.

 

[PeterT]

For chunkier stuff I'm using some 6x6x18" cardboard boxes they used to toss at work. They aren't super strong like wood or metal. The main feature I would look for is stack-ability.

For my skinny stuff I'm using a bunch of 3" dia heavy wall cardboard mailing tubes sitting horizontal on a shelf unit, constrained on either side by the shelf verticals so it looks kind of like a honeycomb pattern. Its easy to see the contents & grab what you need, nicely compartmentalized. The tubes inexpensive at Shipper supply & comes in different diameters. First I though I would use plastic plumbing pipe but cardboard was quite a bit less.

Rona/Home Depot has cheapo Tupperware looking stuff where the lids form the base of another sitting on top. The quality & price varies. I hear Ikea has some good container systems but haven't been there yet.

 

[DPittman]

Both of those are good ideas... I think I will see if I can't incorporate them. Thanks!

Don

 

[Janger]

Plastic pails the 20l size...

Metal 1 quart cans screwed into the wall. One up 2’ off the floor with both ends removed, another close to the floor. It’s for tig welding rods.

Rebar and angle welded similar to lumber racks for the longer stuff. Then there is 1000 lbs of round under the work bench...

Fastener storage... Dabbler got me into these steel drawer things from ikea. They’re pretty cheap. The kitchen dept has drawer organizers that fit if you cut off 1/4”.

There’s the iPhone rotation problem again. Argh.

 

[Dabbler]

great idea about the plastic organizers!!!

 

[Johnwa]

Those drawers look great. Do have an item number for them?

...

Fastener storage... Dabbler got me into these steel drawer things from ikea. They’re pretty cheap. The kitchen dept has drawer organizers that fit if you cut off 1/4”.

.

 

[CalgaryPT]

What a great thread! Surprized it hasn't showed up earlier. Kudos @DPittman for posting!

Everyone is different. But for a fabricator, this is what works for me: multiple different sized storage solutions.

Storage1 is an adjustable rack on casters that stores up to 8' lengths vertically and is where most of my stock is stored. The horizontal slats I copied from Metal SuperMarket's old location. They can be moved and adjusted. Originally (20 yrs ago) this rack stored horizontally, but then I learned and converted it to hold stock vertically.

Storage2 is a plastic tote bin and holds medium sized off-cuts. I learned the hard way that the weight here can add up. The latest version now holds 1000 lbs., on 4 swivel casters.

Storage3 is my favourite! It is a half-gable storage shed I custom built to match my house. It stores my best friends (Honda single and 2 stage snowblowers plus lawnmower) that drive up onto fold down ramps from doors on either end. Metal flats up to 14' are stored in the rafters. They hang from suspended chains. I built it to hold hundreds of lbs. of stock, as the studs are 16" OC, not 24" as in most sheds. This way I can take advantage of good deals on stock and buy long lengths, and store until I need it. As some of you know, I am not on the machinist side of the forum; I am more of a fabricator. So I hydraulically bend and ring roll a lot of longer stock. This shed also allows me to store sheet stock sideways, although a few years ago I had minor rust issues on some sheet. So this summer will be adding weather stripping to mitigate this.

Storage4 is two small 16 gauge boxes attached to the back of Storage1. I just toss small (< 6") scrap flat bar, tubing, angle, etc., into these in case I need a piece. I have a sentimental attachment to these two boxes as I first learned to TIG on the corners of them. Even though it was 10 years ago I recall figuring out that with 16 gauge, it was too thin for the smallest rod I had, but too thick just to melt together w/o filler rod. I saw some scrap 0.35 MIG wire and tried it. Perfection! To this day I love those corner joints.

Having said all this I love the @Dabbler idea of wire mesh. If I had the room, this would be my go-to solution for long stock.

P.S. Sorry @DPittman as I just noticed you were more interested in short stock. In my eagerness to respond I went down a path for longer/non-machinist stock storage.

 

[DPittman]

Well I did mention short stock specifically but I'm interested in it all! Great stuff!

Don

 

[Janger]

Those drawers look great. Do have an item number for them?

They’re called Helmer.

Very interesting design. Comes completely flat packed with very precise stamping. The drawers are then folded by you kind of like a bankers box.

 

[Dabbler]

Thanks CalgaryPT ahd Janger for excellent write-ups!

I use plastic shoe boxes, because for my short stuff I need to have them separate by alloy and I'm too lazy to mark each small piece. I love the idea from Janger about trays inside, so I might partition off a few shoe boxes to see how it works!

Great thread DPittmann!

 

[DPittman]

So I'm using milk crates and stack short stuff on end, I think I need to make some dividers and incorporate some of the other great ideas in this thread. Thanks guys!