| |
In lugnet.build, Mike Thorn wrote:
> Nick
>
> I have no idea what the size of my collection is, other than it's a bit
> bigger than comfortably fits in the room it's in (which currently also
> houses me and a laptop, which shall soon expand to a full-sized pc
> workstation). I bought some Tilt-Bins (http://www.arnon-caine.com, I
> believe) a while ago and while I really like them, they're equally
> expensive. I've seen everything else, from tackle boxes (tried that, too
> small) to a full oak chest of drawers (E.H.). So, out of curiosity and the
> ever-growing need to organize this collection of mine, what do you use to sort?
Mike,
Here's what went on in my initial sort. Keeping in mind I decided to sort
before I committed any money to a storage system, here's what I did:
-- The Process --
I dumped one of my 14-gallon buckets full of brick onto a free table (freed in a
manner to complicated to go into now, which is the story for how a lot of things
in the past year of my Lego life came to be). Using assorted boxes of varying
sizes, I began throwing pieces from the big pile into one of the boxes based on
the following categories:
-bricks
-plates
-angled bricks
-angled plates
-modified bricks/plates
-round or rounded bricks/plates
-minifigs
-minifig accessories (basically, small pieces)
-wheels & propellers
-trees & animals
-decorated elements
-tiles
-transparent elements
-boat hulls, ramps, BURPs, other really big pieces or car bodies
-baseplates
-antennae ( I didn't want them to bend more than they had in the 14g bucket)
-"new" colors - Mostly Star Wars; orange, dark red, lime green, new blues....
-and, uhhhh, other stuff, categories I don't remember
As a box filled up, I unloaded it into a canvas bag to free up the box. Why not
right into the canvas bag, you may ask? Because it's a butt-ton easier to throw
things into a shallow box than into a bag with a collapsible opening. Goes
quicker, trust me.
I did the same with the other 14g bucket, and the boxes of SW lego I picked up
for 70% off (thank you KMart). I had about 20-something categories when I
finished, as well as 2 MOC's and 4 unfinished projects (I have a very short
attention span, and sorting does get tedious).
-- Selecting a System --
I went to lugnet.storage, and looked around for a long time. In the end, I went
with a modified version of Jon Palmer's setup from his Oklahoma days:
http://news.lugnet.com/storage/?n=1171
.... because:
a) my table is also a drafting table which provides nice under-table storage
b) my table is 72", so all of the boxes can rest on top of the table
c) Jon's solution here is for all intents & purposes a dust-free solution,
because the boxes are sealed, and I have nosy cats
d) the boxes can be stacked/unstacked rather easily
So I went to Container Store and bought a case of (20) clear shoeboxes ($25):
http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=170&PRODID=61479
They're slightly cheaper at Wal-Mart, but the Container Store lids are
transparent, worth the extra 20 cents per box to me. I dumped some of the
canvas bags into the boxes, and quickly determined the following:
-the bricks didn't all fit in one box
-the plates didn't either
-the small stuff was still a little hard to find
What I really wanted was drawer units. But the ones at container store were $80
for a set of 8, which is steep - that's what drove me to the shoeboxes in the
first place. I got lucky a week later and spotted these at Office Depot:
http://www.interactile.com/finder/details/Iris-4-Drawer-Storage-System-26-3-4-H-x-12-5-8-W-x-16-1-8-D-Black-Clear/247471.html
They come in 4 or 6 drawer configurations, and also come 50% off (about $15
each) quite often. I prefer drawers because they're shallow, which provides for
quick searches, they can be laid out next to each other for sorting or for
building, and they can be stored quickly in the rack. Plus, they're a dust-free
solution just like the shoeboxes.
For the smaller pieces, I found these at Lowes:
http://www.emplast.com/products/products.asp?id=2&pID=5
I have an 18 drawer & a 60 drawer, which hold subsorted catgories of the small
pieces. They have the same benefits of the Iris carts on a smaller scale.
I still have the shoeboxes; they make great storage for MOC's in progress or
quick clean up of pieces to be resorted. I also still have 15 of the shoeboxes
full, until I buy more drawers. They will also be the home for minifigs,
wheels, plants, and other pieces I don't use too often.
I should mention a couple of things in closing:
-Almost all of my categories have been sub-sorted and re-sorted. Bricks &
plates are in 1xn, 2xn, 4xn etc. categories. When the need arises, they will be
sorted in a finer detail.
-My collection is small enough that I don't need to sort by color at the moment.
I feel that I can get by on function, until the bins get too small.
-I only know the size of my collection because of the great utilities Lugnet and
Peeron provide. Thanks to those who create & maintain these things.
-I could talk about sorting all day (as disorganized as I am in general) for the
simple fact that it got me back to building, and building efficiently, without
the old headaches that drove me into my dark age to begin with.
Love this thread as much as Larry,
-nk
|
|
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: How do you guys do it?
|
| Nick (...) I have no idea what the size of my collection is, other than it's a bit bigger than comfortably fits in the room it's in (which currently also houses me and a laptop, which shall soon expand to a full-sized pc workstation). I bought some (...) (21 years ago, 29-Dec-03, to lugnet.build)
|
9 Messages in This Thread:
  
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
