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Subject: 
Re: Drawers vs tilt-bins and scratching?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.storage
Date: 
Sun, 20 May 2001 00:01:39 GMT
Viewed: 
6474 times
  
Larry Pieniazek wrote:
> 
> In lugnet.storage, Suzanne D. Rich writes:
> > In a tray system, as at TLC, the entire drawer is a compartmentalized
> > tray (aprox 24x30x3). It gets pulled out, then taken over to a
> > worktable. Or, if the user is holding an empty tray, they pull a
> > selection of elements they expect to use in that session. Often, a
> > number of trays are on the worktable at once.
> 
> So it sounds like the key is having a big enough worktable so you can have
> the likely trays out and available as you do your design run?

Yeah, spread-out space is important. But it doesn't have to be fancy. Even if
one has a flip-down table-top, it'd a big help. My Dad built a train table like
that - it flipped up against the wall when not in use. I've seen sewing tables
like that too. Some in setups that look like a wardrobe cabinet in the living
room or wherever, but then open up to an entire sewing room. :-) Anyway, you
know what I mean. But that of course would call for keeping your area all
cleaned up between sessions.

> > one can start out with an empty tray (aprox 18x22x3),
> > remove any drawers they expect to use, and arrange them inside. In the
> > case of Akro-Mills drawers, there are a few LEGO set boxes with exactly
> > the correct dimensions for filling, as a tray, with a grid of drawers.
> > With experience, this method feels natural and requires a drawer to be
> > pulled out only once. [..]
> 
> The idea of getting out inserts and putting them into a carrier as you
> describe above sounds like a huge win.

Yup. I like it. I do this when sorting (where it works in reverse). I believe
"drawers to trays" is the best overall system for an AFOL without a LEGO room.
It's inexpensive, packs well, and makes for easy access while building. Dust
free, light tight. It's very flexible. A little sloppy though. Big danger in
dropping a tray.
   <8^O   Yes, it happens. Even at TLC. Although.. I don't think I've ever
dropped a tray at home. My at-home trays are lighter and smaller than the ones
TLC uses.

I'm not sure that you fully know what I mean though. I'll make a separate post
about tray systems.

> This wasn't how things were organised
> at the Media lab, though, right? I seem to recall that being in drawers but
> I could be misremembering.

At the Media Lab we switched systems. I disassembled the Boston office
collection (a standard LEGO Company tray system) to put it in MIT, adding to
their existing lab. There were -loads- of issues involved. I should write about
it at some point.. But quick answer is: no. There were no drawers.  I have some
pictures somewhere online. will look for.

The Media Lab went from big open bins on shelves to a very slick tilt-out bin
area. Plenty of things went wrong with that, but overall I think I'd do the same
again. I'd just do a better job of it. Or make multiple areas. I tried to
instruct users to fill "working trays," dipping into the bin storage, but it was
impossible to control how people used the area. I gave that up after a couple
days.

I couldn't do a direct move of TLC system into MIT because it was deemed too
ugly by those in charge. :-) I was given a nearly unlimited budget to do
something about that. It took all summer to build and fill. still had 4x more
supply in storage.. nightmare..

-Suz



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Drawers vs tilt-bins and scratching?
 
(...) So it sounds like the key is having a big enough worktable so you can have the likely trays out and available as you do your design run? (...) I agree about drawers, i don't use them and would find them maddening as well. Where I went wrong is (...) (25 years ago, 19-May-01, to lugnet.storage)

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