keeping spare parts organized

[stan]

I have parts I have collected over the years. I hate to get rid of them, because as soon as I do I will need that part. The problem I have is trying to locate something. I thought about listing the parts in a note book. The problem is I really don't have the storage space in my garage. Listing the parts by part number probably would be the way to go. but I don't want to take the time to do that. When I go through the parts looking for something it's just like christmas morning, finding some treasure I bought 25 five years ago. Any body else have a storage problem? Stan

[jmanjeff]

I can find a place for the parts just send them to me

[panz4ever]

Organize my extras in boxes. Have shelves on one side of my garage, floor to ceiling, with extra parts. (Small stash compared to many on this forum.) Use a general organization of engine, tranny, wheel, front end and the like. 99% is all pan parts so that is a simple arrangement for me. Use a black marker and note on the box.

[Sarge]

I still have storage problems, but most of mine are in boxes that I can scan in a monent to find something: plastic milk crates, turned on their sides, covering one wall. You know, the ones that say, "Property of... ?"
I came into them legitimately, I think. I used to work at a Quick Print shop next door to an Indian-owned (sub-continent, not "Native American") convenience store. I noticed one day that his habit was to throw all the milk crates he got into his dumpster, rather than save um or send them back to their dairies.
I ain't proud! I "saved" um from the landfill by dumpster-diving almost every day for only a couple of weeks for plenty enuf crates to cover my garage wall.
The heavy stuff, clutches and cylinders, are on the bottom, and lighter stuff up towards the top. It's stable. They're getting a little distorted, bulging, over time, but have been my garage wall for over a decade, just stacked up on top of one another, with a 1/4" dowel rod under the front lips of the bottom ones, on the floor.

[Bigincher]

My method is exactly like panz4evers!
My wife works in an office building where they go through boxes and boxes of paper. Those boxes are a nice size, almost 1'x 2'x 1' high (a little less), and have lids. I have access to as many as I want. But for most small parts, they are too tall, so I cut them down to 6" tall.

[MeanGene]

Being in the engineering biz, I have an endless supply of Aervoe marking paint case boxes- nice size for small parts, heavy cardboard, and work great with 1' shelf spacing- and just use a magic marker to write the content on the end. Milk crates, especially the older metal ones, for the bigger shelves (the longer crates also work excellent at the swap meet, zip-tied to a hand cart), beer cases are also heavy cardboard. I've also realized that I don't need storage area for more schidt, I just need less schidt
Last week it was step up on the chair, then up on the MIG, over to the TIG behind the Bridgeport, and climb up from the second shelf to the third to reach a box on the fourth
I have a nice set of metal shelves along one wall in my clean room so I can have all the smaller parts for several engines in there and clean, along with a gasket cabinet, bookcase for manuals, and the press. My Dorman rack setup is across the hall from the shelves with the paint boxes, nuts, bolts, filters, plugs, etc. on top of the Dorman stuff
There's four big-block engines and three transmissions in the bed of my Deuce dump truck/storage unit, and the '28 Four and the basket '47 Chief are in the bed of my '69 Ranchero GT/storage unit next to the Deuce
One set of pallet racks against the far wall, four engines underneath, a couple 289's and the Lincoln Zephyr V-12 on the first shelf, trannys and smaller stuff on the second
My best helper is my little '47 Clark Trukloader forklift that lives in the shop- it'll lift 1000 lbs to 7', and fit through a 3' doorway- that complete Zephyr engine with trans & clutch gave it a good workout

[Paps]

I basically stash mine like the other members stated. I do record them all though. It may seem like a lot of trouble and time to do this but it really doesn't cause any real hassle or eat up to much time. I utilize the parts books for my starting point, as far as record keeping goes. The main deal is to identify and tag each part first. Once this is done, categorize them as the parts books do. record the part numbers for each category as the parts books do also. Stash the parts the same way, etc....tanks and components, frame and components, engine and components, and so on.... Use you computer to make up your list. Periodically print an updated list out so you have a hardcopy. This can save you a lot of aggrevation in the event of a pc crash. Paps

[Chris Haynes]

Hey Paps,
Why don't ya come over here for a few weeks and straighten out my inventory.

[Ohio48]

looks like a garbage dump with a slight peppering of recognizable bike stuff

[Gomer]

Chris, tell us that is not really your place!!!