Metal shorts storage

Chris(WA) · Mar 7, 2013

What do you use to organize and store you metal shorts?
I have a rack for long pieces but those left overs that I just know I will need and cannot bring myself to toss in the recycling bin keep piling up next to the welder and saw...
Looking for ideas on how to store and organize them.
Lets see you solutions!

Pitalplace · Mar 7, 2013

I have bins under one work bench for the short short stuff and use the stands for 300 gallon fuel barrels for the medium short stuff. Just some cross irons and they will hold a lot of stuff up off the ground.

Phil in MI · Mar 7, 2013

Hey Chris, I once built a really neat christmas tree rack of shelves, but I always had little piles at the saws, torch table, welding table and any where else it was handy. I soon realized the little piles were the best way. I gave away the tree rack! Phil

Butch(OH) · Mar 7, 2013

My welding table is 6x8 and the entire under side is racks and shelves for drops from the saw and assorted reclaimed stock to short for the steel rack.
When it over flows onto the floor and gets to where I have to kick things around to stand at the bench it get sorted and the shortest/ oldest gets pitched where it should have gone to begin with, scrap pile LOL.

loko17 · Mar 7, 2013

Those 30 and 55 gallon blue plastic drums that can be found just about everywhere have worked well for me.

Puddles · Mar 7, 2013

I just made a shelf out of scrap wood, and some 1 1/8-inch MDO, placed it in one corner of the shop. One of these days I'll have to organize it!

Errin OH · Mar 7, 2013

Sometime ago I picked up 4 square 5 gallon cans at an auction (old oil cans). After moving them around for a year or two I decided to put them to use. I cut about 2/3 of the top out and stacked them on a shelf (like bolt bins). One holds pipe, one holds square, one for angle and one for rods.

Anything under 12" goes in a bin,
Anything longer than a foot goes on a shelf simular to your picture,
Longer than 3' goes in a barrel.
6' on the rack.

I suspect one could use buckets too.

Bigger question is when to stop keeping it. Bout every other project that has me digging through the bins, I sort out the smallest duplicate pieces and throw them in the scrap pile.

Stan in Oly, WA · Mar 7, 2013

Mine are standing up in 5 gallon buckets along one wall. At one time they were somewhat organized by type (sq. tubing up to 2" in one bucket, solid round stock in another, etc.) Now it's just short of being a disaster. Reorganizing it is one of those jobs I hate---where you have to spend considerable time and effort just to get back to zero.

I've also given away 50% rights to truckloads of usable steel (one of rebar, one of misc. scrap) to two friends in exchange for letting me store the material on their properties. I wouldn't be surprised if time revealed that I've actually given them 100% rights to the steel---I haven't been to either place in years.

Stan

big fred · Mar 7, 2013

I fold 'em neatly and put 'em in a drawer with my metal socks.

John Niolon · Mar 8, 2013

this rack with sliding shelves started out as a good idea... today it so full the shelves don't slide and the scrap lay about 2' out from the shelf and you can't get to it anymore unless you climb...

got to get back in that corner one day

DH in Carolina · Mar 8, 2013

I tried folding them but couldn't iron out the sharp wrinkles. Kinda rough on the washer and dryer also.

Metal shorts storage

Chris(WA)

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Pitalplace

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Phil in MI

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Butch(OH)

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loko17

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Puddles

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Errin OH

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Stan in Oly, WA

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big fred

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John Niolon

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DH in Carolina

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