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Unread 16-09-2006, 21:03
kmcclary's Avatar
kmcclary kmcclary is offline
Founder 830/1015;Mentor 66/470/1502
FRC #0470 (Alpha Omega Robotics)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Rookie Year: 1994
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 491
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We use Plano 3700 "Stow Away 24", which fit well in FIRST bins!

Quote:
Originally Posted by sanddrag
Also discuss what you use to organize your stuff.
Yea, for the BIG things, we too use the FIRST KOP bins.

But over the years I've researched a bunch of different part storage systems for nuts, bolts, electrical parts, etc.

For all four of my teams, our small hardware is entirely contained in Plano 3700 "Stow-Away 24" adjustable divider boxes, made by Plano Molding Company, Plano Illinois 60545. http://www.planomolding.com

UPC = 0-24099-23700-0


The straight 3700 is the most commonly stocked model everywhere (2" depth). Though this is the only one we all use, there are other depths available. This one has 4 fixed rows, with up to five insert-able dividers per row, giving you a maximum of (4x6=) 24 compartments per box. We use them for ALL of our nut/bolt/rivet hardware, electrical parts, pwm cables, non-bulk ty-wraps, connectors, etc.

Although this box has worked very well for us as is, on occasion you may wish to cut sections out of the row dividers for larger footprint items. I've mostly done this with a Dremel and a cutoff wheel. But here's a page that not only shows good images of this box, it also shows you how to convert a standard soldering iron into a "hot melt trimmer": http://www.hempeldesigngroup.com/leg...Plano3700.html
(This page also shows some of the other model numbers, with diff depths.)

There are several advantages to using this particular box vs other brands:
1) It is a pure rectangular solid, with NO space wasted on handles, artistic curves, etc. This gives you VERY high part densities, not only in each box, but in a stack as well.
2) VERY stackable, yet you CAN still pull out one from the stack's center!
3) It is (relatively) clear, allowing good viewing of what's inside while closed.
4) It has a "hanging tab" on one end, that is useful as a grip to extract it lengthwise from a table stack, or a custom made pigeonhole cabinet.
5) They EXACTLY FIT the FIRST Kit of Parts bins sideways! Until you can make a custom pigeonhole cabinet/cart to carry them, you can carry over a dozen of them stacked "on the long edge" into/out of a regional in a single FIRST KoP bin!

Hints:
- Do NOT cut/break off the hanging tab! It's useful to extract the box from stacks, or cabinets.
- Carefully move the label to the bottom. That saves it for reordering, but it no longer interferes with content viewing while closed.
- Use colored Sharpie pens (or labels) on both the front and the tab side, to indicate "group"/"category"/"contents".
- Color code the ends by subgroup to speed sorting and searching in the pits.

The 3700 is available from many outlets. Here's a partial list of vendors: http://www.planomolding.com/content/index.cfm?siteaction=wheretobuy&lineid=2&groupid=1 2
Plano is available through practically every hardware/bigbox store in the US. If your local hardware store doesn't happen to stock this model, use the above UPC to order it.

At 1502, we've created a bunch of pigeonhole cabinets (out of sheet plywood and masonite) to organize our 3700s, slid in so the short side with the "pull tab" is exposed. We made a number of these cabinets, all just high enough to fit under the standard folding table you see at a regional. This turns the entire underside of our regional work table into one large, long parts bin organizer, yet keeps the bins out from underfoot! We stack the mini-cabinets 2 high onto the furniture carts for transport. At home, the pigeonhole cabinets are stacked to become a "parts wall" in our FIRST team closet.

Each subgroup has a number of 3700s dedicated to them, color coded and labeled on the end for fast access.

Our cabinets are open faced, but if you wish, you can either make a cover/bar for the pigeonhole cabinets, or else face pairs of the cabinets toward each other with latches to retain the 3700s in their pigeonholes during transport.

Note: For best pricing, be sure to buy the 3700s in BULK (10 or more at a time). Also - MANY suppliers (like Lowes) give discounts to non-profit groups for quantity purchases, so be sure to ask for it! We are always given an extra 10% off whenever we buy a case of 8 of them, and believe me, we have a LOT of them!

These bins are highly prized around the shop, and have solved our parts organization problem. In fact, we always seem to be running out to pick up another dozen or so every year, as they're so handy!

I hope this helps!

- Keith
__________________
Keith McClary - Organizer/Mentor/Sponsor - Ann Arbor MI area FIRST teams
ACTI - Automation Computer Technologies, Inc. (Sponsoring FIRST teams since 2001!)
MI Robot Club (Trainer) / GO-Tech Maker's Club / RepRap-Michigan) / SEMI CNC Club
"Certifiably Insane": Started FIVE FRC teams & many robot clubs (so far)!
2002: 830 "Rat Pack" | 2003-5;14: 1015;1076 "Pi Hi Samurai" | 2005-6: 1549 "Washtenuts"/"Fire Traxx"
2005-(on): 1502 "Technical Difficulties" | 2006-(on): FIRST Volunteer!
2009-(on): 470 "Alpha Omega" | WAFL | Sponsor & "Floating Engineer" for MI Dist 13 (Washtenaw Cnty)
2011: 3638 "Tigertrons" | 2013-(on): 4395 "ViBots" | 2014-(on) 66 "Grizzlies"
"Home" Teams: 66, 470, 1076, 1502, 4395
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Last edited by kmcclary : 17-09-2006 at 18:40.
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