Storing styrene stock

[chromdome35]

Over the years I have accumulated a fair amount of styrene stock, rods, tubes, sticks, strips, and sheets. I've also done the same with brass and copper tube stock. I have it all stored sorted into a couple of drawers which work fine for keeping it contained and somewhat together by type; however, it's a pain in the ass to find a specific size or know quickly what you have on hand.

One of those display stands like you see in the LHS would be perfect, but I don't have room for one of those. I've considered using a bunch of command hooks on the back of my closet door to replicate the LHS display layout. Do any of you have an elegant way of storing these materials?

[handiabled]

Nope, all of mine is stuck in containers to keep cats from chewing on them. I used to have them hanging on pegboard which made finding what I was looking for much easier

[eaglecash867]

For the same reason as Brent (cat), I have all of mine in a covered storage bin, all in its original bags and blister packs.  Cats really love those small Evergreen rods and strips...LOL.  It's not really organized in the storage bin, but everything I have and every new item I buy like that goes onto an Excel spreadsheet.  If I'm not sure I have something, I just pull that up on my laptop to see if I should go dig through the bin.  All kinds of Evergreen, K&S, and Lion Roar stuff in there...also have a lot of tiny diameter stainless steel rod and tubing from a medical supply material place that would normally be used for making needles and hypodermic needles.

[Tobi]

Same here, I store most of it in a long top opening box, where possible in the original blister. For polystyrene it has the advantage of UV protection that way, too.

[Steve Zuleski]

Heck, I'd like to just have enough styrene stock to worry about, HA! The closet door set up sounds really good to me though, quick access and easy visibility.

[kyledehart5]

Mine is also crammed in a drawer. Elegance never came into it. 😂

[aaronw]

I made a storage box from PVC pipe and wood. 

[chromdome35]

I like that! Plywood and pvc?

[aaronw]

Mar 25, 2024 0:21:42 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

I like that! Plywood and pvc?

Other than the ABS pipe, this was just left over material I had on hand. The wood was 1x12" pine. I have used a lot of that for shelving. The ABS pipe I just bought a couple lengths of 2" and 3", Home Depot usually has short pieces pre cut in 2-6 foot lengths. There are six 3" tubes for the styrene and then out of view behind them, are four more 2" tubes for brass stock. The tubes are just glued down with silicone caulk, plus a dab added between each tube to help hold the whole thing together.

The sheet area is divided into 6 slots to sort the sheet plastic into categories. I used 1" boards there as well which is one thing I would change if I made it again, just because the wood takes up so much of the available storage space. I'd probably use 1/4" plywood or 1/8" hardboard which would nearly double the amount of sheets I could fit. 

[Medicman71]

Mine is in a drawer with other scratch building supplies. Nothing fancy.

[fox]

I have all my plastic sheets, rods, strips and scrap in the drawer in my desk. All metal tubes, strips, wires and scrap is in a shoe box on one of my shelves. Neither the plastic nor the metal is sorted. Balsa and hardwood sheets, strips and scraps are sorted in 6 separate large boxes on shelves. All left over parts from past builds over the years are in one huge fishing tackle box and all car model parts are sorted in 3 multi-drawer plastic cabinets and large parts such as bodies, frames and such are in a LARGE cardboard box. The only reason most of this stuff is that neat is SOMEONE keeps after me to keep the room half decent. No one knows what it would look like if left up to me.

Stay safe.
Jim