Metal storage

[Mark P.Participant @markp]

Hi all,I am re-arranging my workshop and need some ideas for storing metal bar stock.Most of what I use is stainless and aluminium rounds and mostly 600mm – 1 metres in length. Storing upright in short tubes has been tried but found not to be succesful due to short ends “hiding” at the bottom! Also some means of storing  bits of plate would be good,I have tried stacking them but the piece needed is always at the bottom of the stack. What do other people use? My workshop is 12 feet by 9 feet and most of the wall space is in use,all ideas welcome.

Pailo.

[Mark P.Participant @markp]

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Hi Pailo,

How about using different – length tubes and sorting stock lengths to suit?

For plate/sheet, use a purpose made rack with dividers and stand stock on edge. It may be necessary to fix the rack to a wall as I would think that it would soon get tippy. All depends upon sizes really, are we talking about 6″ square  or 4ft x 2ft sheets?

John.

[David ColwillParticipant @davidcolwill19261]

A difficult one this! If you find the answer let me know.

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

I have a rack made from MDF for all of my plate/sheet materiel, all stored vertically as this makes it easier to access I use varying sizes/lengths of 50mm plastic/UPVC plumbing pipe for my bar storage. In eachof the shorter tubes, there is an phenolic disc attached to a central rod. If there is a small piece in the bottom of the tube, I simply pull in the rod and ‘extract’ teh small bits. I make sure the longer lengths go in the appropriate longer tubes. THe tubes are held in an MDF frame which is on castors so can be easily moved around as needed. A small box on the side takes care of all of the smaller offcuts, if it isn’t swarf it doesn’t get wasted – simples

P.S. I have the luxury of a 5M x 5M workshopw with a 5M x 3M woodshop behind, I feel very spoilt That said, there are still sa lot of improvements to be made to utilisation of space as and when funding/ traction engine/SWMBO allows

[Rob StevensParticipant @robstevens54297]

Also try looking at a thread entitled  ‘Raw Material Storage Methods’

 

Rob

[Harold Hall 1Participant @haroldhall1]

I use a rack with lengths of flat bottomed guttering, The guttering can then be pulled out when shorter lengths of material can relatively easily be retrieved. At different parts of the workshop I have guttering in lengths of approximately  500mm. 1M and 2M, the system works well.

Harold

[Mark P.Participant @markp]

Thanks for the replys and ideas,think that I will go with Harold’s idea of using guttering for bar stock.Still working on plate/billet storage systems,most of it is 25mm x 600mm x 200mm.

Regards to all Pailo.

[Raymond SalmonParticipant @raymondsalmon35556]

I have just aquired a drawing for a turret tool holder, i have no idear how to

machine the lug that holds the morse taper arbour

Can anyone help I have a 41/2 Boxford Lathe and a milling machine

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Hi all,

Square plastic waste/rainwater pipe is the stuff to use.

John

[Steve WanParticipant @stevewan33894]

Hi Pailo

 

I have a slightly bigger small single-bed size workshop. All long steel bars are put in metal bins of 2 and short length of 12″ and smaller are placed in IKEA plastic rack slightly bigger than A4.

 

I came across this IKEA plastic rack that’s used for holding washed cups upside down to dry. It has 5 neat rows for putting any size round/square metals bars. So smaller pieces are not hidden and could stack on top. I often shop at IKEA for bargin corners for thin plates and stuff for projects.

 

I have the same problem earlier but this round I solved it

 

Steve

stewan@gmail.com

 

 

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Hi Raymond, welcome aboard.

 

You could start a new thread – there’s a danger your enquiry will get overlooked otherwise.

 

Can you explan what you mean by the ‘lug’ a bit more?

 

Neil

[Author]

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