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the saltydog

Out of Control

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My materials collection has always been pretty huge and diverse, its growing even larger lately. I'm usually pretty OC, so I'm going to have re-organize at higher level of granularity beyond the categories of hair, flash, thread, feathers, dubbing, body stuff.

 

I am considering organizing by type of fly (ie soft hackle, streamer, nymph, dry, etc) or type of material (ie: dubbing with sub categories of dry natural, dry synthetic, wet natural, wet synthetic, flash, on skin, etc)

 

How do you folks with large collections organize your stuff?

 

thanks,

Greg

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I haveall my materials in a big pile inthe center of the room.

 

I just close my eyes and reach into the pile, what i grab is what goes on the hook

 

It gets to be a real challange when i grab the saltwater necks and the #26 midge hooks, but if sharks ever start rising to midges, im ready

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I keep everything in plastic storage containers about the size of a shoe box. All similar types of material are kept together ie. hair, dubbing, feathers, ete. All of my various catagories have quite a few boxes, so I numbered them all. I then made a complete inventory (this took awhile), including colors, and put in on my computer. Now, when I go to look for something, I check my computer and see what the box number is where the item is kept. As the boxes fill up, I add more. If I get a new hair material, for example, I put it in the highest number box with hair in it, as this one will be the least full. If all my hair boxes are full, I simply number a new box and place the item in there. Then I enter the item in my computer. I also make a complete printout every so often, especially if I add a lot of new material, just in case. I hope I explained my system so that you can understand it and I hope that it helps. It seems to work well for me. Good luck. Let me add that I also have a few larger boxes for stuff, like pheasnt tails, which won't fit in the others.

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I use fly hive storage systems. I have three now, and may get another later. They are nice if I need to bring my stuff to tie at a show cause I don't have to pack a seperate bag, it's all right there. I do have another plastic container that i keep all my dubbing in, and another thing with sheet foam and other miscellaneous "junk" that I found around the house that may become useful.

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I too have been using plastic shoe, sweater, and blanked boxes for storage. My collection filled 27 assorted plastic boxes, and 15 cardboard boxes. I put all synthetic materials in the cardboard boxes. My thread, floss, tinsle, and wire is in backup tape boxes. These are 1" by 4 by 4 inches. They each hold a dozen spools very nicely. I found the drawback to the boxes was that I always needed something from the bottom box of a stack. So the entire box was taken out, and left on the floor. Pretty soon, I was using atroutbum2's storage method.

 

Most of the time the floor around my tying desk was a pile of open boxes, and little baggies of dubbing feathers, and hair. So, the wife SUGGESTED I get a drawer system instead. Wall Mart just happend to be having a sale on some boxes that just fit the cabinets I have to hold all my stuff. I purchased 9 8X11 three drawer boxes, these were 13" deep. Then I got 4 6X16X20" (thats all they had)drawers for the larger cabinet that my desktop slides out of. I also got three smaller drawer units for under the desk. I am in the midst of reloading all the drawers from the boxes. While I was at it, I picked up 8 small 18 compartment boxes from my local fishing shop. These were really cheap (half the price of the ones you see with the holes predrilled,) and make a great way to organize dubbing by type. I purchased these since I already own 4 or 5 shoeboxes of dubbing, each color was in a small 2x2 baggie, and all the types were then in larger bags. I already know I will need more of these.

 

As I went, I labeled the fronts of each drawer with categories, and placed a 5x8 card inside each drawer with the inventory. The inventory is filled out in pencil on the cards so I can remove and add items as needed. I then build a need list from the inventory cards.

 

I built an inventory database on my computer once, but since I work on a computer all day, I didn't want to have to be looking things up on a computer all night.

 

I have has a few comments about the messy state of my tying area, so when I am all done, I'll post some pictures of my new improoved org. system.

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My materials collection has always been pretty huge and diverse, its growing even larger lately. I'm usually pretty OC, so I'm going to have re-organize at higher level of granularity beyond the categories of hair, flash, thread, feathers, dubbing, body stuff.

 

I am considering organizing by type of fly (ie soft hackle, streamer, nymph, dry, etc) or type of material (ie: dubbing with sub categories of dry natural, dry synthetic, wet natural, wet synthetic, flash, on skin, etc)

 

How do you folks with large collections organize your stuff?

 

thanks,

Greg

Greg,

 

I don't really have a large collection but use a numbering system for 7 bins of material. Each bin has a number on the bin and every item in the bin is in a ziplock bag or container that has the same number of the bin. All bin contents are in an excel spreadsheet with the item cross referenced to the bin number. If I add something new I update the spreadsheet, mark the bag or box and throw it in the corresponding bin. I keep a print out of contents on top of bin #1 so when I need something I pick up the reference sheet and get the appropriate bin. When I am done with the item I throw it back in the bin.

 

The system works great and I never have to look to hard to find what I am looking for.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Tim

 

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Thanks guys, it looks like I am going to have to the inevitable and take a complete physical inventory. I wish I started with the spreadsheet 25 years ago, though they didn't exist then and we still listened to records. I might use a database so that I can query by material a bit faster.

 

I'll start this project as soon as I get the xmass swap flies tied.

 

best,

Greg

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I us some big storage conainers Wal-Mart has. 1 is a 7 drawer 3 that are about 8 to 10 inches deep, and 4 that are about 3 to 4 inches deep. And the other 1s or 5 drawers 3 8 to 10 inches deep, and 2 that are 3 to 4 inches deep. All drawers are about 14 to 16 inches long and about the same wide.

 

And the drawers are clear so you can see what is in it alittle faster.

 

And then I have a big plastic tube it doesnt have much in it but any feathers I get from wild bird I put them in zip lock bags and then put them in that tube. For a few months and check them out.

 

 

Hope this helps

Chance

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A room with slat wall would probably be the best line of defense but thats usually not possible.

 

I have my hooks in 2 hook towers, beads and cones in bead dispensers and storage boxes, flash on multiple carousels, 2 72 capacity thread racks, and 17 large plastic bins with drawers. Nearly 25 years of collecting and I need to reorganize as well.

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I have a tupperware little tower thingy..... it has like 5 drawers and one is big i organize them like this

 

Dubbing, Synthetics, Chennile, Legs, Etc.

Marabou

Dyed Hackle

Natural Hackle

Natural Materials (elk, deer, etc)

 

but the top one is starting to over flow <_<

i have a little spinny (oasis tower i thunk) thing that i can put thread and tools on

and my hooks and beads are in a hook box

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Hi Greg, I know a good architect, so start with a room, say 15' X 15'. :rolleyes: But seriously, I am in the same boat, big plastic bins and zip lock bags. Piles on the bench. If you do come up with something, I am sure I will be impressed.

 

Cheers, Jeff.

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i use the rubbermaid/tupperware/sterlite plastic shoe boxes. i also write on each cover the contents of the box.

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Hi Greg, I know a good architect, so start with a room, say 15' X 15'. :rolleyes:

 

Isn't 15' x 15' kind of small???

 

C

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I'm a draftsman, and the last time we remodeled the drafting room, I picked up 2 oak drawing files. They each have several drawers that at least 30"x42" drawings will fit in and about 3" deep (high?), and a couple of regular desk type drawers at the top.

I divided the drawing drawers with strips of wood, and use them for hackle, synthetics, fur, and misc storage. the desk type drawers hold glue, paint, tools, and other supplies.

They stack on top of one another, so the top is about 30" high, desk height.

These set next to my tying desk, which is a computor desk with shelves. The shelves hold a parts type cabinet for hooks, misc items. I have my most used dubbing in plastic coin containers from a coin store (quarter size). I also have a plastic divided tray in which I keep my most used fur and misc stuff (elk hair, CDC, etc.)

From the shelf edge, i hang small zip-loc bags with various items (starling skin, etc)

I try to have the items I use most in plain sight.

Everything is labeled.

 

That's my method, and I'm sticking to it.

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