# How do you store it?



## Mosey (Oct 25, 2011)

I don't see many pictures of metal stock storage. I'm wondering whether you stand it up vertically, or put it on racks, or what? How do other people handle those piles of metal??


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## Blogwitch (Oct 25, 2011)

In my case Mosey, I have plastic square tubs mounted onto wooden trolleys with wheels on that can be pushed under my bench. That is for offcuts or items smaller than say 6" long (my brass container must weigh at least 1cwt) and they are the ones gone through first to see if I can get the right size I want for the job.

For longer lengths, if it is thin material, plastic guttering mounted to the wall is a good storage item as it stops the material getting bent.

For all larger stuff, it is stored outside in large plastic garden boxes until I need it, then it is brought inside to have the required size taken off, then outside it goes again.

As long as you keep it dry and well ventilated, you shouldn't suffer any corrosion at all.


John


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## Mosey (Oct 25, 2011)

I don't have that much. There are about 10 types of stuff, alum rod, alum flat, alum tube, etc, then steel, and then brass. That's about it. Lengths up to 4'. 
The shorts live in plastic bins up to about 12" in size, arranged on shelving.
So, I think that narrow shelves on brackets on the wall might do it. I'm a got'a see it guy, so they all have to be visible. I just hate to give up a piece of wall space for stuff you go to once in a while, as compared to tooling that you use every day. I have to see all of my chucks lined up on the rack all of the time. You know, the Albrechts lined up in a row from 1/8" up to 1/2". Love em.
I think if I put all of the metals on plywood shelves stacked up one over the other, that would do it. I will have to add nice wooden edge strips to keep stuff from rolling around on the shelves, and off onto my feet, that will be cool.
When done I'll take a picture and really put you to sleep.


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## MachineTom (Oct 25, 2011)

I have a rack in the garage for the long stuff, 4'+, most small D stuff is stored in shipping tubes leaning on the wall, marked on the tube is the contains. short stuff 12" less in trays by material, other larger D short stuff leaning in corners and on the raised pltforn that enters the house.


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## Captain Jerry (Oct 25, 2011)

When I was into woodworking, I learned (experience) not to stand long boards on end and lean them against the wall. It doesn't take long for the board to develop a bend. I don't keep any long metal stock but I was wondering if the same problem would happen with metal bars leaned against the wall.

Jerry


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## Maryak (Oct 25, 2011)

Yep,

Entropy will get you every time. ;D Just takes longer with metal

Best Regards
Bob


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## steamer (Oct 25, 2011)

I use a heavy metal storage shelf with plastic tubs to sort the stuff. I also try to minimize the number of different types of material

With steel, I use 1144sp or 303SS

6061-t6 aluminum

1/2 hard brass....

I only buy other than this if I REALLY need it...I seldom do.

when the pieces get small I cash them in at the scrap yard.

Dave


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## shred (Oct 25, 2011)

long, narrow Akrobins for short stock on a special shelf, milk crates and other things-on-wheels under the bench for heavy stuff. Long stock (3'+) goes vertical in PVC tubes.

There is a pic of my setup in this thread: http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=7572.0


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## Tin Falcon (Oct 25, 2011)

Mosey this subject has com up before . I built a metal rack for stuff 2 - 6 foot long short stuff goes in drawers.
Tin


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## dalem9 (Oct 25, 2011)

This works good for me .See picture.Dale


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## peatoluser (Oct 27, 2011)

mostly I tend only to buy 12" lengths of small size material and store them in plastic knitting needle boxes, labeled up stainless, brass, mild steel round etc. The only problem being you have to trim silver steel (drill rod) to fit.
 Better still, if you live near any engineering firms , metal suppliers etc try scrounging the tubes that power saw blades come in. they tend to be clear rectangular telescoping tubes


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## Mosey (Oct 27, 2011)

Tin Falcon  said:
			
		

> Mosey this subject has com up before . I built a metal rack for stuff 2 - 6 foot long short stuff goes in drawers.
> Tin


Tin, sorry about that.
The consensus is there is no consensus. Store em upright or lying down. But I got some good ideas from the forum, as usual. I generally buy 3' lengths even when I need an inch, so I usually have something on the rack to use for a job at hand. I like to see all of the different sections on the shelf and judge the lengths available. So it's back to the horizontal wall rack.


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## Blue_Rock (Oct 27, 2011)

Hi, I store it in round PVC pipe, square down pipe, in racks, in plastic boxes and on roof trusses.

See this thread http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=14831.msg153017#msg153017 for my storage solutions


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## 1Kenny (Oct 28, 2011)

I use the pvc pipe and 5 gal. buckets. Like the pvc better, with an air hose you can blow any critters out the other side before you stick a hand in. Never know whats in the bucket.

Kenny


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## Tin Falcon (Oct 28, 2011)

Mosey no apology needed. just thought it may motivate you to search and see what has been said. I know the search engines do not always find things. 
My Rack before I added the wooden plywood bottom and then all the metal. 




Tin


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## dwentz (Oct 28, 2011)

I have a set of shelfs with PVC and Cardboard tubes for the long stuff, an old open file cabinet for the short stuff. I have some paint markers and color code based on type of material at least the steal so I know what it is.

Dale


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## Tin Falcon (Oct 29, 2011)

I have worked at several machine/fabrication /welding shops/ shops. A lot of your storage needs will depend on the size metals you buy and store. 20 ft pieces need to be stored on racks that allow side access. 4 x 10 sheet metal stored on edge in racks separating materials. if you ar storing like lengths of round.square angle etc a shelf where you just see the ends is fine ,if your pieces vary in length it is good to see how long a piece is. frustrating to pull several pieces only to find there too short or a short piece gets pushe to the back and you do not even know it exists. 
Like dale said a file cabinet. cheap at yard sales and uses furniture stores. small foot print set up a drawer for steel, one for aluminum, brass ,plastic a 12" plastic shoe box is nice for small diameter tube and rod 12" long or less. 
I have seen milk crates used for small pieces of plexiglass and aluminum sheet. 

also you can store material near where is likely to be used. longish pices near the saw. short rounds near the lathe and short flats rectangles near the mill. One shop I worked in we had one metal rack . so I built one like pictured above for shorter pieces and we placed it near the saw and shear. 

Use you imagination , keep it organized and accessible and handy to the job.


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