Storing steel offcuts

[Western]

I have 5 gallon bucket next to the lathe for round pieces, space under the work table - 4'x8' for big pieces and a drawer for odds and shapes.

When I don't see what I need right away, I put on gloves and start digging - :thumbsup: - the system has some shortcomings.

Metal 5 gal. bucket is what I use for short pieces also, up to 24"

 

[deereman75]

We just use a few 5 gallon buckets, one or two for long pieces up to 5' and two or three for short cutoffs. We just leave them in the corner of the shop and it is there when we need it.

 

[moored4]

Here's an idea...

Make a box out of any kind of scrap: plywood, wafer board, metal, etc. make the box slope so that the front is the height of your short pieces and the back is the high enough to hold your long pieces. I'd suggest the back be at least half as high as the long pieces. Get a piece of field wire, hardware cloth, or hog panel, the stuff that looks like a grid. Fasten the grid accross the angled top of your box and store the cutoffs upright. You could arrange them accross the front according to shape and diameter and back according to length.

Here's a picture since I don't have a thousand words to describe what I'm talking about.

I like this and I have the place it will fit. I'll put a set of wheels on it!

 

[Rgillard]

Thanks everybody for your input and pics. It has been really helpful. We had some laminated timber going spare around the house so my brother and I decided we would build like a pigeon hole press that a few of you have described.

Iplayfarmer, the drawing you suggested will be made for longer pieces of steel.

Here is a picture of what I was dealing with. Bear in mind that this was it tidied up. It was a lot worse

 

[Rgillard]

Here is some pictures of the unit we built. We have a lot of flat plates for projects going on and we always cut a few spare. It hopefully will help us keep the cut offs tidy. The table/workbench was too wide so we used 15" of it up on for the unit.

There is also some pics of my tool storage. I am finally getting close to having everything in its place.....

 

[Rgillard]

The top of the table is bent....;-) Before someone else points it out...

 

[pat32rf]

Probably lense distortion.....