# Storage And Organization



## dbarbee (Jul 24, 2010)

While I have been an avid woodworker for sometime, I am a newbie at pen turning.  To start out I bought a 30 pack variety of slimline pen kits to get my feet wet.  I'm starting to feel more and more comfortable and I'm going to order several bundles from Penn State this week.  I'm going to have about 15 different style pens kits.  That means I'm going to have a ton of different bushings and accessories to keep up with.  I'm curious how some of you pro's organize and store you kits, bushing, refills, etc.  I would also love to see some pics.

I would also like to thank Wayne Racinowski for his work on the Pen Kit Bushing and Tubes document available on this site.  I can see this being an invaluable tool in the future.

Thanks...

David B.


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## randyrls (Jul 24, 2010)

dbarbee said:


> I'm going to order several bundles from Penn State this week.  I'm going to have about 15 different style pens kits.




David;  I have boxes I got at Woodcraft.  It is a case with four parts storage boxes and runners that the boxes slide on. 
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2021135/24736/Shop-Organizer-4-Drawer-Large.aspx

I would limit the pens types you get to 4 or 5 to start.  Once you have those down pat, you can spread out.


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## 1080Wayne (Jul 24, 2010)

Bushings can be stored on nails on a board , in old 35 mm film canisters , on curtain hanger rings and probably a thousand more systems . Only important thing is that you don`t mix them up ! 

  Give some thought to whether you really want 15 different styles . It is possible to overwhelm people with too much choice .


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## jimm1 (Jul 24, 2010)

Here's my system. It works for me, but there are many other good ideas here.


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## RDH79 (Jul 24, 2010)

Yea I wouldnt go hog wild on all those different styles. I did that at first and now I have bushings for pens that I know I will never make again. Now I only use Johnnycnc's between center bushings. Stick with a couple at first . Then if you dont like them get a couple more.


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## aggromere (Jul 24, 2010)

I've tried all sorts of things.  When I first started I made a peg board to hold bushings.  They would get knocked off or what ever but it didn't work for me.

What I do now is I have snap shut plastic shoe boxes (got them at target) for each style of kit I make or each kit line (like the Gent and Jr. Gent go in the same box).  I put all the kits, left overs, spare tubes and bushings in the box.  I work on one kit type at a time.  If I change to another kit type i put everything back in the box and put it up.  I keep my drill bits in a drill bit holder I fashioned from plywood and some old PVC pipe.  Since some kits use the same bits I didn't want to put them in the boxes.  I got some plain white stick on labels and labeled each box.  I am really messy so I reorganize a lot, but since I started using the box system it has worked out well.


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## RyanNJ (Jul 24, 2010)

I use peg board to organize my kits and place bushings on a shower curtain ring with a label of the kit


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## Rangertrek (Jul 24, 2010)

I tried several methods. Finally built a wall rack from a few 1x8s in the shop.
Store bushings in plastic tubes, numbered on top.  The numbers relate to a spreadsheet with pen kit info, drill size, etc.

The bushing now hang on a board in a drawer under the lathe.


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## darcisowers (Jul 24, 2010)

I use the same boxes as Randy.   I keep two styles in each box, bushings, kits, etc, and have them labelled accordingly.  I heard friends' horror stories of their bushings falling off the pegboards, or out of bins so I have mine "adequately contained" - seeing as I live in "earthquake country."

I think film canisters are a great idea, except that now we are all digital, so we don't have any.  

Darci


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## corian king (Jul 24, 2010)

Hello I use peg board to hang my kits on.And for the bushings I found some really nice aluminum storage containers at lee valley They are called watch makers cases.Depending on the size you get depends on the number of round cases inside.I really like these because the fronts are clear and you can write on the top as to what is in the case then you can close each case and put them in the large case and they won't get mixed up and the case don't take up much space. ( just my method).
JIM


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## Smitty37 (Jul 24, 2010)

*Bushings*



dbarbee said:


> While I have been an avid woodworker for sometime, I am a newbie at pen turning. To start out I bought a 30 pack variety of slimline pen kits to get my feet wet. I'm starting to feel more and more comfortable and I'm going to order several bundles from Penn State this week. I'm going to have about 15 different style pens kits. That means I'm going to have a ton of different bushings and accessories to keep up with. I'm curious how some of you pro's organize and store you kits, bushing, refills, etc. I would also love to see some pics.
> 
> I would also like to thank Wayne Racinowski for his work on the Pen Kit Bushing and Tubes document available on this site. I can see this being an invaluable tool in the future.
> 
> ...


 
For bushings I recycle my perscription bottles. Take the drugstores labels off and add my own. Then I store the bottles in a tupperware container.  My personal kits I got a big plastic box and store all of them in there with labels....sometimes it takes awhile to find the kit I want but it works.  Wood is a problem...a lot comes unmarked and you have to try to come up with a system where you can identify the species...if you know it.  Then you need to find a way to store it where you can read the species...


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## edman2 (Jul 24, 2010)

For bushings I use old revolving spice racks bought from flea markets. I have three racks that hold 16 different sets of bushings each.


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## bitshird (Jul 24, 2010)

I have a 3 ft piece of 1/4 inch allthread hanging from two Eye bolts which are drilled into a shelf over my pen lathe, I have all of my bushings on the steel shower curtain hooks that you can get at any hardware store or home center, they are all tagged with a white paper key tag, I also have enough room on it to hang my 1 inch strips of Sandpaper and Abralon on these hooks, when not on the lathe, they are secure by shutting the hook. cheap and very convenient


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## jaylopez (Jul 24, 2010)

These small boxes came from Container Store.  I cut the label from the bag that the bushings come in, and then tape it to the outside of the box.  By keeping the bushings in a box, I can move the box around and keep the bushings with pens that are in various stages of production.


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## tim self (Jul 24, 2010)

I use the prescription bottles as well.  I used a 1" fostner bit in a piece of scrap wood and they fit perfectly.  Sharpy marking on the top.  Now I need to clean them out and replace those I don't use any more.  Kits hang on a screw board above the bench and bits in a scrap board, hole drilled with that bit.  Holds it fine.


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## dbarbee (Jul 25, 2010)

I'm planning on getting some of the bundles where you get a variety of different pen kits and get the drill bits and bushings for free.  I thought these would be a great way for me to try my hand at a variety of pen styles.  More than anything, I want to find the style of pens that I will enjoy making.  At this point I'm not concerned with overwhelming customers with too much variety because most of these will probably be gifts.  At this point this is just a hobby for me.

I had never thought of shower curtain hooks.  Sounds like you guys have come up with some fairly ingenious storage ideas.  I'll have to take a look at my shop and see what I can figure out.

David


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## Jim Smith (Jul 25, 2010)

For bushings and all the drill bits used for the kits I make I made a rack out of scrap lumber and corian I had kicking around the shop.  The pullout tray at the bottom of the rack has a three ring binder clip where I keep the prinout instructions (in clear plastic sleeves) for all the different pens.  The label below each bushing set give the size of the bushings, the pen kit(s) they're used for and the drillbit sizes.  This one rack has made a big difference in keeping order in the shop.






Jim Smith


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## SDB777 (Jul 25, 2010)

dbarbee said:


> I'm starting to feel more and more comfortable and I'm going to order several bundles from Penn State this week.
> 
> 
> Thanks...
> ...


 

Not to completely hi-jack....
Do yourself a favor, check out  Link to WTz   You'll save some money.


I use the stackable tubs from WallyWorld to store my kits.  The bushings go in a small pouch on the drawer front(just a taped on zip-loc baggie).  I used a label making thingy to label the draw faces as to what was inside(kit name).




Scott (PennState is slow to get your stuff too) B


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## glwalker (Jul 25, 2010)

*Storage Ideas*

Here is what I do.  I buy a kit.  I buy the bushings.  After I've completed the pen I put the bushings back in the zip lock they came in (its nicely labeled) and then I put that zip lock inside the nicely labeled pen kit zip lock along with the original pen kit instructions which I may or may not have added notes to for making that kit again.  Some times I also put the drill bits(s) in the same bag or put all this in a little larger zip lock with the pen kit label showing through.  I've also started to put the blank size on the instruction sheet so I can see it when I pick up the zip lock with everything in it.  That way if I have chosen to put the drill bits with everything else for that particular kit (I don't for frequently used bits) then I can easily see what size bits are in the "kit package" I've assembled.  The zip lock kit bags containing everything can either be hung on the wall or since I don't make great volumes of pens, I just put them all in a box in a drawer under my lathe and leaf through them to find the kit package I'm looking for.


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## randyrls (Jul 25, 2010)

darcisowers said:


> I think film canisters are a great idea, except that now we are all digital, so we don't have any.



Darci;  Just go to your local photo shop, they will give you all the 35mm file canisters you can carry!  Ask them to save them for you.


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## papaturner (Jul 25, 2010)

For bushings I use shower curtain hooks, for blanks those plastic shoe containers. Of course I have no photos of them but I do for my pen kits(of which I have too many).


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## capcrnch (Jul 27, 2010)

This might help your search, or at least give ideas.. 
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=63158


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## ToddMR (Jul 28, 2010)

I just use a plastic fishing lure organizer.  I had a spare one I didn't use anymore.  That is where I put my bushings.  My kits go in a cabinet in the shop, and my stuff such as CA, DNA, and other tools etc, go in a caddy I bought at Home Depot for $5.


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## broitblat (Jul 28, 2010)

I don't know that I qualify as a "pro", but I have a rack of bins (each about 3" x 6" I think).  I keep the bushings in little bags in the same bin as the kits and, in some cases, the drill bits.  If I have more kits then will fit in a single bin, I divide them up by platings, rollerball vs fountain pen, etc.

  -Barry


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## Phixius (Feb 26, 2022)

For me I like all my kits and all the bushing in the same place.  For !e nothing works better than a good ole moderate size bate n tackle bag.  The ones that have on the individual slide out plastic drawers.  Inside the drawer are all sorts of ways to configure the insides for tubes bushing springs spare ink.  You design the insides based on the sides you need them label the lid everything is together in one place to take to a show for any form of oops a customer !ay have had also carrying spare ink !ean spare sells it's a win win


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