Storage and Sorting LEGO

[Redhead1982]

This is my building area, and at the moment mostly my sorting area. I got 4 new storage cabinets, and I am currently rearranging part of the collection. I was using the storage boxes with small compartments up till now, but they do get messy at some point, specially if there is not enough space left on the table.

Back on the wall, I put some inspirational MOCs on the wall. Under the table I keep a box of trains and tracks, a box with 2x something bricks, and in the smaller white boxes I have some car bricks, slopes and strange big pieces. All my classic, 1x something bricks are kept by colour in the bottom drawer in zip bags.

The smaller, more specialized pieces I keep in the drawers of the new cabinets, but some will probably be left in the storage boxes as well.

What I have left of the boxes, I keep on the top shelves of the book cabinet.

When my collection was smaller (and desk area larger), the boxes were fine, however this way, it's hard to have open more than one box at the same time, thus leading to a huge mess after building and finishing a MOC. Just a trick, I learned to use. While sorting, I use subcategories and group bricks in small plastic picnic plates. I keep most of my modulars in the bedroom on a shelf, and some behind the glass on the book shelves. And someone might notice that I try to keep my books sorted by colour, same as in some of my modulars.

[Vindicare]

For those who want to keep sets together when taken apart, I found a pretty good set of drawers. Our garage is stuffed with all kinds of things, one thing my mom noticed is an 6 drawer unit that has small, medium, and large drawers in the cabinet. Similar to Sterilite, but thanks to Google, I believe it's called "Iris Mini Chest". While I don't know how they compare to Sterilite-price wise-, it's a great cabinet.

[Praiter Yed]

I'm a sucker for buying those Storage Bricks by Plast Team whenever I see the price reduced, they're not the greatest storage option but they look great and I'm allowed to leave them in any room of the house . I was just on the lookout to see if any were on offer when I came across this, it says released on 27th April. I think I may have to invest in one of those - would be handy for keeping small parts in - pity it doesn't look compatible with the Plast Team bricks

EDIT: Release date moved to 18 May

Edited April 28, 2012 by Praiter Yed

[mrklaw]

Spent most of yesterday sorting. Had built up a couple of 9 litre tubs full of pieces so just got down to it. Was strangely relaxing.

Used a two-stage sort based on my drawer arrangement. First sorted pieces out roughly into tubs based on what drawer they'd end up in (I have one drawer for normal plates, one for normal bricks, one for large plates and slopes, one for tiles etc...). That was pretty quick.

Second stage was taking each of those tubs and then getting out the corresponding destination drawer and putting the pieces away. Because the number of choices was so much smaller (bricks only go in one of six sections based on size), this stage was also really quick. If I'd been constantly opening different drawers as I got to each piece it would have taken ages.

The only fly in the ointment was 'special' pieces. Those that don't fit in other categories - headlights, hinges, snot bricks, round studs etc. First there are lots of varieties, and secondly they're all really small so they're fiddly to grab hold of. That took a while - I have little boxes for each of them, but not enough space to have them all open and sort directly, so I did multiple passes, trying to pick out all the snot bricks first, then all the right angle bricks etc. Large->small so the last pass was 1x round plates and 1x square plates and cheese slopes etc.

Its very satisfying to see a clear room. Now to stop the kids from building anything else so my lego stays tidy ;)

[Darkdragon]

I was just on the lookout to see if any were on offer when I came across this

EDIT: Release date moved to 18 May

They are available in red on Amazon.com, perhaps Amazon.uk has them too?

[Calanon]

I spent two hours about 5 days ago tidying out a single drawer of assorted pieces! My drawer with black pieces in is now full to the brim. I'm going to need to clear out a box to put some in.

[Redhead1982]

This is my latest acquisition - bricks from Legoland, Germany, bought at LEGO Factory store and at the Sales tent.

It's all together around 5 kg. Next to sorting them out, I'm also counting them and checking the prices on BL to see how good a bargain it was. For the moment, it's looking good as I got some goodies (1x2 in sand green and dark orange) that are quite expensive on BL.

[chelman]

While waiting for my storage bins and boxes to arrive I started doing a rough sort of some of my old stuff. In doing so I reused my old 722 and 733 boxes as bins for small pieces. ;-)

Edited May 16, 2012 by chelman

[Lyichir]

Good idea! I don't know whether this helps, but when my family sorts parts in our everlasting quest to clean up the basement, we stack identical pieces together. This keeps the parts together as we gather them, and makes them take up less space when we finally get them put away. For parts that don't stack, like tiles or most Technic parts, we often use egg cartons to collect the pieces and put them away when each segment gets too full.

[Rick]

While waiting for my storage bins and boxes to arrive I started doing a rough sort of some of my old stuff. In doing so I reused my old 722 and 733 boxes as bins for small pieces. ;-)

I have merged this with the general 'Storage and Sorting' thread.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Good idea! I don't know whether this helps, but when my family sorts parts in our everlasting quest to clean up the basement, we stack identical pieces together.

Yeah, that's useful. That's how I keep my CMF bases.

[SheepEater]

... inside individual technic sets?

For me,

for sets 2003 and later: (each line representing a ziploc bag or tray)

- pins & bushes

- axles

- connectors & gears

- thin beams

- thick beams

- miscellaneous bits. (standard bricks & plates usually go in there since there's so few of them now)

for sets of the 80s and 90s:

- pins, bushes & connectors

- axles & gears

- small plates

- large plates

- short technic bricks

- long technic bricks

- miscellaneous bits. (includes thin & thick studless beams if they're included)

Edited May 17, 2012 by SheepEater

[nychase]

I have over a million parts in my "parts" collection and I can tell you that theres no one right way to do it. The best way I have found to explain it is an article that a friend sent to me that perfectly describes the situation with lego collecting.

http://news.lugnet.com/storage/?n=707

That being said, look here to see a previous post on storage.

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=64423&st=0

[88high]

Hey, Here is how I sort my pieces:

-One divided container with pins, axles, and simple connectors

-one divided container with 1/2beams, and more not commonly used connectors.

-One divided container with all of my gears, and shock absorbers and 5x7 or 5x11 frames

-one divided container with all short beams, and L-shaped beams

-one divided container with longer beams

-one container with all of my panels

-all of my wheels and tires

-random odd technic parts

-all angled beams in one bin

[SheepEater]

I have over a million parts in my "parts" collection and I can tell you that theres no one right way to do it. The best way I have found to explain it is an article that a friend sent to me that perfectly describes the situation with lego collecting.

http://news.lugnet.com/storage/?n=707

That being said, look here to see a previous post on storage.

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=64423&st=0

Wow, those are full of very informative posts. Thanks!

[Sid Sidious]

Most of my Technic parts are in sets that are assembled. The larger, more specialized pieces (pretty much anything without studs) are grouped by color into four bins bought for $1 each at Target. The smaller pins, rods, gears, bushings, etc. are in a compartmentalized drawer. The old beams that are basically system bricks with holes drilled in are in with my system bricks.

[DLuders]

Sorting? What's that mean?

[DarkShadow73]

That's funny DLuders- mine are unsorted right now in about 4 boot boxes...would probably need about a half dozen good size sorter bins to do it right...had to include your pic, it was hilarious, reminds me of when I was a kid with my brother with bricks all over the living room floor...

Sorting? What's that mean?

[Rick]

... inside individual technic sets?

I'll merge this with the general Storage and Sorting thread.

[mrklaw]

I keep my technics sorted separately from 'vanilla' lego - it has a 7 drawer unit to itself.

- big technic. Beams 7 holes and up

- small technic. Beams 5 holes and fewer

- misc technic. large turntables, tracks etc.

- two drawers of small parts - each compartmentalised for bushes, axles etc etc

- wheels etc.

- one spare drawer (oh the luxury!) which is currently being used for breaking down sets into before sorting away

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Stepping on Lego... Oh the memories!

Edited May 18, 2012 by johnnyvgoode

[The Blue Brick]

I remember I would do this as a child. My mother would always yell at me since she would find pieces all over the house.

I still sometimes enjoy this method, as finding the pieces was half of the fun.

[Lego_Hero]

I remember I would do this as a child. My mother would always yell at me since she would find pieces all over the house.

I still sometimes enjoy this method, as finding the pieces was half of the fun.

My mother owned a vacuum cleaner and wasn't afraid to use it.

[Lego Otaku]

My mother owned a vacuum cleaner and wasn't afraid to use it.

This vac by any chance? http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=1666-1

[Zeya]

I had been meaning to mention this for a while. Here in the USA there is a chain of craft stores called Michael's. There's a section for beads and whatnot, and the area with storage containers is golden for small Lego parts. I got this one, after keeping an eye out for a while:

http://www.michaels.com/Medium-Bead-Box/bd1058,default,pd.html?start=40&cgid=products-beads-beadlandingtoolsandstorage

This one is great because it has these little plastic partitions that you can move, so you can make a bin of a better size to hold longer technic pins, for example. Or have a smaller bin for tiny technic pins or something. This is an advantage over other containers that just have fixed size bins in them. There are two latch clips that hold the lid on pretty securely (lid hinges, as opposed to being removable, for better or worse).

The only drawback of these are:

- A decent number of partitions, but could have used a handful more. (Could have stolen some from another unit on the shelf without any suspicions, but that would be wrong.) A fix would be to cut your own partitions out of a milk jug or similar thing.

- I don't think you can find this exact one to order online. I think you have to go in-person to Michael's.

So if you're in the USA, I recommend these.