Sorting and Scalability

[datune]

I am aware that the topic of sorting has been discussed a few times, I did a thorough search but could not come up with anything related to my question...

I have spent a decent amount of money to get some sorting cabinets, you know the ones usually sold in hardware stores, to sort screws etc...So I have all plates, tiles and 1x1 - 1x3 bricks sorted (larger 1x bricks are sorted in containers), however, I am starting to wonder what I am going to do when those cabinet containers are full with a certain type, then what? I imagine that over time the sorting cabinet containers will be full, I will need an extra sorting system just for the bricks that have no more room in the sorting cabinet, which seems completely counterproductive.

I have some ideas of my own how to deal with this issue, but I would like to hear from others how they manage the same issue? How do you deal with large types of bricks, tiles, plates whatever...sorting wise that is?

PS:Yes I am aware of the evolution of sorting post ;-)

Edited August 31, 2013 by datune

[LegoFjotten]

My wonderfully flawed method at the moment: whenever I run out of room for a certain type I put the rest in a plastic bag which goes into a "refill" box. When needed, I refill the sorting cabinet from the plastic bags.

[Paperballpark]

I put different colour bricks of the same type in one drawer (e.g. all 1x1 plates together), until I have too many of one colour, and then that colour gets it's own drawer. I currently have about 10 drawers for different colours of 1x1 round plates! If one drawer isn't enough for a colour, I'll move it to a larger drawer. If that larger drawer becomes too small, I'll move that colour into a plastic tub. That's as far as I've got at the moment, but there are larger plastic tubs available, should colours outgrow the tubs they're in at the moment...

Edited September 1, 2013 by Paperballpark

[antp]

My wonderfully flawed method at the moment: whenever I run out of room for a certain type I put the rest in a plastic bag which goes into a "refill" box. When needed, I refill the sorting cabinet from the plastic bags.

I think I should start to do that too for the parts that I have in large quantities, that would be a good idea.

As it is more useful to have a few of every parts easily accessible than keeping all grouped.

[legolijntje]

I had this problem 2 times in the past and it seems I'm close to a "overflow" again.

The past 2 times, I was able to just buy more of the sorting cabinets (same type so it doesn't look too messy) and just filled more drawers with the same brick that was overflowing.

But now I don't have any more space to place any drawers. So, I started thinking about a solution and I came up with a very simple one: just put the overflow in 1 big box.....

That won't work either, because when I need a certain part from the big box, I can't find it. So, I should sort it, but that's the same as I always did before with the drawers and that's exactly the thing I don't need and want. So what I'm going to is buy a few boxes and put the same type (or color if you want) of bricks in a box. So, for example, I will put all overflowing pins in a box, and all overflowing bricks 1-x in a box, and all overflowing slopes in a box.

I've never tried it though, but I will in a very short time....

[Kivi]

I keep most of my bricks in 1 litre ice cream containers sorted by colour (first) and by shape (second). So for example I keep all blue plates in one container. When it gets full I either start filling another one with the same parts or divide the existing stock of blue plates into two parts, e. g. smaller plates in one container and larger ones in another. Though most times I just put the excess parts into one big box of assorted bricks which I intend to sort 'once when I will have time'.

[Andy D]

It really seems to me that this is just starting the sorting and storage thread all over again. There is so much, very useful info in the other thread already, not sure if I see the point to starting it all aver again (maybe I am missing something here).

There is an entry in the other thread by ShaydDeGrai that I feel has a great description of be sort/store dillema described very well.

See... http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=26213&st=825#entry1653595

IHTH

Andy D

Edited September 4, 2013 by Andy D

[Phazon]

The first thing I do when I start sorting is looking at the amount of pieces that need to be sorted. For example: if I have the amount of tan cheese slopes that was inside the Tower Bridge, I make space for it and put the pieces in a seperate place. Other pieces which came in a smaller amount (like 5/ 6), will be put together with similar pieces in an other colour or pieces with the same function. This works fine for me my limited collection, when compared with yours.

I agree with Legolijntje's method, using other types of boxes either cardboard or plastic ones could solve a part of the problem, which I think is the limited space in each of the containers. I'd definitly prefer sorting in colours than brick types. For me sorting different types of 1xX bricks means sorting their colour first and then I decide if I want to sort them even more accurate. It just depends on the amount of bricks. My last suggestion is to try to sort the bags together (there are almost certainly two or more similar bags in sets content wise) this saves time, as you won't have to seperate the same pieces over and over. I hope it made sense to you. Good luck with sorting!

Here is a useful thread stacked with information: http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=26213

Edited September 14, 2013 by Phazon

[Hrw-Amen]

I have a wall filled from desk height to more or less ceiling with o.14L drawers of Really Useful Boxes, these are used for little 1X1 or 1X2 at the most bits that are sorted into types then colours, for example I have 1x1 round plates in one section and each colour gets a little drawer, then the same with jumpers, grills, cheeses, cones and so on up to the 1X1 bricks with small gribbly bits on them.

Then I move to 0.35L Really Useful Boxes for single width plates, 1X2, 1X4 and so on. Each colour gets a box. I also have a corresponding box the same size for slightly larger Gribbles that are based on single width plates.

I have the same policy for larger plates and wedge/odd shaped plates but these are in 0.75L Really Useful Boxes.

Round bits, cones, 2X2 bricks etc get a 0.35L Really Useful Box for each colour.

Ordinary bricks of various sizes 2X2, 2X4, 1X4 and so one get a 2.1L or if I have a lot of them a 3L Really Useful Box sorted into colours.

For other bits I use a lot of such as the new brick effect 1X2 bricks or the wavey ones (Like used to make log cabins or western forts.) get a 0.7L Really Useful Box each, sorted into type and colour.

Mini-figures get the same treatments broken into different boxes, heads, torso, legs, hats and so on.

Roof slopes and other slopes usually go in long thin Really Useful Boxes (i forget the volume off the top of my head.) and are sorted by colour.

I also use the long thin ones and the 0.7L ones for other bits I use regularly, usually they are either in colour or things like hinges, turntables are just in one box each type regardless of colour.

I have a couple of odds and sods boxes for bits I have picked up that do not fit the normal run of boxes but at this stage they are few and far between. It is only if I start to buy a lot of a colour I have not used before, really they go in these boxes until I place an order for the right colour and size of Really Useful Boxes to accommodate the new colour and they are put out to the general farm with everything else.