how do you organize your dyes and equipment?

[Indy]

I use to carry everything I need for dying in a small carrying box. Last week I was walking with it through the kitchen to reach the balcony (the place where I use to collour my leather pieces) and stombled over my own feet and a bottle of black exploded on the carpet. This was the last sign which made clear that I have to organize my collour stuff better.

So what I want to have is a good sized satchel or simmilar where I can carry

- oil dyes

- used collouring cloths and wool

- antique collours and finishes

- doubers

- brushes

-sponges

- ev. kitchen paper

- ev. a few small glases filled with solvent

I'd like to have the used doubers and cloths lying next to the matching dyes since I use to use them a few times. Also the collours have to stay save and shouldn't jump arround when traveling by car.

I had a look on every toolbox available in my hometown but non of them seemed to fit my needs

How do you guys managed this things in your workshop?

[cybertracy]

For some reason, the tops of my favorite dye (Fiebling's) tend to leak (and I had a similar mishap). I put all my dye's in a separate tote (deep plastic open tote w/handle in the middle). But even more important to avoid mess, as soon as I open it, I put the entire bottle in a separate ziploc bag, quart size for smaller bottles and gallon size for the big ones.

[Indy]

I also used the open tote with a handle but It's not quit handy for my use, Esspeccialy since I have no chance to keep this case tidy, especcialy for the dye-matching cloth-scraps and the doubers

[AmmoHouse]

Just thought I would add my thoughts.

Since I started playing around with stamps and such I started getting alot of stuff to keep track of.

I was out in my shop the other day and found an old fishing tackle box that I forgot I had.

Come to find out...it works perfect for keeping track of all my stuff.

The big area in the bottom holds those little die bottles pretty good, I cut circles in some foam and it fits in there perfect.

Just an idea.

[wildrose]

I feel for you with the dye-carpet job. I have messed up the tops of every washer/dryer we've had since I used them primarily as staining "tables"...

As to a carrying case: I found a really nice little soft sided craft bag in Michael's, which I used for carrying smaller (4oz) bottles in, along with daubers, gloves, and rags, for classes I was teaching. Here at home, I keep all my dyes and stains on a shelf, generally in alphabetic order. Though the brown shades (i.e. mahogany, saddle tan, tan, etc) I tend to keep separate as I use them more often. I too have had leak problems: during our recent move, a bottle of purple shifted onto its side in its packing container (which thank God was plastic!) and leaked everywhere. Now it is difficult to read the labels of the other colors that were in with it!

[bcurrier]

You are all making me nervous! I also have a carpeted work area. I also agree that Fiebing's tends to leak more. In fact, I got my last Siegal's shipment black dye soaked! Fortunately, it was a tool order, and the only damage was a single dye blotched hammer handle! The rest was all encased in packaging that protected it. No fault of Siegel's either - it was all well-packed - it was definitely the dye bottle itself.

Maybe I'll move dyeing to the basement ...

Bill

[Hilly]

I've had a dye bottle leak, too. Thank goodness it was only a few drops on my leather, instead of my floor. I have hardwood flooring in my work area, and now that you brought this up, I think I'll move my dying stuff into the laundry room... Hardwood would be way expensive to refinish.

[Indy]

just finished up another dying job at my flat and guess what:

this time I managed to not mess up the whole place

A friend of mine is carpenter and he managed to rescue our carpet fortunly. There are still some darker arreas in the wood now but these spots don't bother me too much. He simply had to sand the wood a little.

back to organizing collours, by fishing takle box you do mean one of those things?

Do you have a picture of your personal one?

As I'll be finally able to afford my own workshop soon I might be able to get myself a own dying desk where I can put anything from doubers to dyes in shelfs, that will help a lot, though I still need to pack them together ervery now and then

[AmmoHouse]

My tackle box isn't nearly that big.

Its a little cheap one I got from Wal Mart years ago...less than $10.

I'll take a picture of it later on today

[barra]

I put most of my dyes into plastic bottles with screw on caps. Some of the caps are like you find on some shampoo bottles. Push on the top of the cap and it flips open enough to let the dye run out. Sometimes the bottle has a cap like on dishwashing liquid bottles. I then pour a small amount of the dye into a seperate container to apply. I then instantly close the cap to avoid spillage. The seperate application container also has minimal dye at any one time again to avoid "mass" spillage. You can always pour in a little more. I keep the bottles in one of those plastic tote boxes which is open and has the handle in the middle.

Barra

[Andy]

Indy,

I use a couple of older large coolers to keep my glues, dyes, finishes and other liquidy stuff from the shop.

Andy