Leather Hide Storage/organization

[Spinner]

Head down to the local home improvement store and buy some 6' sections of 6"-8" ABS or PVC pipe. Some thin wire or chain and a box of threaded eyelets. Screw the eyelets to the ceiling at 5' intervals, loop the chain into them and slide the pipe in, instant hide hanging system. Just slip the rolled hides into the pvc pipes. If you own the place and can be more serious about hanging them, get pipe clamps and screws instead of the chain and eye hooks. The chain method simply allows you to hang them lower like a florescent light if you want to.

[impulse]

I too have limited space in my workroom, but store my hides on a plastic pallet. I purchased a used boat winch via ebay, to which I attached cables and pulleys hung from the ceiling. It is so easy to lower the pallet to eye level, make my selection then winch it back up out of the way. There are currently approx 30 sides up there. My leather is rolled and wrapped in brown paper. I have a small sample of each hanging from the ends so that I can quickly identify what is there.

Smaller hides of sheepskin, pig skin and kangaroo are stored rolled up inside 90mm plastic storm pipe, cut to 75cm lengths and bundled together under an island table on castors.

My working space is only 13ft x 9ft in which there are a Cowboy 4500 and a Singer 132K6 sewing machines, an 8ft x3ft work bench and shelves on 3 walls.

Cheers,

Lois

[Gump]

I have a 4' x 8' cutting table with two shelves in underneath, that I use to lay my vegtan out flat. The shelves are made of unfinished spruce boards spaced out so that air can move and avoid getting damp spots or mold. My chrome tan and oil tans are rolled and put into sections of sono tube (boxboard form tubes). These concrete form tubes come in sizes from 6" to 12" and bigger in 10' lengths and can be cut with a sharp Olfa knife. My goat and pigskins are just rolled and stand in a wooden barrel. Gump

[Grumpy Coyote]

Sonotube is a great idea. You can even paint or cover them. You can make 'em into shelving, stand them on end... Great idea Gump.