Storage of Tooling Stamps, Ideas?

[fredk]

Questions for you good folk who do tooling. How do you store your tooling stamps and is each tool easy to find in the way you store them ?

I've not done very much tooling on anything but having just had an unexpected windfall of very many raspberries** I decided to buy lots and lots of tooling stamps and try a lot of tooling on things this year.

First thing I'm doing is painting the code numbers on the handles with matt black paint then I intend to sort them into these paint brush holders. The few tooling stamps I had were stored in one, so I bought a few more of them

I'll group them according to initial letter, eg all the A series together, B (bevellers) together. Then each row will be lowest number to front, highest to back. In each group I'll leave maybe 1 to 4 spare spaces for future purchases. The paint brush boxes are plastic. I have sheets of plastic card which I'll cut and make wall dividers for the groups, gluing these on the top grid. Down the front of each box I'll mark the group division and either just label the group, eg A, B, C, or the letter and type ~ B bevellers, and maybe even list the numbers in the group below that.  Thats the basic plan. Its currently a work in progress.

Please share with me your storage methods, ideas and anything you might have to say about my plan.

 

** for the UKers; I got one of those companies to chase PPI. I got over 8 times what I thought I might get so I decided to buy a load of leather work stuff as a treat.

 

 

[HaloJones]

There are many tool racks on the market, I would say you are being hopeful with only leaving 4 spaces for future purchases, tool addition is real..

[fredk]

21 minutes ago, HaloJones said:

There are many tool racks on the market, I would say you are being hopeful with only leaving 4 spaces for future purchases, tool addition is real..

Not 4 in total, but 4 per group, ie, 4 for A, 4 for bevellers, 4 for camouflage etc. So thats about 50 spaces

[farns005]

Make your own.

Fire wood or nice board

[Sheilajeanne]

Yeah, I store mine in a piece of 2x4 with holes drilled in it. Only problem is,  due to recent purchases, I now need a BIGGER piece!  I put labels in the middle of the rows between stamps with the names of the stamps on them, and they are sorted according to letter and number, similar to what you've done. 

I also bought a plastic storage rack from Tandy when it was on sale, and my most recent purchase of a large lot of tools and decorative stamps included 2 nice plywood boxes with dividers in them to hold stamps.

I am thinking of sewing covers I can put over top of them to keep dust and dirt out when I'm not working on a project. Cleaning between the tools when you have over 100 of them becomes a real PITA!

16 hours ago, HaloJones said:

There are many tool racks on the market, I would say you are being hopeful with only leaving 4 spaces for future purchases, tool addition is real..

Too true!  

[fredk]

I started with a stepped block of wood drilled out, then graduated to two blocks, but as the tools multiplied more blocks seemed not the best idea.

8 hours ago, farns005 said:

Make your own.

That is very nice indeedy. Unfortunately I do not have the facilities to make my own

[Handstitched]

G'Day,

@fredk My tools are petty much stored the same way as  farns005.  I don't really know how many I have ,  at a guess around 100-150+  various  stamping tools + boss buttons etc.    I really should do a stock take eh ?    

I have a piece of 2 x 1 Jarrah  ( Aussie hardwood)  approx 16-18" in length with holes drilled into it. Its a bit' hickledy pickledy ' but I know where they all are...well ....almost. I also have a few old  plastic (tandy) tool holders as well . 

I've always wanted my bench to be set up properly  with all tools set all nice and neat into a custom made display  with all hardware in custom storage instead of re-used butter punnets ...

...meanwhile, back on planet earth ....  

HS 

[fredk]

5 minutes ago, Handstitched said:

I've always wanted my bench to be set up properly  with all tools set all nice and neat into a custom made display  with all hardware in custom storage instead of re-used butter punnets ...

In other things I store small items in re-purposed soft cheese boxes, but these days they are made bio-degradable and they only last a couple of months at most before they start to crumble into dust. Good for the planet earth, not good for my storage. say laa vee

[Handstitched]

The plastic butter boxes don't last too long either.

HS

[bermudahwin]

GBP 72.11 = https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/deluxe-wood-hand-tool-rack

GBP 38.51 + https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/deluxe-wood-tool-rack

I wonder if the membership 'refumd would cover it?

A friend swears by a french cleat racking system attached to a wall behind or the legs and back of the bench.

I use shelves and loads of storage boxes

H

[Sheilajeanne]

Ridiculously expensive for a block of wood, eh?   

[Zonker1972]

i made a rack from some wood scraps in my shop...

then i made a story board with 1" squares of leather, like the ones that come with the Craftool Pro stamps because it's easier to look at what the tool does that way.

Zonker

[fredk]

That block of wood holds 104. My plastic boxes hold 64 each at a cost of £7 each ~~~ 104 at £38 or 128 at £14 ? mmmm

3 minutes ago, Zonker1972 said:

. . . then i made a story board with 1" squares of leather, like the ones that come with the Craftool Pro stamps because it's easier to look at what the tool does that way.

I like that idea. I'll have to work something out for the 'picture' type stamps

[Handstitched]

Heres my crazy set up 

I did have quick count up this arvo , approx 300 stamping tools, plus Boss buttons ,   assorted 3D stamps , letters & numbers etc. 

The hardware storage is hardly ideal, but re-using butter boxes makes it cheap storage   I also have a lot more h/ware in some old tobacco tins &  take away containers etc. 

HS 

 

[nrk]

you can buy ready stamp storage box
or make your own as "farns005" said )

[Firewalker]

I don’t know how fancy you are going for but if you like beauty and versatility you can’t miss by having Dave Swallow make you one.  

His work is remarkable and this is coming from a woodworker if 30 years.  

They are not cheap but they are worth it in my opinion.  

I made my own rack but have outgrown it.  

Edited July 14, 2019 by Firewalker
Added pic

[Firewalker]

[nrk]

5 hours ago, Firewalker said:

simple. practical. couple of hours in garage 

[Firewalker]

On 7/14/2019 at 5:12 PM, nrk said:

simple. practical. couple of hours in garage 

Thanks.  I underestimated my stamp buying addiction and outgrew it immediately.  Oh well, it gives me a reason to make another one.  

This one is made of rock maple with mitered corners, CNC tool holes and Laser etching.  It did a good job replacing my 2x4 I had before.  Haha

[Vikefan]

I have made about 7 leather roll up tool rolls... You could put grommets in them and hang them for tool access, or lay them on your bench if you have ample room.

Vikefan