Parts storage and inventory

[steelhead_killer]

Good morning!  My parts are in boxes by manufacture.  I have no active real time inventory.  I find that I have ordered parts that I already have in stock.  Waste.  What are your systems to keep it all organized and stored?  Also, how much time are you devoting to management of your inventory stock items?  I have tried to the best of my ability to order stock as needed, by demand.  That works most of the time but I also see many of the same reels with the same problems so I order a few extra of those items to improve turnaround times.  Those few extras has evolved into a mess of unorganized parts in bins by manufacture.  Not really productive or cost effective. 

There has to be a better way!

Andy

[alantani]

i've struggled with this for years.   it keeps getting worse.......   

[CapeFish]

I think you have to be an organised type of guy, maybe its genetic. I am not too disorganised but my workshop and garage is definitely not something that's going to make a house magazine. The other day I was doing a bit of tidying up and I realised, damn, this looks just like my grandfather and my father's workshop  Quite a few paint spills, random shelves and toolboxes etc.

[Gobi King]

one word "Fred" the master of organization!

I live in a very small house, so I use zip lock bags (sandwich) and write down content description and put like parts in a plastic shoe box.
I usually group them in a larger zip lock bag.

For example, really tiny cf drags all grouped in one bag and larger ones in another.

[thorhammer]

i use plastic shoe boxes for larger things like spools, rings, plates, and plano divider boxes for small bits organized more or less by reel type (jigmaster box, 4/0 box, surfmaster / beachmaster, large senator, etc.). How you exactly parse out what is where depends on how many reel types you may be keeping inventory on- I don't keep any Shimano stuff past clamps, for example. those divider boxes may be a good way to organize drag washers you will always have on hand regardless, tho.


John

[akfish]

When I first started, I kept a notebook in the drawer of the desk I worked on and would write down every part I used as well as every part I knew I needed to order. I'd then place a parts order every couple weeks or so. Over time I realized that there were some parts I needed to keep on hand and others I really didn't. But it took several years before I began to think that I had the right levels of inventory. Now I'm just about out of the repair business so I need to figure out what to do with all the parts I have...

[Tightlines667]

I have a series of tackle boxes, tool boxes, and bins with new and salvagable used parts.  At one time most were organized by reel ttpe, labeled with part numbers, and I had a notebook inventory of all parts on hand.  As I serviced more reels I failed to transfer the inventory to a spreadsheet or keep it up to date, and parts didn't stay as organized.  The ones I always use ended up in a few bins sorta jumbled together and the ones I never use are organized perfectly. 

In practice, when servicing reels...
After I take the reel apart and clean/examine the parts I set all the old parts to be replaced behind the reel I am servicing on the bench.  Then I go through my parts stock and put new parts alongside these.  I then have a visual list of what parts I need to order for a given customer, and I place an order.  As soon as I pay for the order, I start filling out individual invoices for each reel listing each part (ordered, and from stock) with it's price.  Ince the order arrives, I sort new parts to match each ised part to replace, and then lube and assemble each reel.   If I find additional small parts need replacing or the reel actually didn't need a part, I'll set them in the parts pile for each reel and finalize the invoices once all work is completed.  Guess this is similar to Fred's reel tray method where I keep each reel and its parts seperate. 

John

[reel bob]

I use the alot of the Akro Mils 64 bin storage boxes and have still run out of wall space for bins, now i put all the newly ordered parts in a box and rummage .  What is everyone else using to store the 100's of parts for ...let's say Penn & Shimano? Pics are always good

[foakes]

Having personally used every reel parts storage system I know of -- the approach you decide on will depend on a few things that first need to be established and defined --

What reels do I primarily work on?

What do I want to invest?

Where am I going with this?

Is there room to grow, adjust, and most importantly -- toss out what is not working?

For me, having worked on tens of thousands of every type of reel that came across the bench -- stored parts in baggies, egg cartons, coffee cans, crates, drawers (that is where parts go to die, and are stored for no reason except personal ego), library organizers, numbered envelopes, cardboard box envelope system, plano type boxes, large organizers, pegboard, shelves, cupboards, and more -- I have finally pared my system down to something I consider workable and organized for quick access.

For large parts -- Library organizers and large flat bins -- everything in part number order as much as possible, if necessary.

The most used small parts are in organizers against the wall or on the bench, above the bench.

Since I currently have stopped working on most conventional reels -- and prefer vintage quality spinners to specialize in -- it is a little easier.  Just got rid of all of my conventional parts.  And have reduced my main focus to DAM Quick, Mitchell, Penn, and ABU/Zebco Cardinals.

Label-Makers help a lot -- as do a simple color coding system.  Just a 1" round sticker -- Blue for Penn, Red for DQ, Yellow for Mitchell, and Green for Cardinals by ABU or Zebco.

All reels are disassembled on an individual plastic fast food cafeteria type tray.  No mixups that way when working on multiple reels at one time.

And I know this system -- while very functional -- will always be tweaked to accommodate change and progress.

And I figure that anything I haven't used much in the last 30 years -- won't be used much in the next 30. So I am in the process of getting rid of lots of stuff and parts. Don't need to be a storage depot.

This is just me -- others will have their own ideas -- as you also will develop yours -- by taking a little from whatever other folks systems make sense to your operation.

Best,

Fred

[Gfish]

Space(never have enough).
Sight helps, but never have enough space to set it up. Used to use a pegboard for just fly tying materials in plastic baggies, ran outta room.
Method? Can't settle on one thing that works for all of it.

Bottom line, I'll never be able to be efficentlly organized to my liking so it becomes a disipline thing: willingness to spend the time looking in all possible places.

[thorhammer]

Having personally used every reel parts storage system I know of -- the approach you decide on will depend on a few things that first need to be established and defined --

What reels do I primarily work on?

What do I want to invest?

Where am I going with this?

Is there room to grow, adjust, and most importantly -- toss out what is not working?

For me, having worked on tens of thousands of every type of reel that came across the bench -- stored parts in baggies, egg cartons, coffee cans, crates, drawers (that is where parts go to die, and are stored for no reason except personal ego), library organizers, numbered envelopes, cardboard box envelope system, plano type boxes, large organizers, pegboard, shelves, cupboards, and more -- I have finally pared my system down to something I consider workable and organized for quick access.

For large parts -- Library organizers and large flat bins -- everything in part number order as much as possible, if necessary.

The most used small parts are in organizers against the wall or on the bench, above the bench.

Since I currently have stopped working on most conventional reels -- and prefer vintage quality spinners to specialize in -- it is a little easier.  Just got rid of all of my conventional parts.  And have reduced my main focus to DAM Quick, Mitchell, Penn, and ABU/Zebco Cardinals.

Label-Makers help a lot -- as do a simple color coding system.  Just a 1" round sticker -- Blue for Penn, Red for DQ, Yellow for Mitchell, and Green for Cardinals by ABU or Zebco.

All reels are disassembled on an individual plastic fast food cafeteria type tray.  No mixups that way when working on multiple reels at one time.

And I know this system -- while very functional -- will always be tweaked to accommodate change and progress.

And I figure that anything I haven't used much in the last 30 years -- won't be used much in the next 30. So I am in the process of getting rid of lots of stuff and parts. Don't need to be a storage depot.

This is just me -- others will have their own ideas -- as you also will develop yours -- by taking a little from whatever other folks systems make sense to your operation.

Best,

Fred

WAIT WHAT.....you got rid of your Penn conventional parts?

[Shark Hunter]

Blasphemy!!!

[Donnyboat]

Like a shed, dont matter how big you build them, never big enough, cheers Don.