How do you store spare kit parts?

[OutLore]

Hi all.. before I start this. Yes, I'm a little OCD with storage and organizaion.

With that said, how do you all separate parts for specific vehicles, but that are not 100% specific to that vehicle - like balljoint cups/balls, shock parts etc., stuff you might use across mutliple vehicles and even multiple manufacturers?

I mostly build kits, and there's always some "extras" after where the manufacturer provides an upgrade to the kit but includes the original parts, or they just provide too many of something like ball ends etc. (Or I missed a step, lol)

Do y'all keep them "per vehicle" - like here's a box of all the spares that came with the SCX10-III kits, or do you store them by the type of part - like here's a tub of all the driveline parts I've collected over time...

I used to keep them per vehicle, but finding something takes forever because I have to look through multiple boxes... and I don't even have that many trucks.

So what I've been trying to do is separate parts that are really vehicle specific and store those per vehicle, and anything that's more generic gets stored by the type of part it is.

What do you do?

 

[indybama]

I try to store by part rather than vehicle. It tends to b easier to find wat youre lookin for. All links together, rod ends n pivot balls, shock parts, etc

 

[twade984]

My current system is multiple shoe box size plastic boxes, I have one for Capra/10.3, trx4, scx10.2, element, vanquish, etc. mostly for plastic parts. Then I have a box for links/shocks, which are separated by brand or vehicle in ziploc bags inside, I have a box for motors/esc’s, one for servos/program cards, and one for general soldering/wiring. Then i have a large box for wheels/tires, another large box with bodies, and most important for me, is a shoe box size bin labeled miscellaneous, for whenever I don’t have time to organize things, they get dumped in there and sorted later.


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[high plains drifter]

I'm about as OCD as it gets when it comes to storage. Example- I've got separate storage containers for: bubble wrap, foam, rubber, wood, metal, plastic, etc etc lol.

All old RC stuff that I don't run currently... suspension and drive-line parts, electronics, OEM and aftrmkt parts... basically everything except still-built rollers, I keep in a large storage box. That box rarely gets much attention unless I need to find some kind of part or hardware that I just can't find elsewhere in my hobby-room. Within that box, everything is broken down into vehicle-specific zip-lock bags except for large parts like chassis, wheels, tires, radios, etc. Makes for much quicker searches since everything is "cataloged" so to speak. Did I mention that box is quite heavy lol? Anyway, that box stays in a closet.. accessible but out of the way.

So for my current vehicles I have two main storage solutions:

One is a medium sized toolbox that houses anything generic or non specific, new in pkg upgrade and factory parts that I intend to use or could potentially use, as well as used but not damaged parts that I still might use, and basically any parts for any vehicles that I'm currently running.The box itself contains parts for many vehicles but ( except for the generic non-specific stuff) each vehicle-specific part(s) is separated into small zip-lock bags or is in the original packaging.

* This is not my tool-box/ parts-box that I take with me to run vehicles. This one stays at home. My tool-box/ parts-box that I take with me is an assortment of parts and hardware to cover all my rigs... Grab & go.

The other way that I keep this stuff all organized is with [all same size] plastic storage bins that are labeled on the outside with each respective/ specific vehicle name. In these containers I keep mostly OEM take-off parts, broken parts, and info cards from new or upgraded parts in order to quickly see what all I've upgraded or taken off of a certain vehicle... that I may not remember over time. I don't pull much out of these containers but it's nice to have to be able to quickly revisit what I've done to whatever specific vehicle. I don't throw much away unless it's a broken part or just something that I know I'm not going to use.

In my bags of servos, esc's, and anything that I'm not ready to toss but may not remember over time the condition, I will write on a piece of tape something like "Still works" or "Non-functioning" so that I don't make the mistake of throwing out something that's still good or wasting time installing into a vehicle something that doesn't work. These are again, mainly electronic things like servos, receivers, and esc's where it may not be obvious if they work or not at first glance moths or years down the road.

I guess that with all that rambling, what has worked best for me to organize all this stuff is:

> a storage box for old/ disabled RC vehicle parts
> a converted toolbox with vehicle-specific and non-specific parts
> a pit box with small parts, tools, and hardware
> multiple vehicle-specific storage containers
> lots of different sized zip-lock/ resealable bags.
> several small ( fishing/ craft) storage boxes with multiple divided sections... for small non vehicle-specific stuff... hardware, bearings, etc.

 

[Growler]

I store most of my vehicles cleaned and dissassembled and only have couple of them in a running state at any given time and one is usually going through maintenance, assembly, cleaning/dissassembly. Thus I have a box for each vehicle and some of them are put together into a single box.

I gather parts from an individual parts tree or part type if no parts tree into a resealable bag, mark down the parts tree and vehicle. Then gather all the identical parts trees into a single resealable bag and then group similar load bearing part type bags together into a box for the highest performance vehicle that is likely to use/break those parts in my mind. Small bore shock parts go to a highest performing scaler box and big bore shock parts go to a SMT10 box for example. All the scale parts like drivers, bumpers, lights etc go into the weakest performing scaler box. If one box starts overflowing I move one type of parts one box up or down in performance category.

Then I have boxes to contain samples of chassis rails, body mounts, skid plates, links, rod ends etc. Those are kept most accessible for measurements and compatibility checking. I try to have spare parts in those, but often do not have spares so I take parts from cleaned and dissassembled vehicles as sample parts. Sample parts from dissassembled vehicles are kept together in a resealable bag and parts from a specific vehicle are kept together in a single bag as well. So for example sample skid plate, links, body mounts from a dissassembled SCX 10.2 are put into a single bag, then spare 10.2 skidplate, links, body mounts of different bolt pattern are put into another bag.

A lot of opening and closing of zip bags, but follows my logic and I know exactly where everything is.

 

[MAGNUMB]

Shoebox plastic bins from Menards...purple ones. Have way too many of these!!

 

[ferp420]

small stuff goes in the drawer big stuff on the floor
i really need to move the rc stuff out of the camper and in to the hobbie house lol

 

[AnimalHippie]

HPD, come to Fl and help me get organized!!! LoL!!!

You guys would go nuts in my work area. Lmao! Workbench you’ll find RC parts, rocks, broken toys and everything in between. Toolbox: one drawer for hardware. One for trx-4. One for scx10. One electronics. One for diy stuff. Stacks of tires on the shelf that get knocked down daily by my little man. Bodies and chassis on the same shelf with a box full of random goodies that haven’t been used yet. Two drawers on my work bench where you can find anything from AA batteries, tools, hardware to parts I’ve hidden from my wife and forgot about and paint cans lol! It’s organized chaos. I can go in there and grab damn near anything I’m looking for, but anyone else …… good luck!

 

[JatoTheRipper]

I got everywhere!

I do like these water resistant containers from Harbor Freight. The reason I choose the water resistant versions is because they seal tight and won't let parts fall out. They also seem to prevent parts from flying around inside. The cheaper ones allow parts to float all over and then you have 3mm screws in with the 4mm, etc.

https://www.harborfreight.com/large-water-resistant-storage-container-56578.html

I like these bins too.

https://www.harborfreight.com/tool-storage-organization/parts-storage/organizers/20-bin-medium-portable-parts-storage-case-93928.html

 

[high plains drifter]

Can you imagine living like this?? But at least I know for the most part what I have, where it's at, how many, etc. Cleaning out my moms house after she died and I would find like 20 screwdrivers or whatever items... most identical, many unopened. She was so disorganized that she didn't remember having something or just couldn't find what she was looking for... so she'd just buy another one. I swore I'd never let things get like that. I still stumble across things after I've already bought a replacement because I forgot I already had one or simply had it stashed somewhere in a drawer... waste of money too. But I do try to keep up on inventory... never ending process and my wife's the exact opposite so I guess that's why we have 10 oral thermometers in the bathroom closet lol.