Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage
- Thread starter Strouty
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
FullRaceMerc
Well-known member
Two Door
Well-known member
I must be missing something. It's obvious the codes and associated database would be great for drilling down into data, but how do the codes help you drill up? From here it looks like you would search the database for "tire inflator" and it would tell you where it is, with QR code AND conventially-described location. Do you then venture into your vast domain and start scanning codes?
Just_Steve
Well-known member
if you need a part and its in bin 282, how do you know where 282 is located? Is it in a trailer, garage or the hill? Or is the bin location part of the QR code description? And is there an easy way to ID a bin number without scanning the QR code?
The bin numbers are printed along with the QR code on each label, the file name is updated based on the location of the bin, this can change easily when moving the bin to a new permanent location without having to change the label. I have a fairly easy naming scheme and it would take someone else about 5 minutes to understand how to use. I have designed it this way so that I do not have to have any sort of order for deep storage, if I tried to always put "like with like", things would never get put away. I am also implementing regular labels on certain bins, the ones that are more or less permanent and used all the time. So as a completely fiction example, bin A023 would also have a 3/8" hardware label, facilitating a visual cue to what is in the bin. To clarify, a bin is anything I can put things in, so my lista drawers are all bins, also you can have a bin inside a bin if necessary.
Just_Steve
Well-known member
Thanks, sometimes we have to get into the weeds to understand.
Today I spent some time at the Salvage Garage, putting things away using my QR code system. It is working very well, initial time is a bit extended, but the benefits are going to be great long term. I wish I had done this sooner, I can see the future and I like it. Already used the search feature a couple times and it felt great to be able to find what I was looking for instantly. I can't even explain the satisfaction it brought.
Prospecter
Well-known member
Good for you. You've put a lot of thought, time, and effort into getting this right. Gotta love it when a plan comes together! 
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
I hope it’s not so time consuming that you’ll not enter stuff. It would be a shame for you to have done all this planning and work, and then just not log in a new part or tool.
Horror Business
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2014
- Messages
- 507
Great update!
Really happy for ya! It is really amazing all the things you are able to do, and get done. Glad this worked. Hope you'll keep posting I really enjoy reading along.
Any extra time involved is equivalent to ten times the effort saved on the other end, so no it isn’t too time consuming. Stop being so grumpy. I feel like you are being more negative than usual lately, negative on both sides, both my plans and my implementation. If you want to be negative, at least pick a side.
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
Absolutely not being negative, I’m just pointing out that if the process to add something to a bin or drawer is too lengthy, most people would eventually skip it here and there. Then all your hard work would have been for not.
If you can possibly make it as simple as you can, you’ll be more likely to stick to it.
And other times you may have thought I was being negative, I was more than likely just trying to ask you about something I didn’t understand.
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Johanfpa
Well-known member
Glad to hear it is working for you Strouty, I don't have a fraction of what you have and not in different locations like you. I still waste time looking for stuff & buying unnecessary because more time than not I find it some time later. The frustration knowing I have it somewhere but being unable to find it anywhere I find the worst.
I'm thinking of implementing your QR code system and thanks for sharing your journey to make it work.
I'm thinking of implementing your QR code system and thanks for sharing your journey to make it work.
With some more time and a bit of expense, I can make things more streamlined, but honestly my system is quicker than expected and I have already gotten a bonus feature that I did not realize I had. Drop box will actually use AI to search the images I take, so this morning when I searched for "wire" all these images popped up that had any sort of wire in them. I tested things out and it did a decent job, I am thinking about implementing all this on my own server eventually, then I could host my own trainable AI, one that fits me, versus the masses. I feel that this will be implemented in an app format in the next year or so, I just need more time to figure out what exactly I want and need. I already figured out a way to streamline a few things, this will take a bit of effort on my computer, but will save 10 seconds or more when adding items. Right now, when doing the initial loading of a drawer it takes about 2 to 5 minutes depending on how much stuff there is to go in the bin. I am taking multiple images, essentially layers of stuff, then I enter in some keywords for the description. Last thing I do is rename the folder to show the location, I am getting that down really well, I have found that using two people is not a good thing, it definitely takes me long enough that the help is standing there waiting for me to finish.
The best part about this process is that when I put things into the system, I can actually feel a sense of relief, I have never, and I do mean never, felt this way when putting things into a drawer, bin, tote, or on a shelf, regardless of labeling things or not. It is actually removing the strain of trying to remember where the item is, it is off my mind completely and that is one of my biggest burdens.
The best part about this process is that when I put things into the system, I can actually feel a sense of relief, I have never, and I do mean never, felt this way when putting things into a drawer, bin, tote, or on a shelf, regardless of labeling things or not. It is actually removing the strain of trying to remember where the item is, it is off my mind completely and that is one of my biggest burdens.
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
That sounds reasonable for initial setup. What about adding a unique item later? Like let’s say you‘re all up and running, and you get a new part for a future project. How long would it take to add it to a bin or drawer?
It depends on if the bin is already in existence or not. If I have to label it and adjust for a location it would take much longer than if I am adding something to an existing bin. If I just needed one bin and I had not created the QR code or label, it would probably take me ten minutes for the initial setup, but I am doing these in batches and it is a lot less effort when printing out a hundred labels at once. I am currently working on a label winder to allow me to pre-print larger quantities of labels and have them ready on a roll, so I can just grab and go. I will have multiple sizes available and I can keep rolls in multiple locations as well. No matter what, there is a time cost to starting a new bin, but like I said before, it pays dividends on that time investment in the future.
Current things I am working on to speed things up is:
Automate creation of dropbox shared links and putting those into a spreadsheet (CSV format) for bulk uploading other my URL shortener/QR code creator.
Next step will be an automated way to pull the QR code out of that database and name it based on the BIN number.
Then some possible automation of the label file, but this is not nearly as time consuming as the rest of the stuff, so it isn't high on my list.
Label winder to roll the labels back onto a spool for easy storage and dispensing later.
Eventually I would like to make an app that allows me to do just the things I want with one click of a button, rather than having to navigate through a couple menus, but this is down the road for sure, I am getting some help with this part for sure.
Current things I am working on to speed things up is:
Automate creation of dropbox shared links and putting those into a spreadsheet (CSV format) for bulk uploading other my URL shortener/QR code creator.
Next step will be an automated way to pull the QR code out of that database and name it based on the BIN number.
Then some possible automation of the label file, but this is not nearly as time consuming as the rest of the stuff, so it isn't high on my list.
Label winder to roll the labels back onto a spool for easy storage and dispensing later.
Eventually I would like to make an app that allows me to do just the things I want with one click of a button, rather than having to navigate through a couple menus, but this is down the road for sure, I am getting some help with this part for sure.
Ralf99
Well-known member
Strouty, it’s great to see your vision for this system coming to a practical fruition.
Now that you’ve worked out the majority of bugs, can you see your experience morphing into a marketable and potentially lucrative side business?
Now that you’ve worked out the majority of bugs, can you see your experience morphing into a marketable and potentially lucrative side business?
I am not there yet, but my buddy that is helping me with things has become a believer. We have been putting things away and a couple hours in, you find some stuff that you know is similar to something already put away, a quick search and instantly you know exactly where the bin is and you can keep the similar stuff together. I suspect that I will have to be the guinea pig for a while and the process that I am using is too complex for most people to implement, if I can simplify things and still have a good working product it would probably be wort something to someone else. I had some very specific requirements that most people would have overlooked or just not cared about them, but they were non starters for me if I couldn't implement them into my system.
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
Different scenario than what I asked earlier, but this is the perfect example of what I was asking. How long to add the similar items to an existing drawer? To the point it could be searched for later.
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
Nice, that’s quick and easy.
Just for you, I went out with a flash light and grabbed a couple steel two gang electrical boxes that I had out, I searched for gang box, fumbled a bit in the dark, put the boxes in the drawer with the other electrical supplies, took a picture, uploaded the picture, added steel electrical box to the contents, all in was a minute and a half, but I went to the wrong bay as I miscounted in the dark, so it would be less than that in the daylight. I also need to add bay numbers to make it easier than counting them. All things that I can do as I move forward.
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
Nice!
bimmer1980
Well-known member
I bolded a couple of key items!!
Right there is a huge win for your system, method, your stuff and your mental sanity.
Good job!!!
I'm happy to hear the progress and the satisfaction!! Its the culmination of a lot of work and thought.
bowtiguy
Well-known member
Is your system scalable for the mass’s at a price point that DIY could use it But Cheaper than what is already available on a corporate level? just a thought…
Right now my system is dependent on a few things that would make it difficult to offer as a standalone app, I use a business version of Dropbox and I have a special printer, both these could be overcome, but I think they are key to “my setup”. In order to make this work for anyone, they would need to use a service like Dropbox and give API access to gather the links, then the app could create short URLs and the QR codes. From there the app could create digital labels based on generic sizes, but someone would need to print them. I don’t know how this part would shake out, most printing places are charging a setup fee per label, then a volume based price, these labels are all unique and may need to be different sizes based on the users bin size/shape. If someone wanted to buy a printer they would be spending thousands of dollars for a good printer that will make labels that can handle actual abuse. They could buy a generic postage type label printer, but those labels wouldn’t hold up to my scenarios. Ultimately, I think this system would cost too much to implement well enough that the end user would be satisfied quality wise.
FullRaceMerc
Well-known member
It sounds like the label printer would be the big hangup.
If you were selling the app, could you also sell rolls of pre-printed QR codes that could be read & added to their system thru the reader & app? Maybe in 3 different sizes that could be ordered as needed? Never hurts to have a reason for additional income after the original sale.
Or does the system create the QR code prior & everything is attatched to that internally as you use it?
If you were selling the app, could you also sell rolls of pre-printed QR codes that could be read & added to their system thru the reader & app? Maybe in 3 different sizes that could be ordered as needed? Never hurts to have a reason for additional income after the original sale.
Or does the system create the QR code prior & everything is attatched to that internally as you use it?
It really depends on how much they care about controlling the QR codes. I wanted absolute control over them and that is why I made my own domain and use my own host to serve the database of QR codes/links. If someone didn't care about that it would become simplified, but still not simple. Since I use dropbox, the backend is simple, but there is no easy way for me to use dropbox for a random person. The only way I could make a standalone app work for someone would be to have my own database server that would be used in place of dropbox and I have no idea how that would work. Without control over the link to the QR codes, you risk breaking them and then the labels are useless. Even if I required dropbox as part of the app, I am not sure if the free version would work, so it would have to be tested. I think this would be less for the masses and more for people with unique situations and the benefit is that it could be tailored specifically to them.
I'm glad things are working well for you with this new system! Hopefully it leads to less duplicates and saves a lot of time trying to find something you need.
I hope as you go through stuff you're putting things together to get rid of. No point in organizing things you'll never need.
I hope as you go through stuff you're putting things together to get rid of. No point in organizing things you'll never need.
kent_323is
Well-known member
Strouty, awesome to hear you got a system up and working and that you're getting some tools/parts put away.
As you're putting stuff away, and hopefully clearing some space, what's the next major project you're planning to tackle?
A payloader project in the fall would sure make it easier this winter when there's that white stuff on the ground!
Carry on, glad to hear you're making progress!!! That mental clearing and not feeling the stress of trying to remember where stuff is at is huge. Hopefully your pop's doesn't up the stress level with something stupid to sidetrack you.
As you're putting stuff away, and hopefully clearing some space, what's the next major project you're planning to tackle?
A payloader project in the fall would sure make it easier this winter when there's that white stuff on the ground!
Carry on, glad to hear you're making progress!!! That mental clearing and not feeling the stress of trying to remember where stuff is at is huge. Hopefully your pop's doesn't up the stress level with something stupid to sidetrack you.
jollygreengiant
Well-known member
Strouty after all the curveballs and setbacks you've had for what seems like so long it's great to see your plans come together for a big win! Getting everything organized will be a huge win and sounds like it's already helping your mental state.
Kent, the payloader project may still be on the docket, I am working on getting all the superfluous stuff out of the shop. Next week I will be moving the trailer out back again and should be able to clean up the front yard specifically in prep for snow.
I have three storage boxes that are so bad, they need to go, my aim is to get the conex from the Hill over to the Salvage Garage along with the Mitsu so I can rework the current trailer/box storage area. The yard donkey will be very helpful with this, as half the storage trailers have damaged jacks that are miserable to lift or lower and the hydraulic fifth wheel makes that a moot point.
I have three storage boxes that are so bad, they need to go, my aim is to get the conex from the Hill over to the Salvage Garage along with the Mitsu so I can rework the current trailer/box storage area. The yard donkey will be very helpful with this, as half the storage trailers have damaged jacks that are miserable to lift or lower and the hydraulic fifth wheel makes that a moot point.