"Project trays" - Does such a thing exist?

[pgray007]

I'm starting to plan out my storage, workbench, and shelving, and one concept I'm exploring is the idea of "project trays," whereby you could put away a project that's a work in progress so you could come back to it later while keeping it relatively undisturbed.

His would hopefully alleviate the scenario where you're fixing something mechanical and have a few dozen parts on your bench, then need to do some quick carpentry, so the mechanical stuff gets shoved to the side, messed up, and covered with sawdust. You'd put the WIP in the tray (or ideally be working on a removable surface already) and then file it in some sort of rack.

Anyone execute a similar concept, or is there a commercial/industrial solution?


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[pgray007]

I use stackable fiberglass totes, very handy when switching between projects

Do you have a picture or link?


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[Stuey]

If there's an IKEA near you, the Trofast bins might be nice for something like this. Quantum's divided containers are a more industrial approach.

 

[The One]

Because of where I live and the projects I do if I don't have multiple projects going on at once I can wait for a week or more to get specialty parts I need. Although I do try to work through a project as far as I can before moving onto the next.

I originally setup both of my workbenches with a shelf under them thinking that the current project would be on top of the work surface while a project on hold could be placed under. Currently both of these shelves are filled with Stanley/Dewalt organizers for a sortimo.

I'll be watching this thread for more ideas.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Cafeteria trays can also be handy.

 

[southalabama]

Akro mills 39120 storage totes. They are stackable.

The other option is the tray shown above. I keep looking for a surplus tray cart. When I worked at the grocery store going to school the produce and meat departments had tall carts that held the tray. Google meat racks. Tall stainless racks that hold the trays.

 

[woodrail]

I've been collecting the free Harbor Freight clear bins for this purpose. They are are big, but not too big.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Check a commercial type grocery store. Look for the big aluminum baking trays IIRC ~24"x36"x1". They might be labeled as "proofing trays". They also have a rolling rack that the trays fit into that hold anywhere from 12 to 24 trays. I bought 2 trays for working on carbs and other smaller, sometimes messy disassembly where I don't want to lose small parts. I paid C$12.00/ea. I also scored some clear plastic totes [24"x18"x6"] with lids at a yardsale for C$1.00/ea. They have been great for storage but get a little brittle with age.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I've seen the plastic trays/bins used to bus tables in a restaurant and a tall rack to slide them into. Looks pretty slick

 

[UserNameAttempt3]

For small projects, I have a couple of these Magnetic Project Mats. You can write on them and wipe off, they work great.

Also for slightly larger Radio Control projects, This COW RC mat, with a border. Not as cheap, but super hand as well.

 

[larry_g]

I have some old kitchen drawers from the era where they were build from 1 by material. Get them at the restore. I also have some boxes I made from 1x4 and 1x6 for the sides with a Masonite bottom. Cheap and easy to build.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Nexussian]

I've got a set of baker's carts and some "full sheet" 16" X 24" baking pans.

 

[DFB]

Oh I would say if you really wanted to purchase something some clear Sterilite storage boxes with lids would be good for general long term storage on a wire shelving unit and obviously you could real fancy with part bins and the sort like found at Unline

But now if you did you say its free stuff you want...and we all want great free stuff right? we use plastic trays all the time for part trays, oil pans etc. at the motorcycle shop and they do come with lids too (but I don't have any). Here's the deal we get them free from the tavern/restaurant next door to the shop. Frozen fish comes in the large blue plastic trays seen in that first picture. They are like 10x 15 x2 inside lightweight but fairly rigid and don't flex too much and the resturant just chucks them out or tries to give them away. The smaller blue box seen there is the leftover container that a large package of floor swiffers came in and that also has a clear lid. Both brake units from my current bike rebuild are in them in the attached photo.

We use brand new cardboard boxes both folding and staple style at my job but lids from tomato boxes are pretty similar though not quite as strong and the folding ones are really great. Again about 10 x 15 x 3 so slightly deeper than the plastic trays.


Yup baking sheets and oven pans, plastic dishpans, kitty liter boxes hospital puke pans...hit a flea mkt. One of my fellow vendors seasonally markets all kinds of plastic goods, cheap storage options can be endless

 

[Cypherian]

I use old OEM oven roaster pans you can get them out of most any oven left on the curb or at the junk yard etc . they are almost impervious to any chemical and making a slide rack for them is easy. But it does depend on the normal size of your projects bins may be better for what you're doing.

Cypher

 

[Pathfinders]

Check a commercial type grocery store. Look for the big aluminum baking trays IIRC ~24"x36"x1". They might be labeled as "proofing trays". They also have a rolling rack that the trays fit into that hold anywhere from 12 to 24 trays. I bought 2 trays for working on carbs and other smaller, sometimes messy disassembly where I don't want to lose small parts. I paid C$12.00/ea. I also scored some clear plastic totes [24"x18"x6"] with lids at a yardsale for C$1.00/ea. They have been great for storage but get a little brittle with age.

Bakers cooling racks

 

[torqueman2002]

I use USPS flat rate medium and large boxes. Free at your local post office.

 

[stsmytherie]

I use aluminum commercial baking pans. Come in all sizes. Easy to clean up.

Not covered or stackable but would be easy enough to find or build something like the cooling rack Pathfinders shows above.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RYPHRK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D0OREO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[CarsonConcepts]

For lager projects I have a couple of Tear Down carts that I use. Built from extra Kobalt 2-Drawer cart shells. Have magnetic trays in the top compartment and shelves for larger parts. They have been working out great for larger projects (Car repairs, tearing down motors, golf carts, etc.) Easy to keep bolts and things separated & organized, and all the parts in one place.

Build Thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4140721#post4140721

 

[bwringer]

Hard to say without knowing what sort of projects you might be working on. Bigger than a breadbox? Smaller than a grape?

GFS and other commercial kitchen supply stores sell very sturdy aluminum baking sheets and baking pans pretty cheap.

For a lot of the mechanical stuff I do, a bin with a lid would be a lot better. Watch for sales at Meanards, bLowes, Home Despot, etc. -- they usually have some pretty good deals on large plastic bins around the holidays.

 

[nev]

I use the top of a tool cart normally at work have a big mmetal tray I put parts etc in

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I have two drawer cabinets from a modular desk setup. The each have one file cabinet drawer and 2 smaller drawers with small divided trays in them. They're under my bench and I use them for exactly what you're looking for. If I need to "switch gears" from one job to another, everything goes into one of the cabinets and it stays undisturbed until I get back to it.

Tommy

 

[MFolks]

If you have a Sam's club,or Costco with membership,go back where the commercial trays,bins,and storage containers are kept. No doubt idea's will come to you there.

 

[Nexussian]

Bakers cooling racks

Thanks for the pic, it looks like what I have, except each pan I've got takes one whole slot instead of two as pictured (guessing those are "half sheet" pans).

 

[Pathfinders]

My Ex GF owned a catering Co. She had about a dozen of these things. Talked her out of 2 and a bunch of old sheet pans. Wish I still had them.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

I built my son a rack to store 6 cafeteria trays for his model making hobby. Little did I know it would lead him to have 6 models in progress at the same time. It's been idle for a while as he moved on to computers . . .

It's buried in the corner of the craft room - I wasn't about to move anything to get a better pic.

Cheers

Jim

 

[Ironcrow]

Yeah, I have a restaurant pan trolley and lots of bakers sheets. Taller junk in the pan, just skip a slot or two in the trolley rack.

 

[MikeF2316]

I usually end up stuffing everything into a cardboard box with the smaller parts in a coffee can.

 

[jeff64]

I use a cookie sheet for things like carburetor disassembly. The raised edge keeps screws and small parts from rolling off. I use the cheap Sterlite storage containers for storage.

 

[pgray007]

These are good ideas. I was also thinking (and perhaps overthinking) some sort of removable bench surface, like a couple sheets of laminated MDF that are recessed into the bench, so you could remove the work surface, file it away in something like the baking tray stack, and then put out a new work surface. I'm envisioning something that's around 2' x 3' maybe. That way you wouldn't have to load everything into a tray.

I'll see if I can sketch something up at some point, or just use a sheet pan as suggested.


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[bczygan]

Commercial bakers rack:
https://www.google.com/search?q=bakers+rack&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjj7N6VhpPQAhVM4IMKHY6IBS4Q_AUICSgC&biw=1131&bih=525#tbm=isch&q=commercial+bakers+rack