Zip Ties / Cable Ties - storage.

[StumpXJ]

I know its trivial....not exactly an earth shattering problem. Im just curious to see how you guys store your zip ties (thats what I call em anyway....) I have thousands of these things in various lengths and sizes - use them all the time - and would love to have them easily accesible, and organized. I have them from 3" long, up to 36" long, and everything in between.

Thought about some large diameter PVC pipes with caps on one end mounted along a section of wall, but figured there might be some other good ideas out there. I have half of mine (smaller sizes) in some plastic drawers, and the larger ones in bundles scattered throughout my tool box and random shelves. Space is a premium in my tiny shop, so the more organized the better.

Pictures?

~ Stump

 

[Gary S]

You are thinking too hard. Just leave them in the original bags and toss them in a drawer.

 

[Altec]

I normally have them scattered around, but the PVC gives me a idea. What if you cut a fish mouth looking window in the side of the PVC, and capped both ends? Then just reach in and grab what you want by the middles?

You are thinking too hard. Just leave them in the original bags and toss them in a drawer.

If he has as many as I do, he'd be wasting a very large drawer. haha.

 

[StumpXJ]

That would be great if they were still in the original bags. I have literally thousands of them. I got them in bulk from my last job as we were closing down.

I just found a thread on here via a google search (nothing came up when I used the search function here) asking the same thing, and there were a few good resposnses. So far, im thinking the PVC, maybe 4" for now, set up on a rack in different lengths for as many as they will hold. I can likely store the extra bulk supply in a box on a shelf somewhere.

 

[RRmech]

I just keep them in bags in my closet.
Just make sure to keep them away from any heat source, as excessive exposure to heat makes them brittle.

Steve

 

[StumpXJ]

Here is the other thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135694&highlight=zip*tie&showall=1

And the basic idea stolen from there, mine will likely be on a much larger scale though.

Here is mine...

 

[Outlander]

deep plastic jar, first time in my life they are all in the same place.

 

[Eagle Point]

Mine were all scattered in the toolbox until now............

 

[slob]

I keep mine in empty welding rod boxes. But I don't have thousands of them.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I use the containers that Bode's treats come in, they're the same as racquetball containers. Different one for each color. I also have a few small coffee containers for the 3" zip ties. They all go o a shelf in a cabinet.

In my turn out gear at work and truck tool bag, I have a zip tie around a bunch of them.

What I said in the other thread, maybe I'll get a picture later.

 

[WhatThaFrig]

Crappy pic, but mine are in the yellow drawers along with electrical connectors,nuts and bolts and various small hardware.

 

[1steve]

Zip Ties come with there own containment system, just zip tie the zip ties. Simple?

 

[PCO6]

Every time I buy a bag of 25, 50, etc. I just take one from the pack, zip tie the others together then put the bundle in one of the drawers of my file card cabinet.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I took a few pics when I went back out to the garage.

 

[Doctor_Ink]

I only have zip ties ranging from 3" to 8" so mine are kept in medium sized plano boxes.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I know its trivial....not exactly an earth shattering problem. Im just curious to see how you guys store your zip ties (thats what I call em anyway....) I have thousands of these things in various lengths and sizes - use them all the time - and would love to have them easily accesible, and organized. I have them from 3" long, up to 36" long, and everything in between.

Thought about some large diameter PVC pipes with caps on one end mounted along a section of wall, but figured there might be some other good ideas out there. I have half of mine (smaller sizes) in some plastic drawers, and the larger ones in bundles scattered throughout my tool box and random shelves. Space is a premium in my tiny shop, so the more organized the better.

Pictures?

~ Stump

If you're looking for something fancy ... or something to copy ...

http://www.pitpal.com/products/Cable_Tie_Holder-762-0.html

 

[cashishift]

I use a Plano box, like you would use for fishing lures..

like this, except mine is bigger

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Nice, I'm stealing the bias cut ABS pipe idea.

 

[Outlawmws]

THIS

Zip Ties come with there own containment system, just zip tie the zip ties. Simple?

Every time I buy a bag of 25, 50, etc. I just take one from the pack, zip tie the others together then put the bundle in one of the drawers of my file card cabinet.

For the ones you carry in tool and road boxes,



And make a few of the variable length racks for the ones you get into all the time for all the rest; Bag and tag, and store them in boxes out of the way...

 

[gonefirefighting]

I use pringles cans

 

[PeterT]

I like the coffee cans idea,, I bought a bunch of them years ago and the chinese plastic container they came in started breaking up and finally cracked so it was unuseable. I've since started buying them in the plastic sleeves,, but I think I am going to round up all of them and use some plastic coffee cans.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Bundled together in my tool bag, otherwise in their bags on a shelf...at work they have cardboard tubes cut down and mounted on the workbenches.

 

[Northstar]

I have a large clear tube that all the long ones are in, it's cut to about an inch shorter than them. The shorter ones are in a cut down beef jerky cylinder, the shortest ones are in a u-joint can. For the tool bag, I have a handful with a zip tie around them.

 

[Fudge]

I just zip tie the bundles together and keep them in a drawer in the tool box. I also dont keep a large backstock though. It gets so hot in the summer here they become brittle quickly.

 

[HandsomeDan]

I found one of these in the garage when I moved into the house. It works perfect.

 

[Lkdelta]

I like that PVC pipe idea....
That modification be in the "what did I do in the garage" ...soon

 

[Piper]

I just thought of something that might help. I recently bought some clear plastic protectors for around fluorescent tubes from Home Depot. They were cheap and are 4 feet long. I got the old style ones T12 (?) but not the small dia tubes. While they are only about 1.25 inches in dia, they might just work for your log zip ties. Certainly easy to cut, are see thru, and are quite cheap.

my 2 cents

 

[sselander]

That is a round spaghetti/pasta food container.
You can find them cheap in the dollar store.
They work great for zip ties.

I found one of these in the garage when I moved into the house. It works perfect.

 

[Matt M PA]

I put all of mine in a metal cookie (or maybe it was chocolates) hinged tin. I also left a pair of cutters in there with them. Just grab and go...no going back fo a different size, etc.

 

[Hawk Thor]

I've been bundling mine with a couple of zip-ties. I'll be grabbing some leftover ABS or PVC from work to make those staggered holders with °30 ends. Thanks.

 

[JerseyJim]

Some food for thought... Garden variety tie wraps are injection molded using nylon 6. As they are packaged, a drop of water is injected in the bag prior to its being sealed. Nylon 6 weakens significantly as it dries out. Best to keep them in the original unopened package until needed. Jars sound like a good idea. You could add a couple drops of water to the jar and that should help preserve strength and flexibility.

 

[er3456df]

What brand of zip ties are yall using?

I've never trusted the off-brands in the 600-piece multi-packs..... I usually grab the GB ones at Home Depot, but they're not cheap.

Is there any reason to pay more, or are all of em the same?

 

[HubbaBubba]

I dont keep em in one place. All scattered throughout all boxes. Never know when or where you will need them...

 

[crewchief888]

i keep most of mine in one of these drawers, langer and heavier ones are in some acrobins on a shelf.

i do keep a bunch in a (motorcycle type) toolbag in my off road truck, and some more in my off road box.

acrobins storage in my service truck

 

[bullfrog123]

Think I picked this up at HF a few yrs ago. Works good hanging on the side of the box by my work bench. Would be easy to make one and it's more compact than the PVC pipe. Handy to move from the main box to a tool cart or wherever. Extras are in original bags inside a pretzel tub, and refill as needed.

 

[mgilde13]

What brand of zip ties are yall using?

I've never trusted the off-brands in the 600-piece multi-packs..... I usually grab the GB ones at Home Depot, but they're not cheap.

Is there any reason to pay more, or are all of em the same?

I actually concider GB to be a cheap brand. It's nothing but 3M cable ties for me.

 

[Fat50]

Some food for thought... Garden variety tie wraps are injection molded using nylon 6. As they are packaged, a drop of water is injected in the bag prior to its being sealed. Nylon 6 weakens significantly as it dries out. Best to keep them in the original unopened package until needed. Jars sound like a good idea. You could add a couple drops of water to the jar and that should help preserve strength and flexibility.

This man speaks the truth. I've seen the spec drawing for nylon 6/6 zip-ties and it said package/ship with ** amount of distilled water in sealed box.

 

[TEXACMAN]

Yeah a friend of mine uses pringles cans. I use pvc with a cap ,drill hole in side and screw to wall of my service van,just cut pvc little shorter than ties wanting to store. In my toolbag I carry small bundle of ties wrapped with a tie.

 

[wellpoison]

whenever you need 10-15 per job, i take one and cut the latching part off, so you just have the strip with no head. then feed all your others on that strip. they stay on until you want to remove one and they only come off one at a time. if you take one off and dont use it just simply slide it back on the other end.

 

[Sachko]

Hello from Bulgaria