Technical How do you organize your restoration parts, pictures, etc?

I am about finished with my 41 Plymouth project and next up will be my 49 Buick Sedanette. But before I start that project, I have sworn a blood oath to myself that I am going to do a better job of organizing, storing, retrieving parts and pieces. I am also going to document disassembly better.....i swear I am. I hate that every time I start looking for a part, it turns into a shop "Easter egg hunt", i.e. I know it's here somewhere, so I open boxes repetitively, climb up in the attic and look in every corner of the shop, then repeat the process until I find it.

Please give me some good ideas of how you organize your projects, including types of storage devices, filing/retrieval system, etc. Someone could write a good book on this if they had a good system.

 

Small pieces with according hardware in freezer Ziploc bags (with label panel) in large boxes or buckets. Trim pieces labeled on back side with black marker. Lots of digital pics during disassembly. Large body pieces in the rafters.

 

I've also hung grilles and head light bezel on the wall with the correct screws/bolts stuck into the foam wall insulation next to them.

 

You mean people actually organize parts too? Never thought about trying that.

 

I do these things. You still have to dig through boxes and look for the right bag. I want to know where that bag is and go to the right place the first time. I'm looking for suggestions that "kick it up a notch!"

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

As I disassemble a project I store parts almost exactly like 283john does. Small pieces in labeled Ziploc baggies, those go into larger boxes labeled front suspension/rear suspension/motor/interior/etc. I'm actually fairly organized but I still wind up searching for that elusive part! Don't overthink it. You'll spend more time organizing than you will building the car.

 

Just a bit of trivia. They actually have 2 gallon ziploc bags. Most stores don't carry them (my local Target does) so you may need to check the internet.

Charlie Stephens

 

I make a list of what's in a box, and tape that to the outside of the box. This way when the box is under another one, you don't have to move anything to know what's in the buried box. Make sure to have the label facing out!
An even better plan would be to make a computer file of this info.

 

Things are a lot easier to find now that I've organized things. Bob

 

The other "must do" is to always put said part and said bag back in the box with the appropriate list.

 

I have difficulty finding stuff unless it's put back where it belongs. The problem is that I sometimes forget to do That! All the above suggestions are great ( baggies, boxes, shelves), how about about adding a master list cataloging everything?

 

Things change when you decide to degrease those parts in the baggies & boxes. Then they go off to the blaster, get primed and even painted, that is when the missing in action part of the build starts. Bob

 

I try to store like parts together......chassis parts in one area, body parts in another, etc.
If a part has special fasteners, I thread them into it, or tape/wire them to it.

 

If you don't have sufficient space to orderly store a completely disassembled vehicle, all the bagging, boxing and labels will not stop the "treasure hunts" . Ex: "Yeah, it's in a labeled ziploc bag inside a labeled box somewhere. Look behind that stack of boxes in the corner of shop or maybe the bedroom closet or the attic or the storage unit, etc."

I just consider the "treasure hunts" as periodic parts and tool inventories.

 

I don't understand the question....Hehehehe

 

Each car gets a large shelf area and plastic totes full of labeled Zip locks.

 

First & foremost, do not move when the car is apart, you end up finding parts 10 years later in your sock drawer!

A sharpie and clear plastic sandwich bags in small & large sizes is a must for smaller parts and taking photo's with your digital camera will really pay off if the car is apart for more years than you anticipate.

Invest in some plastic stack-able totes with lids for bigger parts & wrap allthe trim together,even the little pieces.

And try to keep it all in one area, I recently found 2 pieces I had rechromed that I had misplaced 6 years after I replaced them, they were under the guest room bed. HRP

 

Yeah, I've sworn to do same on every project but guess what............

 

I documented a non HAMB build project and used a Canon digital camera that takes AA batteries. I took the camera memory card out about every month or two and had set up a file folder system. I date the folder with the year and month like this Oct 2018 would look like 201810 that way the monthly folders will run sequentially. For example set up a main folder like 1930 Ford and then pack all the information in subdirectories and sub folders so the information is in one location on the computer. Use the largest detail format on the camera as it will let you zoom in pretty deep before it gets too grainy. For a car you should set up second file system besides the monthly log in categories like Grill Assembly then copy relevant pictures into the grill assembly. Think of setting the files up like a file cabinet with drawers. Each major category could be like Chassis could be a main folder (file drawer). From there there could be sub folders like rear suspension, front suspension etc. that way the photo log would be like time lapse and the detail folders easy to find what you want. Most computers will take the camera card so it is easy to insert the camera card to pull off the photos. The reason I like the Canon cameras that take the AA batteries is I carry spare batteries and it does not take a special charger or specific batteries that are a PIA. It takes a bit of discipline to keep the camera handy and use it while one is working away but it pays off in spades. The second discipline is taking a few minutes once a month to file the photos.
Keep a copy on a small portable drive as computers usually doesn't last as long as a project that may run for years.

 

The best $10 you will ever spend. Get a big 3 ring binder and a box of the plastic sheet protectors for a 3 ring binder. DONE. Put schematics, instructions and receipts for the same widget in one page. That's it. I print out cell phone pictures and write my notes on the back of the pic. Drop in the receipt and maybe tear the bar code code off the original box.

 

I have lots of shelves in my garage and when I start a project I clear off a section of shelves
Everything gets bagged and boxed accordingly
( dash stuff all in one box)
Door stuff in another
Front suspension
Front brakes
Etc like that

And I write up a list of inventory for each box

Takes time and space but makes assembly easier then the way I used to do stuff.
Which was just scattered around shelves and the floor in old cans here and there , usually not found untill I bought a new thingamabob and that part of the project was done !!

 

Those ideas will never work!
Just keep throwing stuff around in boxes and crevices. They will be there when you need them, just keep looking for them. Thats how you can entertain yourself when you don't actually feel like accomplishing something. This method has worked for me for years and I have several unfinished cars to prove it.

 

I put the parts away, can’t find them and then buy new ones. Then I find the original parts the day after... Works for me.


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I know all the stuff is in the garage. Somewhere.

 

Since I always have more than one project going at the same time, I located some bakery bread racks. It makes it simple to store small parts for each individual project, takes up a pretty small foot print, and they roll around for easy storage.

 

Card board templates of big pieces, doors, etc.

 

I put the parts in bags as mentioned and mark on the bags--also photo with my camera. Still lose stuff!! Have to get my wife to come help me find stuff--some never appears til I buy another part , finish the car and send it on it's way-then it mysteriously shows up.

 

Not that I have done it for my project early Corvette.......but have thought and threatened to at least open a document on my computer (or phone) and list the parts in my shed by shelf, in the garage by shelf, in my office closet. Just a list of the parts because I know I have made duplicate buys when a "such a deal" showed up, no time (or no desire) to go dig thru stuff and answer the question. I know I have at least 5 stainless door sills!

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i never could get used to using plastic baggies. i just use big plastic coffee cans with lids and plastic totes. depending on the size of the project i have a couple "project benches" or tool carts. i try to keep all the parts in one place. for a full restoration i use an old roll away tool box that is bent beat and too worn for tool use, but for organising parts it is perfect. example: top draw is emblems and "details" second draw is door hardware, third, hood and fender, big one on the bottom is engine parts etc......
screwing parts back in where they go so they get blasted and painted is good practice.
when the project gets going i will dump hardware out onto baking sheets the type with a lip all around. i then organize it by size and placement.

 

Pilot system, pile it here, pile it there