DH, would putting the clean/dry parts in a little ziploc style bag help keep them together? I have little bags I get at Walmart or a craft store. Even the snack sized ziplocs might work.
I just keep the things for each atty in a ziplock big enough to hold them with the atty itself if I decide to stop using it awhile. I label the ziplock with a Sharpie & into the box it goes. For instance, I have several Kayfuns. I don't bother with the little bags of spare orings & screws, coils. I don't open them. Nothing. I just toss them, & the spare tanks into a bigger ziplock that is marked Kayfun, & into the box they go. That's where I go anytime I need a new oring, screw, replacement tank, OCC Coil, whatever. I just use a small box with a magnetic closure, & all the bags are labeled. If I take something apart to clean I set them on paper towels in my bathroom cupboard to dry overnight or all day, & never just leave them there. I put them back together that night or next morning & set it with the rest that I'm using or into it's bag & into the box it goes. One main bag per atty style, ie Kayfun Lite Plus, Igo-L, etc. I don't have a bunch of different atty's so it's not hard to remember which is which to know what bag to go to. If I get one I don't like, I give it to someone that does, or might, or a newbie that needs a starting place & they just get the whole bag & box it came in. The boxes they came in are kept in a larger box on the closet shelf, labeled & where I can get to it to pull it out as needed. I am kind of like you, DH, in that I have one room & one closet & a small linen closet in my bathroom. So that's it, 2 spots to look. Mixing supplies, such as they are at this point, are stored in a box in the closet in the bathroom. As soon as the weather cools a bit, & the humidity drops I have an old handcrafted tabletop tool chest that I'm going to sand down & maybe restain or clear coat & it will go on my desk & things will get consolidated into that.
Me too. I put spare parts into zip-locks and label the bag so I know what atty/topper/mod the parts/tanks are for. But I use those small post-its, I write on them, them stick them in the baggie.
Part of my moving has unearthed a whole collection of little bags. They had been hidden away under my daughter's bathroom sink for who knows how long. The little bags are helping a lot. A long time ago, I had tried putting the label inside the bag like you, Mike. For some reason (I can't remember why), it just didn't work well for me. So, it's masking tape and a sharpie for me!
I've arranged my RBAs now. I put the Bottom-Feeders and the RBAs that use a ceramic cup aside separately. Then I have a box for tanks, and I have the drippers in a couple of places. Any dripper that's small enough goes in a plastic organizer in its own little section (along with any o-rings and such). But, there are a few that won't fit. Like the Lancia (with its 3 tanks and multiple little metal 'plugs' for airflow control). So, those few go in a little box of RDAs that I store in the original boxes.
The box for the tanks isn't even half full. But, I'm assuming that I will collect more as I get better at building them and discover which ones I like best. And, tanks tend to be very big and bulky.
All the little bags of spare parts are with the atty they belong to. Except for 3 little, tiny bags with spare o-rings that I have no idea what they go to. Those go with the spare o-rings and insulators that I've bought separately.
It's absolutely beautiful!
Kenna, the problem I have with putting things away after cleaning is that I'm fanatical about letting things get bone-dry before sealing them up in anything. So, I let them sit for 2 or 3 days before I'm willing to seal them up. I always worry about mold, mildew, or germs growing in a sealed container. Problem is, after sitting for 3 days, I may forget what's what or just forget to put them away at all.
But, that shouldn't be a problem anymore since I don't have to put things up on a high shelf to dry (and be forgotten) anymore. I have my own room now! They can sit out and dry on my desk now!
I attempted to re-organize the wick, wire, and tools also. But, I'm just not happy with it. Things just ended up being shifted around a little. Nothing significant. That's gonna take more work (and maybe a little more time and experience to find what works best).
I'm thinking maybe one container with less frequently used things and a little plastic drawer for more frequently used things. That way I can just pull out the drawer and set it on my bed whenever I use it. Then, maybe I'll go crazy and keep a little container in the drawer for carrying with me for rebuilding on-the-go.
I like it!
