# pen blank organizer



## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

I was in Home Depot yesterday to pick up some hardware and noticed these "organizers" for what I think is a very reasonable price -- $15.

I bought this type with 3 trays; each tray has 4 rows, and a bunch of dividers you can slide in or out to make buckets of different widths.

I got all my acrylic pen blanks (well, not quite all of them :laughing tidied away. It almost looks tidy :thumbsup:

There's another type with parts draws, but it didn't look as useful for organizing pen blanks (though I'm sure it has other uses.)


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

im organized
i have all my pen blanks in a large flat rate box:yes::yes::yes:


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

robert421960 said:


> im organized
> i have all my pen blanks in a large flat rate box:yes::yes::yes:


Wouldn't work for me ... I think it would take 5 or 6 to hold all mine (if I stand them up on end so I can get to each without having to dig). As I said, this thing doesn't quite take all of my acrylic blanks, I have about 4 times as many wood blanks :laughing:


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

i was kidding
i want to organize my pen kits and blanks 
those look like a good idea:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

duh ... sorry, brain slightly fried right now (and that advert of the girl in the "I used to care" t-shirt is a distraction )


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

yea thems big


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## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

I have a large drawer built into my work bench for my pen blanks, and I stand them up.. can't lay them down because I will too be digging all day trying to find one...


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

RusDemka said:


> I have a large drawer built into my work bench for my pen blanks, and I stand them up.. can't lay them down because I will too be digging all day trying to find one...


You just gave me an idea, thanks! :thumbsup:

This is my bench -- the drawers are not tall enough to hold a blank standing up, but I can simply remove the top drawer ... if I get ambitious, I could even knock the bottom out of it and glue it to the lower drawer (so the walls are taller to support the blanks it holds).


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

I had to go buy shoe boxes, the little plastic tote box kind and seperate my pen blanks by species. It would be a nightmare sifting through my blanks without having them seperated this way.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

These might be an economical option depending on the dimensions.

http://www.harborfreight.com/abs-storage-organizer-95807.html


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

jharris2 said:


> These might be an economical option depending on the dimensions.
> 
> http://www.harborfreight.com/abs-storage-organizer-95807.html


The price is right, but the functionality isn't the same. I like having trays that slide in and out of the "cabinet". If I stacked three of these on top of each other, I wouldn't be able to get at the blanks in the bottom tray.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

Oh yeah, I definitely see your point.

Also those hinged lids are inclined to fatigue.

Better to get the right box and save yourself the aggravation. Yes.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

My wife has several of these in her craft room, so i stole the idea and picked one up for blanks. Pen blanks up top and stopper blanks in the larger bottom drawers. Still have a couple of shoe boxes and flat rate boxes elsewhere as we'll. ;-). What can I say, I like wood! 









I also have two if these guys in a drawer, one for bushings and one for drill bits and pen mill shafts. 









All of my turning stuff is in this cabinet.









I've got pen stuff in a drawer, tools in one, chucks and drives and such in one, kits in one, buffing stuff in one, etc. Very handy.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

duncsuss said:


> duh ... sorry, brain slightly fried right now (and that advert of the girl in the "I used to care" t-shirt is a distraction )


Girl? T shirt? I'm awake. Lol
Looks like it would work, but why not make one?


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

Well this is my set up. Card board box for blanks in bulk. One box for each species. (Think I may go the plastic draws like sawdustfactory has, think it was him)

Then when getting ready to drill, insert tubes, cut in 1/2 and turn blanks I use these 









When they are turned and come off the mandrel I use these









And I use these trays for parts and an occasional prepared blank for demonstration purposes









Dave The Turning Cowboy


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