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How do you organize your extras?


adfogel

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I thought it might be interesting to see how far each of us actually goes with their workspace and the extras we accumulate. So, I'll lead off.:smiley2:

 

I keep my spares in two mini drawer containers. I have a 3rd (not pictured) that is akin to the small brown one and that is where my car parts are. I break down drawers into groups (all 1/48):

 

Misc.

Canopies/clear parts (all scales)

props/resin casting blocks

cockpit parts

built cockpits (complete)

built cockpits (incomplete)

airframe panels

landing gear panels

landing gear

wheels/tires/rims for single-engine aircraft

wheels/tires/rims for multi-engine aircraft

bombs

droptanks/radar pods

rockets

guns/ammo chutes/etc.

spare PE parts and frets

engines/poly caps

exhausts

spinners

 

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Then I have one drawer for 1/72 parts, two drawers for 1/32 parts and a drawer of nothing but the extras that one gets in the 1/48 Fujimi Bf109 series.

 

Here are a few examples:

 

L to R-seats, gunsights/control sticks/pedals, cockpit panels, instrument panels/radios

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L to R-landing gear panels, landing gear, guns/ammo chutes

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L to R-1/72 wheels, 1/48 wheels (single-engine aircraft)

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All of my resin detail sets, figures and conversions are kept in a large three-drawer stackable unit. My PE sets and cast-metal sets are kept in a small cardboard box inside of this unit. All of these items are kept cataloged on my Excel database. Although I would love to keep them out and neatly organized by sight I figure if there was a fire or another problem I can grab and carry (or throw out a window) the three-drawer unit. Also another reason why my decals are in three three-ring binders. And speaking of decals mine are arranged by group: Props, Jets and Auto.

 

So, am I just overly nerdy here or are some of you out there as meticulous (or is it ridiculous? LOL!) as I am? :blink: Just curious really. Lets hear and see how your extras are kept track of!

 

Later,

 

Lee

 

 

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Dear Lee,

 

After reviewing this thread I believe it is safe to say the you are a SUPER NERD. No rightful modeler would ever keep spare parts in storage bins, let along organize them the way you do. Computers? What is that? we modelers don't have time for any stinking computers, were to busy building models. I think that you may need to see a doctor soon before this condition of yours gets worse.

 

Good Luck Weirdo,:smiley23:

 

Chris

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I'm not an aircraft modeler, but an armor modeler. I tend to place my spares into an empty box of the vehicle type of nation of the donor kit. For example, I have an Abrams box for excess modern US armor, a Sherman box for excess US WW2 armor and a German panzer box (old Hunting Tiger) for any WW2 German armor bits.

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Thank you, Chris. You've confirmed my worst fear...I'm a super nerd!:smiley17: Ah, the joys of being anal-retentive! LOL!!

 

Robin, that's a smart idea on your armor extras.

 

Later,

 

Lee

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A question for you Lee, When is the last time that you actually used something from your collection of spare parts? I guess that I'm (and probably all of us) are like you to an extent in that we feel that "This thing is still good. I am sure that I can use it somewhere, sometime.". I firmly believe that we people of a given age (old) really tend to be pack rats. I am very painfully trying to break myself from keeping so much. I sold about 1000 kits three years ago but still many lifetimes left.

 

Now, to answer your question, I have quite a few packages of photo-etched. I keep them in three old notebooks that were made for micro fiche (younger members need to ask older members what micro fiche were). I keep my resin parts, vacuformed canopiesm masks and other purchased parts in a big cardboard box. I keep like items in marked plastic bags. All of these items are recorded in an Access data base named "modelparts". Of course, I also have a couple of kit boxes full of extra armament and fuel tanks etc. I don't think that I have ever used anything out of these boxes but "these things are still good". Hope this helps.

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Ahhh......a man after my own heart! However, I not only have a bin with those same drawers of parts (those are only for the ones I use most); I also have about 20 cigar boxes of spare parts, all divided into sub-categories (wheels and tires, props, piston engine parts, jet engine parts, clear parts, etc, etc.)

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Note that the parts bin is front and center containing cockpit stuff, ejection seats, guns, and actuators (the stuff I need "handy"). To the far right is my larger stash of spare parts in the cigar boxes, and even in a couple of old kit boxes and clear zip-lock baggies.

 

As for the last time I used any of them? Almost every model I have requires something! It may be a better seat, new gear door actuators, a machine gun barrel...but they do get used more often than not! As the old saying goes....Waste not! Want not! Cheers!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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See Gil, I knew we were birds of a feather!:smiley20:

 

Clare, I like to add details here and there to most of my builds so, doe me, I tend to be "in the bins" quite a bit. Just I used some bits for my Valom An-2 Colt build that I am currently working on. Had to scratchbuild a cargo area roof...here's the proof!:smiley17:

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And here's things after adding some ribbing material. Just enough so that when folks peer through the windows they see something in there!

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All of this was done with leftover sheet styrene and wires and bits and pieces from other kits and a pair of resin blocks.

 

Later,

 

Lee

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