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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 15, 2021 14:20:55 GMT -5
I have been putting them flat in labeled stackable (2 high) bins. I sort by agate, jasper/rhyolite, rare, soft, petrified, etc. I am running out of room and finding this system hard to maintain. What do you do? eta- my bins are full and I don't have room for more. I need a better way, if there is one.
This is my porch.
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rewdownunder
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 357
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Post by rewdownunder on Nov 15, 2021 15:14:39 GMT -5
Do as I say not as I do. a few hundred slabs pass thru my hands from professional cutters every year to be passed on to students, teachers and club members. I do not cab so very few get saved and polished for geologic interest but at any one time there may be more than a thousand here at the house. They are stored in buckets & plastic flats outside. My wife keeps telling me just take a permanent marker and write the name on the back with the location if you know it. It greatly increases there value to the next owner and they no longer need to be sorted. I do not need to be around if someone comes looking for something.
I also evaluate a several collections for estates every year and no matter how well they are sorted and stored no name not much value. So every once and a while the wife ( also a geologist ) and I sit down and ID slabs. We end up with a pile of "I don't know" which goes to the shop for new students and yes some just end up in the trash.
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Post by Rockindad on Nov 15, 2021 17:26:08 GMT -5
Our storage looks very similar to yours except we use LFRB's. I too am not really happy with this system as any time I am looking for something in particular it seems I have to empty out the whole box. I have been thinking of cutting pieces of cardboard to a decent size and taping the slabs to them. Would be able to sort any way I'd like and be able to stack many high. It should make browsing through them fairly painless. I am thinking it would be like an unbound slab album. Just a thought for now but I do have access to a lot of clean cardboard.
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Post by fernwood on Nov 16, 2021 7:33:17 GMT -5
I have some in boxes as received, some in bins, some in beer/veggie flat boxes, some in bins on a childs type toy storage shelving unit.
I try to put a sticker type label on everything I move from original boxes/bags saying what the material is.
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Post by knave on Nov 16, 2021 8:34:44 GMT -5
Mine are all over. Sadly.
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 16, 2021 8:49:16 GMT -5
Do as I say not as I do. a few hundred slabs pass thru my hands from professional cutters every year to be passed on to students, teachers and club members. I do not cab so very few get saved and polished for geologic interest but at any one time there may be more than a thousand here at the house. They are stored in buckets & plastic flats outside. My wife keeps telling me just take a permanent marker and write the name on the back with the location if you know it. It greatly increases there value to the next owner and they no longer need to be sorted. I do not need to be around if someone comes looking for something. I also evaluate a several collections for estates every year and no matter how well they are sorted and stored no name not much value. So every once and a while the wife ( also a geologist ) and I sit down and ID slabs. We end up with a pile of "I don't know" which goes to the shop for new students and yes some just end up in the trash. Well, I certainly don't have as many as you do. But, I do try to mark them unless they are obvious- like tiger eye. Almost all my indoor slabs are high graded. I have some outside in buckets that will prolly go to my son. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 16, 2021 8:51:37 GMT -5
Our storage looks very similar to yours except we use LFRB's. I too am not really happy with this system as any time I am looking for something in particular it seems I have to empty out the whole box. I have been thinking of cutting pieces of cardboard to a decent size and taping the slabs to them. Would be able to sort any way I'd like and be able to stack many high. It should make browsing through them fairly painless. I am thinking it would be like an unbound slab album. Just a thought for now but I do have access to a lot of clean cardboard. I would use FRBs too, but it's too humid here. They tend to get soft. Your cardboard idea sounds cool, but then would you store them flat of standing up? I thought about storing them like records. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 16, 2021 8:52:40 GMT -5
I have some in boxes as received, some in bins, some in beer/veggie flat boxes, some in bins on a childs type toy storage shelving unit. I try to put a sticker type label on everything I move from original boxes/bags saying what the material is. That's what I am trying to avoid. It's already hard enough to find anything. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 16, 2021 8:54:16 GMT -5
Mine are all over. Sadly. Mine used to be. I'm trying to be more organized so I can find things easier. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 16, 2021 8:56:45 GMT -5
I thought this was a great idea, but would take up too much space. Got the image from instagram. |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Nov 16, 2021 9:04:36 GMT -5
Don't feel bad, knave , so are ours! 
Tela, we all know that rocks are unruly. There is no easy way to store them. I think you have the right idea (it's way better than ours), but what you might be able to do is perhaps get some smaller plastic bins like the shoebox size and put each type (or two or three) in it's own box. It would depend on how much you have off each one and size and shape. That way you could stack them easier and higher on your shelves. Some of your larger rough pieces won't fit in those boxes, but you could use some bigger bins on those bottom shelves maybe.
Not having enough room is challenging to say the least.
ETA: The only other thing I can thing of is if you have enough space in your yard, you could get a small shed and move them all out there on shelving units in plastic bins all labeled and maybe in alphabetical order. Storing slabs flat or vertical in boxes or bins makes the best use of space. The problem with vertical storage is that all slabs are not equal height and if the box isn't tall enough you have slabs sticking up and you can't put anything on top of that box. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't problem.  |
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Post by fernwood on Nov 16, 2021 9:08:38 GMT -5
I have some in boxes as received, some in bins, some in beer/veggie flat boxes, some in bins on a childs type toy storage shelving unit. I try to put a sticker type label on everything I move from original boxes/bags saying what the material is. That's what I am trying to avoid. It's already hard enough to find anything. I am trying to get more organized, but it is tough. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Nov 16, 2021 9:11:06 GMT -5
All of the above, pretty much, at least right now.
We have boxes full of gallon, quart and sandwich sized ziplock bags of slabs that we brought when we moved, not unpacked yet, around 20 to 30 lbs per box.
Since the saws are running some of the time now we have FRB's and some clear plastic tubs/bins beginning to pile up in the saw shop. In the separate wet lapidary shop we have put some various sets of drawers that are supposed to become the categorized storage for the slabs and cabs we decide to keep. We have some nice old solid hardwood drawers from a cabinet we bought as part of an estate, I split all the drawers down with a table saw because they were far too deep, and waiting to find a deal on some birch plywood and the time to build another set of drawers.
Too many projects right now, still working on our living space. What was I thinking when I bought a place that needed so much rehab?
If I make it out with the real camera soon I'll post a pic or two.
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Post by knave on Nov 16, 2021 9:15:39 GMT -5
Tela you could hang them in a closet in a shoe organizer
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 16, 2021 9:18:10 GMT -5
Tela you could hang them in a closet in a shoe organizer LOL! That would get pretty heavy, pretty quickly, but I like the idea. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 16, 2021 9:19:16 GMT -5
Don't feel bad, knave , so are ours!
Tela, we all know that rocks are unruly. There is no easy way to store them. I think you have the right idea (it's way better than ours), but what you might be able to do is perhaps get some smaller plastic bins like the shoebox size and put each type (or two or three) in it's own box. It would depend on how much you have off each one and size and shape. That way you could stack them easier and higher on your shelves. Some of your larger rough pieces won't fit in those boxes, but you could use some bigger bins on those bottom shelves maybe.
Not having enough room is challenging to say the least.
That's a good idea. My bins are pretty big, but they won't accept another layer- too heavy. Smaller amounts would stack better. |
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Post by knave on Nov 16, 2021 9:20:25 GMT -5
The over the door style have 24 pockets you could put a couple slabs in each. It would take some carpenter work but you could hang them on walls or ends of closets.
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 16, 2021 9:20:36 GMT -5
All of the above, pretty much, at least right now. We have boxes full of gallon, quart and sandwich sized ziplock bags of slabs that we brought when we moved, not unpacked yet, around 20 to 30 lbs per box. Since the saws are running some of the time now we have FRB's and some clear plastic tubs/bins beginning to pile up in the saw shop. In the separate wet lapidary shop we have put some various sets of drawers that are supposed to become the categorized storage for the slabs and cabs we decide to keep. We have some nice old solid hardwood drawers from a cabinet we bought as part of an estate, I split all the drawers down with a table saw because they were far too deep, and waiting to find a deal on some birch plywood and the time to build another set of drawers. Too many projects right now, still working on our living space. What was I thinking when I bought a place that needed so much rehab? If I make it out with the real camera soon I'll post a pic or two. Since you are working on it, better to start with a system that will grow with you. I thought I did, but my bins are already full- anymore and they wouldn't stack. |
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Post by knave on Nov 16, 2021 9:21:51 GMT -5
The dream would be a hand crank Rolodex of rock slabs in alphabetical order. Foam on one side and clear vinyl on the other.
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 16, 2021 9:22:23 GMT -5
The over the door style have 24 pockets you could put a couple slabs in each. It would take some carpenter work but you could hang them on walls or ends of closets. Theoretically, that sounds good, but I can't even think of a door that I could use. Maybe when I move, something will become obvious. |
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