Mission Creep

[Spurry]

Reading through Andrew M's plasma posts mentioning Mission Creep reminded me of how my system started.
I had a few boxes for bits and pieces, and at that time could not remember which bits were in which boxes. 
The only way forward (for me) was to create a PC based Excel file of their contents. That's where it began.
I now have a few more boxes, a few of which merit more than the normal one line entry. Those items now number 1751 lines.
The walls are allocated a colour to keep the numbering managable. Larger items and tools are kept in modular units sitting on the floor along the same walls, but the colours are reversed. i.e wall units black on yellow, floor units yellow on black.
I then got to thinking who is going to sort out this lot if i am unable to do so.
The database expanded to list all the items in the floor units, date purchased, cost and so on.
The total lines are presently at 5209.
Pete

[awemawson]

O M G 

[RobWilson]

  Now that's serious organization Pete , 



Rob.


PS, canny calendar 

[howsitwork?]

Very Neat

Like the helicopters, trying to learn to fly mine ! Electric I assume- far more controllable than IC !

[Spurry]

Thanks for the comments.
The calendar was a Christmas present. 
The three helis on the bench are 2 x 91 engined ones and a 50. I don't think an electric is easier/more difficult than IC. I think IC is safer by way of hearing if the engine is running, whereas with electric you *never* quite know if it will burst into life as you cannot see electricery. Hence the need to be meticulous with battery connection. All of mine have gyros but not a self-righting system.

On a more serious note, have you made any preparations for those who have to follow, and sort out your workshops? Not trying to be morbid, just realistic.

Pete

[ieezitin]

NICE!!!!!!!!!!

Now you kneed a spreadsheet to keep track whats in those bins... BTW the calendar was first thing in my vision   

[sparky961]

Pete, you're somewhere around half way to the solution I've always dreamed of.  You got the "little indexed boxes" part spot on, but for me going and looking something up every time I want to put something away or fetch it is a bit tedious.

*MY* dream organization system is this *PLUS* a pick/place robotic system!  You have a "delivery" area where you can tell the computer "I have this widget to store".  It then asks you a few simple questions like what you call it, some keywords to find it, size and weight (better yet, it weighs it and uses a vision system to get rough measurements), then a box appears by way of electromechanical magic.  You put the item in the box and press the "STORE" button.

When you want this, or anything else, at a later date you simply search the database or browse by category, pick an item, and it's delivered in it's own little box right in front of you.  Of course by the time this becomes practical (if ever) you'll just tell it in your natural voice "I need an M6 by 1 socket head cap screw, 25mm long".  And it might say "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.  But I do have a 15mm or a 35mm that might work.  Would you like one of those?"  Oh god.... BLISS!

You could run all sorts of useful queries like "what have I not accessed for 5 years?" or better yet "purge items not accessed for 10 years" - where the matching items are delivered directly to the dumpster out back! ;)  Sure, a little tongue in cheek but can you imagine the possibilities?  The storage itself could also be very compact and located in an area not normally accessible to you - like an attic, wall/floor cavity, overhead (unless you're over 7' tall), whatever goes.

If only it could be made affordable for the average person.


Pay attention to how the system here is loaded at about 1:25.... WOW, that's simple!

Shrink this one down, make it affordable, and I'm in storage heaven!

[efrench]

I don't get it..  Why did you change the labels from yellow to red ??? 

[Spurry]

I don't get it..  Why did you change the labels from yellow to red ??? 

Labels are not changed; there are red ones along one wall, with reversed colour base units, and yellow ones along the other wall, with reversed base units.
Using the variations in colour keeps the numbering/lettering within reasonable bounds. You may have spotted the white/blue base unit, out of place along the red wall.
This is from my old 'shed' which means it was in the centre i.e. not on a wall. Those 'floating' units have to be relabelled in their correct colour for their new location.
Thanks for the interest. 
Pete

[RobWilson]

On a more serious note, have you made any preparations for those who have to follow, and sort out your workshops? Not trying to be morbid, just realistic.

Pete

Morning Pete,

            I haven't given it much thought,  do you have something in place for the inevitable?   

Rob.

[Bluechip]

Pete, you're somewhere around half way to the solution I've always dreamed of.  You got the "little indexed boxes" part spot on, but for me going and looking something up every time I want to put something away or fetch it is a bit tedious.

*MY* dream organization system is this *PLUS* a pick/place robotic system!  You have a "delivery" area where you can tell the computer "I have this widget to store".  It then asks you a few simple questions like what you call it, some keywords to find it, size and weight (better yet, it weighs it and uses a vision system to get rough measurements), then a box appears by way of electromechanical magic.  You put the item in the box and press the "STORE" button.

When you want this, or anything else, at a later date you simply search the database or browse by category, pick an item, and it's delivered in it's own little box right in front of you.  Of course by the time this becomes practical (if ever) you'll just tell it in your natural voice "I need an M6 by 1 socket head cap screw, 25mm long".  And it might say "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.  But I do have a 15mm or a 35mm that might work.  Would you like one of those?"  Oh god.... BLISS!

You could run all sorts of useful queries like "what have I not accessed for 5 years?" or better yet "purge items not accessed for 10 years" - where the matching items are delivered directly to the dumpster out back! ;)  Sure, a little tongue in cheek but can you imagine the possibilities?  The storage itself could also be very compact and located in an area not normally accessible to you - like an attic, wall/floor cavity, overhead (unless you're over 7' tall), whatever goes.

If only it could be made affordable for the average person.


Pay attention to how the system here is loaded at about 1:25.... WOW, that's simple!

Shrink this one down, make it affordable, and I'm in storage heaven!

Brings back awful memories of the stuff I worked on .... 

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=aml%2f2&&view=detail&mid=9BA298CED915B9B7D1019BA298CED915B9B7D101&FORM=VRDGAR

Dave

[Spurry]

Morning Pete,

            I haven't given it much thought,  do you have something in place for the inevitable?   
Rob.

Morning Rob
With that in mind, that is how my mission crept.
All the tool-type items I buy are now added to the database, with purchase cost and few other details.
 
My wife and daughter are pretty clueless about the tools, but the future son-in-law is pretty hot on computers (runs rings round me).
My idea was that with the above info, he would at least have somewhere to start. As those within *our circle* know, it is not the size of things that give them value, but what they cost.

There are many benefits to such a record. Insurance purposes for one.
Answers the question, did I buy one of those, or do I need one? Where it is now? has not quite been cracked, but I'm working on that.

The obvious everyday use - which box has M10 capheads? So I just checked for "m10 x " . There are 40 hits. Just scan through those, find that in N8 yellow, I bought 50 off M10 x 80 capheads from RS in 2/8/2010. In theory, there should be some in the box but not how many.
Looking at it the other way. I know I had a 22mm reamer for my slotter project, and assumed a 21.50 drill would be there too, but alas no. My large drills are not yet indexed  so that project stalled.

I just wondered if others had given the disposal question much thought.

Pete

[ieezitin]

To the popping of clogs dilemma

I have for 20 years kept detail records of my purchases & sales for my shop, to be honest its been a side business that pays for the addiction to the hobby, all my stock, machines and tooling comes from auctions or sales which i found presented me with a problem, not having a need for all I purchase I must resell of course for a profit but it tends to build up into an inventory which in turn creates a storage problem.

I created a spreadsheet to catalog this, within the sheet it shows what the item is and purchase price, date, resold how much, where its stored... if i purchased a machine that i part out i have a simple code to show me the breakdown of costs and profits, in my file for the shop i have photographs of the high money items showing the purchase price and current resale value this is for my wife, anything under $50.00 is not shown.

My wife has been to auctions with me and knows the scene well, we have talked about my shop and the value within it and she now has a clear view of what everything is and how much its worth. Cataloging this way yields surprising results.

My original spreadsheet was converted into Google sheets and my shop file is stored in Google drive, so now its so easy to on the fly store this information i do this in my shop or at the auction via my phone.


Anthony 

[Spurry]

Anthony, that sounds an excellent system and you have all the bases covered. As such, your wife will probably never need it..........but you never know.
BR
Pete

[John Rudd]

Thanks for the comments.
The calendar was a Christmas present. 

On a more serious note, have you made any preparations for those who have to follow, and sort out your workshops? Not trying to be morbid, just realistic.

Pete

I'm expecting 'Er-indoors to outlive me....after all she is 4 yrs my junior....and life expectancy  of some one with RA is somewhat reduced by 10 yrs or so they say....
That said, I'm leaving all my workshop to my son....between him and his mother they can decide....I wont be around...

[howsitwork?]

John

just make sure you stay on their good side, after all you want a nice nursing home don't you....

I'm currently helping clear a workshop and finding manuals etc is challenging to say the least . Finding receipts in unusual places has been "entertaining". A file "clearly full of drawings" was indeed full , of rather racy 1970 ladies wearing smiles...

On a more serious note - Anyone want a BSA instruction books for a bantam D 125 also covers the D175 Bantam super ? Bit water marked but perfectly readable and definitely original vintage. We also HAD an open face helmet ( like in some mothers do have em ?) but decided that was definitely due in the recycling pile.

On the bright side we've now "found" the Mill and Lathe we knew were in there digging continues....

[Aaronpifow]

thats a point what do you use to get the fake tan off...or does that come off like mrs doubtfires face?

Jam.