Save Those Containers!

[cedarwoodron]

I pick up a number of plastic containers with covers, the kind you get at Boston Market or the supermarket with prepared foods, and save them to use for holding small parts temporarily when working on a project car or loco, or for removing paint with a 91% alcohol bath. These containers are acetal plastic or similar and impervious to both regular paint thinner and alcohol. Cedarwoodron

[GP-9_Man11786]

I use the rectangular plastic containers that Mack's earplugs come in for small parts, figures and detail parts.

[tomikawaTT]

Egg cartons and plastic refrigerator egg holders are great for holding detail parts during superdetailing/kitbashing/scratchbuilding projects.  I even have one full of pre-cut ties for handlaid turnouts.

I save the flat, plane clear plastic from just about anything to use as window stock, or for the clear pockets on car cards.

One Zip-lok clear refrigerator container found a new life as a housing for a step-down transformer used for structure lighting.  A little CA helps keep the mitts out of the 120VAC.

Since my wife will reject those containers for the slightest defect, I have no shortage...

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[tallcapt]

Crystal Light containers are great...

[MisterBeasley]

My wife's yogurt habit produces lots of containers for mixing paint, plaster and such.

I use plastic pill bottles to mix things like stains and washes that I want to keep around after the first use.  The screw-on plastic tops keep the mixes from drying out.

[Seamonster]

I eat a lot of peanut butter so I have lots of plastic jars all the same size and shape for storing scenic materials in after I open the bag.  I save large pill bottles from the pharmacy to store small stuff in.  I keep the little foil cups from the mince tarts that my wife buys at Christmas time to mix small amounts of paint in or to put a blob of glue in when I want to dip small amounts.  The food container aisle of the Dollar Stores is a good place to find cheap containers of all sizes with lids.  That same aisle has a good assortment of small trays and little plastic basket-like trays for storing stuff in.

 

[locoi1sa]

You mean I can toss out all those coffee cans and baby food jars in the basement? I still have hundreds of baby food jars with the lids screwed to the first floor between the rafters in the workshop. Most have been there going on thirty years now and every now and then I find something good in the jar. I probably have more hardware than the local Ace store. How about all those 35mm film canisters? What am I to do with those?

  Remember one good saying. Organized people are just too lazy to look for something.

         Pete

[hobo9941]

HELP! I'm drowning in stuff. I save everything!

[betamax]

My father had a ton of small coin bottles.  They are designed to hold dimes, nickels, etc.  I have a lot of those designed for dimes.  

They are great for parts storage as they are small, clear, and have a screw on top.  They'll even lay down in the drawer of the tool chest and allow it to close.

Parts, couplers, track spikes, you name it, it works for that.

[cedarwoodron]

Well, after reading some of the responses, let me amend my topic: save those containers ONLY FOR TEMPORARY OR DISPOSIBLE FURTHER USE! I am not advocating for becoming a pack rat, although that might well be endemic to being a model railroader, but for storage of little parts, be practical- the $2.00 plastic compartmented storage boxes at Walmart or at Harbor Freight are better for tons of small stuff ( baby jar lids nailed to the underside of the flooring-geez!) that youmwant to be able to keep and have occasional or regular access to. I am referring more to using a small plastic container for a paint removal task, or a metal parts cleaning, mixing paint batches for particular one-time uses. Baby food jars- man oh man!!!!!! Cedarwoodron

[AntonioFP45]

Cedarwooten,

Great suggestion!

Those containers form Boston Market and similar designs are excellent for temporarily storing parts from models that are being disassembled for mechanical or paint work.  It seems that no matter how careful I am, on some occasions when I've disassembled a locomotive......I manage to lose something!  Disassembling units on top of terry cloth towels helps, but even then during the process, parts can suddenly grow wings, go "zinnnnnnng!" across the room, and land in some remote spot where they're camouflaged so well.

So containers like these with lids are very handy and convenient (and a neat way of recycling).   As soon as I remove a part or component, it goes directly into the container. 

A good scrub with dishwashing soap and a rag gets them ready for use. 

 

[miniwyo]

I use some of my wife's old contact solution bottles to hold wet water and diluted glue, I also use old Kraft Parmesan cheese shakers for dirt, rock and those type of things.

[farrellaa]

How about the 'Coffe Mate' plastic bottles with pour spouts? I have a few dozen of them now and they are great for ballast type materials. As you can see from the photo they can be kept in a decent order. I actually have a couple of bottles with the  same ballast so I can keep them at different locations as I tend to jump around in my modelling tasks. They pour materials with  very good control and are easy to handle!

     -Bob

[cedarwoodron]

That's a great idea there, for granular stuff! Cedarwoodron

[mobilman44]

Hi!

Yup, I've been doing that for years...............  

And, I've been saving stuff from my auto projects, woodworking, mechanical stuff, etc., etc.    One thing that has done is earned me the title "packrat".

Funny thing about being a packrat.......... 

Often those that call you that come to you looking for this or that item that only you would have......

Lately I've been getting cigar boxes from a son in law, which work beautifully in keeping modeling tools and parts in order.

 

 

[Seamonster]

Farrellaa's post reminded me of another container I use.  We used to buy something (I think it was bacon bits until our doctor told us they were bad for us) in containers that are identical to the big shaker containers that Walthers sells scenery materials in.  I use them for scenery materials and shake the contents out as needed.  For more accurate application of the materials, I bought a set of spice jars in a rack at a discount store and put some of the stuff from the big jars into them.  I also use them for the coloured ground foam that simulates weeds and flowers.  The little spice jars allow more accurate control of the material being shaken out of them and get refilled from the big jars.

 

[superbe]

My wife and I like Kozyshack rice pudding. It comes in small plastic cups which I like to use for mixing paint colors.

Also the lid on Cool Whip containers makes a nice pallette.

Hey, I've picked up some good ideas from this thread.

Bob

[cedarwoodron]

OP here with one more bit of advice regarding these containers, brought to mind by the fellow who mentioned re-using a bacon bits container (great idea, by the way): When I want to collect these various types of containers ( most of them from food use ) I make sure I wash them very well in dish detergent, then after drying them, I clean them with a paper towel and 91 alcohol, then wash and dry with dish detergent again. Food products tend to exude oils and such that will sit on the surface of the plastics used for food storage, and remain there when you pour your "special ballast mix" into one for layout use, etc. Those organic remainders can also attract pests as well ( no, not your nosy old Aunt Sonia- real insect type pests!) that can enjoy a second home in the storage containers, so wash them well! Cedarwoodron