so what does everyone use to sotre the endless number of

keystone plates different colors and sizes

jacks

cables, different types and sizes



we have tried everything from small rubbermaid containers, they break over time. to tackle box type set-ups, get bulky having so many.

thinking about building our own out of wood, like stackable trunks. just worried about transportability to and from job site and getting to 2nd stories.


any other ideas?

I use plastic tubs and 1 gallon, clear zip lock freezer bags. My guys think I'm crazy with the zip lock bags. I'm always praching to use them. Especially to prevent truck rot.

any other thoughts?

We use Large Plastic bins that we get from American Van.

They have many sizes and they are customizeable by using interlocking dividers.
These things are very durable and we have nevr had any problems with them breaking or cracking.

They or stackable but they also have a very nice rack that bolts into the van to keep them all organized. The rack lets you get to any bin without having to move others off of it.

Robbie S

Fry's, our local no-service totally cheapo huge electronics giant, carried small plastic toolboxes for several years. I bought fifteen of them and made a set of cubbyholes for them, so have several categories of goodies in the back of my van, organized. On a good day (we haven't had such a good day for a few months, but the potential is there).

I avoid carrying extra of those phone parts and plates as much as possible. The other approach is to organize the other end, where you order as many as you need and that's it...with a slight bit of slack in case you screw one up. Of course, I am within driving distance of my suppliers, and they will ship if I can get two days ahead of the actual usage date.

[Link: durhammfg.com]

These work great!!!!

I use standard Akro bins to store all plate-out items in the shop, and a "bucket boss" when going to a jobsite. It does mean loading/unloading the parts after a day or a job, but it makes it very handy to take the parts and tools from one drop to another when working in the house. For the most part, all trim out plates are the same color in a house (again, for the most part) We just load the bucket boss with keystone modules, decora inserts and trimplates, then load in tools, and you're off and running.

Still looking for the perfect bucket insert, so if anyone else is doing this and has found one that's perfrct, please let me know.

Mike

Boy has this one been a thorn in my side FOREVER!

I have tried to find something that would work and even thought that if I could invent one it would sell well.

What we've taken to is keeping everything organized in the shop in a drawer we built. We now document the pre-wire for plate color and the exact configuraton we need at trimout. This way the guys take what they need for that trimout on the day they are set to do it. That way they don't end up in every corner of the van destroyed because the air compressor got thrown on top of them.

I tried the Ziploc bag method but installers grab what they need and spill the contents into the bottom of a tub (did I mention that entire Xantech IR systems also reside in this tub underneath all the now loose plates and inserts... of course I discovered this AFTER running to a distributor to purchase a new one and deliver it to the crew).

I'm too busy to develop any better solution but if someone has a great idea... I'll bet its marketable.

The only solution I have been able to find for the disorganized tub,bucket,whatever, is Sunday afternoon.

I have found something that works well. I use multiple duffle bags for items I always need in the customers home so I can easily bring them in. I have one for cables - gets heavy but its always stocked. One for IR and wire dressing stuff. I use one for Comport modules and mulitple varieties of straps. This one isn't that big. I use, from Cabela's, a fishing bag that has multiple plastic containers in it. They house a variety of F ends, RCA ends, scotchlocks, f terminators, crimpers, stippers and anything else needed to trim a TV/Tel panel or create custom cables. Grap the bag needed for the job. Seems to work for me.