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That might seem an odd question, but do you have any good tips for storing leftover bits from kits you build? So far I have one small box with little plastic bags full of parts I'm likely to use in the "everyday modelling" (IG arms, heads, weapons etc.) and another mid sized box, as well as a shelf in my vitrine were I store a some whole sprues which had enough parts, that cutting all out and putting them in a bag did not seem like such a good idea.

But by now it all starts to get a bit much, and will likely start to accumulate. I'm also not completely satisfied with the organization of things. I trade bits away now and then, but it would be nice to get some ideas how to handle the storing better. Do you use Boxes? Do you keep the parts on sprues or cut them out? Do you keep everything sorted or just have a big bucket? Or do you even use a toolbox with lots of little drawers?

Zip lock bags for warrios categories. All inside a GW box in a cupboard. For the most oart they should be stored away. Painting takes longer then building for me.

I use something like this along with small jewelry bags to sort my bits for each main army.

I keep my bits in baggies, they're sorted into categories like Space Marine special weapons, Space Marine torsos, Imperial Guard heavy weapons, etc etc.

Do you use Boxes?
One big box for larger terrain pieces. Several smaller jewellery boxes with compartments (like the one Big Mac posted) for bits.

Do you keep the parts on sprues or cut them out?
I cut them out. I´m a kitbasher, so it´s easier for me to immediately be able to dry-fit stuff when I want to come up with something new.

Do you keep everything sorted or just have a big bucket?
Sorted! Saves you a lot of time when you're looking for something specific.

Or do you even use a toolbox with lots of little drawers?
Yes, like the one below. That's where I put the WIPs. Try to have just one toolbox though, otherwise you'll end up with a huge painting backlog....

I just have one giant box with everything in it. Just grab parts that catch your eye and "might" be useful in said project. Makes converting far more fun that way when you dig out random parts and/or entire minis

I don't have a bits box as I'm not that organised yet. However, based on storing lots of tiny things in work, I'll be going with the labelled ziplock bags and bit box approach.

I use a bead / crafts organizer, like what Big Mac posted above. It's useful to be able to separate bits into categories, so that finding what you're looking for is easier. I also have a box for "random" stuff that doesn't go with anything else or is too big for an organizer. I prefer the organizer over the toolbox style multi-drawer thing because it's easier to see everything at once rather than open and close a dozen drawers, madly hunting for a given part.

Baggies are saved for projects, such as a complete figure or set of parts that's earmarked for a unit.

I don't keep bits on sprues because it takes up too much space.

In my experience the best way to organise is to have it divided up as you work with the modes. How you do that depends on what you want; but in general the idea is that by dividing up the content you make it far easier to mentally catalogue where things are and where you can find certain parts. These might be specific parts or generic "I want a gun lets go look at the guns" type situations.



Personally I use those re-sealable plastic ziplock bags and into them I put parts in one or two states

1) Parts from a specific model kit. So as I've built the models I want from the kit I put all the spare bits from that kit into the bag

2) Specific types of parts from a kit. This is honestly more my tyranids where there's a lot more generic parts that cross over and where I have a lot more parts. So I might have all my big guns in one bag; smaller warrior guns in another etc....

3) Delicate or otherwise big/difficult parts. These are things like whip arms for Witch Aelves; things that I don't really want in the general mish=mash bags noted above.



I then store all those those in a small metal filing tower and it works great. However a box, coffer, tub or other container works well too. The key is right now I can go to a specific bag and pull out the bits I want and find them.
Doing it as you go also makes it a lot easier. I did have an old big box of parts that was a jumble and took and afternoon to sort through. I found loads of things I forgot I had and some that I knew I had, but couldn't find. Now I can

Fishing tackle box, random tins, little ziplocks.

Next time you get a Chinese, just save the plastic containers they come in. Wash them out, mark it up and you've got a bits box for free.

I use these as a handy compromise between the modularity of a fishing tackle box, and ability to reorder things on the fly.

https://www.reallyusefulstorageboxes.co.uk/really-useful-storage-boxes-organiser-pack-014-16-c2x20651525

I use one of these:



I have the drawers set up as:

Row 1:
plastic tubes/rods
plastic tube/rod offcuts
plastic sheet offcuts
Misc

Row 2 - infantry:
Ork bits (brim full)
Grots & oomies (for my rebel grots)
Fantasy Bits
Uvver (necrons, t'au)

Row 3 - Vehicles:
Engines, Wheels and Legs
Panels, armour plates, structure
Weapons
Gubbinz (mostly decorative)


I then also have many boxes of bits on sprues and a celebrations tin full of marines / chaos bits.

Then another box full of part finished projects.

...then another box full of projects that need repairing...

...and then a few boxes of project I haven't started yet...