| November 27, 2022
As the collection has grown, so has the need to store everything. Each evolution of storage has required some clever thinking to be effective.
This fifth generation solution of adornment storage is the best of all, if I do say so myself. As an avid collector, with hundreds of items in the collection and no desire to slow down or stop any time soon, I was beginning to burst at the seams of my prior storage solution and needed to think about a new way of storing things.
When getting to this size of a collection, the ability to store the collection discretely and in a lockable container is quite a challenge. I contemplated many possible ways of solving the growing problem including hide-away drawers in shelving units, dedicated cabinets, etc. One day, while at the hardware store, it hit me: why not use a tool storage chest for my tools??? A short look on Facebook marketplace for a used tool chest with locking drawers yielded an easy deal.
With an expansive solution available for raw storage in hand, the task of organizing the collection was the next bit to tackle. The watch organizers I’ve used in the past would fit - but only two to a drawer with lots of dead space around them. I looked many places for composable organizers but came up empty which ultimately led me to design and create my own solution.
That solution ultimately consists of parametric (parameter driven) holders that I can 3D print. The first several holders, as with any self-created design, left much to be desired… but over time, I finally honed in on an excellent solution featuring:
- beveled bottoms to reduce “elephant foot” effect
- A ’notched’ side to display as much of the ring as possible
- 45 degree interior walls to cradle the ring so the holder doesn’t have to be the exact width of the ring
- Pegs and notches so multiple holders can “clip” together to form a row
- Dimensions of the holder embossed on the front to easily see what size it is (to print new ones!)
When printed in a matte black PLA, the holders tone down quite a bit and really let the rings they hold take center stage. To finish everything off, I cut a sheet of leather-like vinyl to place in the bottom of each drawer. With this design, and dozens of holders printed up ready for whatever, it’s easy to add to the collection and keep the presentation perfect!