Mental modes and techniques for finding parts in unsorted boxes

[Wardancer]

Hi,

recently I thought about how best to find parts in my unsorted boxes.

I seem to have different "modes" in my head for going through a box, some of which work better than others:

1. Looking for one single part I need

This one works pretty well, but it is not effective. I have the part I need in my head and I go through the boxes and at some point I recognise the part between all the others. The only way to optimise this is to look for small parts at the bottom and for big ones at the top.

2. Looking for many specific parts I need at the same time without foregrounding very important ones.

When I do this, I scan through a box and hope to find every now and then a part I need somewhere, one of say 15 different ones. I cannot, however, do this and focus special parts at the same time. The parts I need only seem to be semi-conscious in my head. I tend to miss many parts if I do this.

3. Looking for more than one specific part at the time

This is very hard, almost impossible for me. If I look for say green arms and dark gray spears at the same time, I shift between the two, but I cannot focus on both.

4. Looking for every part a not yet existing MOC might need

When I have a general idea on what to built next, I collect parts from the box that I might or might not use.

5. General looking at parts, waiting for inspiration.

This is going through a box and more looking at as opposed to looking for. It soothes me.

What are your modes? Which ones can you do best? Which ones exclude each other?

[Umbra-Manis]

I either start with 5 and then go to 4, 2, and then 1 for finishing touches.

If i know what i'm building i'll just start from 4 instead of 5.

[Lyichir]

The other day I needed to find a single tiny part in an unsorted box. If you've exhausted all other options, here's a handy tip—get another, same-sized box, and gradually move the parts you AREN'T looking for from one box to the other. It can be tedious, but if you know exactly what parts you're looking for this technique will help you narrow the contents of the box down to just those without worrying about accidentally burying them deeper in unneeded parts.

[-zenn]

#2 and #5... I haven't got any of my lego sorted, I like to use pieces which I come across during searching for a specific piece.

Sometimes that way you end up with the most never for seen combo's.

Edited July 17, 2015 by -zenn

[Erik Leppen]

Sort them.

That's my method. I hate unsorted parts bins, as I can't find anything in them, and also have no oversight about what's actually in it. So I start sorting. Depending on the need, maybe roughly, or I just go all out and sort them into my main part system. Then, when it's sorted, I can do 1. with ease :)

I do 4. if I build in an unusual color - I then first get a lot of that color, because I normally don't sort by color so picking a lot from a color gives an idea about how much I have and which parts are rare in that color in my collection.

The only "unsorted box" I use is when I buy a new set and build it.

[dr_spock]

The other day I needed to find a single tiny part in an unsorted box. If you've exhausted all other options, here's a handy tip—get another, same-sized box, and gradually move the parts you AREN'T looking for from one box to the other. It can be tedious, but if you know exactly what parts you're looking for this technique will help you narrow the contents of the box down to just those without worrying about accidentally burying them deeper in unneeded parts.

I use the same technique for small parts. I find the part I need faster than trying to paw through the box. I grab a handful, look and toss into the other box. Repeat until the needed parts are found.

[cromemox]

Sort them.

That's my method. I hate unsorted parts bins, as I can't find anything in them, and also have no oversight about what's actually in it. So I start sorting. Depending on the need, maybe roughly, or I just go all out and sort them into my main part system. Then, when it's sorted, I can do 1. with ease :)

I do 4. if I build in an unusual color - I then first get a lot of that color, because I normally don't sort by color so picking a lot from a color gives an idea about how much I have and which parts are rare in that color in my collection.

The only "unsorted box" I use is when I buy a new set and build it.

Me too.

Sorting box full of LEGO parts may be annoing, but i think this way spare me more time than #1,#2 and #3.

Sometime I do #5 if i need some inspiration.

[Naijel]

Yeah, I pretty much refuse to ever do the looking through huge box of LEGO for 1 or few parts ever again. Even tipping it out on a large surface is not enough. All of my stuff gets sorted and put into tackle boxes or similar in a logical way. It takes a while but once it's done once I can find anything I need fairly quickly and it doesn't interrupt building.

[alanyuppie]

LEGO should make sieves of various sizes so that a single scoop from these godly tool can help to locate parts from a specific size range.

[-zenn]

LEGO should make sieves of various sizes so that a single scoop from these godly tool can help to locate parts from a specific size range.

Lego Sort & Store.

[LAKAbricks]

At the time being, I do not store bricks in big, unsorted boxes, but they are not sorted in every little fraction possible either. They are sorted in smaller boxes, in different categories. So it helps me a lot when looking for bricks.

But I would say, I look for a couple of bricks at a time. Ideas for MOCs I develop in my head, and not by looking at bricks.

When I was a child, I had LEGO all over the floor and in a box, and I often knew where the bricks were in the piles, so I did not have to search for a long time. - That does not work for me now...