Alternatives To The Goulet Pens Sample Vial Holder?

[Krisbecause]

72 ink sample bottle holder

 

Repurposed four photo books into ink-books. Each will hold 18 sample bottles.

Stapled clear plastic to a piece of paper and then glued onto the back after removing the photo Holders.

[Fozziebear]

I really the wooden holders and the photobook idea. Quite frankly, I think that's the way to do it with style.

 

If you're just looking for a 50-tube holder, but less expensive than Goulet, you can go with amazon (US site), especially if you have Prime. I don't have the rack, yet (actually, just put in my order), but the reviews suggest it's just the thing.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Karter-Scientific-208U2-Plastic-Detachable/dp/B005Z4QWIK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

They're 6 bucks, give or take. The Goulet sample tubes appear to be about 15-16mm in diameter, so the reviews are probably correct.

 

Cheers.

[Krisbecause]

Lol, I would have to make a box for it.

[AFountain]

I'm so glad that someone resurrected this thread! I never thought of making one out of wood - and I have a full wood shop downstairs with a lot of scrap oak, walnut, and cherry from old projects.

 

I did buy the cheap plastic one from Amazon and it works very well. When I have time to get downstairs to work, I'll replace it with a wood rack.

[Feathers]

I spent the afternoon labelling and organizing my ink samples, and thought I would revive this thread because there are some really cool ideas for making some sweet looking sample holders. I got mine from Amazon, and while they are functional, they're not the classiest looking.

 

It was a fun day just mucking about with my inks. Now I can actually tell quickly what sample is what.

 

[ac12]

Someone in another thread suggested a shotgun shell box. Here are a few:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Plano-Shot-Shell-Box-gauge/dp/B000P3YVD4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435085487&sr=8-1&keywords=shot+gun+shell+box

 

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/515918/plano-shotgun-shell-box-12-gauge-3-1-2-25-round-plastic-green

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-2-3-4-3-20-GA-SHOTGUN-SHELL-PLASTIC-AMMO-BOX-CASE-25rd-BLUE-BERRYS-/321785894906?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aebef17fa

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Shotshell-Boxes/1159099.uts

 

http://www.amazon.com/MTM-Multi-Gauge-Round-Shotshell/dp/B000LC7WTO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435086040&sr=8-1&keywords=shotgun+shell+box

 

http://www.mtmcase-gard.com/products/shotgun/shotshell-boxes-s25d.html

 

This one will hold 100 vials (shotgun shells) in a portable box.

http://www.mtmcase-gard.com/products/shotgun/shotshell-boxes-sf100-d.html

http://www.amazon.com/MTM-SF100D-09-Deluxe-Case/dp/B001QDLZ90/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1435086040&sr=8-6&keywords=shotgun+shell+box

 

And a smaller one for 50 vials (shotgun shells)

http://www.mtmcase-gard.com/products/shotgun/shotshell-boxes-sf50.html

http://www.amazon.com/MTM-Round-Shotshell-Handled-Gauge/dp/B000VEA74Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1435086040&sr=8-3&keywords=shotgun+shell+box

[Feathers]

Ahhh a shotgun shell box! What a great idea! Keeps them tidy too. My complaint about the test tube holder is that while it is stackable (sort of) it lacks any sort of groove in which the second tier can be stacked securely. Currently stacked as they are, they are quite precarious. It takes only a small bump and the top tier will slide right off.

[inkstainedruth]

Ahhh a shotgun shell box! What a great idea! Keeps them tidy too. My complaint about the test tube holder is that while it is stackable (sort of) it lacks any sort of groove in which the second tier can be stacked securely. Currently stacked as they are, they are quite precarious. It takes only a small bump and the top tier will slide right off.

I have 4 vial trays; two from Goulet Pens and two from isellpens (don't recall which is which, but one set holds 50 each while the other holds 40 each -- they're the same size but one set just has the rows closer together). They sort of stack but I also keep them in a box to keep them organized and out of direct light.

Of course I'm not sure what I'm going to do if and when I get more than 180 samples, because a fifth tray is NOT going to fit in the box... and I'm not sure I have room on the shelves for another box that size, assuming IKEA even still carries them.... I have started thinning out the stash a bit, though: peeled the old labels off and washed the vials and caps out well in ammonia solution with a bit of dish detergent, then rinsed well with distilled water. Some will get recycled into PiF samples and others will be travel back-ups for me.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bla1089]

Several months back I took a scrap 2x4 block and drilled several holes in it. I did it at three different levels to get a theatre seat-like effect to better be able to read the labels (that part did not work). Took about 15 minutes to make.

 

What diameter drill bit and hole separation did you use?

Edited July 20, 2016 by bla1089

[mrcharlie]

What diameter drill bit and hole separation did you use?

 

Earlier in the topic the author specified using 5/8 inch bit, which is also what I used. You can use a spade bit, or a Forstner (sp?) bit is even better, if you want a flat bottom hole without drilling clean through.

 

Eyeballing it, it looks like plistumi used about 1 inch distance center to center; that would give 3/8 inch wood between holes. It isn't too hard to make up/mock up a good spacing once you have the size of you piece of wood. Leave enough room for the caps, and to be able to get your fingers in between to pick them up.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have two of them now. Didn't get them from Goulet, but a different vendor. Forget the name, but it was a company that sold both the vials and racks and other laboratory equipment for less than the Goulet. One of mine arrived with only one side. Scissors, a box and as good as new.

[plistumi]

Mrcharlie is right. I used a 5/8 bit. It was a spade bit, but since then I have learned that a Forstner bit is a better bit to use.

[IrishEyes]

Not sure if they'd fit in these, but you can purchase similar plastic holders for beads that come in similar plastic vials. Maybe take one of your ink vials into a Joanns, Michaels, Craftsman's Warehouse, etc., and try the vial in the plastic holders to see if it fits.

 

Hmmm.... I'm going to have to go look at my bead stash holders to see if any of them will hold my ink vials, now :-).

[Dragonmaster Lou]

I bought a 12-gauge shotgun shell case off of Amazon for like $4 or so to hold my sample vials. Works great. Each vial is about the size of a shotgun shell and about 1/3 of the vial stick out from the top when the case is open, so it works as a vial holder for filling purposes as well.

[sirgilbert357]

I am awaiting a fistful of samples from Mr. and Mrs. Goulet. What I'm going to do is get a nice block of wood, and drill holes maybe 3/4 of an inch down into the top. Then a coat of varnish and viola, a nice solid sample vial holder.

 

This is exactly what I did. Block of wood and a drill bit. I think the 1/2 inch bit was enough...might have been 3/4 (edit: I think it was 5/8 actually). Either way, its a perfect fit. My block will hold 10 vials and is rather compact. I used a pencil to lightly draw guide lines and dots on where to drill to keep everything evenly spaced. Then drilled, erased the lines and sanded the top down. Viola!

Edited July 22, 2016 by sirgilbert357

[caxawu]

Watch boxes work really well I have ink samples in two different ones. They're really nice for storage and are the only containers I've found that are tall enough for the ink samples.

[ac12]

I think I got this tip here on FPN, a shotgun shell box.

https://www.amazon.com/MTM-Multi-Gauge-Shotshell-Forest/dp/B000LC7WTO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487996140&sr=8-1&keywords=MTM%2BMulti%2BGauge%2B25%2BRound%2BShotshell%2BBox&th=1

Holds 25 vials and stacks. The latching cover makes it secure to carry with you to the pen club.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have two of the sample vial holders now. There are lab supply companies that sell the same thing for probably slightly less. I only paid a few dollars for mine. I have both 5 ml and 10 ml vials in mine.