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LEGO filtration bins

Bins with gratings for sorting pieces by size.
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Multiple nested bins, each with a grating on the bottom. The second-lowest bin would have the smallest holes (the lowest bin must be hole-free), and bins above that would have ever larger holes.

To sort your LEGO, dump it in the top bin and shake for a while. Then separate the bins. The smallest pieces will be in the bottom bin, the largest pieces in the top bin, with medium pieces in between.

AntiQuark, Oct 20 2009

Full-baked http://www.box4blox.com/
As you describe [bdag, Oct 20 2009]

[link]






       Hmmmm, what about the long, thin, smooth topped ones, that are only a third of a brick in height?
Wouldn't they defeat your sorting mechanism, and fall through to the bottom anyway?
kaz, Oct 20 2009
  

       Shouldn't there be a color and type sorter instead?
Rmac, Oct 20 2009
  

       [Wouldn't they defeat your sorting mechanism]   

       Probably, but after using it a few times, you'd learn which bins certain pieces would end up in.   

       [Shouldn't there be a color and type sorter instead?]   

       I don't think there's a mechanical way of sorting by color or type. You'd need some sort of electronic camera.
AntiQuark, Oct 20 2009
  

       AntiQuark! The pieces naturally sort this way when you shake a box of them.
daseva, Oct 20 2009
  

       Of course if you really wanted to know where all your pieces were you'd sort them by size, shape, and colour, and just keep them segregated anyway.......
kaz, Oct 20 2009
  

       [kaz] I agree, I've explained that to my kids many times :)
AntiQuark, Oct 20 2009
  

       But what kind of kid keeps his toys that well organised?
Rmac, Oct 20 2009
  

       The kind you worry about.
8th of 7, Oct 20 2009
  

       Baked and baked. Check out the Box4Blox website and enter yourself to win one.
bdag, Oct 20 2009
  

       [bdag] Cool, I was unaware of that, thanks for the link!
AntiQuark, Oct 20 2009
  

       Most of my old Lego bricks are stored by usefulness, in model format.
kaz, Oct 20 2009
  

       I like to store mine autobiographically.
daseva, Oct 20 2009
  

       You need to get out more and meet people your own age, [kaz].
8th of 7, Oct 20 2009
  

       Hey, I didn't say I played with them. They live in the attic somewhere.
kaz, Oct 20 2009
  

       I also happen to have a perfectly functioning social life thank you very much, I just can't remember where i left it.
Besides, we can't all just absorb more company when we need it.
kaz, Oct 20 2009
  

       When I used to have lego, I kept it in a giant plastic tub, and the only obsession was not permitting unused pieces to be joined together. The pleasure of "rooting" though the tub with both hands in search of a vital brick, which you know you possess only one of!   

       Anyway, for this application I vote for a small robot arm with camera, to individually pick pieces and place them in appropriate chutes.
pocmloc, Oct 21 2009
  
      
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