I converted an old drawer into a compartmentalized lens storage place.
Over the years my video equipment has grown to a size that makes taking all of it to each video shoot impractical. This year I filmed with more groups than I ever have before, and I found myself leaving lenses and cameras sitting out on my desk for days at a time – sometimes even “losing” a lens or two by misplacing it in a camera bag that I had forgotten about. It was time to put it all in one place in a way that was clearly organized. I got to work converting an old drawer into compartmentalized storage places for my cameras and lenses.
Here’s a quick before and after:
Before
After
I found the drawer on Craig’s List. It was custom made by the previous owner, and despite being old, it was sturdy and solid and at the depth I was looking for. There was a mysterious green stain, but I knew it would be covered up.
I found foam sheets at Hobby Lobby and used them to line the outside of the drawer. I also bought rigid foam board with an extra thick cardboard outer lining with the intention of cutting it into a criss-cross pattern to make compartments for each lens.
I measured the outside of the drawer and began placing the lenses in the drawer to know how big to make each compartment. Once I had a few pencil marks on the foam board, I began cutting 4″ strips with a rolling cutter.
To get the foam board strips to fit together, I cut each one half way through on opposite sides so they would slide into each other. I taped a few ends with gaffers tape to keep them in place. Eventually I might cover the entire thing with another layer of the foam lining, but for now this works pretty well. As you can see from the picture, the foam board is rigid and holds its shape on its own.
.
That’s it! It took me about 3 hours to complete – much of which was figuring out how I was going to actually build it, and wandering through Hobby Lobby to find materials I liked.
Labeling the bottom of each place also helps me keep track of the lenses and see which ones are already packed.
Eventually I’ll use the next drawer down to put my camera bodies and other audio/video things in a similar organized system, but for now I need to get back to editing.
Check out some of our films by clicking here, and if you’d like to learn more about me and my filmmaking business, click here. Thanks for stopping by!
